Labelling Blog

One-of-a-kind student course demonstrates Esko’s ongoing dedication to invest in technology, knowledge and the future of the industry . Esko ( www.esko.com ) recently organized for the first time a Masterclass for graduating students of the Artevelde University College Ghent who wanted to further expand their knowledge in the world of packaging. Over a ten-day period, participants underwent both theoretical and practical education that included real-life situations, allowing them to experience the complete packaging development process from design concept to ready-to-print flexo plates.   Immediately after their exams, ten students were selected to participate in the Masterclass Flexible Packaging Prepress. The purpose of this unique class was to provide a more in-depth course complementing the education program. Jan De Roeck, Director Solutions Management at Esko, explains: "Esko has a long history of supporting schools and students, whether through providing software an

B & H Labeling Systems introduces the Marathon® XLA + O roll-fed labeler for handle orientation at Pack Expo booth #2766. This new labeler achieves label orientation on handled containers with offset spouts up to one gallon in size. Ideal for bleach and other household products as well as vinegar and other foods, the servo-driven Marathon XLA + O offers high speed wrap-around labeling with high operating efficiencies, fast changeovers and a low total cost of ownership. Featuring an extended infeed conveyor and dual feedscrews that orient each bottle and an orientation starwheel that controls the bottle’s rotation until the leading edge of the roll-fed label is applied, the Marathon XLA + O accurately orients labels to handles with a +/- 0.5 inch (13 mm) tolerance.  Accurate, consistent label placement on containers enhances product appearance and shelf appeal. Applying labels up to 20 inches (508 mm) long enables containers up to 6.25 inches (158 mm) in diameter to be fully wra

Demand for labels will be driven by improved growth in manufacturing activity, as the global economy continues to gain momentum following the recent downturn. While the Asia/Pacific will continue to be the largest and fastestgrowing regional market, the strongest improvements over the performance of the 2008-2013 period will be in North America and Western Europe. Dominant pressure sensitive labels segment to gain market share Pressure sensitive labels will remain the largest product type and continue to take market share from glue-applied products in many major packaging applications, including food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Pressure sensitive labels benefit from a number of qualities, including ease of usage, diversity of applications and graphics, and versatility. In addition, minimal set-up and clean-up time, combined with rapid changeover, make these labels more adaptable for short-run lines. Moreover, the application speed of pressure sensitive labels is no

Company to showcase its North American presence at Labelexpo Americas, Booth 1321, September 9-11 in Chicago. Dutch printing press manufacturer MPS is introducing its flagship EF flexo printing press that features a choice of either plate rolls or print sleeves to North American printers. According to Denny McGee, president of MPS America, the EF press is an extremely high-quality production press that features both UV and hot-air drying technology, allowing users to print diverse substrates including film, paper, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging. McGee says the EF press is unique to the North American market, and is the result of MPS listening to the needs of customers. “Our goal at MPS is to help printers excel. We listen closely to their needs and challenges, and develop solutions that specifically address them. That is why we made the EF available for both plate rolls or print sleeves at moment of order,” he said. The EF press is particularly geared at enabling p

Polyonics recently announced the hiring of Jim Clemente to the position of Vice President Global Sales. Jim comes to Polyonics with a strong background in executive level leadership of global sales and marketing organizations. Most recently, Jim was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Monadnock Paper Mills in Bennington, NH where he was responsible for developing sales and marketing strategies to drive growth in their global technical specialty paper business. Previously, Jim spent 18 years at Markem Corporation where he held a variety of sales and marketing roles in their product identification businesses. In his new role, Jim will be responsible for growth of the Polyonics global label, tape and substrate businesses while strengthening and expanding sales channels in all regions of the world. Polyonics manufactures high performance thermal transfer and laser markable label materials, single and double coated engineered tapes, coated films and flexible substrates. Polyonics

Printed packaging production will be high on the agenda for converters attending this year’s Labelexpo Americas with the show’s introduction of the Package Printing Workshop. Being run in partnership with Delta Industrial and Xeikon, the educational workshop will highlight how label printers can diversify and grow their business. Delta Industrial will demonstrate a medical converting and heat seal packaging solution while Xeikon will produce personalized folding cartons using digital technology. The workshop sessions will run for 45 minutes and take place at 11:30am and 2:30pm on all three days of the show. Attendees at Labelexpo Americas will each receive a folder detailing the Package Printing Workshop, with each print job’s specification and the press manufacturers’ machinery and process. Those who miss the scheduled sessions can collect samples from the participating manufacturers’ booths at any time during the exhibition. Tasha Ventimiglia, event director for Labelexpo Americ

Delivering a ‘label’ is not just a matter of printing it. It involves a complex value chain that also spans the material to be printed and the machinery to apply it – whatever the technology employed. The ‘battle of decoration technologies’ was the focus for an expert panel of suppliers who came together at the annual congress of the label industry’s international association, FINAT, to debate the challenges and opportunities. Their discussions provided valuable insights that set the context for improved communication between brand-owning end users and their ‘label’ suppliers – including printers. Representatives from key – and different -- aspects of today’s industry supply chain formed the discussion panel. They were Stefan Richter (D), Krones, leading manufacturers of advanced process, filling, and packaging equipment – including different label application systems; Geert-Jan Kolkhuis Tanke (NL), Avery Dennison, representing a leading global supplier of label materials, both paper

UPM Raflatac has appointed Antti Jääskeläinen as Senior Vice President for its EMEIA labelstock business (Europe, Middle-East, India & Africa). Antti brings a wealth of experience in supply chain and business management having worked for leading consumer goods, paper and technology companies for 18 years. He joins UPM Raflatac from the sporting goods company Amer Sports where he held the position of Senior Vice President, Global Operations. Commenting on his appointment Antti said: “I’m delighted to be joining UPM Raflatac. This is a dynamic business with great future growth plans and a strong heritage developed over the last 40 years. I’m really looking forward to being a part of that and working with the team to help grow the brand even further.”

Sidel Services™ has opened a new and advanced training centre in Guadalajara, Mexico, featuring the very latest training technologies, with a virtual factory environment, augmented reality and authentic parts that trainees can handle themselves. Staffed by professional training instructors with years of beverage industry experience, who use a mix of engaging methods to educate trainees, the new centre has already welcomed representatives from beverage producers across Latin America. The new facility in Mexico’s second-largest city brings the current number of Sidel worldwide training centres to seven. It also further demonstrates the company’s focus on transferring its global knowledge to producers at a local level, which it has been doing for over 40 years with its training services, now part of the company’s newly created Sidel Services department. Globally Sidel trains over 5,000 people every year, with a 96% customer satisfaction score. Developed for local customer ne

Epson Showcasing New SurePress L-6034VW for First Time in U.S. and Participating in the Labelexpo Inkjet Trail Competition. Epson America today announced its plans for Labelexpo Americas , the continent's largest event for the label, product decoration, web printing, and converting industry, being held from Sept. 9-11 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Epson will be showcasing its full range of prime, sub-prime and GHS label solutions, as well as a laser finishing unit, in its booth, #5813, as well as participating in the Inkjet Trail , which challenges five of the leading inkjet press manufacturers to produce identical label designs. Epson will also be showcasing upgrades to the SurePress ® L-4033A/AW digital label press, including a clear sensor that will allow for printing on a clear substrate with a clear liner, as well as improved Variable Data Printing processing for maximum label customization. “Labelexpo provides the ideal venue to showcase

Colordyne Technologies ™ (CDT), a leader in providing digital printing end-to-end solutions, will unveil its new 3600 Series press, the next generation in disruptive digital color printing, at Labelexpo-Americas 2014 in Rosemont, Ill. The CDT 3600 Series joins the Production Class family of digital print system solutions as a full-featured process color digital label and tag production system with an enhanced precision web handling system, powered by Memjet ™ technology. The CDT 3600 Series Laser Pro The CDT 3600 Series provides the latest in proven closed loop tension control technology and is available with low cost inline finishing options and configurations. The innovative product also brings several benefits to the Production Class Digital Color Printing System including, but not limited to, enhanced print quality; increased resolution of 1600 x 1375 dpi; drastically reduced RIP times; speeds up to 225 ft/min (69 m/min); and a more user-friendly interface. The new CDT 360

OEM partnership brings unique software and finishing capabilities to digital workflow for folding carton production. Esko, market leader in packaging design and workflow solutions and Highcon, developer of the Highcon™ Euclid digital cutting and creasing machine, expand their cooperation with an OEM agreement. Highcon will distribute, install and support the Esko CAD Digital Front End (DFE) software as complement to the 2014 MUST SEE'EMS award winning Highcon Euclid. This combined solution is available immediately on a worldwide basis. Today, Esko's CAD software is already the standard for processing structural designs for production on the Highcon Euclid. It converts packaging structures to the finishing format required by the Euclid, which receives its CAD cutting and creasing information from ArtiosCAD prepared or converted DFX files. With the new OEM agreement, the Highcon Euclid now offers an on-board software tool, the Highcon Light Editor, that allows Euclid opera

The next generation of Sensortech’s NIR moisture analyzers provide the highest level of precision measurement and reliable performance. The NIR 6000 Series analyzer provides converting specialists with an effective process management and control tool. Sensortech’s NIR 6000 Series precision instruments incorporate the latest advancements in NIR technology. Moisture measurement, coat weight, basis weight, and coating consistency are all measured in real-time providing in-line control capability. Sensortech’s standard of precision measurement and reliable performance greatly enhance measurement and control of paper, nonwovens, films, and other specialty web converting applications.   Sensortech has been the trusted name in moisture measurement and control for more than 30 years with a core competency in sensor engineering and manufacturing. The New NIR 6000 Series leverages this expertise. Our engineering group has made significant advances in research and development that incl

As innovation in coding technology continues, equipment advancements and new product designs provide companies with more options when selecting suitable coding and marking solutions. It can be difficult to navigate through all the features and benefits of each technology to determine which is best suited to your application needs. Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO) technology is the ideal solution to offer reliability, flexibility, increased line uptime and, even better, high quality for your codes. Find out more: http://bit.ly/8KWN3r

In line with its significantly expanded presence in Africa's rapidly growing beverage markets, Sidel , a global provider of liquid packaging solutions, today announced its participation at the Africa Beverage Summit (AfBev2014) which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from the 28th to 29th of August 2014. The two-day event will bring together beverage industry professionals from across the globe to meet and share insights with key industry players in the Africa beverage value chain. The conference will feature Dr. Naima Boutroy, Packaging Materials Manager at Sidel, who will discuss the various means to create genuinely sustainable packaging solutions that protect liquids, lower costs, attract consumers and ensure repeated purchases.   Dr. Naima Boutroy, Packaging Materials Manager at Sidel "Africa is driven today by its positive economic outlook, rising disposable income and population growth, a combination which makes the continent an ideal place for businesses to es

KHS has extended its Innoket 360 series of roll-fed labeling machines.  The Innoket 360 and extremely compact Innoket 360 S (with an output of up to 50,000 PET bottles per hour) have now been joined by the Innoket 360 Duo which has two roll-fed labeling stations and a capacity of up to 60,000 non-returnable PET bottles an hour. All labelers in the Innoket 360 series have also been further optimized. Brand-new developments include a servomotor-driven reel stand and an intelligent sensor which controls label cutting, reacts very quickly to new requirements and can also do without cutting marks (as an option). The Innoket 360 in particular is now even more flexible thanks to the option of integrating an extra self-adhesive labeling station and/or a tamper-evident sleever. The roll-fed labelers operate with a double reel stand, with film being unraveled from one reel while the other is idle. When the reel comes to an end, the speed drops momentarily and the autosplicer attaches the end

In line  with its commitment to familiarize local  producers with the latest technological  innovations in the packaging industry,  Sidel,( www.sidel.com ) a global provider  of liquid packaging solutions, announced  today that it will host a one-day event  for its existing and potential customers in  Nigeria to discuss local trends,  developments and opportunities for  growth. The event will be held on the  9th of September at the Sheraton Hotel  in Lagos. Sidel's Value Creation Days are held globally helping beverage producers create value worldwide Nigeria in recent years has proved to be  a fast-growing market in the beverage  industry. With its quickly industrializing  urban centers and booming population  growth, the amount of disposable income  held by consumers has been steadily increasing, allowing the beverage industry to flourish. Both multi-nationals and local providers have been looking to capitalize on the favorable economic conditions of the market whose si

During the show, iSys Label will be showcasing the EDGE 850, a roll to roll digital label printer for printing full color BS5609-compliant chemical drum labels on demand. With recent “BS5609 Section 3 Certification” by PIRA (the Print Industry Research Association), the EDGE 850 makes easy work out of printing GHS-compliant labels. Die-cut labels printed on the EDGE 850 deliver outstanding stability and resistance to water, chemicals, fading and smudges when exposed to the harshest of elements . With print speeds of 4.33m/min and 9.14m/min, the EDGE 850 will allow users to eliminate the need for ordering pre-printed labels, reduce inventory and wait times, and allows users to customize each label with variable information in full color - all in a single pass.   Developed for the short run label market, the EDGE 850 will prove its versatility by also printing on a variety of substrates in die-cut, kiss-cut or continuous rolls for the label market. This innovative printer is easy

Labelexpo Americas 2014 will again feature a two-day conference program as it returns to Rosemont in September. This year’s conference includes leading figures from the label and package printing sector who will debate a host of themes including design and branding, new technologies and industry trends; as well as impart strategic insight into how label converters can embrace the challenges they face in their business. The conference schedule will get underway with two high profile panel discussions. The opening CEO panel discussion with take an in-depth look at the business strategies employed by some of North America’s most successful converters. Panelists including Nigel Vinecombe from Multi-Color Corporation, Stephen T. Stewart of Brook & Whittle, Outlook Group’s John M. Cappy, Joel Carmany of Consolidated Label Company, Spear Group’s Rick Spear and Scott Fisher from Smyth Companies will share their advice on how to drive down costs while offering value and creating new oppo

Sidel has opened a new office in Buenos Aires as part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring global experience backed by local sales and service support through close proximity to customers. The new facility operates as Sidel's South Hispanic hub in Latin America, serving its customers in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia. The opening of Sidel Argentina is already proving popular with customers who have been asking for a facility dedicated to the region. Striving to continue to strengthen the long term business partnerships with its customers, Sidel has recognised the importance of being close to them. Moreover, Argentina is the third largest economy and beverage market in Latin America, which provides excellent opportunities for further developing business in the region. The packaging material with the greatest potential is PET, growing at 5% per year up to 2017 in Latin America. Speaking about Sidel’s focus on PET, Dominique Lipinski, Zone Vice President, said: “

AWA Alexander Watson Associates, global market research and consulting group specializing in the paper, film, packaging, coating, laminating, and converting industry, have acquired Data Transcripts Self-adhesive Materials and Markets Bulletin. The long-established and respected monthly information source will continue under the AWA brand name from September 2014. Comments Corey Reardon, President and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates: ‘AWA view this acquisition as an opportunity to add more value for our clients and enhance our delivery of market research and data utilizing a different format that complements our current portfolio of market studies, private client consulting, and extensive events schedule.’ Data Transcripts Self-adhesive Materials and Markets Bulletin is available online from AWA Alexander Watson Associates for an annual fee. Full details are posted on the AWA website, www.awa-bv.com

CS Labels today announced the installation of a brand new label machine designed to finish and process ‘ peel and reveal labels ’ or ‘multi-layered’ digital labels. The West Midlands digital label leader is the largest digital printer in Europe to use Xeikon technology and has continued to grow 20% year-on-year. This next investment comes swiftly after the last announcement in March this year where the company invested another six figure sum, created an extra four jobs and increased capacity by 25%.   The finishing machine was designed and specified by the company themselves. It was commissioned due to an increase in demand for digital peel and reveal labels, which CS Labels already produce on an existing machine. Peel and reveal labels are popular as they enable clients print a large amount of information, instructions or different language translations on to a label where space is limited.  Clients can also find out more and read a ‘getting it right first time’ guide on the p

As part of an ambitious plan to grow its market share in Europe, leading American manufacturer of narrow web technology, Mark Andy, has appointed two new sales agents. Nick Coombes spoke with both companies about their appointment and plans for the future, and took an overview of the technology they will be offering. The plan is to split Germany into two areas, and also include other German speaking countries. Frankfurt based Graphic Team, led by Peter Reiter assumes responsibility for central and northern Germany, while Print Concept Grafische Maschinen, led by Jürgen Welle and Markus Pieper, will handle southern Germany, Austria and the German speaking cantons of Switzerland from its headquarters in Kohlberg, close to Stuttgart.   Both new agents will report to Timo Donati, Mark Andy’s European Sales Manager, and I asked him what had prompted the move after so many years of direct selling. He explained: “We have long seen huge growth opportunities in the German and German s

Amcor announces today, the launch of a revolutionary new technology. LiquiForm™ uses the consumable liquid instead of compressed air to hydraulically form and fill the container on one machine simultaneously. By combining the forming and filling processes into one step, LiquiForm™ dramatically simplifies the manufacture of rigid plastic containers for a wide range of consumer products. Amcor developed the LiquiForm™ concept in 2006, and subsequently set up a joint venture which owns the patented LiquiForm™ technology and related intellectual property. The joint venture has signed agreements with Sidel, an industry leading manufacturer of bottling machinery, Yoshino Kogyosho Co, Japan’s largest plastic bottle manufacturer, and Nestle Waters. Amcor and Sidel each own a 50% interest in the joint venture. For consumer product manufacturers, this breakthrough is expected to reduce capital costs and improve operating efficiency and product quality. LiquiForm™ delivers a reduction in ope