ICE in the sunshine

8 March 2013



Next month, the sunshine state of Florida will host ICE USA 2013, the largest dedicated converting event in North America


Where
Orange County Convention Center
North Hall B
Orlando, Florida, USA

When
Tuesday 9 April, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday 10 April, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday 11 April, 9:00am - 4:00pm

ICE USA 2013, the International Converting Exhibition, in Orlando, April 9-11, is the largest dedicated converting event in North America, with more than 300 exhibitors. This year's event will be more than 25% larger than the last show in 2011. More than 100 first time exhibitors have joined the show this ime and more than 35 returning exhibitors have increased their booth space.

Keynote Presentations

Two leading packaging industry authorities are to present three "thought-provoking" keynote presentations to launch each day of the exhibition. They are complimentary for all attendees.


Paul Gaster, director of flexible packaging at PCI Films Consulting, will kick off on Tuesday 9 April with a discourse on 'Opportunities and Threats In The Global Flexible Packaging Market'. With more than 35 years' experience in the packaging industry, Gaster co-edits PCI's European Flexible Packaging and World Flexible Packaging Trends quarterly reports and has authored many multi-client flexible packaging studies.

Gaster will also deliver the wrap-up keynote presentation, on Thursday morning with another insightful industry outlook entitled 'BOPET and BOPP Film Trends to 2016'. 

On Wednesday morning, Thomas Blaige, chairman and CEO of Blaige & Co, will address the financial outlook for the industry in his keynote presentation on 'Merger and Acquisition Trends in the Converting Industry'.  Blaige & Co is an international investment banking firm dedicated exclusively to the packaging, plastics and chemicals operations in 40 countries.

Blaige and his team of transaction and operations experts have visited more than 400 plastics, packaging, and chemicals operations worldwide, and the company's proprietary research department tracks and analyses more than 500 plastics industry M&A transactions annually.

The keynote sessions will take place from 9:00 - 10:00am on each day of ICE USA, to allow attendees to visit the show floor when the exhibition opens.

Conference programme

AIMCAL is sponsoring the ICE USA 2013 pre-show programme of conference sessions. These will include TAPPI bringing together leading experts in the field of flexible packaging and new technology developments to share their insights on the emerging areas of nanotechnology within packaging. The three-session event is the first-ever collaboration between two of the association's premier technical divisions - PLACE (Polymers, Laminations, Coatings and Extrusions) and the Nanotechnology Division.

The first session is to highlight 'Innovations in Preparing Polymer-Based Nanomaterials for Improving the Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Flexible Packaging Materials'. The second session will feature 'Innovations in Traditional Barrier Enhancements for Packaging Films'; and the third session is presenting 'Brand Launch Strategies, Shelf Appeal Enhancement, and Brand Authentication for Innovatively Packaged Consumer Products'.


Leading researchers and practitioners from a number of key companies that have developed or are using nanotechnologies that enhance the performance of flexible packaging materials will be featured.


AWA Alexander Watson Associates is to present its 'Labelling & Packaging Decorating Technology Seminar 2013' seminar, in which key industry leaders will provide up-to-date information on the markets and evolving technologies with both national and international perspectives. The seminar aims to give attendees "a foundation for informed decision-making across the value chain". It is also designed to enable companies to evaluate their strategies, market position, competitive environment, business and technology platforms, as well as the decorating technology available to ensure future growth.


CEMA will present two seminars as part of the pre-show programme. The 'CEMA Coating & Drying Fundamentals for Converters' and 'CEMA Web Slitting and Rewinding for Converters' seminars are condensed versions of the association's two-day seminars created exclusively for ICE USA.


RADTECH will present its 'Enabling Innovation in Packaging with UV & EB Curable Inks, Coatings & Adhesives' seminar. Leading suppliers and users of UV and EB (electron beam) curable inks, coatings, and adhesives will discuss trends and applications in press technology, special effect inks/coatings, and other sustainable and innovative initiatives.


Rounding out the pre-show programme is the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council's (PSTC) presentation 'Understanding and Selecting PSA Tapes'. This will define the basic properties of pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) and discuss how polymer and material properties combine to give the unique performance attributes of tapes.


All of these seminars will take place on Monday 8 April, the day prior to the exhibition opening. The individual fees for each programme include a three-day pass to the exhibition floor.


Ask The Experts

Five leading industry experts will be available for free-of-charge private consulting sessions during the show in Orlando, Representing critical segments of the converting marketplace, these well-known industry authorities will be available to help attendees find solutions to their specific technical and operational challenges. Visitors to ICE USA can schedule a 15min, one-on-one consultation with any of these industry experts in advance, as well as making appointments onsite, based on availability.


The five experts and their areas of expertise are: Dr Edwin D Cohen - Web Coating; Kelly Robinson - Static; Dr Dave Roisum - Web Handling & Converting; Dave Rumson - Slitting & Rewinding; and Vincent DiTrolio - Flexographic Printing.


Exhibitors

Among the exhibiting companies at ICE USA 2013, Atlas Converting Equipment will be with its Atlas Converting North America subsidiary in booth 857. The company will present its 'next generation' Atlas CW Series and Titan SR9 Series slitter rewinders for a wide range of plain, coated and printed film & other flexible materials in widths from 1.35-10.4m. The company will also promote its new Slitter Rewinder Demonstration Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.


Global provider of precision measurement and control solutions Beta LaserMike will be showing its latest non-contact length and speed measurement technology in booth 236. The innovative LaserSpeed non-contact laser encoder is said to have helped converters to measure accurately the length and speed of products during production, to avoid costly product overages and shortages, and to reduce product scrap and rework.


Catbridge Machinery (booth 514) will be showing its new Model 900 duplex centre winder. This high speed machine features a 32 inch rewind diameter, a combination of slitting methods and a wide tension range, providing "broad capabilities for many materials".
Visitors to booth 815 will learn about the LabMaster 'plug and play" pilot coater from Faustel, which comes preassembled on an interchangeable modular frame, so that it can be configured for a variety of standard and optional coating methods. A complete pilot line, the Labmaster includes two unwinds, a roll coater module, dryer, dry bond laminator with chill rolls, and rewind - all with integrated drives and controls. An array of coating and laminating methods can be added to satisfy a wide range of applications.

The new ELTIM USM 200 measuringsystem is to be presented by Erhardt + Leimer in booth 311. This system is used for quality control, measuring the thickness or basis weight of the web by means of ultrasound, without radiation.

The LabMaster functions as a narrow web production machine, processing webs up to 300mm wide, accommodating material rolls up to 300mm OD, and running at speeds up to 30m/min. Base configuration includes a single-zone 3m dryer; and an additional 3m dryer zone can be added at any time. The machine is compact for easy installation, transportation, and relocation, and requires minimal on-site installation, with a single-point interface for electrical, exhaust, and compressed air.

GL&V USA (booth 1237), owner of the Cameron product line, will focus on slitting and machine automation. In addition to providing technical service and engineering support to "the world's largest installed base of slitter rewinders", the company offers both new and rebuilt equipment. At ICE USA 2013 it will be presenting the new Magtrim automatic slitter positioning system, said to be capable of a 5sec slitter set-up with an accuracy of +/-0.004 inch.  Slitter rewinder automation and safety systems will also be featured.


Supplier of quality control products and roller coverings Jemmco will feature its JemmTac web cleaning sleeves and narrow web cleaning system in booth number 108. The JemmTac systems are built around the proprietary web cleaning sleeves, claimed to have proven to be highly effective yet very economical. Other roller coverings offered include JemmTron corona sleeves, Jemm-Trac traction sleeves, and JemmSil high release sleeves.


Meech Static Eliminators USA (booth 1243) will be showcasing its new Hyperion 971IPS and 929IPS static elimination bars, and the CyClean non-contact web cleaner. While the CyClean is designed for wide webs and coating applications, the two static bars are particularly suitable for converting machinery.


Meech has developed the 971IPS, (Integrated Power Supply) to allow users to run its recently introduced Hyperion 971 long range ionising bar from a 24V power supply. This features the company's Ion Current Monitoring technology, which meters the performance of the bar and provides an alarm signal to advise the operator when to clean it.


The 929IPS is a 24V, 'plug and play' bar said to provide excellent ionisation for short to medium range applications (up to 450mm). Like the long range 971IPS, it features Ion Current Monitoring technology to provide performance alarms and cleaning alerts. Compatibility with the Hyperion BarMaster programmer allows modification of the output settings to suit requirements - a big benefit for high accuracy applications such as RFID converting.


The CyClean is a compact, non-contact, double-sided blow and vacuum-based web cleaning system which flows contaminants into an inline filter unit. It can clean webs up to 2m in width, is capable of removing 0.5 micron contaminants and has a small footprint that enables it to be fitted into confined spaces.


In booth 405 Miltec UV will be highlighting high performance UV curing systems for wide web printing and coating applications. The HPI electrode (arc) system combines "highly focused elliptical reflector geometry and highly efficient reflector material, resulting in extremely high UV energy output and high peak irradiance". This is said to save money and time.


Nordson has reserved a 1,000ft² booth (105) to display its products together with those of recently acquired companies EDI and Xaloy. The combined group manufactures a range products and systems used for dispensing and processing adhesives, plastics, coatings, sealants, biomaterials and other materials, and for fluid management, test and inspection, UV curing and plasma surface treatment.


Nordson will show a Premier Dies self-contained slot die system "combining robust construction with versatility and consistent accuracy". Custom-built to accommodate a wide range of die sizes, it includes a flexible or fixed-lip coating head, die support, fluid delivery unit, and coating rolls. Precision engineering and heavy duty stainless steel construction are said to ensure a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. As an example of the system's repeatability, Nordson says the positioning of the die relative to the coating roll is held within a range of only 2.5 microns.


Thwing-Albert (booth 971) is an exhibitor known for its advanced instrumentation for testing the physical properties of a wide range of materials. To be featured at the show in Orlando is the FP-2260 friction/peel tester, which measures the static and kinetic coefficient of friction, seal strength, and peel properties of plastics film, paper, adhesives, labels and packaging materials. This instrument now features automatic loadcell recognition and compatibility with MAP-4 Software


Product highlights from Tresu in booth 934 include three chamber doctor blade systems. The IMW system, designed for water, UV and solvent-based inks and coatings, has been enhanced to include proprietary technology for controlling the pressure of foam-sensitive inks and coatings in the chamber. The pressurised ink or coating thus maintains a constant barrier between the chamber doctor blade and the rotating open anilox cells, preventing air bubbles from entering the inner chamber. 


Tresu's FlexiPrint Reservoir offers a way of economically applying UV ink and coatings to the anilox roll without need of a circulation pump. The system's mechanical loading system is said to ensure fast job change. The aluminium and carbon fibre structure of the CPG anti-corrosion surface for chambers offers surface protection of the chamber doctor blade system against corrosive ink, coating and cleaning liquids. The guard is retrofittable to all Tresu chamber doctor blade systems with the D4 and D5 profiles.

These units can be used in combination with the patented P-Line clamping system, suited to widths up to 6,000mm and taking "less than one minute" to change blades.



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