Labelexpo report

11 October 2005




Narrow web bonanza in Brussels

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in style the 27,500m2 European Labelexpo packed in 23,000 visitors (15 per cent up on 2003) in Brussels last month.

Tarsus Labels Group md Roger Pellow said: "Significantly we welcomed 100 new exhibitors and over 35 press manufacturers on the floor. With 110 countries represented amongst the visitors and strong delegations from Japan, Russia, South America, South Africa and Australia, it is simply the largest gathering of the global label industry."

Director of strategic development Mike Fairley added: "Labels have grown by an average of 5-7 per cent for more than 30 years globally. Not many industries can say that. It is still growing consistently at 3-4 per cent above GDP on a world basis.

"The 2005 global value of labels is expected to be $62 billion with growth of 18- 21 per cent for China and 17-20 per cent for eastern Europe." He predicts up to 10 billion RFID tags will be used by 2015.

Thermochromic inkjet partnership food focus

Jetrion has teamed with SIRA Technologies, specialist in food safety, pharmaceutical and environmental monitoring systems, to develop thermochromic inkjet inks for printing bar codes on temperature sensitive products.

The technology is designed to provide an irreversible colour change, president of Jetrion Dr Ken Stack told Converting Today. For example, a standard UPC code on a fresh meat pack could be rendered incapable of transmitting data when the ink is activated by an unacceptable rise in temperature. This is visible to the consumer by, for example, an extra wide coloured bar in the bar code and creates an archive mechanism causing pack removal at any part of the distribution chain.

The product is still in its development stage, stressed Ken Stack; unlike Jetrion's development with strategic partner Advanced Electron Beams. The companies have worked together on a highly compact e-beam curing emitter to match the speed of the Jetrion DOD 3025 inkjet system. Designed for label and packaging applications, the 10in wide equipment is available now. A 3in wide unit is being developed.

"We believe this to be the curing device of the future," he said. The product is claimed to have simplified the use of electron beam technology and significantly reduced the required investment. "It will be sub $100,000 – well under a quarter of existing systems," he added. Similar in size to most UV systems, it fits on most presses. As well as curing right through the ink it also sterilizes the surfaces.

The two developments confirm the status of Jetrion as an "autonomous, entrepreneurial hi-tech company in the new Flint XSYS merged ink group. Ken Stack said: "It is actually good news for us as it gives us a channel into the narrow web market, which we didn't have before." And driven by triple digit growth Jetrion, is moving to 35,000ft2 premises in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Sun rises on cationic UV flexo

A cationic flexo ink with a "totally new photo initiator chemistry" will not produce hazardous by-products on curing and will allow presses to run at more than twice the speeds normally possible with cationic inks, said Sun Chemical.

Solarcat, launched at the show, is a new generation of high cure speed inks based on patented technology. Jonathan Sexton, European product manager, said: "There are limitations to existing cationic UV curing inks for applications such as shrink sleeves, retortable packaging and high specification labels. Speed is limited to about 100m/min, curing is sensitive to humidity, some give off unpleasant odours and some can produce hazardous by-product.

"Solarcat will run at 250m/min and at humidities above 60 per cent. Absolutely no hazardous benzene is produced. It is virtually odour-free and gives high colour strengths."

After five years in development the ink is at beta sites and now available for trials. He added: "We believe that with this new technology we can build a significant share of the cationic ink market over the next three years. We also believe that we will take 50 per cent of the existing market share and that it will also enable more cationic ink to be used."

Price will vary with amounts purchased and on individual customer negotiations.

Offset offerings extended

Offset saw somewhat of a renaissance at the show. Gallus, for example, announced the availability of UV offset on its RCS 330. "Offset's ability to print on structured surfaces is one of its key strengths," says the company. "It makes it ideal for food and pharmaceuticals, and for labelling premium products."

With the inclusion of offset in the press there are now 13 servo units – two more in the inking and damping unit. This unit has 22 rollers. The technology is based on the latest in sheet-fed offset printing in co-operation with Heidelberg.

The offset unit can be deployed anywhere in the RCS 330 printing section and can be combined with flexo, screen, hotfoil embossing and UV rotogravure.

For the first time in Europe, Nilpeter showed its MO3300 Servo, an upgraded version of its offset based combination press with a 340mm maximum web width for labels, cartons and flexible packaging. Fast make-readies from fully interchangeable units allow for economic operation for even relatively small runs, using either film or paper based substrates, says the company.

Jacob Landberg sales director of Nilpeter said: "Offset is a steady, growing part of the market. Although flexo has taken a share, when you want photo-like quality on a self adhesive label it is offset."

Kodak announced its Flexo-Offset computer-to-plate device. Based on the Thermoflex ctp technology platform, it provides users with the flexibility to image offset plates in addition to flexo and letterpress plates and film—all on one device.

"We're seeing more and more cross-over between flexo and offset printing," says Bob Dalton, product manager, Graphic Communications Group. "Narrow web printers are investing in offset and/or combination presses to expand their service offering, whereas commercial printers are buying flexo presses to move into multi substrate printing.

"The greatest benefit is that businesses can use the same CTP for multiple printing technologies-flexo, letterpress, offset, and screen." An exciting new feature is the availability of a multiple plate configuration. Operators can easily load any plate size up to the maximum 762 x 762mm (30 x 30in) for flexo, and 762 x 744mm (30 x 29in) for offset plates, and have the new option of imaging multiple plates simultaneously. The device is expected to be commercially available in early 2006.

Eastern expansion

UV curing systems manufacturer GEW (EC) announced plans to establish a sales, service and manufacturing operation in Mumbai, India. The facility is intended to service the Indian sub continent and the Southeast Asia markets.

Malcolm Rae, managing director, explained: "With the expected increase in demand for UV curing systems in SE Asia we need to be in a position to supply demand on a competitive basis. We do not intend to diminish our operation in the UK as it is intended to continue serving our important European and American activities. Major factors in our decision include the ready availability of manufacturing materials and highly educated individuals in India. Our current facility in Redhill is operating at full capacity."

Phase one, early in 2006, will see sales, service and parts procurement up and running in India and phase two will be the start-up of manufacturing and assembly around 12 months later. "We will also establish staff and UV systems manufacturing in India for the sheet-fed printing industry worldwide. Up to now we have been primarily focused on the web-fed graphic arts markets, and the sheet-fed market will enable us to further expand."

Designed for smaller converters

Esko-Graphics introduced the CDI Spark 2120, a small footprint flexo imager designed for narrow web and label printing. It is built for digital photopolymer plates, ablative film, or polyester base letterpress plates of up to 21x 20in (533 x 508mm).

"Our research with customers and prospects told us that there is a need for a dedicated flexo imager for small label printers and trade shops," remarked Jan Buchweitz, Esko-Graphics product manager. "These companies are rapidly migrating to digital flexo. When you add the costs for film, storage and chemistry - and the ecological value of less waste - there is a very strong ROI story for digital. Digital shops save about 18 per cent on plate making costs."

The equipment uses the same external drum imaging design as all CDI imagers, and can image a full size plate in 16min at 2,000 ppi, says Esko. It is driven by the company's Scope workflow. Deliveries are expected in early 2006 with the company targeting 50 sales in the next 12 months and higher in the future. Point of entry equipment is priced at €85,000 including the RIP.

Mark Andy diversifies into finishing

Signaling an expansion of its core press building business into finishing and further converting equipment, Mark Andy launched its verifier, slitter rewinder the VSR300.

At the show director of product management Ken Daming said the company was the first press manufacturer to demonstrate a completely integrated workflow from print to rewinding. On the stand the XP5000 was equipped with the AVT 100 per cent Helios vision system. Errors were detected, the roll was mapped and information linked to the VSR. When a reel is transferred, unacceptable labels are identified, the reel stopped, removed if necessary and the reel rewound. The equipment is available in 13 and 17in widths. Limpet Labels ordered a VSR300 at the show.

  Ken Daming also announced the VSR300D, a die cutting model. In the near future the company also plans additional models for custom and high-end solutions, as well as an economic model.

Avery "simplifies" labelstock selection with co-ex launch

Avery Dennison unveiled a range of self adhesive film labelstocks – Fasson Global Co-Ex. Don Stoebe, vp and general manager, Roll Materials Europe said: "We believe that the maze that surrounds film specification is a thing of the past. Fasson product engineers have come up with what we believe to be, genuinely, a game changer. The range simplifies the whole business of choosing and using self adhesive labelling films, for both converter and brand manufacturer."

Now instead of having to choose PE or PP, HDPE, PET and other film labelstocks, the company says that converters can use the new coextruded material for nearly every label application. Fasson Global Co-Ex is a high technology co-extrusion said to combine the best features of all the standard film facestocks. The films are available in gloss white and gloss transparent, topcoated and non topcoated, and are claimed to offer exceptional clarity and print quality, and outstanding converting characteristics.

The proprietary films comprise a core layer with outer top print skin and an inner layer to "enhance adhesive anchorage".

"The economies of scale delivered by a greatly reduced portfolio of label substrate specifications can also give a better price/performance ratio," commented Don Stoebe. "At just 63 micron, they deliver more labels per reel, high production yield, and simplified and reduced inventory for the label converter."

Raflatac to double European filmic capacity

Manufacturer of pressure sensitive labelstock Raflatac is to double the filmic production capacity of its Tampere factory in Finland. The investment announced during the show by Heikki Pikkarainen, president of UPM Labelstock Business, is part of a long

term investment programme in Raflatac, one of UPM's core businesses. "The filmic market is growing. We are currently a medium player in this business and this is the investment to do," he explained. The film lamination line will be completely modernized. When operational it will enable the production of thinner films for personal care and beverage industries for example. The design of the new coating line is founded on proprietary technology.

A total €100M investment over a two-year time frame also includes the $40M factory recently announced for Changshu, China, which is scheduled to begin production of speciality papers and filmic stock in 2007, as well as a second coating line in Fletcher, USA, and the RFID tag expansion. The latter plant, which is scheduled to be capable of producing one billion UHF tags/year, is already ahead of schedule and is now supplying tags to North American customers - 250M tags will be produced by the end of this year, he added.

Artwork launches labels and packaging workflow

Artwork Systems has developed a version of Odystar, first introduced at drupa for commercial applications, for the packaging and label sector. It was launched at LabelExpo along with an intelligent plug-in module - inPDF - that enables Adobe Illustrator to operate without restrictions in a PDF 1.5 environment.

Odystar is described as a highly automated digital workflow that does not require a skilled operator. The system can be integrated easily with RIPs and workflows from other manufacturers, says the company, turning existing output equipment – proofers, imagesetters, platesetters - into PDF 1.5 compliant devices. Running on a Macintosh OSX platform, it is a native PDF 1.5 workflow and provides a wide range of automatic prepress production tools, including preflighting, correcting, advanced trapping, step and repeat, proofing, screening and printing.

It has been designed to work with 'gateways' that provide a wide range of functionality within a PDF format. For example, there are direct drivers for proofing purposes, for example Sherpa, Epson, HP and specific FTP outputs, while prepress gateways provide the flexibility to convert elements such as text to outlines, overprints and Pantone colours. The merge separation gateway accepts separated PDF files and converts the job in composite PDF, before recombining objects.

"We obviously view JDF as an important technology and the 'JDF to PDF gateway' accepts JDF layout files from imposition front-end systems while there is the ability to save into PDF," says Jan Ruysschaert. "Odystar incorporates a step and repeat editor that allows users to generate JDF templates. For highly complex jobs the operator can utilize the step and repeat capabilities within ArtPro or PowerLayout."

He continues: "ArtPro has become the standard prepress production software in packaging, with more than 9,000 seats in use around the world, while Nexus is an extremely popular digital workflow that we see continuing to be an important product for us for many years to come. However, a large percentage of packaging and label work is much more straightforward, requiring only standard templates and minimal changes. This new version of Odystar is designed to enable companies operating in this area to automate their workflow and benefit from the significant reduction in operator involvement, production time and errors that our Odystar commercial customers report."

In addition to existing customers, Artwork Systems sees the ease of use, low installation cost and effectiveness of the new workflow making it appeal to a wide section of the packaging and label market. Packaging printers will be able to purchase Odystar, along with a local network licence for the inPDF plug-in, for around €32,000.

BRIEFLY

Hatzopolous of Thessaloniki, Greece purchased the Stanford Products SM10 sleeve seamer from the stand as well as a DM 10 Doctor Machine Inspector.

HP launched its Digital Laser Workflow. Claimed to be the first fully digital end to end solution for label printers, it is based on its HP Indigo 4050 press and developed in co-operation with Esko Graphics and AB Graphic International. Prepress software is based on Esko's Scope workflow including FlexRip that integrates information for the digital press together with the cut data for the digital laser die cutter. The system integrates a plug-in from AB Graphic to program cutting and slitting information for its DigiCon laser cutter.

An anti microbial face material was launched by Tenza Technologies. Capable of being teamed with the company's adhesive and release liner combinations, TenzaGuard can be used to produce a wide variety of labels. Tenza says they will be welcomed by the pharmaceutical industry and health organizations faced with an alarming increase in hospital acquired infections. The active ingredients are 99.8 per cent effective in limiting the growth of MRSA, said marketing co-ordinator Mark Voulstaker, and it fights against listeria, E-coli and salmonella. Trial samples were due to go out after Labelexpo.



Contacts

Artwork Systems Tel: +32 9 265 84 11 Avery Dennison Tel: +31(0)71 579 3324 Esko-Graphics Tel: +32 9 216 90 32 Gallus: Tel: +41 71 242 8686 GEW (EC) Tel: +44 (0) 1737 824 500 HP Indigo Tel: +31 43 356 5656 Jetrion Tel: +1 734 622 6650 Kodak: Tel: +32 2352 2629 Mark Andy Tel: +1 636 532 4433 Nilpeter: Tel: +45 58 50 11 66 Raflatac Tel.+358 (0) 204 16 143 Stanford Tel: +1 630 739 9255 Sun Chemical Tel: +44 (0)1689 894000 Tarsus Tel: +44 (0) 20 8846 2731 Tenza Tel: +44 (0) 1728 602811




External weblinks
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Artwork Systems
Esko-Graphics
Avery Dennison
Gallus
GEW (EC)
Kodak
HP Indigo
Jetrion
Mark Andy
Nilpeter
Raflatac
Stanford
Sun Chemical
Tarsus
Tenza

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