The little show that could

CPP Expo 2008 was once again co-located with Pack Expo at Chicago’s McCormick Place Complex. Along with about 100 CPP specific exhibitors, some 50 more converting and package printing suppliers were spread throughout the Pack Expo sections of the combined events. According to CPP president Leo Nadolske, despite the shaky US economy, attendance at CPP Expo rivalled the 6,100 that came to the event when it was last held in Chicago two years ago.

Part of the growth of CPP was evidenced by this year’s inclusion of some major machinery suppliers - both international and domestic, among them press maker Uteco (Italy), Comexi (Spain) and Mark Andy (US); coater/laminator providers New Era Converting (US) and Nordmeccanica (Italy); and log slitter supplier CMC Cevenini (Italy). Highlighting the event were thrice daily demonstrations of the new 8-colour Mark Andy/Comco C1 ProGlide press. The modular, mid-web system runs materials from 0.5 mil film to 600 g/m2 paperboard and is fitted with the patented I-Drive servomotor technology to print high-end labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons.

The success of any trade fair is often measured by sales made on the show floor, and CPP held up its end of the bargain. Gateway Packaging, of Illinois, US, a flexible packaging converter, purchased a Super Simplex SL dedicated solventless laminator from Nordmeccanica. Another Illinois based converter, Eagle Flexible Packaging, purchased a Schlumpf shaft handling system to help reduce the potential for operator back injuries; and as CPP concluded, Nordmeccanica sold another laminator to an unnamed customer.

New products

Fusion Wide Array edge detectors from AccuWeb use both ultrasonic and IR methods to guide any web material from clear films to non woven substrates, reducing downtime for change-overs.

The SE-46 line guide sensor from Fife is said to eliminate the need for printed elements (striker lines) used solely for web guiding. Advanced features allow guiding to existing one dimensional graphics (such as bar codes) with minimum 0.5 mm width at 600 m/min.

The Model D5 differential shaft from Tidland cuts set-up time for core positioning with removable, interchangeable core position trays that also allow simultaneous adjustment of core positions across the shaft.

Measuring tension on individual roll segments on a single idler roll shaft is said to be simplified with the Multi-segmented Tension Roll transducer from Dover Flexo Electronics. Winding control is improved with fewer possible web thread-up configurations needed, says DFE.

Toray Plastics (America)’s new LumLife MK61 thin, high barrier metallised polyester film reportedly offers excellent metal adhesion, particularly in wet and caustic packaging applications.

Lenticular flexographic printing is now said to be possible with a combination of high resolution imaging from Kodak Flexcel NX plate making, interlacing technology from Pixalen Studio and rolled lens stock from Pacur.

SunCare Environmental Services from inkmaker Sun Chemical provides a suite of carbon and energy management services aimed at helping package printers achieve both sustainability and cost savings in their operations. Converters were offered a free carbon footprint report based on an estimate of their average monthly energy use.

The TopZip Jr. retrofit zipper applicator enables the transition to resealable packaging without a major capital investment, says Zip-Pak.

Next year, CPP Expo will move to Las Vegas, alongside Pack Expo Las Vegas.

By Mark Spaulding, editor in chief of US based Converting magazine