FTA Forum Highlights Direct Engraving
Direct engraving, with the attention of large, global technology suppliers who have backgrounds in materials, imaging and color reproduction, is a rapidly accelerating innovation in the package printing and converting industry. Increasing environmental pressures, combined with the advent of greater numbers of high speed press implementations, is building the momentum of this process, which is why day three of Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) 2016 Forum will host a two-hour “Direct Engraving: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow” session. Chairs Steve Smiley, SmileyColor & Associates and Johnny Stamey, Daetwyler Corp., have assembled a panel of experts who will explain how modern day laser technologies and consumables have made direct engraving a force of the future.
“Today, flexo with direct engraving surpasses all other printing processes, with longevity, predictable highlight dots and gamuts larger than any other printing process,” Smiley said. “Those who attend this session will learn a great deal about the current status of this progressive plating technology, and how direct engraving will play a vital role in both the traditional print markets and emerging markets like smart packaging and functional printing.”
The “Direct Engraving: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow” session will take place Tuesday, March 8, and will feature a roster of expert panelists, including:
- Cris Apley, Cyber Graphics
- Nick Brunk, Kodak
- Brian Cummins, Luscher Technologies
- Brendan Pollard, Applied Laser Engineering
- Hans Siebke, HELL Gravure Systems
- Adam Smrdel, Carey Color
- Paul Zeinert, Anderson & Vreeland
FTA’s 2016 Forum “Power of the Past, Force of the Future” is slated for March 6-9 at the Omni Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas. Co-located with the event is the INFO*FLEX Exhibition, staged March 7 and 8 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, where nearly 250 of the industry’s leading suppliers will be on hand to showcase their latest and most revolutionary products and services. Each Forum registration includes entrance into the INFO*FLEX Exhibition.
