Hot Products 2004
WITH WINTER WEATHER firmly in place, warmth is something that is on everyone's mind. Here's something that is sure to add some heat to 2004. packagePrinting has put together a collection of the hot products of 2004. In categories including prepress, presses, press accessories, substrates, and inks/adhesives, converters can get a glimpse of the latest package-printing products.
Prepress
Creo
Creo's HyperFlex™ screening is new technology aiding in the formation of smaller dots on a photopolymer flexo plate. It provides a thicker foundation of photopolymer material that allows a smaller minimum dot size to be formed and held throughout the print process.
DuPont Cyrel
Cyrel®FAST Digital System, released by DuPont Cyrel, produces flexo plates by combining features of digital platemaking and dry thermal plate processing. It consists of two thermal photopolymer plates; a digital computer-to-plate imagesetter; the FAST ultraviolet exposure unit; and the FAST thermal developer, creating the relief structure on the plate in 15 minutes.
Kodak Polychrome Graphics
Kodak Polychrome Graphics' SWORD EXCEL Thermal Printing Plate is a no pre-heat, no post-bake plate offering run lengths up to 500,000 impressions and hard dots with a yield resolution from 1-99 percent at 200 LPI. It is compatible with stochastic screening at 10- and 20-micron dot sizes, and features increased imaging speeds, press chemical resistance, and reduced processor maintenance.
Esko-Graphics
Esko-Graphics has launched a semi-automatic version of the Cyrel™ Digital Imager (CDI) Advance platesetter. This new system features a trolley and lift system, raising the flexo plate to a plate loading table for easy mounting on the drum. It allows for easier operation, and can accommodate both plates and sleeves, while assuring imaging quality and productivity.
Presstek, Inc.
Presstek, Inc. has introduced its newest chemistry-free printing plate, Applause. A process-free thermal, wet offset, CTP plate, it is engineered to provide run-lengths up to 100,000 impressions. It goes from platesetter to press without intermediate chemicals or processing, and will initially be available in North America, with further expansion expected later.
Presses
Gallus
Gallus has released its Gallus EM 260/410/510S label printing press. The press' web transport uses servo-drive technology, ensuring substrate flexibility and operational efficiency. It allows printing of both flexo and screen within the same unit and changeover between them without breaking the web. It also has front loading of sleeve-based print cylinders and anilox rollers.
Mark Andy
Heating up 2004 is the 4150 Combo Series by Mark Andy and Stork X-Cel, combining the Mark Andy 4150 with rotamesh screens; a heat management system with standard air-cooled idler rolls; and "QPS" Quick Positioning Rail transport for moving the rotary screen heads quickly. It also features rotary screen, UV flexo, and conventional flexo technology.
Windmoeller & Hoelscher
Windmoeller & Hoelscher has introduced the NOVOFLEX® CM press for wider printing widths and longer repeat lengths. It is available in 8 and 10 color decks, with a maximum repeat length of 49.25˝ (8 color) or 34.25˝ (10 color) and a printing width from 40 to 87˝. It offers operating speeds up to 1300 ft/min, with an optional 2000 ft/min speed enhancement upgrade available.
PCMC
PCMC's eXtreme™ Dryer offers converters high velocity and low pressure for quick drying. It features easy module access, a dedicated control system for pressure and temperature, higher speeds, and lower retained solvent levels. It is available on new PCMC equipment or as a retrofit to existing presses, coaters, and laminators.
Press Accessories
Enercon
Enercon has launched the Flame Plasma surface/treaters, equipped with PowerFlame™ burners for delivering a higher energy flame plasma to the material's surface for improved treatment levels. This new treatment system features an electronic control system for precise control over the treating process, and offers a range of options to meet varying application requirements.
Fife
Fife's new multifunctional web guide controller, Polaris, offers consistent feedback and control of web position. It is designed to reduce the time and effort of setup and operation, with a digital display capable of full line text and key commands.
AAA Press
AAA Press' LIGHTouch UV curing systems offer cost-efficient UV curing in top-loading, side-loading, and original cartridge styles. The systems feature station-to-station and press-to-press mobility, with quickchange hardware on electric, pneumatic, and exhaust connections for easy installation. They also have heat management devices for curing heat-sensitive substrates.
Harper
HarperScientific.com® has released the Invisible Glove for press operators. It provides a lotion coating barrier for hands that allows dirt, grease, ink, and paint to immediately wash off after a job. Operators simply rub their hands with the lotion prior to each job, and their hands are protected against most hard-to-clean chemicals for up to four hours.
MAGPOWR
Cygnus, a tension control system, was launched by MAGPOWR to allow operators to use full text and on-screen prompts, making tension control functions and codes easier to use. Its compact packaging and DIN panel mount, less than 4˝ deep, save space. For retrofit applications, Cygnus comes with an IP65 version for easy mounting on the machine frame or wall.
Max Daetwyler
Max Daetwyler Corp. has released the ULTRALIFE doctor blade, a new wiping blade designed for gravure printing. Eliminating streaking, including start-up streaks, the blade has a proprietary hardened coating to reduce hazing and downtime. It is especially suited for short to mid-range runs.
North American Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
North American Manufacturing has launched the H5530 F-series of electromechanical actuators, available in 150-, 300-, and 500-pound thrusts. These actuators require no periodic maintenance, feature a compact profile for easy installation, and provide smooth operation for unwind, rewind, and intermediate guiding applications.
Stork Prints
Stork Print's new drop-in screen FA3300 cassette, installed in Nilpeter's flexo label-converting press series, is a compact, retrofittable rotary screen printing cassette. Easily integratable into existing presses, It has a repeat length range of 12 to 18˝. It also features adjustable support bearings that allow for fast repeat-size changeover within a restricted environment. The FA3300 also has a patented screen suspension for enhanced performance.
Pillar Technologies
Pillar Technologies has teamed with Simco Static Control to offer a narrow web corona treater/web cleaner combination unit, with an adjustable mounting plate and treat widths that conform to existing press configurations. It is available in 7.5-30˝ sizes and in top-, bottom- and two side configurations.
Tidland
The 3˝ Air Powered Lug Chuck, the first of the Raptor Series of shaftless core chucks released by Tidland Corp., is designed for high-speed printing, laminating, and sheeting applications on flying or zero-speed splicers and shaftless unwind/rewind applications. The 3˝ Air Powered Lug chuck reduces downtime and risk of injury. It also allows for on-machine maintenance and toolless adapter changes from 3 to 6 inch cores in under 30 seconds.
Prime UV
The new Prime UV Sheetfed Coating system allows sheetfed printers to easily apply and cure UV coatings in-house. This system includes a sheet feeder, UV sheetfed coater, sheet transport conveyor, optimum air-cooled Prime UV lamp, and sheet stacker. The all-in-one system allows application of UV coatings over water, solvent-based, or UV inks.
Substrates
API Foils
Eliminating the need for traditional stamping dies, API Foils offers its API dieLESS® process, through which a specially formulated adhesive is applied to a substrate through a flexographic printing procress in order to apply foil. Several benefits of the API dieLESS system include reduced turnaround time for foiling, easier foil registration, short-run foil application, and a wider choice of substrates.
Arjobex
Arjobex's Polyart® TE (Tamper Evident), an expanded high density polyethylene film coated on one side with a matt coating, offers tamper protection. Best suited for security labels, its durability; water, grease, and chemical resistance; dimensional stability from -76 to +140°F; and FDA compliance.
Contract Converting LLC
Contract Converting's Thermador™, a polyester-based synthetic material available in 5, 7.5, and 10 mil calipers, withstands higher heat with a melt index of 500°F. Its special surface coating on both sides enhances laser toner anchorage, thermal transfer ribbon performance, and water-based flexographic ink printing.
KURZ
KURZ has released a new "Lens" pattern for its Light Line™ Foils. These diffractive light-reflecting foils' lens pattern, although less than 1 mil deep, give the perception of having a thickness of several millimeters. It is suited for use in the packaging field.
Granwell Products, Inc.
Granwell Products, Inc. has developed the Polylith GC-3 grade synthetic paper for applications that require high strength, weather resistance, and durability. With a smooth, white surface with high brightness, opacity, and tear strength, the GC-3 offers quality ink coverage, print fidelity, and trouble-free converting.
Plastic Suppliers
Plastic Suppliers offers converters its Polyflex® 102 Clear, part of the Polyflex® biaxially oriented polystrene family of films, for printing and general laminating. It has a thickness 1.15 to 5 mil, and is available untreated or one-side corona treated for improved adhesion.
Diecutting
Action Rotary Die
With the increasing demand for shorter and shorter production times, Action Rotary Die has added "MIX" tool steel to its line of steels. This new steel, suited for abrasive substrates and metal-to-metal applications, offers extended revolution counts. It also provides the same lead times as provided by Action's "Standard" and "Medium" steels.
American Die Technology
American Die Technology has developed the Cassette Style Drop-in Hot Stamp unit, which can be used in an existing unused die station in flexo presses where a job requires hot stamping. It is easily installed and removed within minutes, allowing the die station to be used for applications not requiring the unit. It features the patented Equalizer, a rapid heat up/air cool down system; registration dial; bilingual control panel; and touch-screen controls.
Wilson Manufacturing
Wilson Manufacturing is now offering CNC machine-sharpened dies, which eliminate the need to manually sharpen rotary dies by hand. The benefits of these dies include longer life and flexibility in cutting face material.
Converting/Finishing
CTC
CTC has introduced the Model TTBS-UP-20 butt splicer for label applications. Engineered to work with label applicators, it provides continuous operation without requiring stops for roll changes. This splicer is available in both horizontal and near-vertical configurations, and can be configured to work with a range of label application equipment.
Inks/Adhesives
Akzo Nobel Inks
Akzo Nobel Inks has introduced UvoNova™, a high-performance, UV-curable letterpress ink. At speeds up to 100 meters per minute, it offers high-caliber adhesion, curing, and print-quality on narrow-web substrates. This ink has high color strength, can be foil blocked, overprinted by thermal transfer, and used in direct thermal applications for self-adhesive, in-mold, and wraparound labels.
Sericol
Sericol has added UVivid 820 Series UV Flexo inks to its UV Screen Inks. They are UV-curable and provide hold-out capabilities on coated and uncoated board stocks. They also have improved cure times for increased press speeds and turn times, and have a higher viscosity level as well, allowing them to run on flexo presses which require a more viscous ink.
SICPA
SICPA North America has developed SICPAStream Color Shifting Inks, which provide an optical effect for most label and package designs. The inks are available in three different shades, each with its own color shift spectrum when printed over a black background, and are available for most printing processes, including flexo and screen applications.
Sun Chemical
Coates Screen USA, a division of Sun Chemical Corp., has released the DecoMold™ Ultrabond, Series DMU, a patented UV "In-Mold Decoration" ink system. It offers washout resistance and good formability and adhesion properties for insert molding applications. It doesn't require an adhesion promoter or barrier coat when using polycarbonate film and resin combinations. DecoMold Ultrabond comes in a complete color range, including high-density SWOP process colors and a new 700-color range for special colors.
Water Ink Technologies
Water Ink Technologies has introduced the PureScreen line of UV Screen Inks. These inks provide formulations that are silicone- and wax-free. PureScreen inks provide the ability to overprint the inks with Water Ink's UV or water-based film inks. They are also safe, with no hazardous or chemically suspect materials in the inks.
- Companies:
- American Die Technology
- API Foils
- Arjobex
- Artwork Systems
- Contract Converting
- Creo
- Gallus Inc.
- Granwell Products
- HarperScientific
- MAGPOWR
- Mark Andy
- Max Daetwyler Corp.
- Nilpeter
- North American Manufacturing
- Pillar Technologies
- Plastic Suppliers, Inc.
- Screen
- SIMCO Industrial Static Control
- Stork Prints
- Sun Chemical Corp.
- Tidland Corp.
- Water Ink Technologies
- Wilson Manufacturing
- People:
- DuPont Cyrel