Record Breaking Labelexpo Shows Industry's Strengths

The last time Labelexpo Americas visited Chicago two years ago, the show served as a statement that digital printing had arrived in the label printing segment of the packaging industry. Two years later, the biggest takeaways after three days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center are not about digital’s arrival, but where it will take the industry next.

It’s telling that in a year where Labelexpo Americas shattered attendance records — 17,407 attendees visited the show — the booths that seemed to draw the most attention were the ones with the latest digital solutions on display. The two market leaders in digital label production, HP and Xeikon, both had new products on the floor that were making their North American debuts after being unveiled at drupa. And, several traditionally flexographic suppliers, including Mark Andy, Nilpeter, Bobst and Omet, had their latest digital products on display.

Typically, in a drupa year, the quadrennial show in Düsseldorf, Germany, is the catalyst for what defines the printing industry over the following four years. After this year’s show, one of the major takeaways was that in the label segment, digital solutions now need to provide more than printing to be competitive. They’re now becoming end-to-end solutions that feature in- or near-line converting, digitizing the entire converting process.

Labelexpo continued that trend with several end-to-end digital solutions on display. Some were hybrid digital and flexographic machines, developed through partnerships. Others were strictly digital, but featured the in-line finishing processes that will significantly boost converters’ efficiency. Where Labelexpo differed from drupa, however, was that it served as a launching pad for several entry-level digital label presses, which are poised to make the world of digital label printing far more accessible to small or mid-size converters.

Additionally, while much of the talk following Labelexpo will be about digital, the show served as a reminder that the label industry has been built on flexography for a reason. The latest state-of-the-art flexographic presses were up and running throughout the convention center, displaying stunning quality, speeds and the ability to keep up with the increasing demand for short-run packaging.

The Next Direction in Digital

It was telling that interest in digital was high during Labelexpo in that one of the show’s largest, and often the most crowded booth, belonged to HP. During drupa, HP announced that it would be releasing the latest in its fleet of label presses, the HP Indigo 8000. The press was said to double the speed of the HP Indigo WS6800, reaching speeds of up to 260 fpm.

During HP’s press conference, Alon Bar-Shany, VP and GM of HP’s Indigo digital press division, announced the Indigo 8000 had successfully completed its beta testing and has now hit the market, just three months after drupa.

Building on another drupa announcement, Labelexpo Americas marked the introduction of HP’s digital combination printing. The process, which includes digital spot and tactile varnishes, along with digital foiling, was on display for the first time in North America, operating in conjunction with an HP Indigo WS6800 digital press.

Not to be outdone, Xeikon showcased its latest developments in Fusion technology, a modular system of in-line finishing systems that creates a full production process. During the Xeikon press conference, Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s VP of marketing, explained that Fusion modules will be able to be retrofitted onto existing presses and can be placed both before and after the print station, depending on what the converter needs. Weymans explained that he foresees Fusion being particularly useful in the beverage market, where converters have the biggest need for both digital and conventional processes.

On the show floor, Xeikon’s highly-anticipated CX3, commonly referred to as “Cheetah,” made its North American debut after making its first appearances in Europe during Labelexpo Europe 2015 and drupa 2016. The press has become Xeikon’s flagship label press at 13˝ wide with a top speed of 98 fpm.

Xeikon also showcased its latest in digital finishing with its new FDU (Flatbed Diecut Unit) and announced the release of its LDU (Laser Diecut Unit). According to Xeikon, the new laser diecutter can match the speeds of its 3030 press and also incorporates varnishing, slitting and rewinding capabilities.

EFI unveiled its latest addition in its Jetrion line of inkjet label presses, featuring the new Jetrion 4950LXe.

Nilpeter’s booth also featured a North American digital debut, showcasing its PANORAMA line of inkjet label solutions. The PANORAMA line consists of Nilpeter’s DP-3, a stand-alone digital press, but also features the DP-3 & Converting, which adds in-line varnishing, waste handling, length slitting, rewinding and more.

Another method several suppliers have taken to make digital offerings into end-to-end solutions involves combining inkjet and flexography into a hybrid press.

Among the solutions on the show floor was the Graphium line from Fujifilm, which was brought to market through a partnership with Edale, a U.K.-based flexographic press manufacturer. While many of the hybrid solutions on display at Labelexpo were making their North American debuts, the Graphium line has already entered the marketplace with four installations in the United States.

Mark Andy was also among the first suppliers to develop a hybrid solution and had its Digital Series press on display throughout the show. Although the press was first demonstrated at Labelexpo Americas 2014, it remained among the main attractions in the Mark Andy booth. The major difference between the Digital Series and the other hybrid presses on display is that Mark Andy developed its own digital engine for this press, while most other hybrid systems were developed through partnerships. During Mark Andy’s press conference, President and CEO Kevin Wilken explained that this approach provides converters the benefit of having a single supplier that understands all aspects of the product.

Durst demonstrated its entry into the hybrid world, debuting its Tau 330 featuring flexo and finishing stations from Omet. The interesting difference between the Durst and Omet hybrid is that it isn’t being marketed as a single product. While the press will be sold and serviced by Durst, it is being presented as a Durst Tau 330 press that can be customized to the converter’s needs by incorporating various near-line finishing stations provided by Omet.

The partnership with Durst is not the first time Omet has been involved in the development of a hybrid press, however. The Omet XFlex X6 JetPlus is another hybrid option that incorporates inkjet capabilities from Domino with Omet’s flexographic technology.

Breaking Down Digital Barriers

While these hybrid solutions present a way for converters to enter the digital world at a high-production level, Labelexpo also featured several solutions for those converters seeking to adopt digital at a lower price point.

The Mark Andy booth featured the new Mark Andy Digital One, an entry-level digital press featuring a converting station.

Throughout the show, there were substantial crowds around the Mark Andy Digital One, which combines entry-level digital printing with in-line converting features. Priced at approximately $265,000, the Digital One features four-color 1,200×1,200 dpi printing with a single flexo station, which can provide finishing or converting capabilities.

Durst was another supplier with a booth that featured both a hybrid solution and an entry-level product. The newly-launched Durst Tau 330E offers many of the same features as the Tau 330, which is Durst’s flagship inkjet label press. However, the Tau 330E is limited to four- or five-color configurations, whereas the Tau 330 is available with expanded gamut colors including orange and violet.

Epson’s booth also featured several products that allow label converters to enter the digital world at a lower price point, including the SurePress and ColorWorks line of label printers. The SurePress line features the L-4033 and the newly-released L-6034, while the ColorWorks line provides tabletop solutions that provide an attractive short-run option.

Konica Minolta featured its bizhub PRESS C71cf digital label press, which the company touts as a “low-risk first entry into digital label production.” Graphtec also unveiled its latest solution, the LabelRobo LCX1000 series.

Flexo Takes the Next Step

With all of the attention surrounding digital printing throughout Labelexpo, it might be easy to forget that digital output represents just a fraction of the label segment. Flexographic printing remains the industry’s backbone and despite the rise of digital, flexo suppliers demonstrated how their latest solutions will ensure that conventional printing remains a major part of the industry’s future with presses featuring high speeds, top-notch quality and the ability to handle the rapid increase of short runs.

Bobst has been an innovator of the “digital flexo process,” which is a flexographic printing process that has been automated to such an extent that it incorporates the benefits of digital. Throughout the show, the digital flexo process was demonstrated on Bobst’s M6, a mid-web in-line UV flexo press. The aspects of the digital flexo process that make it so efficient are that colors are processed through a layering system that does not rely on the operator’s ability to mix colors. This process results in the ability to run jobs without changing the ink or anilox roll. Additionally, the process allows one job to run while the next job’s cylinders are loaded onto the press. Then, when it is time for changeover, the new cylinders automatically move into place, cutting changeover time to one minute. Lastly, reliance on operator monitoring is reduced, as digital cameras at each print station monitor register and pressure and make automatic adjustment.

Mark Andy debuted its latest flexo press, the Performance Series P7, which features several automation aspects that allow it to more nimbly handle short runs. The press is outfitted with servo capabilities, which assist with registration and rewind. Mark Andy also simplified the P7’s print stations, allowing operators to change a print deck in approximately 30 seconds.

Nilpeter’s booth featured its FA-4* and FA-6* flexo presses, which are designed for the label market and flexible packaging market respectively. Both presses feature Nilpeter’s CLEANINKING system, which allows operators to quickly and efficiently changeover inks. Controlling the press has also been streamlined through Nilpeter’s PowerLink control system, which allows operators to run the press via a tablet.

Omet featured its iFlex press, which launched last year with several technological applications that improve the flexo printing process. During Omet’s Labelexpo press conference, Marco Calcagni, Omet’s sales director, explained that the press features iLight, the first pre-register control conducted via a laser pointer, which allows fast and accurate cylinder alignment. The iFlex also features the iVision system, which provides a camera at each station, enabling automatic register adjustment.

MPS also had its EF flexo press on display, which featured the Automated Print Control (APC) package. The package provides efficiency improvements through servo positioning technology, which allows for automatic print sleeve loading and pressure setting application.

While it wasn’t too long ago that the print industry was facing uncertain times, it’s encouraging to see how the labeling and packaging industry has managed to stay afloat and flourish with the development of new technologies. The record-setting attendance at Labelexpo Americas made it clear that converters have rebounded from the recession and are looking to buy. And with digital moving in new directions and flexo adapting to industry demands, the label industry is clearly poised for future success.