Convertech, Inc.

Package printing is moving in the direction of digital, but what impact will digital printing and functions have on the building blocks of material control? Industry insiders offer their opinions. THE WORD "DIGITAL" is fast becoming commonplace in the package-printing industry. From fully digital presses to digitalized finishing processes and prepress functions, there's something digital about nearly every part of package printing. Within this digital realm, some elements of the printing process haven't gone hi-tech, including cores, shafts, and chucks, right? It's not a cut-and-dry issue, according to experts. Some industry insiders, like Larry Taitel, owner of Convertech, don't think cores, shafts, and chucks

The technology behind cores, shafts, and chucks appears basic, but further inspection reveals a world of science aimed at efficiency, safety, and ease of operation. ERGONOMICS HAS BECOME an increasingly important focus for package printing and converting companies. Also called human engineering, ergonomics is the science of "designing jobs and workplaces to match human capabilities and limitations," according to Sean Craig, product manager for Tidland. "Interest in this science has grown steadily, along with the rising number of workers' compensation claims for work-related, non-traumatic injuries or disorders involving soft-tissues (nerves, tendons, muscles, and supporting structures), known as work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs or MSDs)." According

An update on cores, shafts, and chucks technology. CORES, SHAFTS, AND chucks can easily be compared to "all the little people" of the film industry. From light technicians to make-up artists to set designers, the work of the people behind the scenes makes a big impact on a movie's turnout. Likewise, despite the seemingly harmlessness of cores, shafts, and chucks, their performance is very important to the outcome of every print job. Core knowledge Cores provide the backbones for many substrates and tapes. While there may appear not to be much difference between company offerings, there are. Double E. Co. (West Bridgewater, Mass.) offers