August 2007 Issue
An interview with Werner M. Dornscheidt, board chairman, Messe Düsseldorf
Q: There are indications that drupa 2008 will surpass the record-breaking 2000 show. In what respects? Dornscheidt: Since the closing date for exhibitor applications, it has been clear that drupa 2008 will be the largest yet. The exhibition grounds are totally booked, with 170,000 square meters of show space and 1,800 exhibitors. For an idea of the total show space, just imagine an area the size of about 40 soccer fields. We expect 400,000 visitors, with more than 50 percent from outside of Germany. Q: When will the final number of exhibitors be known? Dornscheidt: We know that the current figure of 1,800 will
AVT Posts Another Quarter of Growth
HOD-HASHARON, Israel—Advanced Vision Technology (AVT)—a leading provider of automatic optical inspection and quality assurance systems for the printing and packaging industries—completed the second quarter of 2007 with revenues of $8.06 million, up 15.0 percent over the same period in 2006 ($7.01 million). Net income for the quarter was up 13.9 percent over Q2 2006, to $1.94 million (1.70 million for the same period in 2006). Net income for the first six months of 2007 rose 18.4 percent to $3.47 million ($2.93 million for the first six months of 2006). Order bookings continued to rise with total bookings for the first half of 2007 totalling
Big, Bigger, Biggest
Is bigger, better? Not always, but bigger is getting better, especially when it comes to wide-web printing presses. Wide-web presses are a mainstay in the flexible packaging arena where many times, package size can dictate press size, especially when you throw in productivity and costs. But shorter and shorter production runs, combined with the ability of state-of-the-art narrow-web presses to run flexible materials, are providing other avenues for flexible packaging to be printed. In this environment, wide-web press manufacturers are responding by making their big machines “light on their feet,” with an ability to respond to the needs of the marketplace. packagePRINTING
China Syndrome —Tom Polishuk
What’s up with China? It’s been in the news a lot this year, and believe it or not, it wants to be. Next year, Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, which will put Beijing and China on the world stage. The problem for Chinese officials is that the majority of the news surrounding the country is negative in nature. Some of the more visible problems include: • In March, a number of companies recalled pet food products that used Chinese wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine. These products were associated with a large number of illnesses and deaths of dogs and cats. • In
drupa 2008, Solving a Complex Puzzle: An Interview with Werner M. Dornscheidt
Werner Matthias Dornscheidt has been board chairman of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH since January 2004. With a degree in hotel and business management, Dornscheidt has held various positions since 1979 at Düsseldorf Messegesellschaft, NOWEA International, and other convention companies. He served as deputy general manager of Messe Düsseldorf International from 1990 to 1999; and, as chairman of the management board, ran Leipziger Messe GmbH from 1999 to 2003. Q: There are already indications that drupa 2008 will surpass the record-breaking drupa event back in 2000. In what respects? Dornscheidt: drupa’s history goes back over 50 years, and since the closing date for exhibitor applications on
Enthusiasm for New Printed Electronics Conference in Tokyo
By Raghu Das, CEO IDTechEx IDTechEx conferences on Printed Electronics in the USA and Europe are highly regarded. By popular request, the company is now staging a Printed Electronics Asia conference and exhibition in Tokyo, Sept. 10-11. The title is carefully chosen because both organic and inorganic electronics have a great future. It is therefore best to explore all the possibilities and achievements. Speaker Yasuyuki Watanabe, from the Center for Frontier Science at Chiba University, says, “We believe that printed electronics is the key technology for advanced flexible electronic devices employing organic materials.” He will talk on the topic of vertical transistors which can
Gallus/BHS Folding Carton Technology Seminar
PHILADELPHIA—Gallus and BHS are inviting folding carton manufacturers and paperboard converters from both North and South America to attend a technology seminar and customer event scheduled for Nov. 1, 2007 in Philadelphia. Specialists from across the industry will focus on one key topic: “How to add value to the box, while improving the efficiency.” Attendees will experience a mix of presentations and activities, including the live demonstration of Gallus’s newest inline paperboard converting machine system, shown for the first time in the Americas. For more information and to register, visit www.gallus-packaging.com or contact Uli Kretzschmar at uli.kretzschmar@gallus.org or 215-677-9600 ext. 707.
Harper Donates Equipment to Fort Mill High School
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Global anilox supplier Harper Corporation of America has made a major equipment donation to Fort Mill High School in Fort Mill, S.C. The high school’s graphic communications department will receive the donation of a FlexSys Press Simulator and a Macintosh computer with monitor. “We are absolutely thrilled to get these machines,” said Jerry Howell, graphic communications teacher at Fort Mill High School. “Harper has always been very generous to us and supportive of our program with the donation of its high-quality anilox rolls. The addition of this gift gives our program a real leg up.” “It’s very exciting to support the expansion of
Heidelberg Delivers 200th Speedmaster CD 74 UV
GERMANY—The 200th Speedmaster CD 74 UV recently left Heidelberg’s Wiesloch-Walldorf plant. Jürgen Rautert, director for engineering and manufacturing at Heidelberg, presented a certificate to customer Olegário Fernandes - Artes Gráficas S.A. of Lisbon, Portugal. The Speedmaster CD 74 6-color UV press with double coating unit - will enable the print shop to expand into the new in-mold label market and produce inserts for plastic packagings. Olegário Fernandes’s workforce of more than 90 prints labels, packagings, and leaflets. The print shop’s existing equipment includes three Speedmaster SM 74 presses, two Gallus and two Comco narrow-web label system. The print shop began operation in 1922 with
Industry/University Partnerships
In today’s economic times, with fierce competition, both domestic and foreign, the packaging industry faces shortages in human resources—that is, skilled packaging professionals who have basic skills in both production processes and management techniques. Few companies have the resources to take unskilled personnel and train them from the ground level. At the same time, the nation’s university system seems underfunded and unable to equip laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment in technical disciplines. The budgeting formulas are geared more for classes that aren’t as laboratory-oriented as that of the printing and packaging industry. By 2005, the Department of Graphic Communication Systems and Technological Studies at North Carolina
Multi-Color Corp. Invests in Digital Technology
SHARONVILLE, Ohio—Multi-Color Corporation has purchased an HP WS4500 digital press to meet its customer’s growing demands for more customized decorating solutions at small- to mid-range print run quantities. This is the second new press acquisition by Multi-Color Corporation in recent weeks. This new digital press is expected to have quicker changeovers, less scrap, and direct-to-press speeds to deliver high-quality, cost-effective labels for pressure-sensitive, in-mold, shrink sleeve, and cut and stack labels. To take full advantage of these new digital print capabilities, Multi-Color Corporation is placing this new press at its Green Bay, Wis. facility. “This new technology addresses one of the market’s top issues;
Network PDF Creates MIS: A Guide for Managers
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Network PDF—a team of experts working together to connect IT and production across a global network using industry standards, in partnership with key industry associations including CIP4, IDEAlliance and PIA/GATF—has created a new educational program focused on management information systems (MIS). At the heart of this program is the creation of “MIS: A Guide for Managers,” a manual that explains connectivity, from content creation into an automated production system. “MIS is an essential tool for helping printers transition from a craft to a modern manufacturing industry. The MIS Guide does a great job of educating the graphic communications industry about the benefits of
PIA/GATF Names Ron and Katherine Harper Education Awards of Excellence Industry Winners
SEWICKLEY, Pa.—Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) named Ron and Katherine Harper the winners of its 2007 Education Award of Excellence for industry representatives. The awards are presented annually to an academic representative and an industry representative in recognition of outstanding contributions to education and training in the graphic arts. Ron and Katherine Harper are the husband and wife team who founded Harper Corporation of America, a global anilox roll supplier with two locations in the United States and licensees in Bangkok, Thailand (Harper Asia/Pacific) and Herford, Germany (Harper Graphics). An innovator in laser-engraved anilox roll production and restoration for corrugated wide
Press Retrofits—One way to seal the deal!
It happens over and over again to packaging converters and printers—customers walk into their shops asking for a packaging solution that incorporates effects the converters can’t accommodate because their press capabilities do not allow for them. Eventually these converters must decide whether to diversify their offerings or continue to turn business away. Some might be able to afford to let business walk, but for others, the extra business may make or break their year. For the latter, a major business decision is at hand. A converter can take any number of approaches to provide solutions for its customers, but two options quickly emerge at
Reap What You Sow
It is a common business model that what you invest in plays a big role in what you get back. So, what can package printers do to improve productivity? One option is to invest in the right cores, shafts, and chucks for your print runs. “The persistent trend that we see with our customers is their desire to increase machine throughput, reduce waste, and improve ergonomics. They find that properly specified machine components can help them achieve all three,” says Bret Hardy, marketing manager, Double E Company. “Double E takes advantage of this trend in many ways. For example, we offer lightweight carbon fiber
Tailored Solutions
Shrink labeling is a dynamic product decoration segment that is drawing renewed interest from consumer products companies and therefore, from package printers. Shrink labeling draws the attention of consumers with its unique ability to provide 360° product decoration and encompass today’s ergonomically shaped products. Extraordinary looking packages are incorporating shrink labels for a wide range of sizes and novel configurations. Because of the shelf appeal this labeling method can provide, shrink labeling has begun to grab attention away from other, more traditional labeling technologies. While many printers are considering or attempting entry into the shrink label market, anyone looking to get into this end
Up to the Challenge
It seems every industry is affected by consolidation. In the industrial automation sector, blockbuster deals involving heavy hitters occurred almost weekly for a while with the big companies getting bigger and bigger, with fewer and fewer smaller players. The same thing occurred in the collision repair industry and fire service. Though on a more regional scale, larger collision repair facilities would purchase surrounding businesses and become the local major players. And, it’s the same with the fire service, with smaller local fire companies choosing to regionalize and become one department. And, so it goes with the paperboard market for packaging. Consolidation in the
When You’re Hot, You’re HOT
Digital technology is rapidly changing the way consumer packages are conceptualized and proofed. Digital drop-on-demand (DOD) proofing using color-calibrated large-format inkjet devices (typically 24˝ to 44˝ in width and roll-fed) has made significant headway in packaging environments. This is because manufacturers continue to develop aqueous, solvent, and UV-based solutions capable of precise color accuracy and increased substrate flexibility at higher speeds and lower costs than ever before. Are there limitations? Of course, and for higher-end, color-critical applications, a digital halftone proof may be preferable, but the quality gap is closing. Digital wide-format flatbed inkjet devices up to 100˝ in width are also finding a
