January 2008 Issue
Compass sessions at drupa 2008
An important component of the overall drupa 2008 concept is the extensive ancillary program, including the Compass Sessions, highlights tours, drupa innovation parc powered by HP, and industry forum. “This modular system gives our visitors the opportunity to put together a personalized package and thus get the most out of the expertise on hand,” commented Manuel Mataré, drupa 2008 project director. The Compass Sessions will be two-hour intensive workshops staged daily from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Congress Center East at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds. Organized by Print & Media Forum AG, each Compass Session will be devoted to a different topic concerning technology
Cradle to Cradle
Sustainability is a worldwide concern that is getting well-deserved attention. It’s going to impact every phase of our lives, so it’s not surprising that package printing will be in the thick of things (packagePRINTING, too). If melting glaciers, disappearing rain forests, depleting oil reserves, and increasing CO2 levels weren’t enough to get you’re attention, those playing in the packaging arena got a kick start (maybe a kick in the pants) from their friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart store. Much like it did with RFID technology back in 2003, Wal-Mart helped bring sustainability to the forefront of the packaging supply chain with its “Packaging Scorecard.” This was
Drying/Curing Technology Showcase
Company: GEW, Inc., www.gewuv.com Product: e-System with VCP UV lamp head and SEEcure UV monitoring What is it?: Fully air-cooled UV curing system developed for exacting printing applications based on the e-Brick electronic power supply. Features: • Space-saving power supply design; • Glass dichroic reflector optimized for maximum UV curing power; • Automatic control of UV output ramped to press speed; • Automatic control of lamp temperature to maximize effective UV output and lamp and overall system life; • System cooling via air ducts; • Fast interchange of lamp-head cassettes; and • Heat-management options for thermo-sensitive substrates. packagePRINTING kudos: In September of 2007, GEW
Get Rid of the Guesswork
There can be little argument about the role of proofing in package-printing workflows. An acceptable proof has three essential qualities: it’s fast, affordable, and color-accurate. Achieving the closest possible match between the proof and the printing press is the objective here, with the larger goal of ensuring a predictable, repeatable printed result throughout the print run. A proof that matches the press run saves printers time and money, and generates less waste on the print job, thereby keeping customers satisfied. Trade shops that deliver fast, color-accurate proofs that do not break the bank not only fulfill a commitment to their printer customers, but also
Inks: The Real Deal
There’s nothing easy about manufacturing—no matter what the product. It requires a finely tuned confluence of equipment, materials, and people, along with a host of additional factors that can make the difference between success and failure. In package printing, inks play a key role in the manufacturing process—to say the least. There’s plenty of other peripheral processes required to get printed materials out the door, but inks and their “kissin’ cousins” such as coatings and adhesives, are what makes these materials a printed product. Today there is a lot of activity within the ink world. As a material category, inks have been hit
On the Road with packagePRINTING
Thinking ‘inline the box’ in Charlotte Inline was the word of the day at the Gallus/BHS Folding Carton Technology Seminar in Charlotte, N.C, in November. About 50 attendees, including North and South American folding carton manufacturers and paperboard converters, learned “How to add value to the box while improving efficency.” Klaus Bachstein, CEO, Gallus Group, kicked off the afternoon with a presentation on the Gallus/BHS inline philosophy. He explained that creating finished diecut blanks with a web-based system in a single pass optimizes workflow, simplifies handling, saves time, and boosts cost-effectiveness. He said it also allows for improved effeciency and process flexibility. Speakers included
Punching Out a Preventive Maintenance Punch List
It seems things are built so well these days that we hardly think about maintenance until something goes wrong. However, when your livelihood and the livelihood of your employees depends on your printing equipment functioning properly, the onset of system failure is not the time to be thinking maintenance. If you are in the business of converting certain types of films, foils, and even some papers into packaging, you know that before printing on any of these substrates, their surfaces must be treated in some way to improve their receptiveness to various inks, coatings, or adhesives. To ensure your surface-treating systems are working properly,
Ready or Not —Polischuk
Well, it’s a new year. Many of us are starting out with clean slates—new budgets, new plans, and high hopes for a better year. And what a year this could be. There are lots of significant issues that could really be a drag on the economy—the subprime credit fiasco, housing slowdown, inflationary pressures, and fears of an impending recession. Of course, it’s also a presidential election year, a wide-open affair that promises to be as interesting as any in recent memory, and possibly historic in many ways. Getting closer to home, packagePRINTING is starting off the year with a number of changes to bring
RFID Labels for Package Printing
Editor’s note: RFID is running hot and cold in the North American packaging market. It’s a technology solution still in its early development, with many issues, risks, and potential rewards. In this column, Peter Harrop, CEO of IDTechEx, provides a glimpse of some of the behind-the-scenes factors that will impact future implementation of RFID. IDTechEx is a knowledge-based consultancy company that provides research and analysis on RFID, printed and organic electronics, and smart packaging. It will host the RFID Smart Labels USA 2008 conference in Boston February 20-21 (www.idtechex.com/USA). It’s like Yogi Berra once said, “It’s Déjà Vu all over again.” Today,
Vision Quest
Measuring success in a business isn’t always done by solely tallying dollars and cents. Customer and employee loyalty is one measuring stick, and having the ability to adapt to trends within a particular industry is still another, while setting high expectations and meeting them is another way. Flexstar Packaging, Inc. (Richmond, British Columbia) has a clear vision, a heavy focus on people, and the ability to change quickly—all of which are hallmarks of its success. Another notable quality is its ability to solve problems. “We believe it is very important to dig in and solve issues versus playing the blame game,” says Marc Bray,
