New, Compact ColorWorks C4000 with Comprehensive Connectivity and Dynamic Image Quality Now Available

Los Alamitos, CA – Epson America today announced its newest on-demand color inkjet label printer, the ColorWorks® C4000, is now available through Epson’s authorized partners. The ColorWorks C4000 features comprehensive connectivity in a compact design for businesses that require high-resolution print quality and durable barcode and product labels.

Setting it apart from other on-demand color label solutions, the ColorWorks C4000 is compatible with ZPL II®, SAP, major middleware, and more for seamless integration into existing workflows. In addition, the C4000 has remote management tools to provide a streamlined way to manage and monitor a fleet of printers. With the ColorWorks C4000, businesses can harness the power of communication through color with crisp, photo-quality color labels on demand, at up to 1200 dpi resolution.

“Regardless of the industry, businesses need to keep up with swift changes and are looking for reliable, easy-to-use solutions that can maximize mobility and efficiency,” said Andy Scherz, senior product manager, Commercial Labels, Epson America, Inc. “No matter the label application – product, packaging, barcode, or shipping – the ColorWorks C4000 can deliver high-quality, durable color labels on-demand, with added features of connectivity and management tools, at a comparable price point to thermal label printers.1”

Additional ColorWorks C4000 features include:

• Remote Management Tools – For managing large fleets over the network

• Optional Wi-Fi connectivity2 – For printing from compatible devices3

• Compact, Robust Design – Dust- and water-resistant for high-duty-cycle environments; ideal for commercial use and smaller workspaces

• Exceptional Image Quality – Engineered with Epson’s PrecisionCore® printhead technology to deliver ultra-sharp text and precise barcodes and varying droplet sizes that can produce a huge gamut of vibrant, accurate colors, smooth gradations and fine image details

• Durable, High-quality Labels – Meets BS-5609 certification4

• Enhanced Productivity – Eliminate the need to preprint; speeds up to 4″ per second5 and a fast time to first label

• Reliability – Engineered by Epson for demanding applications and backed by industry-leading service and support

Availability

The ColorWorks C4000 gloss and matte color inkjet label printers are available now through Epson’s trusted authorized retailers. For additional information, visit epson.com/colorworks. A brief video overview of the new ColorWorks C4000 is available here.

About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. global.epson.com/

Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/epsonamerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

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1 Printers and consumable costs are similar when comparing similarly featured leading brand thermal transfer printers and supplies for similar high-durability images on similar media.

2 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™; level of performance subject to the range of the router being used.

3 Most features require an Internet connection to the printer, as well as an Internet- and/or email-enabled device. For a list of Epson Connect™ enabled printers and compatible devices and apps, visit www.epson.com/connect

4 ColorWorks CW-C4000 inkjet printer with UltraChrome® DL pigment ink, used in combination with Neenah Kimdura™ poly media, has been BS-5609 certified.

5 Printing in Max Speed Mode, 300 × 600 dpi resolution, 4″ (101.6 mm) print width. Print speeds are based on the print engine speed only. Total throughput time for any label depends on factors including label size, file size, print resolution, speed of data transmission, etc.

EPSON, ColorWorks, PrecisionCore, and UltraChrome are registered trademarks, Epson Connect is a trademark and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2022 Epson America, Inc.

Silver Fox Ltd., the UK’s only carbon-negative manufacturer of cable labels, has acquired their first Nilpeter printing press, an FB-Line complete with a UV-LED system. The UK-based and -owned company develops, manufactures, and supplies very high-grade cable, wire, and equipment labelling solutions used in a wide range of demanding industrial sectors around the world.

Your Starting Line for High Performance
The FB-Line represents the latest generation of highly efficient label printing. Nilpeter has added a large number of new features, such as Automated Plate Positioning System (APPS), pre-register and re-register functionalities, and packaged the machine in an attractive, new design. This latest FB-Line is an answer to market requests for added automation, higher ease of use, and increased operator friendliness.

“This new machine, coupled with our increasingly knowledgeable and skilful local workforce, will allow us to further support and enhance our growing network of distributors across the globe. Additionally, these new production capabilities will enable us to be even more responsive to customer needs, as well as open up the opportunity to develop new and innovative label types, for use with our Fox-in-a-Box® labelling kit,” says Nicholas Michaelson, Managing Director, Silver Fox Ltd.

Press Unveiling
On the 24th of June, The Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, unveiled Silver Fox’s new specialist printing press. Made by Nilpeter, the bespoke press is over 10 meters long. It has allowed Silver Fox to achieve 100% in-house production and meet the growing needs of their customers. As a proud UK-made, UK-owned company, Silver Fox is delighted to showcase their expanding production facilities.

“It was a very interesting project selling a press to Silver Fox. It was great finding a new customer away from our traditional marketplace – finding such a bespoke product of cable making systems, which has never been on our radar. However, the FB-350 was up to the challenge and gives Silver Fox not only additional capacity but opens their marketplace to some special constructions. We wish the team even more success in the future,” says Nick Hughes, Nilpeter Ltd.

About Silver Fox
Silver Fox develops, manufactures, and supplies cable, wire, and equipment labelling solutions for use in a range of demanding industrial sectors around the world including, among others, Rail, Data, Power, Construction, Renewable Energy, Oil & Gas.

Founded in 1977, Silver Fox manufactures all its products in the UK and ships them globally, either directly or via an ever-growing network of distributors. Silver Fox tests its labels at recognized independent UKAS certified test laboratories in compliance with MIL and other standards.

Additionally, Silver Fox is ISO 9001:2008 registered. Silver Fox’s commitment to global business was recognized in 2005 by the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade.

www.nilpeter.com

Mondi partnered with the National Test Centre Circular Plastics (NTCP) in the Netherlands to prove effective sorting of its plastic packaging during the recycling process.

Real-life scenarios were created to prove Mondi’s mono polypropylene (PP) pouches and reel material are designed for recycling, can be identified during the recycling process and sent to the correct recycling stream.

The tests validate how Mondi’s recyclable mono-material packaging can contribute to European plastics strategy recycling targets.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has carried out a series of tests to prove its mono-material polypropylene (PP) pouches and rollstock material can be sorted into their appropriate recycling streams.

Implemented in collaboration with the National Test Centre Circular Plastics (NTCP) in the Netherlands, these tests, simulating realistic packaging waste management conditions, were designed to determine the sortability of Mondi’s recyclable mono PP packaging. Using state of the art technical set-ups, the tests were carried out on pre-made retort and standard pouches, spouted pouches, and top web and thermoformed semi-rigid tray material. These are made from mono PP-material and used for demanding applications that require a high barrier protection, such as wet pet food or processed meat.

Replicating real-life scenarios, the tests prove that Mondi’s top web and thermoformed semi-rigid trays are successfully sorted into the correct recycling stream. Mondi’s pre-made pouches were also detected accurately, setting the standard for sorting streams which still need to be developed throughout Europe, supporting high quality input for plastic recycling processes.

Thomas Kahl, Channel Manager FMCG & Industrial at Mondi Flexible Packaging, says: “To achieve the plastic recycling targets defined in the revised PPWD[1], the sorting and recycling of plastic waste must be significantly improved. As a market leader we are strongly committed to contribute to this target by testing the sorting performance for our packaging. The outcome of the tests show that our mono-material polypropylene packaging is recognised and categorised into the correct sorting stream in advanced waste management facilities. We are particularly proud that we also succeeded for demanding applications such as retort wet pet food pouches.”

The tests are part of Mondi’s ambitious MAP2030 sustainability commitments to deliver circular driven solutions with innovative packaging and paper solutions, keeping materials in circulation and preventing waste. Mondi has pledged to make all of its packaging and paper solutions reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, working closely with cross-value chain collaborations like CEFLEX and 4evergreen, to eliminate unsustainable packaging and develop harmonised designs for recycling or circularity guidelines.

Marcel van Eijk, R&D manager at NTCP, says: “We conduct independent tests and experiments that contribute to closing the plastics cycle. By replicating real life situations for Mondi, we were able to thoroughly assess the sortability of its packaging products. We could prove that top-web and tray combinations can be recognised in different sorting streams and Mondi’s stand-up pouches support sorting strategies that need to be developed and implemented at larger scale.”

For latest information on Mondi’s sustainability performance, have a look at the 2021 Sustainable Development report here.

[1] Packaging and Paper Waste Directive, 2018, European Commission.

Mondi’s stand-up RetortPouch Recyclable scoops Swiss Packaging Award, demonstrating packaging innovation and creativity.

Packaging developed in partnership with Hilcona, a European market leader in fresh, ready-to-eat food, for Coop’s own brand range.

New mono-material packaging is recyclable and its exceptional durability helps to reduce food waste.

Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, has been recognised by the Swiss Packaging Institute (SVI) for its RetortPouch Recyclable solution. The packaging won the Swiss Packaging Award for the Sustainability category and was developed for Coop’s private label range of healthy pulses and grains sold in Switzerland.

RetortPouch Recyclable, made of polypropylene (PP)-based mono-material, offers exceptional shelf life and reduces potential food waste. The innovative packaging can replace complex multilayer unrecyclable packaging that uses aluminum or metallised layers to provide high barrier food protection.

RetortPouch Recyclable is able to withstand high temperatures during the retort process used in food preparation and is suitable for a wide range of applications in the ready-made food and pet food industries. The packaging, which is used for Coop’s products that are manufactured by Hilcona, has an attractive yet sturdy stand-up design that includes a transparent window to allow consumers to view the product on-shelf.

“We are very proud of this award. Hilcona has played a key role in the development of a truly collaborative approach to this award-winning packaging, looking closely at how we could protect the product, while delivering convenient packaging that worked for Coop and the consumer in a sustainable way,” explained Hilcona packaging expert Julia Bredemeier.

Christoph Höfling, Head of Product Development Mondi Korneuburg, adds: “We’re delighted to have the RetortPouch Recyclable recognised by the Swiss Packaging Institute (SVI). This solution is a result of our EcoSolutions approach to creating sustainable fit-for-purpose packaging, working in close collaboration with our customers and partners. RetortPouch Recyclable is an innovative, easy to use mono-material packaging solution that can reduce food waste while being an attractive option for food manufacturers and retailers alike.”

Italian label converter Emmedue Srl has installed a Mark Andy Digital Pro 3 flexo/toner hybrid press at its plant in Gravellona Toce close to Lake Orta. The new press is seen as the beginning of a new era for the company that has specialised in label printing for the Italian domestic market for many years. Now, it aims to focus on selling its labels to nearby Switzerland.

Company owner, Maurizio Maffioli explained: “Digital printing is an integral and essential part of every label converter’s plan to grow and develop its business. It improves customer service especially on shorter run jobs that need variable text and graphics. We see Digital Pro 3 as the perfect solution for our current and future needs.”

Founded in 1984, Emmedue specialises in label printing for a variety of customers in industries as diverse as automotive, food, and logistics. “Digital Pro 3 is our first digital press devoted to roll-fed printing. We believe it will help us expand our markets and open new doors to completely new sectors like beverages, and especially wine producers,” he added.

Digital Pro 3 offers inline combined flexo and digital print units as well as die cutting. Emmedue is impressed by its production speed of up to 23 m/min in full CMYK mode. This makes for efficient production of small and medium runs printed on different substrates, without pre-treatment. And another benefit is that its modular concept will allow the company to expand the press as needs grow, making it a future-proof investment.

All we expected from digital

Emmedue is the first Italian converter to install a Digital Pro 3. Mr Maffioli explained:

“I have followed Mark Andy’s activities on social media, especially LinkedIn and watched presentation videos of its equipment on YouTube shown to us by FDM Srl, their Italian dealer, who were instrumental in guiding us through this key investment. We already knew that Mark Andy was a longtime supplier to the label industry and that its presses have a great reputation for reliability.”

He said that his company was looking for a digital solution that would fit its current printing department and create new market opportunities. It would also need to help the existing production lines by increasing the added value element to meet customers’ expectations on the increasing number of shorter runs. Before the Digital Pro arrived, this work was printed traditionally, which kept the customers satisfied, but was often inefficient for Emmedue.

“We chose a Digital Pro because it incorporates the benefits and strengths we expect from digital technology. Print quality is always a top priority for us, but we also needed repeatability, variability, and speed of delivery. The inline flexo unit allows us to apply varnish or cold foil in one pass, and the semi-rotary die-cutter allows us to use many of our existing dies. That’s why the Digital Pro 3 matches our expectations perfectly,” he added.

Speaking for FDM, Sales Manager Enrico Firenze commented: “We realise how important digital technology is for the development of self-adhesive labels in today’s market and knowing of Mark Andy’s long experience and expertise in this sector, we believe the Digital Pro 3 is the perfect machine for printing with inline finishing both for start-up businesses and existing label converters that need to reduce the time and cost of offline finishing of their digitally printed labels.” Digital Pro prints direct from PDF files with a 1200 dpi resolution and is equipped with an easy-to-use RIP. The press handles a wide range of substrates without any pre-treatment, like primer, offering significant time and money savings.

Focus on customers
This wide substrate capability is of particular interest to Mr Maffioli. “There are eco-friendly and special papers used for wine labels that are suitable for offset printing but give poor results when flexo printed,” he said, adding” Now we can offer shorter delivery times, on a wider range of labels in different runs, without any compromise in quality and repeatability. We can also add value in prepress, making pre-production samples to evaluate the impact of the final packaging for real, not just as a video. This will allow us to modify graphics or size if necessary.”

Once the Digital Pro is fully integrated, the company plans to expand its e-commerce business too with the addition of a dedicated b2b service for the production and delivery of labels to small and very small customers, like micro-breweries and artisanal food suppliers,
who need quality from a label printer that has years of experience and can support their low volume production.

Speaking for Mark Andy, Regional Sales Manager Josep Balcells commented: “The Digital Pro series was introduced at Labelexpo Europe in 2019 and immediately attracted interest from the market. We are very pleased with its growing popularity on a global scale, including this first installation in Italy. Emmedue highlights how important a Digital Pro can be for a well-established label printer, offering further product development and growth.”

This product diversity will enable Emmedue to reach a completely new range of customers and provide inspiration for other traditional flexo printers whose customers expect more diversity. Digital Pro gives efficient production of different label versions on shorter runs, leading to new market opportunities. These include co-operation with small local vendors, and individual consumers who need labels very occasionally. “Emmedue is the perfect example of a printer that has observed a market very carefully, identified the changes and responded to them with the most appropriate investment. Mark Andy is very proud to be a partner in this process,” he concluded.

FDM is new to the Mark Andy stable but the company dates back to 1986 in the Italian label market. Today, it represents a portfolio of high-quality manufacturers and has an established and well-proven reputation for its knowledge and customer support. As CEO, Mr Della Vedova, commented: “We are proud to be representing Mark Andy technology in Italy and look forward to building on this first installation at Emmedue with many more customers.”

About Mark Andy Inc.
Mark Andy is a pioneer of the graphic arts and printing industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of narrow- and mid-web printing and finishing equipment, it supplies leading global brands, including Mark Andy and Presstek printing presses, Rotoflex finishing solutions, as well as a complete line of Mark Andy Print Products consumables and pressroom supplies. All products are backed by the largest customer support team in the industry, minimizing downtime and helping customers be profitable, efficient and at the forefront of innovation. Mark Andy does what it takes to understand each customer’s unique business, the challenges they face and the pressures they feel. It strives to provide products and services that help customers solve their problems and solutions that go a step further, allowing them to excel in their day-to-day operations, ultimately increasing productivity and reaching their full potential. For more information, visit www.markandy.com.

This year’s R. Stanton Avery Global Achievement Award has been bestowed on label industry veteran  Harveer Sahni. The decision was made by the Global Awards judging panel, consisting of Lori Campbell, chairman TLMI, Linnea Keen, president TLMI, Philippe Voet, FINAT president,   Greg Hrinya, editor Label & Narrow Web, James Quirk, content director Labels & Labeling and Jean Poncet, editor-in-chief Etiq+Pack,

Andy Thomas-Emans, Labelexpo Global Series strategic director and chair of the judging panel, commented, ‘The judges felt Harveer Sahni met all the criteria for excellence demanded by the industry’s most prestigious award for an individual’s global contribution to the growth and development of the labels industry. His history in building a company to manufacture self-adhesive labels in India, through to his central role in building the Indian label association and then acting as an influential ambassador on the world stage, all helped the judging panel to come to their decision amongst a field of excellent candidates.’

Harveer Sahni started his career in 1971 working in his father’s stationery company, Weldon Sales Corporation. In 1978, as part of expanding the company’s stationery product range, Sahni set up a 20-inch coater to manufacture self-adhesive BOPP tapes – one of the first to do so in India.

Making full use of his BSc Chemistry background, Sahni used the Weldon laboratory to research development of new products including inks, adhesives and coatings. At this time he also ventured into industrial adhesives, plastic blow molding and injection molding.

With demand for self-adhesive stickers starting to take off in India through the 1970s, in 1978 Sahni invested in a siliconizing line, developing and producing poly-coated release liners and later a barrier coating for uncoated woodfree or brown sack kraft papers that could accept silicone release coating.

In 1984, Sahni made his own way to London for a surprise visit to ‘Label Guru’ Mike Fairley, gaining inspiration and useful insights into label converting trends. In the late 1990s a one-meter coater was installed to carry out both silicone coating and to produce release liners, and in 1997 Weldon started manufacturing self-adhesive labelstock, soon adding another coater to focus on liner manufacture.

With the dawn of the 2000s, Sahni moved the business from coating tin catalyst-based silicone chemistry to a solvented platinum catalyst system and then on to solventless silicone coating – a line which is still in use. In 2003 Sahni again was a pioneer setting up the first Nordson Hotmelt adhesive coating line in India.

The global recession of 2008 led to Sahni reducing dependence on manufacturing and setting up as India agent for leading global manufacturers of print and converting equipment, tooling and consumables.

In the late 1990s Sahni welcomed the entry of  ‘big brother’ Avery Dennison to India, recognising that this would help drive development of the entire Indian label converting industry. This also pushed Sahni into developing export markets, and Weldon was soon selling to over 30 countries.

In 2001 Sahni became involved in helping his friend Anil Arora establish the India Label Show, which Tarsus Group purchased in 2007, when it became Labelexpo India.

Weldon became the first Indian labelstock manufacturer to exhibit at Labelexpo Europe and also in this decade Sahni became the first Indian national to be on a FINAT committee, and he was a judge for the World Label Awards multiple times.

Sahni sits on the board of directors of the Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI) and has curated, along with the LMAI team, many events bringing together label printers, suppliers and print buyers. Sahni was part of the LMAI delegation to meetings of the L9 group of global label associations, with LMAI hosting an L9 meeting in India in 2018.

In 2017 the LMAI conferred upon Sahni the award for Lifetime support to the Indian Label Industry.

In 2005, Sahni started his highly influential blog “Self-adhesive Labels Industry in India and The World”, now consisting of over 200 articles on success stories, technical articles, market size, events and mergers & acquisitions. The blog is nearing half a million page views this year.

Lisa Milburn, managing director of Labelexpo Global Series, commented, ‘I would like to congratulate Harveer Sahni on winning the R. Stanton Avery Global Achievement Award. It recognizes Harveer’s central role in building the Indian self-adhesive label industry from its earliest days, and later his major contribution to promoting the Indian label industry on the world stage.’  .

For more information about the Label Industry Global Industry Awards, visit the Awards website.
 

Schaumburg, IL – Earlier this year INX International Ink Co. expanded its information outreach to customers by introducing the Printer Space blog, which covers a wide range of printing-related topics. Taking another step to provide beneficial information, the INX Troubleshooting Guide App was recently updated with more solutions to common problems.

New information for users of water-based Flexo inks makes it the tenth guide to be available where customers can quickly find answers when they encounter printing issues. The library already consists of separate guides for Sheetfed, Web Offset/Heatset, EB Litho, UV Flexo, UV Litho, UV Hybrid, UV Metal Decorating, and both 2-piece and 3-piece metal decorating.

The app identifies problems and symptoms, provides recommended solutions, and now offers nine different languages for the three metal decorating guides with the addition of Czech. Besides English, it is also available in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish and two Spanish versions – Latin America (Español) and Castilian.

“This latest update with the Troubleshooting Guide App is indicative of our commitment to help improve the flow of information to our customers,” said Renee Schouten, INX’s Vice President of Marketing. She pointed out that when it was first introduced in 2014, one of the main goals of the app was to limit the amount of downtime for printers.

“Our ink experts continue to keep the dialogue fresh because change is constant in our industry. There is great value in knowing about new products and capabilities, the most recent regulatory changes, and best practices and techniques to keep you at the forefront of print and package innovation. And like our free online INX University courses, we’ve added another language to this app.”

Learn more about the Troubleshooting Guide app by clicking here.

About INX International Ink Co.
INX International Ink Co. is the third largest producer of inks in North America, with full-service subsidiaries in Europe and South America and is part of Sakata INX worldwide operations. We offer a complete line of ink and coating solutions technology for commercial, packaging and digital applications. As a leading global manufacturer of inkjet inks, we provide a full palette of digital ink systems, advanced technologies and integrated services.

To stay in touch with the latest developments, follow INX on Facebook and Twitter and visit www.inxinternational.com

The leading Brazilian printing company opted for a NOVAFOLD 110 folder-gluer, with crash-lock module, to help grow its packaging operations during the pandemic, and is now looking to make further investments with BOBST.

The accelerated demand for online sales and home delivery caused by the worldwide pandemic allowed the packaging sector to record high growth during the period.With a manufacturing site with state-of-the-art equipment and a presence in the market for more than 30 years, Malires Gráfica was able to take advantage of this peak. The Brazilian printing company had made a significant discovery in early 2019, as CEO Wagner Linares explains:

“In 2019 I had a surprise. I thought packaging for us was just one of the several minor segments in our portfolio. But in May of that year, we found that our largest revenue was coming from packaging, so from that day on, we started to look at it differently,” he said.

The increased focus on packaging meant that Malires began to invest more in new equipment and technology to boost the agility, quality, and competitiveness of the operation. The most recent of these is the acquisition of a NOVAFOLD 110 folder-gluer, with crash-lock module, the first sold in Brazil by leading manufacturer BOBST.

The choice of machine was based on a series of recommendations, says Wagner. He was already aware of BOBST as a key supplier in the market, but the deciding factor was the advice he received during conversations about his investment plans. “I know several printers that serve the biggest companies in the country, and they told me that major packaging printers all over the world use BOBST machines. Reflecting on this and wishing to continue differentiating our company in this sector, to be among the best, we chose BOBST,” said the entrepreneur.

This was first investment with BOBST for Malires, and Wagner says they have been pleasantly surprised. In addition to the already expected high quality of the machine, the quality of the technical support and professionalism from BOBST during installation, and the technical training and support in general, were much higher than expected.

“During the two weeks of installation, we experienced something that we have never experienced before when buying equipment – real professionalism. Everything happened as scheduled. The technician arrived on time and the whole process unfolded just as we had been informed it would, far exceeding our expectations,” confirmed Wagner.

The CEO also said that this positive experience started even before the actual purchase of the folder-gluer. “Since the day I first went to visit BOBST in Itatiba-SP, I was surprised. The warm welcome, the attention, and the negotiations – everything was really outstanding.”

With the acquisition of the NOVAFOLD 110, Wagner has high expectations of Malires’ growth in the packaging segment. “Even during the testing phase, at the end of the installation, we were producing real-life customer jobs on the machine, so we were able to see right away how much capacity we had added to our operation with this investment. It was clear from the start that with the new BOBST NOVAFOLD we have opened up new world of possibilities!”

Malires is reaping the benefits of the BOBST technical team, who in addition to installing the machine and leaving it ready for the daily operation, will carry out process optimization analysis and offer instructions on how to extract the highest productivity from the machine.

Following this great experience and having high expectations of the new NOVAFOLD folder-gluer, the company, which already has a strong presence in the label sector, commercial print, and visual communication, has significantly strengthened its packaging operation. Thus, Wagner has already started to consider future investment in both equipment for the folding carton line and in BOBST’s recently launched digital label presses.

“Malires is always looking to invest, and we already have an eye on a digital printing press to give more flexibility to our label operation. The excellent experience with the acquisition of NOVAFOLD 110 has made our team carefully analyze BOBST recent launches in this area,” he concluded.

About BOBST
We are one of the world’s leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment and services for the label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board industries.

Founded in 1890 by Joseph Bobst in Lausanne, Switzerland, BOBST has a presence in more than 50 countries, runs 19 production facilities in 11 countries and employs more than 5800 people around the world. The firm recorded a consolidated turnover of CHF 1.563 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021.

www.bobst.com

Leading narrow web press manufacturer, Mark Andy, welcomed more than 250 international visitors to a two-day Open House at its Demo Centre and Showroom in Warsaw recently. Organised with the theme ‘The Power of Hybrid’, the event was an opportunity to show different solutions from the company’s product portfolio. Following the press demonstrations, the day was crowned with gala dinner that included a laser show and a video message from Mark Andy CEO, Jason Desai. Please watch the movie to learn more about this event

The company’s flagship hybrid press, the Digital Series HD, was presented online during live daily production at Essentra Packaging, one of the latest Polish customers to install this very high-spec press. Three other presses were demonstrated live in the showroom: the toner-based Digital Pro, the new Evolution Series E3 flexo press, and, making its European debut, inkjet-based Digital Series iQ. Developed in cooperation with Domino, which supplies the inkjet engine, the DSiQ was additionally equipped with a Kurz Distorun embellishing unit. Mark Andy also launched sMArt Link, a new label production automation software. of Mark Andy was emitted.

Welcoming the international visitors, Executive Vice President Tom Cavalco underlined that every Open House was very special to the company: “It’s a great opportunity to meet our customers, share our knowledge and receive feedback and information from the people who create and drive the market and its development – those who know it best. Last year, Mark Andy celebrated its 75th anniversary and right from the start it has been focused on developing and manufacturing solutions that meet current and future requirements and expectations of the label market. This time we are presenting three of Mark Andy’s hybrid solutions, combining digital and conventional printing with numerous converting and embellishment options. We’re going to demonstrate several presses, representing different market areas – from entry-level to high-end. We’ve also prepared a demo of our Evolution Series E3 flexo press. We invite you to join us on a journey with the latest Mark Andy technology and solutions that we hope will be an inspiration for you, our customers, and your business development.”

Digital Series HD: a flagship hybrid in production conditions
The first station on the journey was Lublin in Poland, where Essentra Packaging is located. Recently, it has invested in a new Digital Series HD to enhance its label production. Phil Baldwin, Sales Manager Mark Andy Europe, who conducted all the presentations during the Open House, underlined that Essentra has one of the most extensive configurations of Digital Series HD in Europe: “It’s a high-end solution, devoted to highly efficient label and flexible packaging production, both for high volume and small to mid runs, including variable data and versioning. It’s extremely popular worldwide and has been one of our top selling presses for many years.” In 2021, Mark Andy delivered 78 hybrids worldwide, which is a record for the company in this market sector.

Mr Baldwin pointed out the potential and high efficiency of Digital Series HD: “Printing and converting or finishing are processed in one pass – this is one of the biggest advantages of hybrid technology. Compared with offline solutions, it makes for significant time and substrate and consumable savings, resulting in a higher production efficiency. This is why we are not surprised by the growing share of hybrid in our global sales,” he stated.

During a live demo from Essentra Packaging, beer labels with three different graphics were printed. The Open House guests were also supplied with white PP-based label samples, containing 12 different motifs, printed and converted on a Digital Series HD. “Prior to the Open House, a 12-motif label was prepared for the Digital Series HD and we’re printing the same job on other presses presented at the event, using toner, inkjet and flexo,” he explained.

This allowed the visitors to see the results of using each technique and compare the quality and converting/finishing options. “Our goal was to highlight the possibility of printing the same design on different presses using different technology, because we’ve been observing an increasing trend towards print standardisation among our customers,” said Baldwin.

Besides a live online demo from Essentra Packaging, two other Polish users of the Digital Series HD were seen in specially prepared videos. Arti-Bau and MD Labels spoke about their experiences with Mark Andy technology and the recent purchases of their second Digital Series HD presses that doubled hybrid capacity at both customers.

Digital Pro 3: a start-up point for digital printing newcomers
The toner-based Digital Pro 3 press was launched during the Labelexpo Europe 2019 trade fair. As entry-level press, it is quite often a first-choice solution for printers starting their journey with digital label printing. “We offer Digital Pro 3 in several versions,” said Phil Baldwin. “At the Open House we’re demonstrating a press equipped with semi-rotary die-cutting. Digital Pro 3 is compact, has a small footprint, and is a flexible and efficient press for short and medium runs. It offers a very fast changeover, increasing press uptime.”
During the event Digital Pro 3 was used to print labels with 12 different graphics that included cold stamping in the flexo unit and semi-rotary die-cutting, and three different versions of tea labels.

Evolution Series E3: simplicity in handling and flexibility in printing
Labelexpo Europe 2019 also saw the premiere of an important development from Mark Andy, the Evolution Series flexo press. With its totally new platform it instantly appealed to label printers worldwide. “Independent servo drives and flexibility; high quality of printing and speeds up to 152m/min; numerous inline converting and finishing options – these features of Evolution Series have been quickly appreciated by their users,” he explained.

As demand for the Evolution Series continues to grow, Mark Andy claims it delivered and installed more than 50 presses in 2021, around one per week. “Evolution Series prints on many different substrates, with end products including shrink sleeve and IML. This allows users to cooperate with their customers and brand owners who work in the most demanding industries, like cosmetics, healthcare and pharmaceutical.” said Baldwin.

The press installed in Warsaw’s Demo Room and shown during the Open House was equipped with six flexo units, including two spot colours, and a cold foil unit. It was used for printing 12 labels with different graphics (220/lpi) on white PP film. The labels were printed CMYK plus two Pantone colours, cold foiled and die-cut.

Digital Series iQ: the newest hybrid in Mark Andy’s portfolio
Last year Mark Andy launched Digital Series iQ, a new hybrid model co-developed with Domino, manufacturer of the V16610iV inkjet engine capable of printing with an extended colour gamut (CMYKOV + W). Details of the heart of the press were supplied by Ruud Bos, DP OEM Manager Europe at Domino. The Digital Series iQ, shown at the Open House, was additionally equipped with a Distorun embellishment module, presented by Marco Ordung, Product Manager, Kurz. It was used for printing a shampoo label based on white PP film. The same substrate was also used for printing the previously mentioned 12 different graphic motifs.

“We call Digital Series iQ a True Hybrid as it offers a wealth of possibilities, similarly to our flagship Digital Series HD press. It combines inkjet printing and numerous embellishment and finishing options, including very sophisticated ones. Printing with high quality and speed, up to 70m/min in rapid mode, Digital Series iQ is a comprehensive solution that opens new markets and opportunities for its users,” said Baldwin.

sMArt Link: label printing automation
The Power of Hybrid Forum also saw the official premiere of sMArt Link – a new software package from Mark Andy, devoted to automate label production. The new application was presented by Gretchen Tobol, Product Manager Mark Andy USA. “In introducing sMArt Link, we responded to numerous suggestions from our customers, taken during the meetings like this one,” she said. “We are very conscious of the need for efficiency and maintaining margins at printing companies these days. These parameters can’t be reached without higher process automation.”

sMArt Link is a real-time, on-press data collection and monitoring system. It is compatible with new and existing Mark Andy presses as well as other brands found on the production floor, and can be accessed through a Cloud-based platform on a single machine, on the production floor, or at enterprise level. It helps production managers to make immediate process adjustments, as well as helping executives to make strategic data driven decisions. It is devoted to label and packaging converters who want to improve press utilisation, efficiency, and sustainability.

Besides the presentations of presses and software, Mark Andy prepared a special newsletter/leaflet, covering all the technology on show and containing QR codes linked with YT movies devoted to each press, and customer quotes. A part of the publication was devoted to RFID technology, which is being used increasingly in the printing industry. The leaflet included testimonials from Mark Andy customers who have implemented RFID modules in combination with their flexo presses.

“The wide range of companies and implementations presented in our newsletter confirms the global presence of Mark Andy and our market position worldwide,” said Lena Chmielewska-Bontron, European Marketing Manager Mark Andy, coordinator of Open House and the publication. “We were delighted that our hybrid forum attracted numerous current and potential Mark Andy customers, who represented many countries across the world. We hope that, quoting the motto of our publication ‘Technology – Solutions – Inspiration for Business’ and the main theme of our Open House, ‘The Power of Hybrid’ will be a real help for many label and packaging printers.”

Summing up, she said: “We also hope the presentations, customer testimonials, and user quotes will be an inspiration for printing companies worldwide. We’d like to thank all the Open House participants and invite our customers and business partners to visit Mark Andy’s booth during the forthcoming Labelexpo Americas trade fair. The exhibition will be another great opportunity to see our hybrid and flexo solutions live.”

About Mark Andy Inc.
Mark Andy is a pioneer of the graphic arts and printing industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of narrow- and mid-web printing and finishing equipment, it supplies leading global brands, including Mark Andy and Presstek printing presses, Rotoflex finishing solutions, as well as a complete line of Mark Andy Print Products consumables and pressroom supplies. All products are backed by the largest customer support team in the industry, minimizing downtime and helping customers be profitable, efficient and at the forefront of innovation. Mark Andy does what it takes to understand each customer’s unique business, the challenges they face and the pressures they feel. It strives to provide products and services that help customers solve their problems and solutions that go a step further, allowing them to excel in their day-to-day operations, ultimately increasing productivity and reaching their full potential.

For more information, visit www.markandy.com.