North Kingstown, Rhode Island (August 15, 2023)—Toray Plastics (America), Inc., announces that John Eustis has been promoted to Senior Vice President of U.S. Group Procurement at Toray Industries (America), Inc. and now supports the procurement activities of the Toray U.S. Group’s ten companies. Eustis was instrumental in establishing Toray’s Procurement Center of Excellence programs in 2020. He reports to Michael Brandmeier, Deputy Chief Representative for Toray Industries (America) and has dotted-line reporting to Mr. Osamu Tsuneki, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Purchasing & Logistics at Toray Industries, Inc. The promotion was effective July 1. 

Eustis most recently served Toray as Vice President of Procurement at Toray Plastics (America), which he joined in 2008 as its Director, Procurement & Logistics. He eventually held various leadership positions in procurement, logistics, and engineering. Eustis holds a BS in Materials Engineering from Brown University and an MS in Materials Science & Engineering and an MS in Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

“We are very pleased to have John join Toray Industries (America) and lead procurement activities among the Toray U.S. Group companies,” says Brandmeier. “John brings to the position a wealth of experience and expertise, and we are confident he will be a key leader in our ongoing effort to consolidate and leverage common types of purchases across the group.”

Mark Andy invited top speakers from leading technology manufacturers to its HQ in Chesterfield for a two-day symposium that looked at the trends in the market and how technology is responding to changing requirements.  

Welcoming delegates to the company’s manufacturing facility, VP Sales Steve Schulte said that, as the market leader in narrow web, Mark Andy has a responsibility to respond quickly to trends and show printers and converters how they can improve production efficiency and company profitability.  “The key is embracing the latest technology that has been developed through extensive R&D based on user feedback, as this event’s program will show,” he said.

He went on to highlight significant changes in the market that all converters are confronting.  These include lack of skilled workers, supply chain issues post Covid, material shortages, plastic taxes, rising costs, shorter run lengths and more SKUs.  The latter two are being addressed by the growth of digital printing, and in Mark Andy’s case, three digital/flexo hybrids, each targeted at a different sector of the market.  Other notable trends include the increasing use of linerless labels, RFID tagging, and a growing need for more accurate data capture.  “The path to success”, he said, “was investment in the latest automated servo flexo presses and digital hybrids, coupled with accurate data to ensure production efficiency, and outside the company, the need to keep a close eye on emerging market opportunities.”

The market today

The first guest speaker was Linnea Keen, President of TLMI, who gave a snapshot of the latest sales figures from its members, which show a general increase, especially in the medium/mid-range but with a marked backlog of two to three weeks across all sectors, with lead times from both suppliers and customers being highest in the small to mid-range.  Labor costs, unsurprisingly, showed an all-round increase.  Highlighting comments from a cross section of TLMI members, she said: “The feeling is that the market remains tough but stable, and with raw material supplies easing, there is a general feeling of optimism for the future, but probably not for 2023.”

Looking at the label market overall, company acquisitions have dropped significantly from four successive high years spanning 2019 to 2022, which reflects the soft market conditions, and an unprecedented drop of 33% in shipments from European label makers is the direct result of destocking following the pandemic.  “On the consumer side,” she said,” there has been a major switch from ‘premium’ to ‘value’ that has had a knock-on effect – similarly downsizing of packaging units is having an effect.”  The PS label market is stable however, with growth coming from shrink sleeves and the proliferation SKUs.

The importance of surface treatment

Kevin McKell, VP Sales & Marketing at Danish company Vetaphone then gave an outline explanation of surface treatment and its vital role in ensuring high quality print.  As the inventors of the corona process, he said: “Vetaphone has more experience of working with a diverse range of substrates than any other manufacturer and we have a unique Test Lab facility in Denmark that allows manufacturers and converters to trial new products prior to incurring the costs of commercial production.”

Highlighting that not all substrates behave the same, nor even two rolls of the same substrate, he stressed the need to test each roll prior to production to check its Dyne level and consequently the amount of corona treatment required.  Both under- and over-treatment cause issues with downstream processing and are unnecessary with Vetaphone’s highly controllable iCorona generators – another feature unique to the company.  With Dyne levels decaying over time, storage time and conditions play an important part in substrate performance, so testing prior to use will indicate any need for boost treatment.  “If you understand the process, you are in a better position to ensure top quality end products,” he concluded.

Challenges for inks

Continuing with the theme of ink performance on substrates, Tom Hammer, Head of Technical Marketing at Siegwerk EIC, said that the growth of LED-UV technology was shining a light on the key criteria of energy costs, sustainability, quality, productivity, and a reduced footprint in today’s industry.  With current trends of more SKUs, higher shelf appeal and global color management, combined with the growth of digital print in this sector, ink manufacturers are constantly being challenged, with low migration an ongoing subject for debate.

He outlined the complex situation faced by Siegwerk regarding international standards and how regulatory compliance is a constantly moving target and spoke of the difficulty of managing inventory in a world of increasing complexity.  “We need fewer SKUs, less complexity, and global sourcing for local manufacturing and supply.  Time and waste cost money and we’re all under pressure to increase productivity.”  As package designs and styles continue to evolve, the whole production process needs to work closer together to achieve stated goals for the circular economy – and inks and coatings have a key role to play in product safety, circularity, efficiency, and functionality.

Conserving energy

On the theme of sustainability and production efficiency, Amir Dekel, VP Sales at UV curing manufacturer GEW, took an holistic view of the global energy situation, which shows that of the 7.9 billion people on our planet, 3 billion use no electricity at all, and 1.5 billion consume less than a third of each US citizen.  “If the world is to meet the terms of the Paris Agreement of 2015, which calls for Net Zero carbon by 2050, much has to change,” he said.  The problem is how to meet the growing demand for electricity without increasing the carbon footprint, and at present, renewable sources are not up to the job, citing the US as currently providing only 17% by renewables.  “The issue is not just providing the amount required – meeting fluctuating demand is one of the biggest challenges especially at peak times,” he explained.

If power generation is a major issue for the world, looked at from the consumer side there is much that can be done and quickly to reduce electricity consumption, and in the printing industry this includes the use of LED/UV curing.  Relatively new in concept and application, LED technology moves UV curing into a new era.  Comparative costs with traditional Mercury lamp systems indicate a saving of 45% and up to 66% for the latest air-cooled systems based on average usage by a narrow web press.  Mr Dekel cited one major label converting group that has committed to converting 60 of its presses across 10 plants from Mercury to LED technology as part of its ‘green agenda’.  “There will be many more,” he concluded.

Growing demand for data

Returning to the theme of labeling trends, Doug Bourque, and Gary Stegall of Avery Dennison Smartrac spoke extensively about the growing demand for RFID technology in the narrow web sector.  Essentially a materials supplier, with $6.9 billion of its total $9 billion annual turnover coming from this sector, the company also has a $2.5 billion and growing business in Solutions such as RFID, branded tags and embellishments, data management and pricing and productivity solutions.

Describing RFID as a major development of what a barcode offered, they explained that an RFID inlay included a chip, and antenna and a carrier (label), whereas an RFID tag is a finished ticket or label encasing the chip and antenna.  What RFID offers is readability without line of sight up to several meters distance, one-to-many communication, and extended info that is unique per product.  Typical applications are in the beauty product sector along with food, general retail and logistics in a market that is predicted to grow from around $12 billion in 2018 to $17 billion by 2029.  Citing many examples of ‘secret’ RFID in plain sight every day, they said that improved efficiency and visibility throughout the supply chain and customer demand for supply chain optimization are the key drivers.

Improving production efficiency

Attention then refocused on Mark Andy with Gretchen Tobol, Product Manager Flexo Presses, who introduced sMArt link, the company’s own software development designed to increase productivity on narrow web presses by 15-20%.  “Borne from the need to gather accurate data from the production floor, sMArt link automatically collects the info, monitors, and analyzes real-time operations to allow ‘smart’ management of the resources available,” she said.  This includes waste reduction and time and energy savings, all of which make a difference to the bottom line.

Designed to operate on Mark Andy flexo and digital presses but capable or working with a stable of mixed brands, sMArt link can be accessed through a cloud-based platform for anywhere, anytime use.  Data collected across digital and flexo presses includes footage (and good footage), waste, hours run, set up time, printing time, job details, substrate, copy count, utilization, maintenance, performance, ink consumption, actual speed (and anticipated speed), and web break with cause.  “Mark Andy’s sMArt link ‘Improvement Calculator’ indicates that savings of 10% could yield up to $172,000 per month, or over $2m per year, based on a 17” press running at 300ft/min on double-day shift five days per week – that’s some ROI!” she commented.

Essential support

Wrapping up the presentations, Dave Telken, VP of Mark Andy Print Products (MAPP) explained how this division of the company has become a major contributor in the 10 years since opening, with over 30,000 consumable items needed to run a successful print business.  “With a daily cycle count that gives a 98% inventory accuracy, MAPP is able to complete 100% daily completion of stock items, which amounts to around 300 picked, packed, and shipped orders, including 90 rolls of mounting tape cut to requirement,” he told delegates.

Quality is assured by the leading brands supplied, with distribution from Earth City MO for central US, Georgia for the east coast, and California for the west, with European centres in the UK and Poland.  New products for 2023 are the MAPP sample kit, a multi-purpose roll lifter/die lifter/pallet jack, disposable ink-pan liners, and the upcoming entry-level table-top plate mounter.

Conclusion

With the international markets in a state of flux with both commercial and geo-political pressures, and the legacy of the global pandemic still lingering in the manufacturing supply chains, companies need to be alert and agile to survive and prosper and the sharing of information from a variety of sources within the industry is a valuable aid to this.  Hailing the Symposium as a successful forerunner of how to develop business through closer cooperation, Mark Andy is already planning future events. 

Siegwerk will present its latest ink innovations for sustainable and efficient printing of labels and packaging at Labelexpo Europe 2023 in Brussels. 

Siegburg, Germany, August, 14, 2023. – Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, will exhibit from September 11 to 14, 2023, at this year’s Labelexpo Europe, the world’s largest event for label and packaging printing technology in Brussels, Belgium. Next to showcasing some of its latest ink and coating developments for the labels and flexible packaging industries at booth 7A11, the company will also give insights into its growing range of sustainable solutions for optimized packaging recyclability in the sense of a Circular Economy.

“Following this year’s show theme ‘The modern legends of print’, we will be presenting our newest solutions for the future of packaging printing at our booth,” says Guido Lander, Vice President Business Unit Narrow Web EMEA at Siegwerk. “Visitors will not only be able to learn more about our latest solutions for boosting efficiency and sustainability but will also get hands-on insights into selected specialty products and inkjet solutions for label and packaging printing.” Shown highlights will for example include the company’s newly developed dual curing UV solutions for food and non-food applications, some special whites especially for shrink sleeves.

With SICURA Flex Dual Cure for non-food applications Siegwerk will introduce a newly developed TMPTA-free system at Labelexpo Europe.  Additionally the latest version of the established SICURA Nutriflex LEDTec for food, pharmaceutical and hygiene packaging, will be shown. Both ink series are suitable for dual curing with LED-UV and UV mercury lamps. “LED-UV curing units typically use 50% less electrical energy than conventional UV mercury curing units making it a more sustainable and in times of rising and volatile energy costs also a more economic alternative,” explains Lander.“When switching from UV-mercury to LED-UV curing, a dual curing ink series is the optimal choice in this regard, as it is suitable for both technologies, thus avoiding double stocking as only one ink series is needed. The dual curing ink series have the same pigmentation like their conventionally UV mercury curing counter types, which simplifies the switch to LED-UV curing inks.” In addition, experts will provide insights into the company’s extensive activities enabling the development of sustainable packaging solutions in line with a Circular Economy. Use the opportunity to exchange with them about possibilities to optimize packaging recyclability.

Besides, Siegwerk is one of the sponsors of the show’s new feature “Flexo’s Future”, a series of presentations and guided tours on Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) printing. On September 12th and 13th all visitors will be able to attend an ECG seminar to gain valuable insights from packaging supply chain members on how using the fixed color ECG set makes packaging printing more efficient and sustainable. As one of the speakers Siegwerk’s color management expert Dr. Kiran Deshpande will for example talk about a customer case showing how optimized ECG can help to achieve efficiency and sustainability improvements. On top, pre-registered visitors can also join an organized trail through the show of sponsors’ stands getting in touch with Dr. Deshpande and other ECG experts directly 

About Siegwerk
Siegwerk is one of the leading global manufacturers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels. Based on 200 years of expertise, we provide customized solutions for all types of packaging needs – from functional and eye-catching to safe and sustainable. As a sixth-generation family business, we have long been aware of our responsibility for future generations. Under the motto “rethINK packaging”, we are therefore actively driving the transformation to a circular economy by developing eco-friendly solutions that enable packaging circularity. Here, 30+ country organizations and ~5,000 employees worldwide ensure consistent high-quality products and customized support around the world. Learn more at www.siegwerk.com

·       Mondi has been awarded with the German Packaging Award 2023 in the “material substitution” category.

·       Protector Bag ExpandForm replaces existing plastic solutions for mattress rollpacking with recyclable paper bags.

·       The mattress packaging is made from Mondi kraft paper, offering breathable and expandable product features.

14 August 2023 – Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, has won the German Packaging Award 2023 in the category “material substitution” for Protector Bag ExpandForm, which is awarded by the German Packaging Institute.

Developed in collaboration with Megaflex Schaumstoff, a family-owned manufacturer for flexible foams, mattresses and sleeping products, Protector Bag ExpandForm replaces the current plastic packaging for mattress rollpacking with a flexible and recyclable paper bag solution.

The innovative packaging not only helps to reduce plastic waste but also ensures optimal product protection and handling during the transportation and storage of rolled mattresses. Its unique design and superior strength provide secure packaging that retains its shape and protects the mattresses throughout the transport journey.

The great partnership between Mondi and Megaflex Schaumstoff ensured a smooth transition, and implementation of the new solution, with only a few adjustments to the packaging machinery. By the end of 2023, Megaflex plans to switch its entire range of mattress rollpacking to paper packaging, which is already used for instance by Bett1 to package its kids’ mattresses.

Max Melzer, Sales Developer Protector Bags, Mondi says “We are honoured to receive the German Packaging Award for our Protector Bag ExpandForm. At Mondi, we are committed to driving innovation and sustainability in the packaging industry. This recognition shows our dedication to providing our customers with smart, sustainable, and fit-for-purpose packaging solutions.”

 

Editor’s notes: For more information about Mondi’s Protector Bag ExpandForm watch the video here.

About Mondi

Mondi is a global leader in packaging and paper, contributing to a better world by making innovative solutions that are sustainable by design. Our business is integrated across the value chain – from managing forests and producing pulp, paper and films, to developing and manufacturing sustainable consumer and industrial packaging solutions using paper where possible, plastic when useful. Sustainability is at the centre of our strategy, with our ambitious commitments to 2030 focused on circular driven solutions, created by empowered people, taking action on climate.

In 2022, Mondi had revenues of €8.9 billion and underlying EBITDA of €1.8 billion from continuing operations, and employed 22,000 people worldwide. Mondi has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (MNDI), where the Group is a FTSE100 constituent, and also has a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (MNP).

www.mondigroup.com

Martin Automatic, the leading US manufacturer of unwind/splice a rewind technology for a range of web fed applications welcomed its international sales team to the company HQ in Rockford IL in July. 

The meeting proved an ideal opportunity to update members of staff with the latest and extensive range of Martin products and applications, as well as induct them into the traditional Martin culture.  “This is primarily the pursuit of excellence in caring for our customers’ needs and learning to be good stewards of the trust they place in us,” said VP Sales & Marketing Gavin Rittmeyer.

A tour of the production hall typified Martin’s business, with the variety of different OEM corporate colors on show for both narrow and wide web technology, and the vast difference in size between the popular splicers and rewinders for the label industry up to the giant machines manufactured for handling asphalt shingles in the building trade.

“We are honored that customers from a cross section of industries continue to favor Martin for its robust ‘keep it simple’ design philosophy from labels to paperboard and on to large format converting processes.  Our continuous pursuit of best practices attracts both new employees and new customers alike and is critical to us retaining business and securing repeat orders,” he added. 

Seen as both a valuable bonding session for company personnel and an opportunity to freely discuss how global market changes and developments impinge on the company’s R&D of future technology, the Sales Meeting was hailed a success by all who attended.  

As Rittmeyer concluded: “We live in a time of continual change where it is even more important to work closely with our customers to understand and solve their problems.  Expanding a Sales Team is easy – it’s the technical training and understanding of the company culture that is the key to success here and is what sets Martin apart from its competitors.”

Willstaett, Germany. 14 August 2023 – XSYS, formerly part of Flint Group, has announced its participation as a gold sponsor and exhibitor at Labelexpo Europe on 11–14 September 2023. Coming to the show in Brussels with a strong standalone identity and continued commitment to driving innovation, XSYS will showcase its wide range of solutions, which have been designed to reshape the future of label and packaging printing.

Labelexpo will serve as the perfect platform for XSYS to demonstrate its market-leading technologies, including the newly introduced nyloflex® FTV Digital plate for high-end flexible packaging, alongside other premium flexo products, such as the nyloflex® XVH and nyloflex® XAH thermal plates. With the choice to expose using either conventional tube lights or LED technology, the new nyloflex® FTV flexo plate offers platemakers and printers the best of both worlds helping to reduce complexity in the plate room while improving productivity. For the letterpress market, the company will show the nyloprint® WF Sharp water washable, film-based plate, which has been developed for high-end label production.

Visitors to stand 3B24 will be able to experience the ThermoFlexX TFxX 48 plate imager connected via a robotic interface to the new Catena-E 48 LED exposure unit, a powerful combination that represents a leap in efficiency and quality for plate processing. The ThermoFlexX TFxX 30 model, which can image smaller plate sizes up to 635 x 762mm (25 x 30”), can also be seen on the stand. Both imagers are compact and efficient solutions that deliver highest quality flat-top dot plates at an impressive level of productivity, coupled with low cost of ownership and less waste.

In addition, XSYS will be highlighting its rotec® sleeve and adapter portfolio with a demonstration of the next evolution of Eco technology, the Eco Xtra Ring. The showcase will give visitors a chance to appreciate more closely the flexible rotec® options for improved sustainability and efficiency.

XSYS will also be in action in the feature area in Hall 11 as sponsor of the “Flexo’s Future: ECG” seminar that will discuss the many benefits of implementing fixed color palette printing. Visitors can register for an organized ECG trail through the sponsors’ stands, where they will be able to speak to XSYS in more detail about this key topic.

“Our mission is to empower XSYS customers to be brilliant and successful with optimized and complete solutions for labels and packaging. Incorporating cutting-edge innovation into everything we do, we will be at Labelexpo with highly advanced technologies such as the new Catena-E 48 LED exposure unit, which offers increased sustainability, quality, speed, and consistency for narrow and medium web printers,” said Daniel Velema, General Manager Prepress at XSYS. “We also encourage visitors to engage with us regarding the completed suite of ThermoFlexX Woodpecker surface microstructures, which now includes Nevis screening for optimized printing with white inks on film-based substrates.”  

Florian Hölzle, Product Manager for nyloflex® and nylosolv®, added, “XSYS is playing a crucial role in shaping the future of flexo printing with more standout innovations that will help label and packaging printers face the many challenges in a fast-changing market. The nyloflex® FTV plate is a great example of how XSYS continues to innovate with solutions that drive growth by optimizing the platemaking process.”

Journalists and analysts are invited to the XSYS press conference on Tuesday 12 September 14:45–15:15 in the auditorium next to the press office in Hall 7. To schedule individual meetings and interviews, please contact XSYS at communications@xsysglobal.com

About XSYS

Headquartered in Willstaett, Germany, XSYS operates globally and remains one of the largest suppliers offering both flexographic and letterpress prepress solutions, including plates, sleeves, processors, workflow solutions, and expert professional services, designed to help these industries move forward with increasing innovation, improved productivity and profitability, and a reduced environmental footprint.

In recognizing our endeavor to bring more brilliance into the packaging industry – into the lives of our customers and colleagues – XSYS has achieved a Gold Medal rating from EcoVadis for its sustainability. This distinction goes beyond our commitment to protecting the environment by also evaluating our dedication to social responsibility, diversity, and human rights.

The broad XSYS portfolio comprises some of the industry’s best-known brands of consumables (nyloflex® and nyloprint® plates), plate processing equipment (Xpress, ThermoFlexX, and Catena), surface screening software (Woodpecker), plate mounting (rotec®), and washout solvents (nylosolv®). 

Brilliant products and services for brilliant print results and business success.

New toners with up to 60% recycled materials will be introduced at Labelexpo Europe

 Lier, Belgium, August 10, 2023 – Xeikon will present the third generation of its market-leading CHEETAH printing technology (CHEETAH 3.0) at Labelexpo Europe this coming September. While Xeikon dry toner technology is already the most food-safe solution on the market, new legislation and brand owner expectations are further advancing demands for more sustainable solutions. In response, Xeikon has developed revolutionary new toners without abandoning the strong values of its existing technology, introducing a higher level of sustainability as a direct response to what is undoubtedly the biggest concern for brand owners and end consumers in today’s market. The development of new ECO toners is also a key component of Xeikon’s sustainability goals, which aim to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 40% in the coming years.

The breakthrough advancements achieved with the introduction of new Xeikon ECO toners align themselves along two main axes: sustainability and food safety.

Sustainability – with up to 60% sustainable components chemically derived from high-grade transparent recycled PET bottles and other reclaimed carbon materials, converters will see a number of immediate benefits from transitioning to ECO toners:

• The carbon footprint of Xeikon print technology is reduced by more than 10% which also contributes to converters’ own sustainability goals.

• Encourages the use of recycled materials by avoiding (higher) taxation on packaging made from oil-based virgin plastic.

• ECO toners, like other Xeikon toners, are produced using 100% green electricity, minimizing CO2 emissions.

• ECO toners are de-inkable from both paper (Ingede reference) and foil (CADEL reference).

• No volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted into the environment during the production of toner nor during the actual printing process.

Food safety – by carefully selecting the raw materials and re-engineering the chemical content, ECO toners are completely free from fluorine (both inorganic and PFAS) and 100% vegan, in addition to the established advantages of the previous generation of toners, which are free from BPA, mineral oil, and photo initiators. This means that ECO toners are suitable for application with indirect food contact with only a paper barrier, and for FDA direct food contact with dry food. Additionally, ECO toners comply with the European Toy Safety Directive, the Nestlé Guidance Note on Packaging Inks, and the Swiss and German Printing Ink Ordinances.

All these characteristics are crucial for complying with existing and future regulations and for protecting the environment. Furthermore, they address consumers’ growing concerns about well-being, health, and animal welfare, making them a futureproof solution for today’s investment in environmentally conscious packaging production.

“Xeikon toners, which already enable exceptional print quality and high reliability, have now been extended with a broader food-safety application range. With their eco-friendly composition, ECO toners make a meaningful contribution to Xeikon’s unwavering commitment to deliver relevant solutions to the label market addressing today’s and tomorrow’s challenges,” comments Filip Weymans, Xeikon Vice President of Marketing. “When making an investment in printing equipment converters seek assurance that their investment

is not only suited to their current needs but also fit to address upcoming demands; an aspect that Xeikon will further enable by also making ECO toner available for existing customers operating Xeikon CX300 and CX500 presses in the coming year.” 

He further remarks, “We are also proud to say that Xeikon ECO toners will not compel converters to increase their prices, unlike comparable sustainable solutions. In fact, converters will have the opportunity to upgrade their production to a much higher level of sustainability without increasing their TCOP (total cost of print). This effectively translates to a cost reduction in real terms and supports them in facing the current severe price pressures.”   

To provide further evidence of its green credentials, Xeikon has also launched a Sustainability Scorecard for every digital press in the portfolio. The new scorecard provides a fact-based tool for printers to demonstrate the direct environmental impact of their Xeikon machine, expressed as grams of CO2 per square meter, rated in three categories (energy, waste, and ink/toner mass) on a scale from A to G. It goes into a high level of detail to also include substance indicators, legislative compliance, and all outputs for a full sustainability review. The scorecard is not designed uniquely for Xeikon equipment but can be used by other vendors as well. More info on the Sustainability Scorecard can be found at https://xeikon.com/en/lps/sustainability-scorecard.

 

CHEETAH 3.0: more than just a toner

While ECO toner is the cornerstone of CHEETAH 3.0, a range of next-generation innovations continue the momentum of Xeikon’s CHEETAH series digital presses to mark another significant step towards fully sustainable production of labels and packaging. In addition to new ECO toners and the sustainability scorecard, they include:

• metallic toners enabling and supporting creativity for label converters and designers to tap into higher valued applications such as wine & spirits, cosmetics, or gourmet food,

• a digital frontend with a more intuitive user interface making it easier for operators to run the press, freeing up time for other tasks,

• an optional Quality Monitoring Module (QMM) that reduces waste related to press performance monitoring and correction significantly (this is achieved with an advanced automatic registration system and a new inline spectrometer that monitor and adjust (a) density, (b) tone curve, and (c) creating, monitoring and adjusting the color profile when used in combination with Xeikon color services, making performance more reliable and resulting in a reduced TCOP, and allowing the use of lower grade substrates which before could have led to inconsistent performance caused by incorrect data capturing), and

• cloud-connected, advanced machine-machine interface and man-machine interface allowing for the highest level of automation when requested by the converter.

CHEETAH 3.0 will increase OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) in all three key aspects: availability, performance, and quality.

Xeikon CHEETAH 3.0 will be launched at Labelexpo Europe 2023, where visitors will be able to see the new ECO toners in action printing live. Full commercial availability is scheduled for early 2024, when current Xeikon CX300 and Xeikon CX500 users will be able to upgrade their presses.

“CHEETAH 3.0 addresses every detail of the Xeikon digital toner presses, from performance, availability, and quality to sustainability and reliability, so we can offer maximum value to our customers and help them protect their investment,” comments Frank Jacobs, Market Intel & Senior Product Manager. “These new developments have been made with a clear focus on the needs of Xeikon users who are active in labels and packaging, which are incredibly demanding markets with a multitude of factors affecting profitability.”

In addition to the presentations on booth C29 in Hall 5, Xeikon can also be found at the Automation Arena in Hall 11 and as part of the new Sustainability Trail and the Flex Pack Trail, further highlighting the multitude of benefits delivered by the company’s new innovations.

ABOUT XEIKON

Xeikon, a division of Flint Group, is a long-standing leader and innovator in digital printing technology. Grounded in the principles of quality, flexibility and sustainability, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers digital colour presses for label and packaging applications as well as graphic arts and commercial printing. These printing machines work with different imaging technologies, open workflow software and application-specific consumables. 

Xeikon is Flint Group’s “Digital Printing Solutions” division for the leading global print consumables and solution provider to the packaging and print media industries. Flint Group develops and manufactures an extensive portfolio of consumables for the printing industry. These include a vast range of conventional and energy-curable inks and coatings, press room chemicals, and pigments and additives for use in inks and other colorant applications. The Flint Group is based in Luxembourg and employs around 5500 people. On a worldwide basis, the company is the number one or number two supplier in every major market segment it serves.

 

For more information about Xeikon, visit www.xeikon.com and for Flint Group, visit www.flintgrp.com or contact:

Xeikon

Corporate Communications Manager

Danny Mertens

Duwijckstraat 17 – 2500 Lier, Belgium

T: +32 (0) 3 443 13 11 – M: +32 (0) 494 50 00 57

Danny.Mertens@xeikon.com – www.xeikon.com

PR Agency for Xeikon

duomedia

Dorien Cooreman

Barastraat 175 – 1070 Brussels, Belgium

T: +32 (0)2 560 21 50 – M: +32 (0)478 98 60 58

Dorien.C@duomedia.com – www.duomedia.com

Award represents the value of partner collaboration along the value chain

A de-inkable, recyclable* mono-material PE-pouch with barrier properties produced through a unique value chain collaboration between Siegwerk, ExxonMobil, Henkel, Kraus Folie, and Windmöller & Hölscher has won the German Packaging Award in the Sustainability category for “Recyclability/design for Recycling”.

A combination of innovative solutions allows for pouches that provide a high oxygen barrier, outstanding package integrity and excellent shelf-appeal, and produces an almost colorless recyclate after the removal of printing ink and the oxygen-barrier coating layer.

The German Packaging Award is open to international participants and is adjudicated by an independent panel of experts. Recipients are awarded based on the best innovations and solutions in ten separate categories..

The pouch represents a breakthrough industry innovation. Siegwerk´s deinking and delamination primer technology was applied on a Windmöller & Hölscher Miraflex II, a flexo printing press with a downstream unit. Excellent oxygen barrier properties were achieved using single component barrier coatings from Siegwerk (“Cirkit OxyBar BC 1582”) and from Henkel (“Loctite Liofol BC 1582 RE”).

The pouch is comprised of ExxonMobil’s latest generation of performance polyethylene (such as ExceedTM S and ExceedTM XP), in combination with ExactTM-materials in the sealant layer. The MDO-PE films were developed by ExxonMobil and Kraus Folie, employing ExxonMobil HDPE and EnableTM performance polyethylene, and produced on their Varex II extrusion line with an inline MDO unit.

The award ceremony will take place on 13 September 2023 in Berlin. More information about the competition is available on the following website: https://www.verpackung.org/en/events/deutscher-verpackungspreis

*The terms ”recyclable” and “recyclability” as used throughout this press release are intended to refer to the potential for recyclability of full PE solutions designed and manufactured in accordance with recycling guidelines such as PRE RecyClass. Ultimate recyclability of full PE packaging will depend on a number of factors outside of the partners´ (W&H / ExxonMobil / Henkel / Siegwerk / Kraus) control including, but not limited to, availability of programs and facilities that collect and recycle plastic packaging within a given community.  Any and all claims about the recyclability of full PE-packaging are the sole responsibility of the packaging manufacturer.

 

Partner websites:

https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/
https://www.henkel.com/
https://www.wh.group/
https://krausfolie.pl/en/