In our continuing series about people in the industry Nick Coombes speaks with Thomas Eskildsen, who is Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Quality Manager at Vetaphone A/S in Denmark and finds out what it’s like behind the scenes of a technology leader.

Tell us about your background?

I was born here in Kolding and grew up just outside the city.  As a teenager I intended to go on and study biology but through my parents and their friends and colleagues I’d always had a connection with the metal working industry – and to this day the distinct smell of machining metal and welding has a deep-down appeal and brings back happy memories.

But you didn’t pursue your biology studies
No – after high school I served in the army for a year and took a liking to mechanical assemblies.  Before starting my studies, I worked at a metal working factory for a year to save up some money, and one year later I ended up starting as an apprentice instead of moving away to attend university as originally planned.

How did your early career pan out?

After my apprenticeship in CNC machining, I had a mix of jobs like training apprentices and new colleagues, and programming.  The company I was working for had started a ‘LEAN’ project and I got involved in different aspects of that process.  At the same time, I started attending evening classes for management and project management.  My days ended up being mostly about LEAN work.

How did that progress?

I helped set up a new production line, and when that was done, I was offered a similar task at a different company and ended up working within the composite industry for just under a year.  After that, I took on the challenge of implementing an ISO 9001 quality system at a metal working factory.  I was in charge of the project and was responsible for the quality system once it has been approved.

How did you come to join Vetaphone?

I was living about 10 minutes on foot away from Vetaphone, and my workplace was a 1-hour drive away, so when I saw there was an opening for a Production Manager at the company, I applied.
I have a friend who worked for Vetaphone at that time, so I had some insight into the company and its culture, which resulted in me having coffee with Frank (Eisby CEO) one evening after work. 

During the interview process the job changed character and ended up being a position as Quality Manager. 

When did you start and what was it like?

On the 1st of May 2017, just in time to be part of moving the whole administration into our showroom.  This involved rearranging production while we renovated the entire factory building and trying hard not to be a disruptive influence – or at least as little as possible.  I must say that the approach that all my new colleagues took to the turmoil cemented my impression that Vetaphone has a very special ‘can do’ culture.   

What do you like about working for the company?

Mostly, I like the Informal and flat management structure we have here.  We can communicate effectively across functions and departments, and there are good opportunities for taking on a diverse array of tasks.  In my six years here, we have been growing continually and my responsibilities have changed accordingly.  The ongoing development of our organisation and products means there is never a dull moment.  We are very agile, and decisions are made not only by the Directors but to a large degree by the Management Team, with valuable input from our solid base of experienced and dedicated work colleagues.   

What is your job function now, and what are the challenges?

I’m the COO and Quality Manager responsible for production and the performance of the Quality system.  I have a great team around me, and we are constantly pushing to develop the organisation and increase our output.  Over the last couple of years, we have battled the same global supply crisis/issues as everyone else in our line of business, and we still experience problems from time to time today.  We have increased our stock of standard items and placed orders on a long horizon with our suppliers.  The biggest challenges we face now are having sufficient production capacity, and the long lead times on non-standard components.

How do you assess the current state of the market?

Sourcing-wise, it’s much better than last year.  With regard to orders, different regions react in their own way to local or global trends, but we are seeing a steady influx of new orders.  What is really encouraging is the increase in demand for wide web systems coming through the pipeline, especially systems with high complexity that end up in our special project portfolio.

Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for the future?

First of all, I intend to finish my Diploma of Leadership over the coming winter.  Both the company and the industry are very different now to when I started in 2017, and I’m looking forward to seeing the next stages of our development.  We have ambitious goals for growth, a great team and a solid foundation both financially and culturally, so I think the future of Vetaphone will be very interesting to be part of.

And on the personal side?  

Well, I’m still living in Kolding, close by the company, with my wife Elisa and three children, Linus 6, Ines 10, and Tobias 13.  As a family we enjoy climbing, we are all active in the local Scout group and enjoy spending time in nature whenever possible.  When I have any spare time as a Dad of three youngsters, I like to go hunting and fishing!

New specially engineered products are designed for performance and sustainability

STOW, Ohio – Aug. 25, 2023 – Mactac® is expanding its prime label film portfolio, adding specially engineered products that are designed to meet customer requirements for performance and appearance.

The new polypropylene film solutions are available in 2.4 mil white (PJL3892-2) and 2.0 mil clear (PF3892-2) constructions. They feature MP238 — a new optically clear (no label look) permanent acrylic adhesive for labeling applications in beverage, food packaging, personal care and household goods markets.  

The standout feature of MP238 is its remarkable resistance to water whitening, coupled with good open time, wet-stick, and wet-out properties.

“The smoothness of the film liner ensures that the adhesive is smooth prior to application so finished labels have optimum clarity and on-pack appearance,” says Kim Hensley, Senior Marketing Manager, Mactac Performance Adhesives. “MP238 takes customer labeling capabilities to new levels and is a great adhesive for prime labels.”

Other features of the new prime label products include a robust topcoat that offers bold imagery and excellent printability, and a stiff, smooth film liner. The extra strong 1.2 mil PET liner is excellent for high-speed converting, including die-cutting, stripping and label dispensing.

The new products are compatible with UV screen, UV flexographic, water flexographic, cold foil and UV inkjet print methods. Mactac plans to introduce additional prime film product options later this year, including a 1.6 mil polypropylene facestock and a 0.92-gauge PET liner.

For more information on Mactac Simply Sustainable Roll Label products, call 800-255-9733, email mactac.americas@mactac.com or visit www.mactac.com/rolllabel or www.mactac.com/sustainability.

Digital printing for flexible packaging: outstanding print image, product safety and recyclability  

Elgin, IL, 24 August 2023 – Sappi, the world’s leading manufacturer of flexible packaging papers with integrated barriers and heat-seal capability, has joined forces with digital printing pioneer Xeikon in a developmental partnership. Sappi’s long-standing expertise in innovative, paper-based packaging solutions and Xeikon’s far-reaching knowledge of cross-sector digital printing applications and innovative ink technology ideally complemented each other in this collaborative venture. Together, the partners took an important step towards direct printing on paper-based materials and perfecting the recyclability of the resulting flexible packaging. 

Digital press manufacturer Xeikon, a division of the Flint Group, has over 30 years of expertise in both UV and aqueous inkjet and dry toner technology. With its latest dry toner innovation, TITON and the Xeikon TX500, the company has set its sights on the paper-based flexible packaging market, which, as Xeikon’s collaboration partner Sappi has been reporting for some time,is experiencing strong growth due to demand for resource-saving, recyclable and plastic-free alternatives from end-users as well as brand owners and converters.

TITON meets paper: No additional varnishing or lamination required

Frank Jacobs, Market Intel & Senior Product Manager at Flint Group Digital, understands that the demands made on inks for direct printing on paper-based materials for applications in the flexible packaging sector, e.g. for food packaging, such as those offered by Sappi, are very high: “Over and above ensuring a good print result, the inks need to be extremely resistant throughout the packaging process and insensitive to temperature, e.g. for heat-sealing. And, especially for applications in the food sector, they also need to be odourless, tasteless, food-safe and migration-proof.”

Grounded in the principles of quality, flexibility and sustainability, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers web-fed digital colour presses for label and packaging applications. These printing machines work with different imaging technologies, open workflow software and application-specific consumables and substrates. Each product is designed with careful planning for the best application-based substrate and toner or ink combination to maximize the output. 

With TITON, Xeikon is meeting the industry’s need for environmentally friendly and product-safe packaging production: The new toner formulation combines the best features of toners and UV inks, merging the food-safe and odourless properties of dry toner with the special resistance to chemicals and mechanical abrasion of UV inkjet ink. It also withstands temperatures of up to 220-260°C – essential for ensuring packaging integrity and product protection. The most important feature of the new technology is that, thanks to its special formulation, TITON can be used to print directly onto paper-based packaging materials without the need for additional varnishing or lamination to protect the print.

Best results with Seal Silk and AvantGuard S

Of course, an innovative toner such as TITON works best when the substrate used is just as innovative and perfectly matched to the respective application. With this in mind, it only made sense to test the groundbreaking technology with Sappi products. The company has the most extensive portfolio of paper-based packaging solutions on the market. Since the beginning of the collaboration at the end of 2022, extensive tests have revealed two qualities in particular that work especially well with the toner: 

“We achieved the best printing results with our innovative functional papers Sappi Seal Silk with a 67 g/m2 basis weight and Sappi AvantGuard S Natural in 75 g/m2 grammage,” explains Sibylle Hajostek, Market Manager Packaging Solutions at Sappi. “Both papers have an exceptionally high-quality appeal and were developed specifically for the flexible packaging market. The results we achieved in combination with the TITON technology left absolutely nothing to be desired – neither visually nor functionally.” The one-side coated, heat-sealable Seal Silk is recommended for standard flexible packaging in the food and non-food sectors in particular, while the uncoated, heat-sealable AvantGuard S Natural high-barrier paper is equally suitable for various flexible packaging applications in the food and non-food markets.

Frank Jacobs is also delighted with the results: “The print image we created in combination with the Sappi papers was nothing less than phenomenal! Results like these on paper-based substrates can otherwise only be achieved with flexo printing.” The results of the tests with brand owners and converters were so impressive that Xeikon’s customer ACM Plastic in Italy is now permanently producing with Sappi barrier paper. Initial tests are also underway at ACM to put another Sappi quality, AvantGuard S Gloss, through its paces: “It would appear that an engineer at ACM couldn’t wait to test more substrates from Sappi,” Frank Jacobs reports with satisfaction about the customer’s eagerness. “Just like the other two grades, AvantGuard S Gloss has so far shown the best visual and functional results – without primer or varnish. To say the least, it’s very promising. And we’re just at the beginning of this journey!”

Easy recycling in the paper waste stream

The two partners embarked on this journey together – with a single-minded focus on a resource-conserving approach to nature. The use of a primer or varnish, which sometimes required, can have a negative impact on the recyclability of the final packaging. And paper-based substrates in particular usually require a primer when printing with water-based inkjet or UV inkjet technology and liquid toner to ensure satisfactory results. Dry toner technology, on the other hand, usually requires an additional coating for mechanical stability in the further packaging process and often reaches its limits in terms of thermal stability.

Thanks to TITON technology, these additional processing steps are no longer necessary. Combined with Sappi’s recyclable barrier paper-based solutions, complete recycling of the entire packaging in the paper waste stream and subsequent recovery, e.g. for corrugated applications, are easily achieved. 

Product safety for brand owners, new business fields for printers and converters

As numerous tests demonstrate, the technology passed all criteria of the Nestlé Standard on Printing Inks for Food Packaging, the EUPIA Exclusion Policy for Printing Inks, the Swiss Ordinance as well as what is known about the German Ink Ordinance and other migration tests with flying colours. This makes the combination of TITON technology and Sappi’s paper-based solution ideal for a wide range of applications with direct or indirect food contact. For example, the two partners have helped brand owners switch to paper-based alternatives for food packaging, such as flexible packaging for baked goods, confectionery, sugar, flour, herbs and spices and tea. 

The technology even opens up new business areas for printers and converters: Applications that were previously only possible with conventional flexo presses can now be addressed more quickly and flexibly via digital printing. Xeikon recently introduced the TX500 – a new member of its CHEETAH series – the first digital press to use TITON technology. Furthermore, in combination with paper-based substrates, additional set-up time for coating, laminating and the usual required maintenance can be saved and waste can be prevented.

To find out more about Sappi’s paper-based solutions with integrated functionality, visit the following link: https://www.sappi-psp.com/de/products/functional-paper-packaging

Schaumburg, IL – August 24, 2023 – The printing world has experienced significant changes since the last Labelexpo Europe was conducted in 2019. INX International introduced its Coloring a Safe and Sustainable Future (CSSF) model the next year to improve sustainability performance and help brand owners address their circular economy objectives. Each and every new eco-friendly solution and digital inkjet technology is created with customers and consumers in mind.

Some of the new products INX has since developed will be showcased in booth 7D54 during the world’s largest label and packaging print show, September 11-14 at the Brussels Exhibition Centre in Belgium. Cleo Nomikos, Vice President of Sales for INX Europe, said INX offers a complete range of high performing inks and coatings for the tag, label, and flexible markets, including screen and digital ink solutions.

“INX can help because we have global-based technology platforms and local-based manufacturing that actively adapts to customer demands,” he explained. “We address the market and regulatory challenges for sustainable solutions, and understand the desire for lower applied costs. We also have great expertise in color management and are dedicated to making accurate and consistent brand color available in every part of the world, all with a circular economy in mind.”

INXFlex™ Contour and GenesisÔ washable inks, and EcoStage GB-XA Oxygen Barrier coatings are some of the sustainable solutions Nomikos mentioned that will be at the show and benefit brand owners in their efforts to recycle and meet regulatory standards.

INXFlex Contour flexographic inks for shrink sleeve applications cure both UV and LED. These inks offer high performance, excellent transfer, fast drying, and printability at high speeds, while maximizing shrink contouring and eliminating post-shrink adhesion loss and ink flaking. The Dual Cure (DC) version allows switching from UV or LED unit by unit, providing an option to cure two ways with one ink system for increased efficiencies and lower applied costs.

Genesis washable inks offer a host of sustainable benefits. They are de-inkable from cPET films and floatable with roll-fed OPP labels where ink is typically required to stay attached in the recycling process. With minimal bleed in the caustic wash solution and a reduced impact on recycled PET discoloration, new clear bottles can be produced from the circular reuse of recovered material.

EcoStage GB-XA oxygen barrier coatings are formulated to address food safety and preservation issues, as well as improvements in sustainability and recycling. The cost effective, high performance coatings allow for mono-material packaging to replace multi-layer packaging for certain food applications, making the package easier to recycle. An alternative to expensive barrier films, it also extends shelf life and reduces food waste.

Other INX products available at the show include digital inkjet solutions, sealers and primers, various lacquers including high gloss, silicon, tactile, ultra matte, UV and water-based, and RUCOINX UV screen inks. Experts will be available in booth 7D54 to answer questions about the entire product line, and can provide technical service information about G7 certification assistance, quality improvement processes and more.

To learn more, visit the INX website or schedule a booth meeting.

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. Stay updated on the latest developments and follow INX on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X, or visit the website.

(UPM Raflatac, Helsinki, 24 August 2023 at 13:00 EEST) – UPM Raflatac, a global supplier of innovative and more sustainable self-adhesive paper and film products, has received a new certificate of validity from leading international assurance service provider, DEKRA, for its Label Life service. This new certificate confers validity to the LCA calculation engine and the whole process of generating LCAs at scale. As a result, customers wanting to communicate their potential impact in the labeling value chain can now do so with increased assurance.

With the EU in the process of developing a ‘digital product passport’ (DPP) that will be issued for all products on the market, UPM Raflatac decided to be a step ahead of the legislative requirements. The company has designed its product passport prototype (PPP), an environmental declaration, based on existing standards and norms.

Generated by the newly validated Label Life service, the product passport prototype enables UPM Raflatac’s customers and brands to communicate their labeling’s potential environmental impact. It includes a wide range of metrics that are broken down into life cycle stages: cradle-to-gate, transport-to-customer, printing, and end of life.

“With global regulations increasingly targeting environmental reporting, credibility and transparency are vital to any company with sustainability on their agenda. We wanted to be industry frontrunners and ahead of the regulations with our new product passport prototype,” explains Flora D’Souza, Sustainability Manager for Label Life at UPM Raflatac. “We wanted to make sure that the product passport prototypes include all relevant environmental information, and that the declaration stands up to scrutiny. That’s why we brought DEKRA on board to ensure that we are delivering the highest quality.”

“The validation found the process for generating Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) results appropriate for the intended goals and approved the quality checks put in place to ensure consistent and reliable results consistent with the relevant International Standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044,” affirms Peter Paul Ruschin, Head of Sustainability Services at DEKRA Assurance Services GmbH. The validation report further concludes that the methods and inventory modelling applied in the tool are scientifically and technically valid, following methodological approaches of industry norms and standards PEF/EN 15804 and ISO 14067.

Label material choice can have a significant impact on packaging sustainability. UPM Raflatac is the first label materials company committed to going Beyond Fossils and is continuously developing new products that enable customers to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging. Over its 10 years of service, Label Life has continually evolved offering customers and brands both cradle-to-gate and tailored cradle-to-grave calculations. The new validation by DEKRA confirms the credibility of UPM Raflatac’s LCA calculations and supports customers to make better informed choices, bringing them closer to their own sustainability goals.

Wausau, WI — Wausau Coated Products Inc., an independent family-owned and operated, leading manufacturer of adhesive-based label products, is excited to announce the launch of a New Wash-Away Adhesive Solution WA-769. It is an emulsion acrylic permanent adhesive with good initial tack and adhesion to most surfaces. 

WCP is offering WA-769 wash-away adhesive on two of our most popular roll label facestocks; 70# Bright White Felt with 30% PCW & Wet Strength (WS) and 60# Estate Label® #8 Vellum with (WS). These products are an excellent choice for facilities where bottles are returned, rinsed, and cleaned for reuse. In addition to the wash-away adhesive properties, when these label stocks are immersed in an ice bucket, they will remain affixed keeping the label intact due to their wet strength properties. 

“Wash-Away adhesives are becoming more popular as an eco-friendly way to reuse glass packaging,” states, Adam Frey, Director, North American Sales, Wausau Coated Products. “We paired this unique adhesive with a 90% PCR content 1.2 Mil r-PET liner and sustainable facestocks when developing these two new products. Our customers continue to come to us to for wash-away solutions and we are happy to support their efforts with this new adhesive.” 

About Wausau Coated Products: 

Wausau Coated Products, Inc. is an independent family owned and operated manufacturing company with distribution facilities located throughout the USA and Mexico as well as distribution channels throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean, New Zealand, and Australia. As a leading manufacturer of adhesive-based products, Wausau Coated is a one-stop resource worldwide for premium quality stocked products and custom engineered constructions to meet customer specific applications and end user needs. For more information on Wausau Coated Products, visit our website: http://www.wausaucoated.com. 

Rochester, NY – August 2023: The dedication, skill, and expertise to keep a business thriving for a century is no small feat. Albert Basse Associates Inc. (ABA) is proud of this legacy, and with plans to grow their business, turned to Durst technology to continue their success.  

Just south of Boston, in Stoughton, Massachusetts, is one of the country’s longest continually operating, family-owned, printers in the nation. ABA has prided themselves on “Getting the Job Done” for the past 95 years. To continue their growth, and the changing needs of their customers, Albert “Chip” Basse III, President of ABA and his team knew exactly what they needed, stating “our goal was to improve our digital quality, increase overall capacity, increase our size capabilities, and improve output speeds.” They went with the best printer on the market to accomplish this: a Durst P5 350 HS.   

“The press has been a real game changer and has opened up markets and volume that we could not have achieved otherwise,” said Basse. “Due to size and speed constraints in the past, we had to pass up many opportunities with existing & new accounts. With the P5, we are now able to offer our clients improved quality and larger size output, and also improved lead times and turnaround. Ease of use, quick setups, incredible quality and performance.”  

The high-performance P5 350 HS has proven to be the most efficient hybrid printer on the market, designed specifically to increase efficiency and production capacity. This all-in-one hybrid solution for roll and board media has a printing width of up to 11.48 feet (3.5 meters) and reaches a productivity up to 7,000 sq.ft/h.   

A P5 350 HS was the best recommendation after sitting down and listening to ABA’s business needs. Larry D’Amico, Director of Sales: LFP & Fabric, commented, “It’s important to look at a business today, and see what it will be in the next years and decades to come. We are pleased Albert Basse Associates Inc. have chosen Durst as a partner for their future. Durst technology will continue their long legacy of quality and customer satisfaction, while enabling them to grow into different markets.”   

“Durst has been a great partner and resource in this digital age. As our needs grow, we expect to rely on Durst to help us grow with new equipment and software solutions,” said Basse. The new press is just the beginning. ABA presently uses Durst Workflow software for their prepress automation and is implementing Durst Lift Software to be their shop ERP.  

About Albert Basse Associates Inc.:  

ABA is one of the longest continually operating, family-owned, large format digital and screen printers in the nation. ABA produces a wide range of products covering every category of standard and custom graphic display, signage and industrial applications including: point of sale, decals, banners, signs and posters, door and window clings, floor graphics, and much, much more! The company is proud to have achieved 95 years of success through several generations and is looking forward to reaching their 100 year milestone! With the help of Ed Basse; VP of Sales & Marketing, Al Basse IV; Director of Product Development, and all of their Associates, their mission is to build long term business relationships, to provide unequaled customer service, and to produce the highest quality, cost effective, graphic solutions possible for their customers. 

(Ghent, Belgium) HYBRID Software (www.hybridsoftware.com), leading innovator of packaging design and visualization software, is proud to announce the release of iC3D Version 9, which showcases powerful automation capabilities, new features and user-experience improvements. 

IC3D Suite V9 introduces a major enhancement to its PDF Editor, leveraging cutting-edge technology from HYBRID’S own PDF Libraries to deliver an elevated user experience and pixel-perfect rendering. As users engage with PDF files within iC3D, they can anticipate upgraded performance with faster rendering speed, improved software stability, and advanced functionality. 

Recognizing the evolving needs of the company’s valued CLOUDFLOW users, Version 9 offers seamless integration with HYBRID Software’s CLOUDFLOW Plugin Suite. This transformative addition has been designed to provide a comprehensive solution that enhances the way users interact with their workflows.

The CLOUDFLOW Plugin Suite serves as a dynamic bridge between customers’ creative endeavors and the efficiency requirements of digital workflow management. The suite permits users to readily open, save, and insert files, regardless of their format or source, directly into their workflow. The suite seamlessly merges into the iC3D environment, becoming an intrinsic part of the user experience. This integration ensures a cohesive and intuitive interaction, ultimately increasing productivity and streamlining processes. 

iC3D Version 9 delivers enhancements to the overall performance of its suite, including file saving security. Users can now save their dynamic background within iC3D files and safeguard their creative work. To address a growing global customer base, iC3D announces an updated and expanded range of software languages; which includes improvements to existing translations and a fully localized Portuguese version.  

Live demonstrations of iC3D and its integration within HYBRID Software will be showcased at Labelexpo Europe 2023 in Brussels. Hybrid Software Group’s booth #8B45 will welcome all visitors from September 11th to 14th 2023.  

International prepress company Hamillroad Software are preparing to make a trip of legendary proportions next month to attend Labelexpo2023 in Brussels. Their 16 strong exhibitor team includes four highly respected Bellissima Trade Shops from across Europe who will be on hand to offer their insight, knowledge, and expertise to brand owners, printers and flexible packaging converters.

Hamillroad has fully embraced Labelexpo’s ‘modern legends’ theme for this year’s expo by creating a fun and memorable marketing campaign around their own AI generated modern characters, perfectly orchestrated for Bellissima’s strapline ‘Seeing is Believing’. At the centre of this campaign is an AI generated ‘Chameleon’ featuring a vivid colour spectrum tying into Bellissima’s stunning Ultra High-Definition print capabilities.

Since its launch at Labelexpo in 2017, Hamillroad’s Bellissima DMS has transitioned from an innovative technology to a globally adopted flexo solution winning multiple ‘Best on Show’ production awards.

Andy Cave, CEO said: “Although our technology has now matured into a solid production offering, it’s exciting to see how we continue to push the limits of what’s possible in flexo, with our latest developments providing an ever increasing point of difference for printers and converters like Catapult Print in Florida and StarPak in Texas”.

Jane Petrucci, Head of Marketing said: “Labelexpo2023 is very much a place to share knowledge and insight and we’re inviting printers, converters and brand owners to visit us and learn about new developments in Bellissima’s halftone screening and surface pattern technology. We’ll also have a range of stunning print samples available, plus a big announcement too… so keep your eyes peeled for some very exciting news!”

To find out more about how Bellissima DMS can help your business drive efficiencies, visit: https://hamillroad.com/bellissima-labelexpo or email: info@hamillroad.com.