Mark Andy is looking forward to returning to Brussels and Labelexpo 2023.  Since launching our first flexo press in 1951 Mark Andy is one of the world’s most experienced label press manufacturers and continues to evolve to meet market demands.  As we strive to be a Total Solutions Partner to global label and packaging converters, our goal is to provide Solutions to help you Succeed.     

Making its world premiere on the Mark Andy stand C45 in Hall 4 will be the PRO Series, our new platform of fully servo driven presses that delivers modern technology at a competitive price.  PRO Series is also the flexo platform for Digital PRO Max, a toner-based digital press with a low cost to print and exceptional white.  Rounding out the Mark Andy press offering is our top-of-the-range hybrid press, the Digital Series HD, featuring a unique combination of Mark Andy’s flexo print stations and a UV Ink Jet engine.    

Mark Andy has embraced the evolution to automation, and it will be on full display in Brussels.  Premiering at Labelexpo is ProWORX Label Suite, an exclusive imposition tool.  This new software streamlines and automates label production setup, including inline printing and embellishment processes. ProWORX Label Suite is an Adobe Creative Cloud extension tailored to Mark Andy’s hybrid presses.  It provides job defining and imposition for printing and post-processing, including die-cutting, and allows for more efficient and sustainable label production.   

sMArt link from Mark Andy, an on-press production monitoring solution, enables customers to make data driven decisions based on real-time data collection.  Reducing waste, improving job estimating and improving press optimization are some of the key benefits.  sMArt link is available on all new Mark Andy presses and can be retrofitted to Mark Andy and other brands of production equipment.  Stop by and learn how sMArt link can help streamline your operations. 

For end of press automation, Mark Andy has partnered with Lemu Group.  The MA-GTU automatic turret will be featured at the end of the Digital Series HD press.  The MA-GTU eliminates the need for manual transfer of finished rolls to an offline finisher, minimizing additional work processes and operator oversight thus improving productivity and profitability for the converter.  The collaboration offers label converters the MA-GTU automatic turret plus additional automation with ‘unwind to palletizer’ printing and converting solutions. 

Greg Palm, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development said: “We are excited to be returning to Brussels and Label Expo Europe.  Over the past four years the market has changed and the industry has advanced in many ways.  We are looking forward to showing how Mark Andy has embraced those changes with our robust product offering that meets the needs of today’s label and packaging converters.” 

Global premiere – PRO Series flexo press for label production. 

The new PRO Series flexo press is the first fully servo-driven CE certified flexo press at an affordable price point.  The new label press provides an efficient and effective workflow, low machine operating costs and has an upgradable design that allows converters to expand their flexo capabilities or easily transition into digital with a toner-based engine.  PRO Series shares the award-winning Performance Series printhead design, resulting in time and material savings while maximizing profits and productivity.  PRO Series is compatible with sMArt link for production monitoring and analytics. 

The growing demand for hybrid printing and automation 

Hybrids have become increasingly popular among label printers and converters worldwide. Mark Andy’s premier hybrid press, Digital Series HD (DSHD), equipped with our proprietary digital and flexo print technologies, will be highlighted on the stand.  Printing at speeds up to 240 ft/min (73 m/min), Digital Series HD combines high-resolution digital print and best-in-class production capability into a single pass workflow.  The Digital Series HD will be equipped with value added print features and an automatic turret rewinder, demonstrating Mark Andy’s ability to provide end of line automation solutions.   

The Digital PRO Max, a toner-based hybrid press built on the new PRO Series platform, will make its European debut.  This new press is a result of Mark Andy’s long experience in digital technology combined with significant feedback from users of previous Digital Pro models.  The Digital PRO Max is faster, has lower cost-to-print, includes toner white, and can be available in configurations from roll to roll up to full hybrid.  The combination of this digital engine on the future-proof PRO Series platform yields higher speeds, more productivity and increased profitability. 

 
Mark Andy Print Products (MAPP) 
Mark Andy Print Products (MAPP), the OEM parts and consumables division of Mark Andy, will also be in Brussels. MAPP provides a growing and comprehensive portfolio of end-to-end solutions for label production including supplies, consumables for flexo, digital and offset printing. . 

Schaumburg, IL – June 29, 2023 – New developments that are impacting the metal decorating industry, and what can be done about them now and in the future will be addressed by two INX executives at the upcoming Latamcan Conference. The foremost Latin America conference for the canmaking industry is being held July 12-14 at the Hilton Reforma hotel in Mexico City. 

On Thursday, July 13, Eduardo Ribeiro is scheduled for a 20 minute presentation about Ink Related Issues and Coming Changes to Current Regulations, starting at 11:50 a.m. in the 3PC room. A few minutes later at 12:30 p.m., Jack Knight will lead a 75 minute roundtable discussion in the same room on the Future of Coatings for Metal Cans.

Ribeiro is the Director of Metal Operations for INX do Brasil in Sao Paolo, Brazil. His goal is to provide information that gives attendees a new way to look at things or clarify other issues they may not be aware of.

“The idea is to give our customers some clarifications on why they need to take a closer look at some ink related issues and how that impacts their costs,” he remarked. “Small adjustments to their processes can have a big impact on their bottom line.”

Knight is a popular and well-known speaker with more than 40 years of experience in the ink and can industries. His roundtable group will include Hector Lopez from Henkel, who will discuss coatings and sealants; Blaine Robinson of Environmental Service, who will talk about ovens, curing and maintenance; and Vivian Bravo Beck of SpecMetrix, who will cover optical measurement systems and related matters. Knight will give his perspective on the state of inks.

“It’s a very interesting time and it seems like the metal decorating industry has more issues to address today than ever before,” said Knight. “My presentation will take a look at the latest regulatory and best practices, but I will also discuss the importance of utilizing and formulating with the best materials, look at specialty inks and their applications, and examine the differences of the inks we are using today and the ones being developed for tomorrow. My colleagues and I will also be joined by some customers who will share their thoughts and experiences.”

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.

West Midlands based converter Daymark Labels claims it has enjoyed major growth in both output and profitability in the 12 months since it installed two Mark Andy narrow web presses.  The family-run business in Hartlebury invested in an Mark Andy Evolution Series E5 flexo press and a Digital Pro 3toner-based press back in the Spring of 2022 and has not looked back according to Jon Bird (Snr), who owns the company with son Jon.

Founded in 1974 and built on a reputation for top quality work in some of the more testing niche markets, the decision to invest in Mark Andy technology was relatively straightforward, according to Jon (Snr): “We’d been looking to upgrade our flexo capacity and knew that we needed to add digital capability and wanted to source both from the same manufacturer.  Mark Andy has the broadest portfolio of all narrow web manufactures, so the choice was easy, and I’m pleased to say it’s worked out well.”

The Evolution E5 features the latest Mark Andy servo platform for flexo.  It has 330mm (13”) web width, eight flexo print units, and was the first to be installed in the UK fitted with GEW’s LeoLED/UV curing technology.  Specification also includes a web cleaner, overhead rail with turn bar unit, delam/relam, double die stations and a sheeter/conveyor.  “I’m so glad we opted for LED/UV,” said Jon (Jnr) “it’s so efficient and with energy costs rising, it has made a real difference.”  Daymark is looking to add inline lamination capability that will facilitate more efficient production of labels for hazardous products which it is looking to do in one-pass.  “The Evolution Series E5 allows us to win jobs we just couldn’t handle before – it’s such a confidence booster for our operators and our customers because they know we can deliver reliable quality.”

Turning to the Digital Pro 3, both Jons agree that they couldn’t be without it!  “It has a learning curve for those new to digital, but it’s an easy press to operate and has allowed us to improve our customer service by having digital in-house and being able to colour-match it with the flexo press.  This gives us the freedom to choose how we produce each job, and the facility to switch from one to the other without any loss of quality,” explained Jon (Jnr).  Especially noteworthy is the Digital Pro 3’s capability with textured stocks, and for the fast-growing range of artisan businesses, this is proving a winner.  “A typical job might be 1000 labels of five types, which the digital machine can handle equally well on porous or textured substrates – it’s a great all-rounder,” he added.  Having become something of a short run specialist, Daymark has spent time growing its web-to-print business, and the Digital Pro 3 is ideal for this.

Phil Baldwin, Mark Andy UK’s Sales Manager explained why the Digital Pro 3 is so capable.  “It’s the second-generation of our hybrid that combines a toner-based digital engine for 1200dpi CMYK with flexo printing before and after the digital module, as well as laminating, cold foiling, rotary or semi-rotary die-cutting, slitting and rewinding, or sheeting and stacking, all in one pass.  It is capable of printing on a variety of stocks, from tags to pressure-sensitive and Tyvek materials, typically self-adhesive stocks, wine label substrates, and PP, without any need for primer.”

Digital Pro has a production speed of 23.4m/min (77ft/min) and requires no cleanroom environment nor involves any ‘click charge’.  It features a simple to use RIP that allows any existing pdf to be printed at the touch of a button, and its small footprint and onboard compressor for its air-cooled LED-UV curing system, make for a ‘plug-in and go’ installation.  In fact, its compact size, and the high performance of the Evolution Series E5 flexo press have resolved a major problem for Daymark, whose production floor had been bursting at the seams and threatening a need to move to larger premises.  The two new Mark Andy machines have given the company breathing space to evaluate its next investment.

Since installing the new presses, Daymark has enjoyed a 15% hike in sales with no additional staffing costs or change in shift pattern.  “We have always been conscious of maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our staff while building a profitable and growing business  – it’s a model that has served us well in the past and we see no reason to change,” said Jon (Snr).  He was also quick to compliment Mark Andy on its after sales service and technical support.  “We see them as an important partner in strengthening our capability and extending our offering to customers,” he concluded.

Mark Andy Marketing Team

(UPM Raflatac, Helsinki, 28 June 2023 at 13:00 EEST) – UPM Raflatac, a global supplier of innovative and sustainable self-adhesive paper and film products, will showcase its solutions for labeling a smarter future beyond fossils at Labelexpo Europe 2023, taking place in Brussels, Belgium on 11 – 14 September. These solutions include UPM Raflatac’s products and services that are designed to enable their customers to Reduce, Recycle, Renew and Reuse.

Visitors to UPM Raflatac’s stand (5D41) will have the opportunity to speak to the company’s experts and find out more about its products and services. Examples of the products being presented include Ocean Action labels made from ocean bound plastic waste, the new PureCycle wash-off paper label materials, the RAFNXT+ paper label products and linerless labels.

Also, following the business’ recent acquisition of AMC AG and the Intercoat brand in 2022, visitors to this year’s Labelexpo Europe will be able to explore the Intercoat by UPM Raflatac product range, including the renewed T7 product portfolio.

Alongside its array of labeling solutions, visitors to the stand will be able to explore UPM Raflatac’s range of services, such as the RafCycle label liner waste recycling service and the Label Life lifecycle assessment (LCA) service. Attendees can also take part in the MyRaflatac customer portal demonstrations. MyRaflatac is a tool designed to empower UPM Raflatac’s customers to make business decisions about labeling materials at any time of day, any day of the week.

To find out more, make sure you stop by stand 5D41 to meet UPM Raflatac’s experts and learn more about how you can harness the power of the label for your products. The stand program will be published closer to the exhibition.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that a company originally founded in 1904 should be one of Ohio’s best all-round suppliers of offset, flexo and digital print products for niche markets, though in truth, it says as much about the dynamic leadership of its President Ron Busch and the late Luigi LaValle III who acquired the business in 1987 and created BLT Corporation doing business as Queen City Printing.  Sadly, Luigi died a few years back, but the business continues to thrive today.

Located in Norwood, in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Queen City Printing has built an enviable reputation for being good at everything, which as Ron Busch explains, is what any small company needs to be to survive these days.  The company’s tightly packed 10,000 sq/ft production facility houses a range of print and finishing technology that allows it to offer a large portfolio of products, but it’s in the pressure-sensitive narrow web market that the company has seen major growth, and most of its technology is Mark Andy branded.

“We started with a 7” five-color Comco Cadet back in 1990 and haven’t looked back – in fact the Cadet is still running and producing good quality roll-to-roll jobs for the pharmaceutical sector,” he said.  In the mid ‘90s, the Company saw a growth in demand for sheeted wet glue labels and installed two digital presses, but it was the move by the chemical industry, which provides much of the Company’s business, towards roll labels, that prompted Busch to investigate what options were available.

“It was Labelexpo in 2016 that we started talking with Mark Andy and ended up installing one of their Digital One flexo/toner hybrids in early 2018.  It was unique in offering both types of print and converting/finishing inline for single-pass operation – it was tailor-made for our work,” he explained.  Simple to operate and with a small footprint and no ‘click charge’, Digital One pioneered technology for the short run digital labels that were enjoying a growth in demand from, amongst others, artisanal products and local breweries.

In 2019, with the elderly Cadet at full stretch and demand for flexo work showing no signs of slowing, the Company installed a Mark Andy Performance Series P4 press.  Its wider 13” web, sixth color and higher running speed significantly extended flexo capacity and has opened new market opportunities for Queen City.

Two years on, it became clear that the Digital One was not providing sufficient capacity to meet the demand for short run digital labels, and the decision was made to replace it with a second series machine, known as the Mark Andy Digital Pro.  Essentially a grown-up version of its predecessor, Digital Pro offers a higher running speed, the option of a flexo unit before as well as after the toner engine and a choice of full or semi-rotary die cutting units.  Its 13” web width and 77 ft/min performance at 1200dpi resolution makes it a formidable tool.  It has a simple and easy to use RIP for handling existing PDFs, requires no clean-room environment and comes complete with an air-cooled LED/UV unit.

“The ability to lay down a flexo white before overprinting CMYK toner on filmic materials has been a real benefit.  We use the second flexo unit for security numbering on the reverse for pharma labels and have both types of die station so that we can choose whichever is best for each job,” he explained.  “The decision to upgrade was a complete ‘no- brainer’ as far as we are concerned, and while we run mostly self-adhesive stocks on it, it does a brilliant job on the vinyl we use for the industrial market.”  With the increasing use of BOPP and especially silver BOPP, the Company has had issues with static electricity build-up, which has been resolved by locating humidifiers strategically around the production area.  

One change brought about by the Covid pandemic was the switch by many from paper to PET liners, which run better on all the label presses.  “The pandemic added about 20% to our sales because we had both substrate and press time available when others did not – it’s fallen back a little, but the market has changed because of different consumer shopping habits, and we are feeling the benefit.”

With press capacity now well capable of meeting demand, Queen City knew it had to relieve the bottleneck post press, especially with inspection/rewinding, and once again turned to a Mark Andy Group product, in this case Rotoflex and an HSI 330 model.  The HSI is an operator-friendly machine with a horizontal table.  It’s a well-proven design that offers time and waste savings to increase efficiency.

“It’s given us four times the capacity we had before and the advantage of 100% inspection before and after the rewinding, which is essential for our pharma work.  It’s easy to use and offers us the ability to vary tension in the rewound rolls – some customers prefer a tightly wound roll, for example in the industrial sectors, while our pharma customers prefer a more loosely wound roll.”

This is the benefit of the HSI’s eDrive 2.0 system, which by making better use of power results in improved roll characteristics.  It offers high roll quality at any speed and with any number of speed changes and is quick to accelerate and decelerate under full control.  Although a recent installation, Ron Busch claims it has already made a major contribution to efficiency post-press and completely removed production hold-ups.

Technology aside, Queen City Printing prides itself on customer service.  When you are small and serving niche markets you need to work closely with your customers, many of whom are also small and inexperienced – it’s vital to build trust and the best way is through repeat business.  We’re happy to tackle jobs that others won’t even quote for – but we have a skilled and experienced staff and machines we can rely on, so the rest is personal relationship and getting the job done on time and on budget.”

The Company is also proud of the detail it records in the production of every job.  Traceability has long been a byword in the pharma market, but the principles are equally valid across the board, and Busch says that by closely observing a strict manufacturing procedure there is less pressure on staff and fewer opportunities for error.  “I’m not saying we always get everything right, but if there is an issue, we can quickly identify and rectify it – the Rotoflex is a perfect fit for that.”  Looking to the future, he sees inkjet as the next logical move but his strategy of careful and extensive research before investment suggests that it won’t be coming any time soon.  He sees growth coming organically from existing customers, many of whom started small and are growing fast.  Typical run lengths today are 2500 to 100,000 labels but he says he’s happy to do more or less – by planning and grouping, the company can make maximum use of the Digital Pro press and the workforce can keep to its single-shift five-day week operation.  “Work/life balance is very important here – and the company’s successful growth rate proves we’ve got it about right!” he concluded.

• Mondi is investing over €16 million at its Krapkowice plant in Poland to increase production of its MailerBAG range.

• Investment comes in response to demand for sustainable packaging from growing eCommerce industry.

• MailerBAG lines in Poland ideally placed to serve customers across the whole of Europe.

• Mondi’s eCommerce portfolio is widely recognised as a supplier of economic, efficient and easy packaging solutions using base materials that are sustainable by design.

27 June 2023 – Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, is investing over €16 million in its Krapkowice plant in Poland in response to demand for sustainable packaging from the eCommerce industry.

Durable, lightweight as well as puncture and tear-resistant, Mondi’s MailerBAGs are cost-effective for customers to transport as they save space and weight. Available in a range of sizes, the bags are easy to open and close making them ideal for delivery and returns. Excellent printability also ensures brands can communicate their key messages to consumers easily.

The Krapkowice plant is dedicated to the production of Mondi’s MailerBAGs, and based in Poland, is ideally located to serve the whole of Europe. This investment will more than double Mondi’s MailerBAG production capacity for 2023 in Poland and will include a new production line.

Mondi has a broad eCommerce offering, across its corrugated and flexible packaging businesses, which includes its MailerBAG solution. The MailerBAGs are made from Mondi’s kraft paper, which is made from responsibly sourced fibres, and produced and converted in-house – a benefit of the Group’s integrated value chain. In addition, the bags are designed to be recycled in conventional paper recycling streams across Europe, making them the ideal alternative to plastic mailers.

Thierry De-Vleminck, MailerBAG Director, Mondi Paper Bags, says: “Consumers are becoming more concerned about packaging materials, with research showing around 70% willing to pay more for best-fit packaging[1]. The growing eCommerce market needs a strong supply of quality packaging that has a real focus on sustainability, which is what we deliver, a bespoke solution for every customer, every time.”

Bogdan Rozio, Regional Manager Central and Eastern Europe and Managing Director Poland, Mondi Paper Bags, adds: “We’re delighted to be investing further in the eCommerce industry and in our Krapkowice plant. It contributes to our MAP2030 commitment to make all our packaging solutions reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, and allows us to respond to the market demand in this key region.”