TLMI

Hamillroad Extends Multi-Year Auraia DMS Contract with Quad

International prepress company Hamillroad Software today announced that agreement has been reached with Quad to extend their existing relationship for Auraia DMS technology. The multi-year extension comes after extensive competitive evaluations by Quad comparing Auraia DMS against the latest screening technologies available in the lithographic market.

Quad has been using Auraia DMS for more than six years across its global heat-set printing operations including the United States, Peru, Colombia and Mexico, as well as at its European operations in Poland, and today Auraia DMS is its screening technology of choice.

Pierre Hammond, Hamillroad’s Commercial Director, said: “We’re proud to have retained Quad as a long-term customer, and that our Auraia heat-set screening has (again) shown in tests that it is the best heat-set screening in the world. We continue to work with Quad to improve the offering, and to drive even higher efficiencies for its business.”

Based in Sussex, Wisconsin, Quad is a global marketing experience company with a large print business that manufactures a wide variety of products including magazines, catalogs, retail advertising inserts, direct mail, books, in-store signage, packaging and more.

To find out more about how Auraia DMS can help your business drive efficiencies, visit: hamillroad.com/products/auraia or email: info@hamillroad.com.

For more information on Quad, visit: quad.com.

About Hamillroad Software 

Hamillroad Software is a global supplier of industry leading screening solutions for the printing industry that enable customers to achieve the very best in printed image fidelity whilst reducing production costs (ink and time on press) and increasing productivity.

Brands are adopting Hamillroad’s pioneering screening technology, not only for outstanding shelf appeal, but also for the reduction in ink and waste, which means printing is more environmentally friendly. 

Hamillroad’s patented Digitally Modulated Screening (DMS) is the best screening technology available today and is available for Lithographic (Auraia DMS) and Flexographic (Bellissima DMS) printing. The result is an unprecedented quality of screening, which is easy to plate and print.  

Hamillroad Software has its headquarters in Cambridge, UK, and delivers globally. For more information visit: www.hamillroad.com, or if you would like us to contact you regarding our Auraia solution, please leave your details at https://hamillroad.com/auraia-resellers/.

 

Media Contact: 

Jane Petrucci, Head of Marketing
Hamillroad Software Limited 
T: +44 (0)1223 616449 / E: jane.petrucci@hamillroad.com 
www.hamillroad.com 

 

Label King adds Domino N610i as crown jewel of their business

Label King, located in beautiful San Diego, California USA recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. With over 3.5 BILLON labels sold, this humble and dynamic label printer converter has grown every year for the past two decades. Underpinned by a strong team of excellent employees, many of whom have been with the company for over 15 years, Label King continues to enhance their business with the addition of the Domino N610i digital UV inkjet label press… their first digital printing asset. 

We caught up with Label King to learn more about the company, and why they added Domino digital as a complementary technology to their flexo label presses.

Robert Parker, owner & president… as well as a friend to many in the industry… begins, “My role is to oversee the business and make sure that we do our best to service our customers. We knew that digital printing would be important and a key part of our future, but the only way we could add a digital press was to build an extension to our building.  It took over a year from the city to get the necessary approval and permit for the expansion, plus an additional six months or so to build it. In parallel to that, I knew that we would need to bring in an individual that would be able to wear many hats… from spearheading digital and managing our prepress, to redoing our website, changing our logo, and modernizing the company.”

In August 2020, Label King found that special person in Turi Fiske, digital production & marketing manager. She says, “I do all of the production management, scheduling, making sure we have material and inventory on hand. I also take care of the art management, making sure all of the files look good, all the colors are good, all the profiles are good, making us more efficient…updating our website…really working on a wide variety of things.  That’s why I like it.”   

Robert says, “Thanks to Turi, we now look like a company that you’d want to work with, versus a company where everyone has mullets and is stuck in the 80’s. HA!”

As a prime label printer, Label King prides itself in providing more, and being an imperative part of their customers’ business. Robert says, “I like to think that we are a service company that makes labels. Labels are a commodity.  There’s a lot of people who can make labels. But we want to give customers an excellent experience… giving them what they want, when they want it, how they want it, and ultimately helping to make their product even better…so they sell more. It’s a win-win.

Due diligence to digital.

Through a very thorough vetting process to determine who the best partner for their business would be, Label King reviewed multiple digital printing providers. Turi says, “For me at least, I want something that’s not complicated. I want it to be easy. I don’t want it to be difficult.  We need a wide color gamut for the types of labels we print, and a support team to help us.”

Robert adds, “We know there are a lot of good digital providers out there.  So one of the first things we did was a blind comparison of printed samples.  We had probably 15 files we sent to six or seven digital providers.  We wanted them to print the art files and send them back to us.  Once we received all of them back, we wrote the name of each press manufacturer on the back of their labels.  It was a completely blind test.  We ranked them all on color accuracy, print quality of text, and overall image sharpness.  And we narrowed it down to the top three.”

Label King would then visit those three digital providers for in-person demonstrations and have them run a multitude of jobs on various substrates from art files that Label King brought with them. “We didn’t want to give them any time in advance to prepare.  We wanted to show up on the day of the demo with files in hand, and see how difficult it would be, and how the labels would look.”  

Domino was one of those three companies. Turi says, “The funny part about this is we show up at Domino, we barely even told your team what material our samples are on, and then you hit the colors the first time. And it was the easiest process. We were able to achieve more, in less time.”  

Robert adds, “And there was no concern from the demo room.  Everyone at Domino did a fantastic job. And we tried to keep a poker face when we were there, but then Turi and I got into the car and we were both like ‘wow, that was easy!’  And at Domino there was great teamwork and great camaraderie.”

And through this extensive due diligence process, Label King chose Domino. 

Money making machine.

The Domino N610i digital UV inkjet label press was installed and began running production in May 2022.

Robert describes, “We started at zero and began ramping up. By our fourth month of production, our revenue from that press was over $100,000.  Having the Domino has enabled us to increase capacity, keep existing business that otherwise we would have lost, as well as gain new business.”

“As an example, last week I received a phone call from a brand owner in the food sector, a company with big potential.  Based on their large number of SKUs it would not be a good fit to run on flexo… but a very good fit for digital.  They needed 16 labels for a presentation they were having with Walmart.  We received their art on Monday, we produced the labels the same day on the Domino, and they had their presentation on Tuesday.  Walmart told the president of the food manufacturer that the labels looked amazing. We would not have been able to do this test run on flexo. From what started with 16 labels, the potential is millions.” 

Making it easy & efficient.

Turi discusses how having Domino digital has helped change their business, making it more efficient. “There’s been multiple times where we get an order and we’re able to get it out the same day.  Once the file is ready, we can get a rerun order printed within 15 minutes.  From a production standpoint, it’s just been so easy.  There’s so much less setup.  The files are already on the press.  As long as the right materials are ready to go, we can print immediately.  It just takes all of the administrative work out of it.”

“The amount of flexibility the Domino has given us, is huge, and it has a very wide expanded color gamut.  We do a lot of spot colors on flexo, and the Domino allows us to hit a huge amount of those colors.  The ink is so vibrant with really bright colors, which is important.  Labels have to standout on a shelf.  And so having that vibrancy is definitely helpful.  And I think it makes Label King stand out, as well.”

“Being able to print something and show our customer immediately, so they can see exactly what it will look like. Putting something tangible in their hands that they can see before they approve the production run. It’s peace of mind having press checks on the Domino.  The customer can visit, we can make a change to the PDF.  Just print it right away. We don’t have to say, ‘OK, come back in two days when plates are ready.’ So it’s just a nice tool to have. And it helps us build those relationships with the customer as well. 

The gold standard.

Robert says, “We have a customer with an intricate label with a very challenging background, multiple SKUs, different sizes.  The art received from the customer was inconsistent and very tricky to work with. We had been working with them for two years, and they got to the end of their rope because our printing was inconsistent on the flexo press.  We have excellent operators, and they would adjust the colors on press to make it look as close as they could, but sometimes the art the customer provided wasn’t the same as it was before… for the background.  And at the end, they were looking to go elsewhere.  And fortunately, we got the Domino in time.  The customer came in for a press check and we brought them back to the Domino. With what would have taken days to prepare and run on flexo… 20 SKUs, 120 plates… we ran all of them on the Domino within one hour during lunch, and the customer was out of their minds with excitement. They said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is amazing.’  And we told them this is how we would run their jobs all the time moving forward.  Having the Domino saved that business.  What used to be difficult is now easy.  I can’t wait until their next order because now it’s a piece of cake.” 

Doing more. A world of possibilities.

Turi says, “This press offers us great flexibility… whether it’s helping us get into smaller businesses with shorter runs of 700 labels, or longer runs of 500,000 labels at 30,000 linear feet… VDP (Variable Data Printing) jobs… consecutive bar codes. Some of the jobs we would not have been able to even consider if we were running only on flexo.  And the other thing is, we are able to help give our customers a leg up on their competition because now they’re able to offer creative packaging solutions with various colors for all of their SKUs, opening the door to a world of possibilities.”

Robert adds, “The Domino has also enabled us to do more on our flexo presses as well, because those presses are now running only the jobs best suited for them.  So instead of clogging up the pipeline when we had only flexo, now we allocate the label jobs to the best fit technology.  And it increases our capacity.  So for example, if you do $3 million a year on a digital press, it actually increases your capacity more than $3 million, because now you can also put more work through the flexo presses as well.”

Turi says, “If you think about the type of jobs that lend themselves best to digital, it’s the ones that suck to set up on flexo. It’s the 8-color jobs. It’s the ones with super short runs with a bunch of plate changes. And so I think being able to move those jobs over to the Domino, our flexo operators are happier as well. They don’t want to set up and clean up an 8-color job. So it really makes it best for everyone.”

Minimizing waste.

One of the key advantages that digital brings to label printing is a reduction in material waste. Turi says, “When we compare it to our flexo jobs, there’s no question that we are using less material running on the Domino.  Also, our shop rule is if there is 500 feet or less of material remaining on a roll, we would generally throw it away because we can’t print a flexo job on that.  However, today we printed a 300-foot job running that material through the Domino.  And we have a pile of those small rolls. So we are now able to maximize our material usage. It not only saves material, but it also saves time. It’s just a quicker and more efficient process.”   

The Domino Difference

Turi says that the benefits Label King has seen in partnering with Domino go above and beyond the press.  “The amount of training and wide variety of support we’ve gotten from Domino has been so helpful. I call people that I know and they’re able to provide tailored advice for what we need, it’s great.  Whether I call Sarah, or Glen, or Ernest… everyone has been so incredibly helpful. And I think you guys are the perfect size. You have all of the answers, and everyone there knows who we are.  It’s very personal.  I can’t imagine it not being Domino.”  

Robert adds, “The Domino difference is Domino. It’s the personalized service. And that’s huge. We don’t feel like a number. And it’s not just one person talking to us. It’s the relationships with multiple people at Domino.  The Domino employees care about what they’re doing and really want to do the best job they can.  And you know, that to us as a small company is very important.”  

Turi concludes, “To put it super succinctly. The Domino N610i was easy to learn and it’s easy to use, and luckily, we don’t need a lot of support. So that’s a huge benefit. But when we do need support, we know that we’ll get it.”  

Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions.  Celebrating its 45th year in business, Domino is a global organization with world headquarters in the UK, and North America headquarters in Gurnee, IL.  Domino has 25 subsidiaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 3,100 employees worldwide.  For more information on Domino digital printing, please visit dominodigitalprinting.com  

Siegwerk to exhibit at InPrint 2023

Under the motto “The first drop of ink is the last step in the process”, Siegwerk will not only showcase its inkjet ink portfolio for labels and packaging applications, but also give insights into its holistic approach bringing partners along the supply chain together to jointly develop fit-for-success inkjet solutions 

Siegburg, Germany, February, 23, 2023. – Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, will exhibit from March 14 to 16 at this year’s InPrint Munich 2023, the leading international exhibition of print technologies for industrial manufacturing. The company will use this opportunity to present its customized inkjet ink and service portfolio including its latest developments and innovations for water-based inkjet especially for corrugated board and flexible packaging. At booth 2628, visitors will not only be able to experience the wide-ranging application possibilities of Siegwerk’s inkjet solutions, but to discuss their individual challenges and needs with the company’s experts to get the support needed to successfully move towards inkjet printing.

“Our motto ‘The first drop of ink is the last step in the process’ perfectly describes our offering for inkjet printing,” explains Matthieu Carni, Director Business Unit Inkjet at Siegwerk. “We see our responsibility in supporting our customers in whatever is needed to achieve their goals and this goes beyond customized ink development.” Whether this means to enable sustainable packaging design through innovative ink solutions, to comply with regulatory and product safety requirements or develop reliable application-driven solutions and processes, Siegwerk accompanies its customers as partner through all stages. “All our inkjet innovations are based on listening to the insights of players along the entire supply chain. This interdisciplinary collaboration is an indispensable prerequisite to successfully design inkjet solutions that answer the market’s growing demand for all-around flexibility,” adds Carni. “That’s why participating in events like InPrint is essential for us.”

At this year’s show, Siegwerk will present its latest innovations in water-based inkjet specifically for corrugated and flexible packaging. These include not only enhanced inks for already supported printheads such as Fuji-Samba, Kyocera and Ricoh, but also completely new ink solutions for printheads such as Konica Minolta KM1024i and Epson S3200/D3000. Visitors will also be able to find out more about the company’s new water-based flexo primers especially designed for coated and uncoated papers as well as its new jettable, water-based overprint varnishes. Besides, Siegwerk will also showcase its wide and well-established product range of high-quality UV inkjet inks for all types of label and packaging printing applications: from standard CMYK inks for labels through special inks for coding applications and custom-made spot color solutions to migration-optimized inks for sensitive food and pharmaceutical packaging. All these products are suitable for a wide spectrum of substrates and applications concretely designed to support current market requirements for flexibility and short lead times, while always being tailored to ink and film properties meeting the end application without compromising on product quality and safety.

“InPrint is an ideal platform for us to present the diverse application possibilities of our customized inkjet ink solutions to a selected trade audience and exchange about the latest challenges and opportunities with customers, partners and industry experts,” says Carni. Following the success in 2022, InPrint Munich will again take place together with CCE International and ICE Europe, making the trade show a powerhouse of three events in one. Next to the exhibition, InPrint Munich will also include a high-level conference with expert presentations and discussion panels highlighting the most relevant industry topics. Visitors can for example listen to Siegwerk experts sharing some inkjet know-how at the conference stage at booth 2550 in Hall B6.

The InPrint Munich conference program can be found here: https://www.cce-international.com/en-gb/inprint-munich/conference.html#/sessions

To learn more about Siegwerk’s inkjet offering, please visit https://inkjet.siegwerk.com

 About Siegwerk
Siegwerk, a sixth-generation family-owned company, is one of the leading international manufacturers of printing inks and individual solutions for packaging, labels, and catalogs. With more than 180 years of experience, the company has solid expertise in and knowledge of many printing procedures. A global manufacturing and service network ensures customers consistently high-quality products and services. In keeping with the company’s philosophy “Ink, Heart & Soul,” Siegwerk seeks long-term cooperation with its business partners. Siegwerk employs some 5,000 people worldwide in more than 30 country organizations and is headquartered in Siegburg near Cologne. Further information on Siegwerk can be found at www.siegwerk.com

Media Contact:
Nathalie Müller-Samson
Manager Corporate Communications
Tel.: +49 2241 304-237
E-mail: press@siegwerk.com

S-OneLP Meets EMEA Converter Needs With FlexPaper Barrier Paper

New Products Offer Paper-based Coated Solution for HP Indigo Digital Presses 

SARASOTA, Florida (February 22, 2023) – S-One Labels & Packaging is excited to announce FlexPaper Barrier Paper. This solution is the first paper-based coated structure in the S-OneLP EMEA line specifically designed for HP Indigo Digital Presses. FlexPaper Barrier Paper meets the demand from converters who want to save money, increase profits, print faster and have the ability to place low minimum orders. 

“We are pleased to expand our prelaminated product portfolio offering in EMEA that meets the 

needs of converters wanting to discover new revenue opportunities,” said Gerard Geurts, Business Development and Technical Sales, S-OneLP. “Another added benefit is we do not turnaway small orders for shorter lead times and quick production.” FlexPaper Barrier Paper is manufactured as a multilayer of paper and plastic. The line achieves best results with HP Indigo but also works well with a wide range of flexo press solutions. The new product line provides grease, oil, water vapor, and oxygen barrier properties. Features and benefits 

  • FSC® certified paper component

  • Puncture resistance and heat sealability

  • High opacity

  • Polyethylene/EVOH COEX sealant layer prevents leaking and keeps contentsfresh.

  • Oxygen barrier property extends shelf life of packaged goods.

  • White substrate eliminates need for white ink, which lowers ink costs andprovides faster print speeds.

Product descriptions 

  • S-OneLP FlexPaper Barrier Snack Web- 60 gsm/65 μm – 6 in. core

  • S-OneLP FlexPaper Barrier PLUS Pouch Web 140 gsm/145 μm – 6 in. core

Applications* include stand-up pouches, flat pouches, pillow pouches, sachets, and flow wraps. HP Indigo printable products are suitable for chilled and frozen food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other perishable products. 

*Use is determined by package contents supplier and/or brand. 

About S-One Labels and Packaging S-One Labels and Packaging uses a channel-partner model, allowing us to takeredundant costs out of the channel and provide products with low MOQs andshorter lead times. This model helps label and packaging suppliers and buyers planmore effectively while providing an expanded portfolio of digitally printed label andflexible packaging solutions. We are the exclusive provider of Michelman in-line andoff-line primers in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, andLuxembourg to HP Indigo digital printers. Other key partners include CharterNex,Futamura, and Kustom Group. Discover more at sonelp.com

Media Contact: Perla Johnson Senior Content Marketing Manager, S-One perla.johnson@sone.com (Office) 941.256.7820 (Mobile) 972.322.1095 

DTM Flexo Services to Represent All Printing Resources in Canada

(Glendale Heights, IL – February 22, 2023) All Printing Resources (APR) announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with DTM Flexo Services (DTM) to represent them in the Canadian Market on products that DTM is not already representing there. 

Earlier this month, APR shared the addition of an operation in Ontario, bringing APR’s complete range of solution-oriented products, dependable service, and unsurpassed technical support to the Canadian market. The partnership with DTM Flexo Services will enable both companies to offer clients a proven resource for technical and product support.

Jeff Dancer, APR’s Canadian Division Director, said, “We are excited to partner with the DTM team in Canada. They are a great fit to the approach we are taking in this important market. With DTM also representing several of the same product lines APR has in the U.S., it gives our partners two solid sales organizations covering both the U.S. and Canada. DTM’s expertise, along with APR products and technical support, will allow us to offer even more comprehensive solutions and support.”

Founded in 2013, DTM Flexo Services has built a solid reputation in the Canadian market for finding the right product and technology solutions to help improve their flexographic customers’ profitability by increasing productivity and reducing waste. 

DTM’s President, David McBeth shared, “All Printing Resources has a proven track record for great service and technical support. The addition of the products they offer to DTM’s portfolio will expand our capabilities to make our customers more productive and effective.”

The synergies between the two companies make for an ideal partnership and create a technical support and solutions team that can now support both the U.S. and Canadian markets. 

For more information on DTM Flexo Services, visit https://www.dtmflexoservices.com

Robert Welford appointed as President of Xeikon

Lier, Belgium, 21 February 2023 – Flint Group has announced the appointment of Robert Welford as President for Xeikon, its digital division. Stepping up from his current position as Vice President of Research & Development, he will now lead Xeikon through the next phase of success, reaffirming its deep commitment to bringing the latest innovations in digital printing to customers across the globe.    

Robert joined Xeikon in September 2018 when he took over the management of Research & Development, with a broad remit overlooking the engineering operations, the ink and toner competence centers, and the print process and project management office. As the new President, he will further leverage these competences and his solid background in the printing industry, as the company accelerates the industrialization of its broad product line and continued integration with Flint Group. 

“I’m very proud to be given the opportunity to head up this industry-leading technology company which has been a pioneer in digital printing since the very beginning,” says Robert. “Xeikon has always had a strong focus on customer-centric developments and application-driven solutions, and its name has become synonymous with breakthrough innovations and technology. Crucially, it comes with an excellent team of professionals, who are known for their vast experience and in-depth expertise.”

He adds, “This is an exciting industry to be part of, but like all other companies, I’m certain that we will have our share of new challenges and pressures as the market and our customers’ needs keep changing and evolving. Therefore, Xeikon will continue on its unwavering mission to support printers and converters with the tools they need to successfully navigate the future and grow their businesses – in labels, corrugated packaging and graphic arts.” 

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.

Press/analyst contact:

Jackie Kuehlmann

LPC, Inc.

jackie@lpcprint.com

(507) 313-3243

Customer contact:

Donna Covannon

Xeikon America, Inc.

donna.covannon@flintgrp.com

(571) 839-1519

HEIDELBERG’s Print Media Performance & Training Center Adds More Classes after Successful Start

Kennesaw, Ga. February 20, 2023 – Addressing the dire need for training for new and seasoned print industry professionals alike, HEIDELBERG USA launched its Print Media Performance & Training Center (PMPTC) at its North American Headquarters in Kennesaw, GA in May 2022. The company, who offers its training free of charge to participants, has already held ten classes in the short time since its training center opened. In response to the programs’ successes and push from the industry, HEIDELBERG has launched new training topics and additional classes for 2023. 

Unlike Anything Else in the Industry

HEIDELBERG’s PMPTC hosted upwards of 70 participants across its various training classes during the second half of 2022. Attendees included everyone from operators to managers to owners with a wide range of experience in the industry. Tom Beddor, Pressroom Manager at Japs Olson in Minneapolis, MN, recently attended “Quality Printing and the Chemistry Behind the Print” with both his new and veteran press operators. The class focuses on the chemistry behind the interaction of ink, water, rollers, and plates. “Over the last year, we have been laser focused on training entry level operators along with progressing veteran operators into more advanced skill sets. These training efforts are the result of the current labor shortages in the print industry,” said Beddor. “During this class, I realized how important the fundamental building blocks are in printing. We need to continually teach and reinforce these topics with all our operators, even the experienced ones.”

The leader in offset printing, HEIDELBERG’s offset training programs have been the most popular so far. With a class limit of only 10 people to ensure quality, hands-on training, some classes are requiring wait lists. According to Jeff Powalisz, Director of HEIDELBERG’s PMPTC, “We are seeing success because there is no other place in the industry where operators can get this kind of classroom and hands-on training at a time that is convenient for them.” HEIDELBERG offers a full curriculum of classes on topics ranging from “Introduction to Commercial Folding” to “Print Color Management for Offset & Digital” to “Introduction to Die Cutting” – offering some of its classes on the weekends to accommodate busy production schedules during the week for its customers.

New to the print industry, Phillip Chew, Vice President at K & D Graphics in Orange, CA, is currently learning the “ins and outs” of his family run print company. Having attended three different classes, Chew said, “As someone who hasn’t been in the printing industry for a very long time, it is important for me to learn from the experts as opposed to secondhand training. I plan on signing up for future classes. They have been very helpful in expanding my printing knowledge.” Outside of individual print topics, HEIDELBERG also offers a “Process Improvement” class focused on continuous improvement across the entire manufacturing supply chain. Austin Hughes, Warehouse Manager at Wallace Graphics in Duluth, GA, recently attended the class, saying, “I learned how building a team that completely understands continuous improvement makes day-to-day tasks much easier. HEIDELBERG showed us how when policies and procedures are put in place, the overall process always improves.”

Looking Ahead

With the success of 2022 classes, HEIDELBERG is focused on providing more classes for customers in 2023 with the addition of some new topics like “Introduction to Folding and Gluing.” The company will continue to add new topics in the future like training for digital operators and on color control devices and continuously seeks input from the industry for other training topics. HEIDELBERG credits the success of its classes to the great efforts put forth by the programs’ instructors and organizers. According to Powalisz, “Our instructors do a fantastic job of taking complicated subject matter and distilling it into concepts that can be easily understood. We know we’re doing it right when it’s informative and fun for everyone.” While many valuable resources go into hosting these classes, HEIDELBERG is adamant the programming remain free to its participants. “We believe this investment in people pays immediate dividends for our customers and for the industry. By keeping the classes free and rotating days of the week, we are removing some of the typical barriers to training,” said Powalisz.

To see available classes for 2023 and to register, click here.

Durst Announces Chuck Slingerland as Corrugated Sales Manager

Rochester, NY – February 2023: Durst continues its expansion to support the corrugated market by announcing industry specialist Chuck Slingerland as new Corrugated Sales Manager for Durst North America. In this position, Slingerland will continue to focus on and grow Durst’s, and Koenig & Bauer Durst’s, presence in this critical part of the industry. 

“Chuck brings a wealth of experience and a positive growth-oriented mindset to Durst, which has always been and will continue to be at the forefront of digital printing technology. We strongly believe the market will continue to expand rapidly and are thrilled to have Chuck as a part of our team in North America,” said Tim Saur, CEO and Managing Director, Durst North America. 

Slingerland brings over two decades of experience in the packaging industry. Starting on the flexography side at CSW Graphics, Inc., he gained experience by managing pre-press requirements for Fortune 500 brands. Shortly after this, Slingerland made his way onto the sales side of things, and quickly moved from account manager to VP Sales – Digital Operations at Abbott-Action, Incorporated. Here, he implemented their introduction of single pass printing for corrugated, becoming an early adopter of this technology. With this knowledge, he made the natural transition to representing Barberan as VP.

When the chance to join Durst presented itself, Slingerland knew he was the ideal person for the role. “Joining the Durst team is an incredible opportunity,” said Slingerland. “My corrugated and packaging experience joins a team of knowledgeable and skilled experts ranging across all digital printing segments. Durst is known for having the highest quality and reliability in the market, and I am honored to represent this company.” 

Slingerland will focus on the offerings of Koenig &Bauer Durst, such as the Delta SPC 130. Developed for high speed short, medium and long run jobs, and equipped with water-based ink, manufacturers and converters can achieve fully automated and sustainable production, while fully exploiting the potential of digitization.

About Durst:

Durst Group AG is a leading manufacturer of professional digital imaging systems.  The company operates manufacturing facilities in Brixen, Italy, and Lienz, Austria, and has major offices in North America, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and Singapore. Durst’s reputation for quality, precision, innovation, sustainability, and reliability spans more than 80 years.

CONTACT:  For information on Durst products and services, contact Sydnie Shepland.

Email: Sydnie.Shepland@Durst-Group.com

Phone: 585-486-0340 ext. 5236

 

Macaran Delivers Authentic Brand Custodianship with Help of Gallus Labelmaster from HEIDELBERG

Kennesaw, Ga. February 14, 2023 – Seeking to deliver its customers’ brand images to the market exactly as intended, Macaran, a label printer based in Cohoes, NY, takes its role as “brand custodian” very seriously. The company, who produces labels for the spirits, craft beer, beverage, food, health/medical, and durables markets, was increasingly challenged by its customers to produce 11, 12, and even 13-color labels. Looking to provide its customers greater options for label design, Macaran recently installed a 14-color Gallus Labelmaster 440 from HEIDELBERG.

Delivering Better Brand Messaging

Prior to the June 2022 installation of its Labelmaster 440, the production team at Macaran felt, at times, restricted by the company’s older press technology. “We wanted to do more to help our customers enhance their brand images,” said Tom Sargent, President of Macaran. “As custodians of our customers’ brands, we are now better equipped to produce virtually any label they design.” The Labelmaster, capable of printing up to 14 colors with precise color-to-color registration, is helping the company, who recently merged with Syracuse Label, to deliver high-quality, consistent products. According to Sargent, “The labels we print are a direct reflection of how our customers are perceived in the market. The Labelmaster ensures reliability across every project, every time.”

Replacing two presses of competitive technology, the Labelmaster has a wider print area of 440 mm (17 in.) for inline flexographic and screen printing in addition to cold foil and embossing embellishments. Previously only capable of printing up to 11 in. wide, Macaran believes the Labelmaster will not only help gain additional work with its current customers but also attract some new customers. “We knew we needed to upgrade our press technology,” said Nick Noyes, Chief Operating Officer, Macaran, “but we also needed additional width capabilities in order to grow the business.” With an extremely short web path (only 1.1 m. between printing units), the Labelmaster produces minimal waste thanks to the short set-up times and stable register accuracy. According to Noyes, “Gallus has done a great job efficiency wise on how changeovers happen and how everything runs. It all seems to fit together really well.”

Macaran’s new Labelmaster, which runs over 400 ft/min, is a speed upgrade from its previous presses. Since installation, the Labelmaster has drastically increased the company’s productivity, thus boosting its overall throughput – giving the company additional capacity to take on new work. While the additional capacity is significant to Macaran’s future growth, Sargent said, “We’re really focused on our enhanced capabilities. The Labelmaster allows us to offer extended branding opportunities to our customers to deliver better brand messaging for the consumer.” Further enhancing the quality of its labels, Macaran uses Gallus Screeny products for its rotary screen embellishments. The unique microstructure fabric and photosensitive coating ensure maximum consistency for extremely fine lines, solids and relief printing.

Switching from competitive technology, Macaran made the decision to go with Gallus based on its reputation for efficient flexo-screen combination printing. According to Noyes, “After we ran the ROIs, looked at what machines we could retire, and what efficiencies we could hit, it was a no brainer.”

About Macaran

Macaran is a third-generation, employee-owned supplier of high-quality, label and packaging solutions. Servicing a variety of markets including the food, spirits, craft beer, beverage, household products, health, beauty and medical markets, the company’s solutions-based “cradle to grave” product development system ensures its customers’ brand image is delivered to the market just as they intended. To ensure its customers’ project success, Macaran relies on the latest in label printing and converting technology. Macaran Printed Products is fully committed to helping its customers win the last two feet of the consumer shopping experience.