Itasca, IL – Hybrid presses can be defined as label presses that incorporate two or more printing processes (digital and conventional) in-line with finishing units (varnishing, spot color printing, slitting, die-cutting and different embellishment techniques). Hybrid solutions benefit a label printer and converter with medium to long runs with either limited variation in converting (die cutting, slitting) and/or the need to add conventionally produced features, e.g spot varnish, cold foil.

Today the standalone digital presses and standalone converting line address the largest part of the market. To expand the growth potential of digital, new solutions are needed. Unavoidably, this will convert conventional printed work into digital production through cost optimization. Think of larger volumes of SKU’s with the same die-cut shape, full-color jobs which hold a static embellishing element. These can be printed more effectively with a conventional process and then enriched with digital full-color printing. Trends in the market indicate luxury brands benefit from what their print provider offers: shorter runs, more versions and variations, variable text or graphics, and personalization allowing much greater freedom of creativity. Nevertheless, they do not want to give in to brand identity which can be visualized through embellishing elements. Not unlike luxury brands, promotional brands are too looking to find better ways of connecting with consumers through the use of e-commerce.

Today, Xeikon launches a fully digital hybrid solution based on its (1) digital press (Cheetah or Panther series), the recently developed (2) Xeikon Label Converting Unit (LCU) and (3) Xeikon’s X-800 digital front-end. This solution can be configured to the need of the converter and becomes a powerful production system enabling label converters to step up their productivity whilst remaining fully flexible for all their customers’ needs.

The main values of our hybrid label solution are:

• From substrate to ready-label: a complete, single-pass production process flow

• Eliminates a number of production steps resulting in higher productivity

• Reduces waste and setup time

• Opens up new business opportunities

“At Xeikon we take customer input seriously. Our solutions are cloud-connected, providing us with a lot of data on how the equipment is performing. This results in the ability to provide more automation in combining production runs to increase efficiency,” said Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s VP of Marketing, ”That is why, along with the presses, we develop fully digital converting and embellishing products such as the Xeikon LCU which can be configured into hybrid print and converting solutions.”

Xeikon hybrid solutions can hold both Xeikon’s Cheetah (dry-toner) as well as Panther (UV inkjet) technologies hence all end-user applications can be addressed through this offering.

Dry-toner is the proven technology for all applications requiring adherence to high food safety standards while delivering the highest, matte-finished quality and achieving high quality on standard natural paper substrates (wine and spirits). Today, the second-generation Cheetah technology is used in Xeikon’s current dry-toner digital presses.

Xeikon’s UV inkjet Panther Technology was introduced in 2017, with a specific focus on labels across industries requiring high durability including the health and beauty markets. These applications make use of the key benefits of the unique features of UV inkjet such as scratch, scuff, and rub resistance.

“Some of our customers call a hybrid solution the best of both worlds,” said Weymans, ”All developments at Xeikon fit into our mantra of digitizing label manufacturing with the purpose of enabling label converters to develop a profitable and sustainable future-proof business.”

Come and see the new Xeikon hybrid press at Labelexpo Americas

The new hybrid printing solution, based on the Xeikon PX3300 (Panther), will be featured during Labelexpo Americas, September 13-15, Rosemont, Illinois. Join Xeikon in Hall F, Booth 5703, to see this and all the latest label print technology.

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 web-fed digital color presses for label and packaging applications, document printing, and commercial printing. These presses utilize different imaging processes, open workflow software and application-specific consumables.

In 2015, Xeikon joined Flint Group to create a new “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 printing consumables. These include a vast range of conventional and energy-curable inks and coatings, press room chemicals, as well as pigments and additives for use in inks and other colourant applications. The Flint Group is based in Luxembourg and employs around 7,900 people. Globally, the company is number 1 or 2 in all market segments it serves.

For more information about Xeikon, visit www.xeikon.com

All Temperature Adhesive Blank Die-Cut Labels Ideal for Freezer Applications

Chicago, IL, September 7, 2022 – Channeled Resources Group (CRG), a manufacturer of blank shipping labels, release liner, and the world’s largest supplier of value-priced laminated papers and films, announced today the introduction of their newest product offering: blank die-cut pressure sensitive labels with Frost AT, an all-temperature hot melt adhesive.

With a service temperature range from -65° F to 147° F and a minimum application temperature of -8° F, Frost AT is an ideal solution for extremely hot and cold label applications and application environments. Additionally, it offers excellent adhesion to polyolefin and paper substrates. Frost AT will stick quickly and reduce label peel in the most challenging label applications while also performing well at room temperature, making this adhesive truly all-temperature.

According to Alex Hoffman, Materials Manager, “Channeled Resources is thrilled to offer blank labels with the Frost AT all temperature hot melt adhesive. We are proud to carry an expansive blank label inventory, and adding a hot melt All Temperature option enables us to continue offering high quality and dynamic labels at competitive prices.”

CRG will be showcasing the Frost AT technology, along with their release liner products and value-priced pressure-sensitive label stock in their booth #1211 at the upcoming Labelexpo Americas trade show taking place in Rosemont, IL.

About Channeled Resources
Channeled Resources Group (CRG) was founded in 1978 in order to purchase and process secondary fibers for the paper industry. With facilities in Chicago, Wisconsin, Indianapolis, and Ontario Channeled Resources Group (CRG) manufactures release liner and blank shipping/warehouse labels and has become one of the world’s largest suppliers of value priced pressure-sensitive label stock. To learn more about CRG visit www.channeledresources.com

ITASCA, IL ― Xeikon America, Inc., a division of Flint Group and a long-standing leader and innovator in digital printing technology announced today that is has named Kent Wolford as Sales Director Labels NA.

Kent comes to Xeikon with over 25 years’ experience within the Label and Packaging Industry where he has held multiple senior level positions in Sales, Operations, and Marketing. Kent’s prior experience within the print industry, including key appointments in notable associations, helped him develop a deep understanding and knowledge of the industry.

His experience with conventional narrow web flexo presses, a broad background with digital label and packaging solutions, plus a history of high performance sales make Wolford an excellent addition to the Xeikon team.

According to Hans Gerinckx, Global VP Sales Labels & Packaging, Flint Group Digital/Xeikon, “We are very pleased to welcome Kent to Xeikon. He brings us a strong background of sales leadership and his experience within the label and packaging industry, a key reason Xeikon chose him, is going to be a great asset as he guides our sales team to deliver digital printing solutions to the market.

Kent studied business at Louisiana State University and went on to receive his B.S. degree in business/marketing at Towson University, Maryland.

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 web-fed digital color presses for label and packaging applications, document printing, and commercial printing. These printing machines work with different imaging technologies, open workflow software and application-specific consumables.

In 2015, Xeikon joined Flint Group to create a new “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, printing plates and equipment, printing blankets and sleeves, and pigments and additives for use in inks and other colorant applications.

For more information about Xeikon, visit www.xeikon.com

Ahlstrom-Munksjö, a global leader in fiber-based materials, has been awarded EcoVadis’ highest recognition level, Platinum, for the company’s sustainability performance.  

The company’s continuous efforts have now been rewarded, placing our Group among the top 1 percent of companies assessed by Eco Vadis. The rating is an improvement from Gold level rating, which we were previously rated since 2019. Our score increased especially in Environmental performance and Labour & Human rights.

“During the past year we have made a significant step change in sustainability and put it as a key value driver for our growing business. We have a sharper sustainability strategy, an integrated operative model and a solid and holistic set of key performance indicators to help us monitor and evaluate our performance. We are thrilled and proud to move from the gold rating to platinum, as this gives us external validation that our ambition has been recognized and the concrete actions are already bearing fruit,” says Johan Lunabba, Vice President, Sustainability and Public Affairs.

EcoVadis is a globally recognized rating system that brings visibility to sustainability performance. The Corporate Social Responsibility assessment criteria include four themes: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. The EcoVadis methodology builds on international sustainability reporting principles, including the Global Reporting Initiative, United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000, and is audited by independent sustainability experts.

With this process, Ahlstrom-Munksjö ensures that its Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance System continuously supports the Group’s sustainability ambition and strategy, and answers challenges like emission reduction and resource efficiency, responsible sourcing and transition to circular economy, equal opportunities and well-being at work place as well as positive contribution to our local communities, transparency and ethics.  

To know more about our Sustainability journey, please visit www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com

Ahlstrom-Munksjö in brief
Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable and technical advanced specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. Our vision is to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. We serve five growing and distinctive end markets, which form the basis for our five divisions: Filtration, Food & Consumer Packaging, Healthcare, Building Materials, and Technical Materials. Our annual net sales 2021 amounted to EUR 3.1 billion and we employ some 8,000 people.

Schaumburg, IL – INX International (booth N1261) will feature a pair of premium UV Curable alternative inks at the PRINTING United Expo, October 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Recent new security ink systems for the packaging market that protects brand products, as well as environmentally friendly inks and microbial barrier functional coatings, will also be prominently demonstrated and displayed.

The true benefits of the Triangle® HIP and HSI™ inks extend far beyond the outstanding performance on multi-pass, high-speed inkjet flatbed printers and affordability they are becoming known for.

Both ink sets are formulated so printers can meet GRACoL standards and G7 targets, and are supported with user-friendly service agreements. HIP and HSI has its own distinct attributes – including significant cost savings – that make them unique to different market segments. And each delivered high 7 or 8 levels in the Blue Wool Ratings when measured for lightfastness.

Triangle HIP inks are formulated to provide fast curing at a lower cost. They are optimized for curing by UV lamps and intended for jetting with high consistency on HP Scitex industrial printers, including the 9000, 10000, 11000, 15000 and 15500 series. HIP inks are designed to achieve comparable adhesion on commonly used flexible and rigid display graphic medias.

Triangle HSI inks answer the call for high volume packaging and POP runs on high-speed inkjet printers like the Inca Onset X1 flatbed. Fast curing with either UV Mercury or LED lamps, they are flexible and consistent and can match OEM adhesion on a wide range of digital graphic medias. Capable for indoor and outdoor use, HSI offers high chemical resistance and is UV and water resistant without coating or lamination.

Customers say they have experienced sharper printability, and some have realized a cost savings of 40% since switching from an OEM ink to HSI. They noted the exceptional value of their service agreement, which includes INX’s outstanding UV Ink Train warranty program. HSI is available in six colors, plus White and special order Orange.

Specially formulated VerifyInk™ security inks enable various printing and converting presses to print covert and overt technology, which includes variable VeriPAS™ Serialization track and trace technology. The most recent additions to the security inks portfolio include drop-on-demand (DOD) and continuous inkjet (CIJ) solutions. Both ink technologies help to identify counterfeit products when used with proprietary and patented VerifyMe reading devices. Attendees can pick up free samples for an in-booth demo.

INXShield™ UV Flexo and GS Slip coatings are the first functional coatings for packaging applications to be formulated with BioCote® antimicrobial technology. Suitable for application over dry water-based and cured UV inks (UV Flexo) and shrinkable film labels (GS Slip), BioCote protects the coating by inhibiting odor, staining and material degradation, and microbes on the surface.

INXhrc™ natural-based inks and Genesis™ washable inks lead the roster of eco-friendly solutions that will be in the INX booth. A high performance bio-renewable ink for flexographic, offset and gravure use, INXhrc reduces the carbon footprint of packaging materials and contributes to a circular economy. Genesis washable inks make it easier to recycle plastic films, therefore contributing to the circular reuse of materials. Learn more here about the INX Printing United product showcase.

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.

Already successfully running two BOBST MASTER M5 presses for film products and labels, Revere Group is accelerating its Flexpak division with more inline flexo power from BOBST. A new highly automated MASTER M6 machine with quicker setup and lower waste will allow the Seattle, WA-based company to take further advantage of the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions.

Family-owned and managed, Revere Group manufactures direct-contact food packaging, including film, bags and pouches, and labels, with most customers found in the confectionery, nutrition and gourmet food industries. Founded in 1938, the fourth-generation company is headed up by co-owners and co-presidents Mark and Sally Revere. Consistent delivery of high quality, food-safe packaging, and the ability to meet very short timelines for new or repeat products are two of the most important factors to the company success.

Over the past few years, Revere has established in-house pouch production by combining the capabilities of a BOBST MASTER M5 flexo press with an inline solventless laminator, and a Karlville pouch-making line. As the company scales up the flexible packaging side, the new top-of-the-range MASTER M6 will offer improved efficiencies, allowing Revere tomeet customers’ demands for faster delivery, reduced waste, and packaging produced with new eco-materials.

Mark Revere explained, “We recently began making pouches internally and we are seeing shorter run lengths, more versioning, faster turnaround, as well as compostable solutions being requested. Our solution allows our customers to purchase both short, medium and longer running jobs with brand consistency thanks to industry leading setup times and print speeds of up to 200m/min.”

Reducing complexities with automation

The current trio of BOBST MASTER inline flexo presses at Revere are all running UV LED low migration inks for printing food contact packaging. One MASTER M5 is a 630mm wide machine for flexible packaging, while the other is a 370mm dedicated to label production, both purchased in 2015. The recent addition, the MASTER M6, is a multi-process, multi-substrate machine which is dedicated to film printing.

“We’ve been fortunate to have an incredible amount of demand for the print that we produce on the MASTER M5,” said Mr Revere. “So, when it became time for us to buy another press, we were happy to choose the M6, which takes the M5 technology and expands it even further with job change on the fly, reduced waste and incredibly quick setups.”

Revere’s ten-color MASTER M6 features turret unwinders and rewinders and runs with inline solventless lamination. Digital automation on the press ensures productivity and process repeatability, making it very easy to run for less experienced operators as it requires only minimum and tool-free intervention. “As we ramp up production on the M6, we anticipate the main benefits to be reduced changeover times and the ability to have lesser skilled operators producing effectively, more quickly,” he said.

The Seattle company is leveraging BOBST’s oneECG technology for seven-color expanded gamut printing with highly reliable color consistency to hit over 93% of the Pantone colors, and DigiFlexo automation technology for pressure setting, registration control and adjustments while the press is running – on all three machines.

“DigiFlexo allows the press to monitor pressure setting as well as registration control and automatically make adjustments when needed. That’s critical with oneECG, because it allows the color consistency to be monitored, measured and adjusted on-the-fly by the press itself,” stated Mr Revere. “We have been printing using oneECG for highly dependable color consistency for over four years now, and it’s our goal to use the technology 100% of the time. Our customers don’t typically request it, but once we explain the major benefits to them and they see the excellent results, they are very excited.”

Moving into greener applications

Stand-up pouches, including gusseted pouches, currently account for 6.7% of the flexible packaging market, with a predicted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% to 2025. Many brand owners are moving products from rigid formats to pouches due to the lower costs, greater sustainability and bigger shelf appeal. With less plastics used for each, pouches costs three to six times less to produce than a rigid package equivalent.

They also take up less space in transport, in storage and on shelf, and the format offers a much bigger area for branding because the entire surface can be printed.

The sustainability aspect of pouch-making is important for Revere, whose customers are keen to pursue a greener agenda in response to concerns from consumers about the impact on the environment of plastic packaging. The company offers pouches that are printed on more eco-friendly films with higher recyclability either due to the composition of the material itself or the mono-material laminated structure.

With the powerful combination of oneECG printing and DigiFlexo automation, Revere is also supporting sustainability goals by wasting less materials in production through ultra-fast setups and changeovers. Furthermore, the process uses only CMYK+OGV inks, which stay in the press between jobs, saving huge amounts of time and speeding up time to market for customers, because more jobs can be run in a shorter amount of time.

“In the USA, especially with compostable solutions, pouches offer a reduced footprint and a non-plastic alternative for packaging food products. With in-house solvent-free platemaking, inline solventless lamination and on-the-fly job changeovers, we can slit film and begin pouch-making within 24 hours after printing, reacting faster to our customers’ needs, in a sustainable way,” explained Mr Revere.

“The world is evolving fast, and everyone knows there is a problem with the amount of plastic that we’re producing, so it’s incredibly important for us to be able to provide sustainable packaging solutions, such as compostable films or recycle-ready films. BOBST’s technology is allowing us to produce those types of products on the MASTER inline flexo presses.”

New opportunities with support from BOBST

The high level of automation, digitalization, and innovation in BOBST’s inline flexo printing technology is changing the game for converters in the narrow- to mid-web space. High quality with reduced waste and downtime, and increased throughput leads to better profitability and sustainability. This brings additional opportunities for growth in a market that was previously the domain of litho printing and wide web flexo, as run lengths and lead times continue to shrink.

“The BOBST presses are definitely allowing us to bring onboard clients that otherwise might not have joined us, primarily because we can produce such high quality so repeatedly and efficiently,” stated Mr Revere. “One customer even told us that the film we had printed was the best they have ever seen and felt that it was equivalent to the offset lithography quality they were getting on their cartons. That speaks volumes about this technology.”

In addition to making quality gains from the many innovations built into the printing equipment, Revere is also supported by BOBST’s experts in packaging technology in a true knowledge-sharing partnership that enables it to operate at the highest level of productivity when printing on new eco materials.

Mr Revere concluded, “BOBST is a great partner for us because the team has an incredible depth of knowledge and expertise in all aspects of converting, obviously the printing process itself but also metallization and barrier coating. They also have direct connections with the material suppliers. All together this makes BOBST the perfect resource for us to tap into and speed up our own R&D, so we can grow together on this sustainable packaging journey.”

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

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

www.bobst.com

With a major investment of EUR 40 million in a now operational production asset, Ahlstrom-Munksjö cements its market position, upgrading its production platform in its well-established Beverage & Casing business.

A top-of-the-line asset

The advanced Voith paper machine line was installed on the Chirnside site in the Scottish Borders. This investment enables an improved product portfolio, higher quality, and significantly increased manufacturing capacity in addition to upgraded supply-chain security.

The machine is now starting commercial grade production, marking a new era for the Beverage & Casing Business. To consolidate the success of the new line, the Radcliffe long fiber production facility in Scotland has also expanded to enable seamless vertical integration.

“Commissioning the new paper machine allows us to serve our existing customers faster and better whilst facilitating our growth ambitions,” says Philippe Sevoz, Vice President of Beverage & Casing business. “Thanks to our Chirnside and Radcliffe team’s extensive knowledge and capabilities in Tea, Coffee and Casing we can continue to provide best-in-class innovative and sustainable products to our customers worldwide and can cement our unique position to become our customers’ supplier of choice.”

A unique capability: Spunbond PLA

In addition to the new production line, the business boasts an exclusive capability of Spunbond PLA. The know-how in this rare technology was developed throughout several years – Ahlstrom-Munksjö was one of the pioneers working with PLA.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has a leading position with its BioWeb® and Fiber+ offering for tea filter materials, both plastic-free and compostable and is manufactured without the use of oil based heat seal fibers. In the single-serve coffee market, Ahlstrom-Munksjö is also present with compostable options both in Europe and the USA.

As sustainable and plastic-free alternatives are driving demand and innovation in numerous consumer and non-consumer markets alike, the business also intends to develop tailored products for different applications with this unique capability.

Poised to become preferred global sustainable specialty materials supplier

With expanded capacity, Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s is one of the only producers with a truly global production imprint, allowing for optimal logistics flexibility and product availability for our North American customers. The combined assets are global leaders in heat-seal tea and coffee filters, in addition to fibrous meat casing materials.

“The investment shows our long term commitment and our ambition to grow and become global leaders in coffee, tea and casing materials,” says Mark Ushpol, Executive Vice President of the Food and Consumer Packaging Division. “The strong demand for plastic-free solutions gives us a strategic opportunity to leverage our competence and capabilities in advanced custom-made fiber based materials, enabling us to further strengthen our relationship with our customers.”

Ahlstrom-Munksjö in brief
Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable and technical advanced specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. Our vision is to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. We serve five growing and distinctive end markets, which form the basis for our five divisions: Filtration, Food & Consumer Packaging, Healthcare, Building Materials, and Technical Materials. Our annual net sales 2021 amounted to EUR 3.1 billion and we employ some 8,000 people. Read more at www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com

Scanvaegt Labels of Odense, Denmark, has installed its second Nilpeter FB-Line, adding to a strong lineup, which also features a number of older Nilpeter FA-Lines. Scanvaegt Labels, a part of Scanvaegt Systems, supplies labels for many different industries including food, retail, and pharmeceuticals, and the new FB-Line will ensure added capacity and shortened lead times.

The FB-Line, which is scheduled for installation at Scanvaegt early 2023, is based on modular flexo technology for easy configuration and includes screen and hot foil Drop-In features to increase printing options at a very affordable price. The FB-Line is exceptionally straightforward to make-ready and operate, and with a maximum web speed of 750 feet per minute, the ideal choice for high-quality, cost-effective printing.

Investments on Several Fronts
“Since 1965, Scanvaegt Labels has used Nilpeter flexo printing presses. For many years the production was based on the FA-200 and B-200 models, but later the FB-Line in a wider version. After 10 years with the first version of the FB-3300, which is a well-functioning flexo press, we have now chosen to invest again in the FB-Line, this time the new FB-Line model FB-350, which is based on the latest flexo technology. In recent years, Scanvaegt Labels has invested in our printing company on several fronts and is geared to the ongoing development in a competitive market,” says Klaus Kokholm Pedersen, Director Retail and Label Production, Scanvaegt Systems.

Close to Home
“Obviously it’s always a treat doing business close to home, with Scanvaegt just a quick trip across the Storebælt Bridge, but more importantly, we’re proud that they’ve chosen Nilpeter once again. We have a great working relationship, both on a managerial and a technical level, and we look forward to continuing this in the future,” says Jesper Jørgensen, Global Sales Manager, Nilpeter A/S.

About Scanvaegt Labels
Scanvaegt Labels is a versatile printing house based in Odense, Denmark. Highly-skilful employees, high-tech printing machinery, and a close cooperation with the parent company, Scanvaegt Systems, suppliers of labeling equipment, enables Scanvaegt Labels to deliver unique, dashing, and functional high-quality labels. Scanvaegt Labels prints up to 8 colours at a time, including cold foil, silver/gold, and can deliver multi-coloured, self-adhesive labels, linerless labels, labels for thermo- and thermo-transfer print, labels with backside-print, bottle labels, RFID-labels, tickets, tags and neutral/white labels. Scanvaegt supplies labels for the food industry, the retail sector, the pharmeceutical industry, and many others.

www.nilpeter.com