Italian label converter Emmedue Srl has installed a Mark Andy Digital Pro 3 flexo/toner hybrid press at its plant in Gravellona Toce close to Lake Orta. The new press is seen as the beginning of a new era for the company that has specialised in label printing for the Italian domestic market for many years. Now, it aims to focus on selling its labels to nearby Switzerland.

Company owner, Maurizio Maffioli explained: “Digital printing is an integral and essential part of every label converter’s plan to grow and develop its business. It improves customer service especially on shorter run jobs that need variable text and graphics. We see Digital Pro 3 as the perfect solution for our current and future needs.”

Founded in 1984, Emmedue specialises in label printing for a variety of customers in industries as diverse as automotive, food, and logistics. “Digital Pro 3 is our first digital press devoted to roll-fed printing. We believe it will help us expand our markets and open new doors to completely new sectors like beverages, and especially wine producers,” he added.

Digital Pro 3 offers inline combined flexo and digital print units as well as die cutting. Emmedue is impressed by its production speed of up to 23 m/min in full CMYK mode. This makes for efficient production of small and medium runs printed on different substrates, without pre-treatment. And another benefit is that its modular concept will allow the company to expand the press as needs grow, making it a future-proof investment.

All we expected from digital

Emmedue is the first Italian converter to install a Digital Pro 3. Mr Maffioli explained:

“I have followed Mark Andy’s activities on social media, especially LinkedIn and watched presentation videos of its equipment on YouTube shown to us by FDM Srl, their Italian dealer, who were instrumental in guiding us through this key investment. We already knew that Mark Andy was a longtime supplier to the label industry and that its presses have a great reputation for reliability.”

He said that his company was looking for a digital solution that would fit its current printing department and create new market opportunities. It would also need to help the existing production lines by increasing the added value element to meet customers’ expectations on the increasing number of shorter runs. Before the Digital Pro arrived, this work was printed traditionally, which kept the customers satisfied, but was often inefficient for Emmedue.

“We chose a Digital Pro because it incorporates the benefits and strengths we expect from digital technology. Print quality is always a top priority for us, but we also needed repeatability, variability, and speed of delivery. The inline flexo unit allows us to apply varnish or cold foil in one pass, and the semi-rotary die-cutter allows us to use many of our existing dies. That’s why the Digital Pro 3 matches our expectations perfectly,” he added.

Speaking for FDM, Sales Manager Enrico Firenze commented: “We realise how important digital technology is for the development of self-adhesive labels in today’s market and knowing of Mark Andy’s long experience and expertise in this sector, we believe the Digital Pro 3 is the perfect machine for printing with inline finishing both for start-up businesses and existing label converters that need to reduce the time and cost of offline finishing of their digitally printed labels.” Digital Pro prints direct from PDF files with a 1200 dpi resolution and is equipped with an easy-to-use RIP. The press handles a wide range of substrates without any pre-treatment, like primer, offering significant time and money savings.

Focus on customers
This wide substrate capability is of particular interest to Mr Maffioli. “There are eco-friendly and special papers used for wine labels that are suitable for offset printing but give poor results when flexo printed,” he said, adding” Now we can offer shorter delivery times, on a wider range of labels in different runs, without any compromise in quality and repeatability. We can also add value in prepress, making pre-production samples to evaluate the impact of the final packaging for real, not just as a video. This will allow us to modify graphics or size if necessary.”

Once the Digital Pro is fully integrated, the company plans to expand its e-commerce business too with the addition of a dedicated b2b service for the production and delivery of labels to small and very small customers, like micro-breweries and artisanal food suppliers,
who need quality from a label printer that has years of experience and can support their low volume production.

Speaking for Mark Andy, Regional Sales Manager Josep Balcells commented: “The Digital Pro series was introduced at Labelexpo Europe in 2019 and immediately attracted interest from the market. We are very pleased with its growing popularity on a global scale, including this first installation in Italy. Emmedue highlights how important a Digital Pro can be for a well-established label printer, offering further product development and growth.”

This product diversity will enable Emmedue to reach a completely new range of customers and provide inspiration for other traditional flexo printers whose customers expect more diversity. Digital Pro gives efficient production of different label versions on shorter runs, leading to new market opportunities. These include co-operation with small local vendors, and individual consumers who need labels very occasionally. “Emmedue is the perfect example of a printer that has observed a market very carefully, identified the changes and responded to them with the most appropriate investment. Mark Andy is very proud to be a partner in this process,” he concluded.

FDM is new to the Mark Andy stable but the company dates back to 1986 in the Italian label market. Today, it represents a portfolio of high-quality manufacturers and has an established and well-proven reputation for its knowledge and customer support. As CEO, Mr Della Vedova, commented: “We are proud to be representing Mark Andy technology in Italy and look forward to building on this first installation at Emmedue with many more customers.”

About Mark Andy Inc.
Mark Andy is a pioneer of the graphic arts and printing industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of narrow- and mid-web printing and finishing equipment, it supplies leading global brands, including Mark Andy and Presstek printing presses, Rotoflex finishing solutions, as well as a complete line of Mark Andy Print Products consumables and pressroom supplies. All products are backed by the largest customer support team in the industry, minimizing downtime and helping customers be profitable, efficient and at the forefront of innovation. Mark Andy does what it takes to understand each customer’s unique business, the challenges they face and the pressures they feel. It strives to provide products and services that help customers solve their problems and solutions that go a step further, allowing them to excel in their day-to-day operations, ultimately increasing productivity and reaching their full potential. For more information, visit www.markandy.com.

This year’s R. Stanton Avery Global Achievement Award has been bestowed on label industry veteran  Harveer Sahni. The decision was made by the Global Awards judging panel, consisting of Lori Campbell, chairman TLMI, Linnea Keen, president TLMI, Philippe Voet, FINAT president,   Greg Hrinya, editor Label & Narrow Web, James Quirk, content director Labels & Labeling and Jean Poncet, editor-in-chief Etiq+Pack,

Andy Thomas-Emans, Labelexpo Global Series strategic director and chair of the judging panel, commented, ‘The judges felt Harveer Sahni met all the criteria for excellence demanded by the industry’s most prestigious award for an individual’s global contribution to the growth and development of the labels industry. His history in building a company to manufacture self-adhesive labels in India, through to his central role in building the Indian label association and then acting as an influential ambassador on the world stage, all helped the judging panel to come to their decision amongst a field of excellent candidates.’

Harveer Sahni started his career in 1971 working in his father’s stationery company, Weldon Sales Corporation. In 1978, as part of expanding the company’s stationery product range, Sahni set up a 20-inch coater to manufacture self-adhesive BOPP tapes – one of the first to do so in India.

Making full use of his BSc Chemistry background, Sahni used the Weldon laboratory to research development of new products including inks, adhesives and coatings. At this time he also ventured into industrial adhesives, plastic blow molding and injection molding.

With demand for self-adhesive stickers starting to take off in India through the 1970s, in 1978 Sahni invested in a siliconizing line, developing and producing poly-coated release liners and later a barrier coating for uncoated woodfree or brown sack kraft papers that could accept silicone release coating.

In 1984, Sahni made his own way to London for a surprise visit to ‘Label Guru’ Mike Fairley, gaining inspiration and useful insights into label converting trends. In the late 1990s a one-meter coater was installed to carry out both silicone coating and to produce release liners, and in 1997 Weldon started manufacturing self-adhesive labelstock, soon adding another coater to focus on liner manufacture.

With the dawn of the 2000s, Sahni moved the business from coating tin catalyst-based silicone chemistry to a solvented platinum catalyst system and then on to solventless silicone coating – a line which is still in use. In 2003 Sahni again was a pioneer setting up the first Nordson Hotmelt adhesive coating line in India.

The global recession of 2008 led to Sahni reducing dependence on manufacturing and setting up as India agent for leading global manufacturers of print and converting equipment, tooling and consumables.

In the late 1990s Sahni welcomed the entry of  ‘big brother’ Avery Dennison to India, recognising that this would help drive development of the entire Indian label converting industry. This also pushed Sahni into developing export markets, and Weldon was soon selling to over 30 countries.

In 2001 Sahni became involved in helping his friend Anil Arora establish the India Label Show, which Tarsus Group purchased in 2007, when it became Labelexpo India.

Weldon became the first Indian labelstock manufacturer to exhibit at Labelexpo Europe and also in this decade Sahni became the first Indian national to be on a FINAT committee, and he was a judge for the World Label Awards multiple times.

Sahni sits on the board of directors of the Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI) and has curated, along with the LMAI team, many events bringing together label printers, suppliers and print buyers. Sahni was part of the LMAI delegation to meetings of the L9 group of global label associations, with LMAI hosting an L9 meeting in India in 2018.

In 2017 the LMAI conferred upon Sahni the award for Lifetime support to the Indian Label Industry.

In 2005, Sahni started his highly influential blog “Self-adhesive Labels Industry in India and The World”, now consisting of over 200 articles on success stories, technical articles, market size, events and mergers & acquisitions. The blog is nearing half a million page views this year.

Lisa Milburn, managing director of Labelexpo Global Series, commented, ‘I would like to congratulate Harveer Sahni on winning the R. Stanton Avery Global Achievement Award. It recognizes Harveer’s central role in building the Indian self-adhesive label industry from its earliest days, and later his major contribution to promoting the Indian label industry on the world stage.’  .

For more information about the Label Industry Global Industry Awards, visit the Awards website.
 

Schaumburg, IL – Earlier this year INX International Ink Co. expanded its information outreach to customers by introducing the Printer Space blog, which covers a wide range of printing-related topics. Taking another step to provide beneficial information, the INX Troubleshooting Guide App was recently updated with more solutions to common problems.

New information for users of water-based Flexo inks makes it the tenth guide to be available where customers can quickly find answers when they encounter printing issues. The library already consists of separate guides for Sheetfed, Web Offset/Heatset, EB Litho, UV Flexo, UV Litho, UV Hybrid, UV Metal Decorating, and both 2-piece and 3-piece metal decorating.

The app identifies problems and symptoms, provides recommended solutions, and now offers nine different languages for the three metal decorating guides with the addition of Czech. Besides English, it is also available in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish and two Spanish versions – Latin America (Español) and Castilian.

“This latest update with the Troubleshooting Guide App is indicative of our commitment to help improve the flow of information to our customers,” said Renee Schouten, INX’s Vice President of Marketing. She pointed out that when it was first introduced in 2014, one of the main goals of the app was to limit the amount of downtime for printers.

“Our ink experts continue to keep the dialogue fresh because change is constant in our industry. There is great value in knowing about new products and capabilities, the most recent regulatory changes, and best practices and techniques to keep you at the forefront of print and package innovation. And like our free online INX University courses, we’ve added another language to this app.”

Learn more about the Troubleshooting Guide app by clicking here.

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

The leading Brazilian printing company opted for a NOVAFOLD 110 folder-gluer, with crash-lock module, to help grow its packaging operations during the pandemic, and is now looking to make further investments with BOBST.

The accelerated demand for online sales and home delivery caused by the worldwide pandemic allowed the packaging sector to record high growth during the period.With a manufacturing site with state-of-the-art equipment and a presence in the market for more than 30 years, Malires Gráfica was able to take advantage of this peak. The Brazilian printing company had made a significant discovery in early 2019, as CEO Wagner Linares explains:

“In 2019 I had a surprise. I thought packaging for us was just one of the several minor segments in our portfolio. But in May of that year, we found that our largest revenue was coming from packaging, so from that day on, we started to look at it differently,” he said.

The increased focus on packaging meant that Malires began to invest more in new equipment and technology to boost the agility, quality, and competitiveness of the operation. The most recent of these is the acquisition of a NOVAFOLD 110 folder-gluer, with crash-lock module, the first sold in Brazil by leading manufacturer BOBST.

The choice of machine was based on a series of recommendations, says Wagner. He was already aware of BOBST as a key supplier in the market, but the deciding factor was the advice he received during conversations about his investment plans. “I know several printers that serve the biggest companies in the country, and they told me that major packaging printers all over the world use BOBST machines. Reflecting on this and wishing to continue differentiating our company in this sector, to be among the best, we chose BOBST,” said the entrepreneur.

This was first investment with BOBST for Malires, and Wagner says they have been pleasantly surprised. In addition to the already expected high quality of the machine, the quality of the technical support and professionalism from BOBST during installation, and the technical training and support in general, were much higher than expected.

“During the two weeks of installation, we experienced something that we have never experienced before when buying equipment – real professionalism. Everything happened as scheduled. The technician arrived on time and the whole process unfolded just as we had been informed it would, far exceeding our expectations,” confirmed Wagner.

The CEO also said that this positive experience started even before the actual purchase of the folder-gluer. “Since the day I first went to visit BOBST in Itatiba-SP, I was surprised. The warm welcome, the attention, and the negotiations – everything was really outstanding.”

With the acquisition of the NOVAFOLD 110, Wagner has high expectations of Malires’ growth in the packaging segment. “Even during the testing phase, at the end of the installation, we were producing real-life customer jobs on the machine, so we were able to see right away how much capacity we had added to our operation with this investment. It was clear from the start that with the new BOBST NOVAFOLD we have opened up new world of possibilities!”

Malires is reaping the benefits of the BOBST technical team, who in addition to installing the machine and leaving it ready for the daily operation, will carry out process optimization analysis and offer instructions on how to extract the highest productivity from the machine.

Following this great experience and having high expectations of the new NOVAFOLD folder-gluer, the company, which already has a strong presence in the label sector, commercial print, and visual communication, has significantly strengthened its packaging operation. Thus, Wagner has already started to consider future investment in both equipment for the folding carton line and in BOBST’s recently launched digital label presses.

“Malires is always looking to invest, and we already have an eye on a digital printing press to give more flexibility to our label operation. The excellent experience with the acquisition of NOVAFOLD 110 has made our team carefully analyze BOBST recent launches in this area,” he concluded.

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

Leading narrow web press manufacturer, Mark Andy, welcomed more than 250 international visitors to a two-day Open House at its Demo Centre and Showroom in Warsaw recently. Organised with the theme ‘The Power of Hybrid’, the event was an opportunity to show different solutions from the company’s product portfolio. Following the press demonstrations, the day was crowned with gala dinner that included a laser show and a video message from Mark Andy CEO, Jason Desai. Please watch the movie to learn more about this event

The company’s flagship hybrid press, the Digital Series HD, was presented online during live daily production at Essentra Packaging, one of the latest Polish customers to install this very high-spec press. Three other presses were demonstrated live in the showroom: the toner-based Digital Pro, the new Evolution Series E3 flexo press, and, making its European debut, inkjet-based Digital Series iQ. Developed in cooperation with Domino, which supplies the inkjet engine, the DSiQ was additionally equipped with a Kurz Distorun embellishing unit. Mark Andy also launched sMArt Link, a new label production automation software. of Mark Andy was emitted.

Welcoming the international visitors, Executive Vice President Tom Cavalco underlined that every Open House was very special to the company: “It’s a great opportunity to meet our customers, share our knowledge and receive feedback and information from the people who create and drive the market and its development – those who know it best. Last year, Mark Andy celebrated its 75th anniversary and right from the start it has been focused on developing and manufacturing solutions that meet current and future requirements and expectations of the label market. This time we are presenting three of Mark Andy’s hybrid solutions, combining digital and conventional printing with numerous converting and embellishment options. We’re going to demonstrate several presses, representing different market areas – from entry-level to high-end. We’ve also prepared a demo of our Evolution Series E3 flexo press. We invite you to join us on a journey with the latest Mark Andy technology and solutions that we hope will be an inspiration for you, our customers, and your business development.”

Digital Series HD: a flagship hybrid in production conditions
The first station on the journey was Lublin in Poland, where Essentra Packaging is located. Recently, it has invested in a new Digital Series HD to enhance its label production. Phil Baldwin, Sales Manager Mark Andy Europe, who conducted all the presentations during the Open House, underlined that Essentra has one of the most extensive configurations of Digital Series HD in Europe: “It’s a high-end solution, devoted to highly efficient label and flexible packaging production, both for high volume and small to mid runs, including variable data and versioning. It’s extremely popular worldwide and has been one of our top selling presses for many years.” In 2021, Mark Andy delivered 78 hybrids worldwide, which is a record for the company in this market sector.

Mr Baldwin pointed out the potential and high efficiency of Digital Series HD: “Printing and converting or finishing are processed in one pass – this is one of the biggest advantages of hybrid technology. Compared with offline solutions, it makes for significant time and substrate and consumable savings, resulting in a higher production efficiency. This is why we are not surprised by the growing share of hybrid in our global sales,” he stated.

During a live demo from Essentra Packaging, beer labels with three different graphics were printed. The Open House guests were also supplied with white PP-based label samples, containing 12 different motifs, printed and converted on a Digital Series HD. “Prior to the Open House, a 12-motif label was prepared for the Digital Series HD and we’re printing the same job on other presses presented at the event, using toner, inkjet and flexo,” he explained.

This allowed the visitors to see the results of using each technique and compare the quality and converting/finishing options. “Our goal was to highlight the possibility of printing the same design on different presses using different technology, because we’ve been observing an increasing trend towards print standardisation among our customers,” said Baldwin.

Besides a live online demo from Essentra Packaging, two other Polish users of the Digital Series HD were seen in specially prepared videos. Arti-Bau and MD Labels spoke about their experiences with Mark Andy technology and the recent purchases of their second Digital Series HD presses that doubled hybrid capacity at both customers.

Digital Pro 3: a start-up point for digital printing newcomers
The toner-based Digital Pro 3 press was launched during the Labelexpo Europe 2019 trade fair. As entry-level press, it is quite often a first-choice solution for printers starting their journey with digital label printing. “We offer Digital Pro 3 in several versions,” said Phil Baldwin. “At the Open House we’re demonstrating a press equipped with semi-rotary die-cutting. Digital Pro 3 is compact, has a small footprint, and is a flexible and efficient press for short and medium runs. It offers a very fast changeover, increasing press uptime.”
During the event Digital Pro 3 was used to print labels with 12 different graphics that included cold stamping in the flexo unit and semi-rotary die-cutting, and three different versions of tea labels.

Evolution Series E3: simplicity in handling and flexibility in printing
Labelexpo Europe 2019 also saw the premiere of an important development from Mark Andy, the Evolution Series flexo press. With its totally new platform it instantly appealed to label printers worldwide. “Independent servo drives and flexibility; high quality of printing and speeds up to 152m/min; numerous inline converting and finishing options – these features of Evolution Series have been quickly appreciated by their users,” he explained.

As demand for the Evolution Series continues to grow, Mark Andy claims it delivered and installed more than 50 presses in 2021, around one per week. “Evolution Series prints on many different substrates, with end products including shrink sleeve and IML. This allows users to cooperate with their customers and brand owners who work in the most demanding industries, like cosmetics, healthcare and pharmaceutical.” said Baldwin.

The press installed in Warsaw’s Demo Room and shown during the Open House was equipped with six flexo units, including two spot colours, and a cold foil unit. It was used for printing 12 labels with different graphics (220/lpi) on white PP film. The labels were printed CMYK plus two Pantone colours, cold foiled and die-cut.

Digital Series iQ: the newest hybrid in Mark Andy’s portfolio
Last year Mark Andy launched Digital Series iQ, a new hybrid model co-developed with Domino, manufacturer of the V16610iV inkjet engine capable of printing with an extended colour gamut (CMYKOV + W). Details of the heart of the press were supplied by Ruud Bos, DP OEM Manager Europe at Domino. The Digital Series iQ, shown at the Open House, was additionally equipped with a Distorun embellishment module, presented by Marco Ordung, Product Manager, Kurz. It was used for printing a shampoo label based on white PP film. The same substrate was also used for printing the previously mentioned 12 different graphic motifs.

“We call Digital Series iQ a True Hybrid as it offers a wealth of possibilities, similarly to our flagship Digital Series HD press. It combines inkjet printing and numerous embellishment and finishing options, including very sophisticated ones. Printing with high quality and speed, up to 70m/min in rapid mode, Digital Series iQ is a comprehensive solution that opens new markets and opportunities for its users,” said Baldwin.

sMArt Link: label printing automation
The Power of Hybrid Forum also saw the official premiere of sMArt Link – a new software package from Mark Andy, devoted to automate label production. The new application was presented by Gretchen Tobol, Product Manager Mark Andy USA. “In introducing sMArt Link, we responded to numerous suggestions from our customers, taken during the meetings like this one,” she said. “We are very conscious of the need for efficiency and maintaining margins at printing companies these days. These parameters can’t be reached without higher process automation.”

sMArt Link is a real-time, on-press data collection and monitoring system. It is compatible with new and existing Mark Andy presses as well as other brands found on the production floor, and can be accessed through a Cloud-based platform on a single machine, on the production floor, or at enterprise level. It helps production managers to make immediate process adjustments, as well as helping executives to make strategic data driven decisions. It is devoted to label and packaging converters who want to improve press utilisation, efficiency, and sustainability.

Besides the presentations of presses and software, Mark Andy prepared a special newsletter/leaflet, covering all the technology on show and containing QR codes linked with YT movies devoted to each press, and customer quotes. A part of the publication was devoted to RFID technology, which is being used increasingly in the printing industry. The leaflet included testimonials from Mark Andy customers who have implemented RFID modules in combination with their flexo presses.

“The wide range of companies and implementations presented in our newsletter confirms the global presence of Mark Andy and our market position worldwide,” said Lena Chmielewska-Bontron, European Marketing Manager Mark Andy, coordinator of Open House and the publication. “We were delighted that our hybrid forum attracted numerous current and potential Mark Andy customers, who represented many countries across the world. We hope that, quoting the motto of our publication ‘Technology – Solutions – Inspiration for Business’ and the main theme of our Open House, ‘The Power of Hybrid’ will be a real help for many label and packaging printers.”

Summing up, she said: “We also hope the presentations, customer testimonials, and user quotes will be an inspiration for printing companies worldwide. We’d like to thank all the Open House participants and invite our customers and business partners to visit Mark Andy’s booth during the forthcoming Labelexpo Americas trade fair. The exhibition will be another great opportunity to see our hybrid and flexo solutions live.”

About Mark Andy Inc.
Mark Andy is a pioneer of the graphic arts and printing industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of narrow- and mid-web printing and finishing equipment, it supplies leading global brands, including Mark Andy and Presstek printing presses, Rotoflex finishing solutions, as well as a complete line of Mark Andy Print Products consumables and pressroom supplies. All products are backed by the largest customer support team in the industry, minimizing downtime and helping customers be profitable, efficient and at the forefront of innovation. Mark Andy does what it takes to understand each customer’s unique business, the challenges they face and the pressures they feel. It strives to provide products and services that help customers solve their problems and solutions that go a step further, allowing them to excel in their day-to-day operations, ultimately increasing productivity and reaching their full potential.

For more information, visit www.markandy.com.

Rochester, NY – Infinity Images, a graphics producer out of Portland, Oregon, sets high expectations for themselves, aiming to be the best in the industry when it comes to printed graphics and custom fabrication. To accomplish this, Infinity has needed to grow, adapt and be as innovative as possible to stay ahead of the curve. When they were ready to add another press to their shop, they once again turned to Durst, and purchased a P5 350.

Another Durst press was an easy decision. CEO and founder of Infinity Images, George Gross, had two features of paramount importance that needed to be met for a new machine: exceptional quality of printed materials and increased turnaround times. He found that in the P5 350, stating, “We selected the P5 based on its output quality, reliability, flexibility, and for the outstanding service offered by Durst. We also like the ergonomic design of Durst machines which promote improved productivity while simplifying the work.”

The P5 350 is the sixth Durst device installed at Infinity Images and will bring immediate benefit to Infinity and their customers. Larry D’Amico, Director of LFP and Fabric Sales, commented, “We are pleased that Infinity Images has shown ongoing confidence in Durst with the purchase of the P5 350. They have been a dedicated user of our ink jet printing technology for over a decade and have fully integrated our complete suite of our software solutions into their shop. Infinity is one of our oldest and most loyal customers, and the relationship is a true partnership.”

The high-performance P5 350 has proven to be the most efficient hybrid printer on the market, designed specifically to increase efficiency and production capacity. Winner of the 2022 EDP awards, this all-in-one hybrid solution for roll and board media has a printing width of up to 11.48 ft and reaches, in the High-Speed version, a productivity up to 7,000 sq.ft/h. Equipped with Durst Print Workflow software and exclusive Durst Analytics, the P5 350 offers enhanced production efficiency from day one.

About Infinity Images
Founded in 2000, Infinity Images is a leading print and fabrication house in Portland, Oregon. Specializing in large format printing and custom retail displays, they are a trusted partner for world-class brands. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, empowering the sharpest minds to work together, and forming relationships with their clients and vendors, projects are brough to life through innovative techniques and sustainable measures.

www.infinityimages.com/

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

www.durstus.com

Texas Poly has been manufacturing flexible packaging from its base in Euless, TX since 1989.  Founded by James Earl, and now owned by his son Justin, the company has built a solid reputation for the high-quality packaging it supplies to a variety of industries, and for its rapid response and attention to customer service.  Today, Texas Poly is acknowledged as a leader in process efficiency that allows it to offer one of the lowest minimum quantity order limits in the US combined with innovative and cost-effective packaging solutions.

Speaking for the company, Maintenance Manager, Jose Salazar: “We pride ourselves on the services we offer here from design and artwork, through prototyping to contract converting.  We specialize in a range of pouches and poly bags using a variety of films including PET, BOPP, CPP, PET, MET, HDPE, and LDPE, many of which we print in high-quality flexo up to 10 colors, with additional lamination options to provide barrier protection.”

Back in 2020 Texas Poly invested in new Comexi equipment in the form of a laminator and flexo press, and it was here that the company came across Vetaphone corona treaters for the first time.  Mr Salazar explained: “We accepted Comexi’s recommendation for Vetaphone surface treatment on the press and laminator and now, having worked with it for two years, there is no way we would specify any other corona brand on future investments.”

A high proportion of its output goes to the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and engineering sectors, and Texas Poly is mindful of its approach to sustainability with both recyclable and compostable substrates.  To reduce its carbon footprint and costs, the company works hard on thickness optimization while being careful to maintain the strength and barrier properties of the flexible packaging it manufactures.

This is an ideal scenario for Vetaphone technology because it offers a unique level of controllability that can be finely adjusted to suit each filmic substrate.  Ted Wolski, Vetaphone’s Sales Manager for the US commented: “Different substrates suffer different rates of dyne decay, and different processes require different dyne levels too, so having a controllable surface treatment system is a sure way of getting it right first time, every time.  We are delighted that Comexi recommended Vetaphone, and that Texas Poly is benefitting from this.”

Looking ahead, Cesar Bustamante is planning the next investment program that includes an additional flexo press.  “We will look at all options, but like Comexi for their service and remote interface.  But whatever press we end up buying, it’ll have Vetaphone corona on it for sure!” he concluded.  Currently employing 25 people in its 15,000 sq/ft production facility, the company is aiming to grow it business with the new technology.

www.vetaphone.com 

www.texaspoly.com

By Walt Mesik, Senior Sales Consultant, Nilpeter Inc.
The Nilpeter FA-26 is the result of merging new technology with a user-friendly design, creating an effective machine center that yields minimal downtime and scrap, while offering maximum performance. A clear sustainable solution.

As technology advances, machine manufacturers are obligated to integrate the latest and greatest offerings into their products to remain competitive in the world of inline web printing. As a general direction as to what technology our customers desired, Nilpeter listened. We learned our customers largest challenges were increased SKU’s and reduced run lengths, as well as challenges to shift from pressure sensitive and paper substrates to unsupported films.

Already aware of the fact that the fastest growing market segment was flexible packaging, Nilpeter went to work creating the ultimate inline flexible packaging solution while addressing the customer needs. The Nilpeter FA-26 is the result of merging new technology with a user-friendly design, creating an effective machine center that yields minimal downtime and scrap, while offering maximum performance. A clear sustainable solution.

The FA-26 offers something for everyone – flexible packaging and value-added labels. All inline, sleeve-based anilox and plate roll. The robust unit construction, compact footprint, landscape design guarantee optimum register and consistent high print quality at all speeds. Designed to print with water-based and solvent inks, with UV, LED, and E-beam processes, the FA-26 is a winning combination for short and long run flexible package printing.

At a glance
A successful build relies on a solid foundation. The rigid one-piece steel frame guarantees our customers investment is long-term. The landscape style printhead offers superb printing quality & fast changeovers.

Temperature controlled ink chambers maintain ink temperatures throughout long runs at high speed – resulting in constant print density. Furthermore, the FA-26 features proven drying solutions for water base, solvent, UV, LED and E-beam inks, coatings & adhesives.

The ergonomics of the FA-26 offer a safe environment with every feature of the press designed to be accessed with “waist high” movements, and inline lamination utilizes floor level loading of heavy laminate rolls. Double-sided web printing (front/back) is exclusively accomplished with reversing printing stations eliminating the need for turn-bars. Multiple die-cutting solutions are available. Continuous operation-friendly design allows automatic unwind & rewind solutions as well as the standard Nilpeter roll-to-roll features.

Since introduction
Since the introduction, the FA-26 has exceeded customer expectations. With fast run speeds, industry leading Quick-Change features & job save/recall technology, the press uptime is maximized, and scrap amounts are minimized. Nilpeter customers have discovered In-The-Round sleeve technology (ITR) that allows them to run at speeds of 820 fpm (250 m/min), eliminating plate lift on smaller repeat sizes. ITR sleeves also reduce scrap significantly – when changing between jobs waste is regularly limited to 1 – 1-1/2 web lengths of the press regardless of the substrate webbed throughout the machine.

One of the tools Nilpeter has been using to help overcome the global labor shortage is using 100% inspection systems – every FA-26 to date has been delivered with such a quality control system.

Nilpeter understands your finished product needs will change to grow into new markets. As long as you have the floor space, the FA-26 can easily grow into whatever configuration is required to meet your needs. The modular construction allows for expanding the equipment’s abilities as new opportunities surface.

Nilpeter’s inline print finishing supports a wide range of substrates such as PP, PE, PET, and aluminum foil.

• Die-cutting unit for quick job changes

• Gravure unit for metallic inks, covering surfaces and coatings

• Nilscreen system for special effects, braille, and opaque white

To quote
“Speaking as a Nilpeter representative, the most rewarding comment I have heard from an FA-26 customer is that “the FA-26 has proven itself to overproduce daily based on our ROI calculations. This has allowed us to investigate purchasing the next FA-26 for similar products in different locations that are currently struggling with competitor’s equipment,”” says Walt Mesik, Senior Sales Consultant, Nilpeter USA.

Working the press
For the FA-26, Nilpeter has taken into consideration that the operator can work the printing press without unnecessary handles. All functions on the press can be controlled via a touch panel on each printing unit. Nilpeter calls this intuitive concept “Clean-Hand” operation. Jobs can be saved logically and repeat jobs can be called up quickly. The entire operating concept is connected to Nilpeter’s Power Link System. It meets the industry standard 4.0 and can be integrated into all common MIS-systems.

To conclude
Simply stated, the Nilpeter FA-26 has only begun to impress with its amazing performance results. Nilpeter delivered a press built with advanced automation, state-of-the-art quick-change features, industry leading ergonomics & user-friendly operator controls. Stepping into the future has never looked this promising…

www.nilpeter.com