Elk Grove Village, IL—SCREEN Americas’ President Ken Ingram announces new management assignment and promotion details as the North American subsidiary of SCREEN GP Japan continues to shape its leadership team to reflect the corporation’s philosophy to synchronize the two companies’ sales, marketing, service, product management and communications efforts. By relocating and rotating selected personnel from corporate offices in Japan to work at SCREEN Americas, the two organizations seek to continually align priorities and resources to better serve its customers.

Departing his position as senior vice president and SCREEN GP Americas board member is Hirokazu Okuno whose last day with SCREEN Americas is scheduled for March 31, 2022. Okuno plans to return to Japan at the end of April. Ken Ingram, president of SCREEN Americas, expressed his gratitude for Okuno’s service during his time in the United States. “I wish to thank Okuno san for all of his hard work and support over the past four years. Together, we have accomplished so much and we will always be grateful for the tireless contributions he made to SCREEN Americas during his stay. We wish him the very best as he returns to SCREEN Japan to begin the next phase of his long career with the company,” said Ingram.

Marked with unprecedented challenges in the last two years, including supply chain interruptions, Okuno’s contribution to the American market included further establishing SCREEN’s place in the label and flexible packaging industries with the execution of the United States’ first installation of the Truepress Jet L350UV SAI series. Okuno also oversaw a record number of installations in SCREEN’s high-speed inkjet portfolio particularly with its flagship series, the Truepress Jet520HD, which is designed for the commercial, transactional, publishing and direct mail markets.

Taking over Okuno’s responsibilities at SCREEN Americas will be Takayasu Okitsu whose position as senior vice president and board member of SCREEN GP Americas will begin on April 1, 2022. Okitsu has been based in Kyoto, Japan, working at SCREEN for the past several years and has visited SCREEN Americas several times. The team in the United States is looking forward to working with Okitsu on exploring ideas and developing successful strategies for the American marketplace. “We would like to congratulate Okitsu san on his appointment to this key role and welcome him to SCREEN Americas. I am confident that with his expertise and leadership we will continue to offer value to our customers as well as expand our business in the marketplace,” said Ingram.

SCREEN Americas also announces the promotion of Hiromi Sakurai who will assume the duties of senior vice president and will be appointed to the board of SCREEN GP Americas. Sakurai began his career in April of 1988 as a software and system engineer at SCREEN in Kyoto, Japan. He has been with SCREEN Americas since April 2018.

About SCREEN Americas
SCREEN Americas, a SCREEN Graphic Solutions group company established in 1967, is a leading provider of digital inkjet technology serving the commercial, publishing, direct mail, transactional, packaging, folding carton and label industries. In 2021, SCREEN Americas relocated its headquarters to Elk Grove Village, Illinois, with an upgrade that included a 14,000-plus square foot Inkjet Innovation Center.

www.screenamericas.com

High slit quality for narrow widths meets competitive pricing and easy maintenance

Oak Brook, IL – February 24, 2022- Maxcess, a global leader in innovative products and services for web handling applications, today unveiled the Tidland, a Maxcess Brand’s, Advantage Series Knifeholder. Ideal for packaging, tag and label and converting customers who require quality narrow width slits, the Advantage Series offers customers Tidland quality and easy maintenance at an attractive price point.

“With the Advantage Series, we wanted to improve our narrow slit knifeholder offering to give our customers the slit quality Tidland is known for at a competitive global price point,” said Aaron Powers, Global Product Manager for Tidland Slitting Solutions. “Customers will notice reduced downtime using the removable blade cartridge to make changes off-line. In addition, the blade cartridges are reversible, allowing customers to cut on both sides of the knife rings for extended blade life and reduced maintenance costs.”

Featuring minimum slit widths of only 19.5 mm (0.768 inches), the new Advantage Series offers precision depth control adjustment for blade overlap and extended side-stroke distance to simplify the setup process. It is backward compatible with legacy W19 knifeholder systems, as well as Performance Series Class I knifeholders and guidebars.

Visit www.Maxcessintl.com or call 1-844-MAXCESS to learn more about the new Advantage Series. 

About Maxcess: Maxcess helps its customers maximize productivity through innovative products and services worldwide. By combining more than 400 years of global service and support across the storied product brands of RotoMetrics, Fife, Tidland, MAGPOWR, Webex, Valley Roller, and Componex, Maxcess offers an unrivaled network of application experts and end-to-end web handling solutions to help you work better, faster and smarter. Visit them online at www.maxcessintl.com

New technologies from RotoMetrics, Fife, Tidland, MAGPOWR, Webex and Componex will be on display to help customers run better, faster and smarter 

Oak Brook, IL – Maxcess, a global leader in innovative products and services for web handling applications, today announced its plans to exhibit at ICE and Labelexpo Europe in March and April of 2022.

“With labor in high demand and converters running at capacity 24/7, our new technologies on display will help customers automate their process to run more product and better product faster,” said Keith Laakko, VP of Global Marketing.

Stop by the Maxcess booth at ICE in Munich (15-17 March, hall A6, stand 162) and at Labelexpo Brussels (26-29 April, booth 4B45) to see the brand-new flexible die portfolio and supporting tooling solutions from RotoMetrics that give you the right die for the job, every time. On display from Fife is a preview of its next-generation web guide, giving customers Industry 4.0 connectivity and smart data to automate your process, making sure you run smarter. Componex brings award-winning RotoRepel anti-stick coating to its line of Idler Rolls to help you run faster with less adhesive and ink buildup on your rolls. Don’t miss the new Advantage series knife holder from Tidland, a narrow-web slitting solution offering better Tidland quality slits at a competitive price. Also, learn about our Maxcess 100% Vision Inspection solutions and other innovative products.

When you automate your process with our end-to-end line of solutions from Maxcess, you work better, faster, and smarter. www.maxcess.com

About Maxcess
Maxcess helps its customers maximize productivity through innovative products and services worldwide. By combining more than 400 years of global service and support across the storied product brands of RotoMetrics, Fife, Tidland, MAGPOWR, Webex, Valley Roller, Menges Roller and Componex, Maxcess offers an unrivaled network of application experts and end-to-end web handling solutions to help you work better, faster and smarter.

Visit them online at www.maxcessintl.com

Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Ellepot, and OrganoClick have partnered to provide 100% biobased and biodegradable solutions to the horticulture market. Organic 2.0 paper pot is an entirely organic-based solution to grow crops on an industrial scale. The new product has allowed the companies to enter the organic crop segment, which is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. 

Organic 2.0 results from a close collaboration between Ellepot, OrganoClick and Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s R&D team. After years of co-development, the three companies created a sustainable and more economical solution to grow plants by using paper pots planted directly into the soil. The pots degrade away after time which allows for the crop’s roots to penetrate through the media and supports the healthy growth of the plants. Organic 2.0 paper pot consist of 100% fully compostable and biodegradable materials and has a decomposition time of 6 to 8 weeks. 

“At Ahlstrom-Munksjö, we are always looking for ways to innovate further in sustainability. By partnering with Ellepot, we have been proud to serve the horticulture market together through their sustainability-driven business model. Now, after several years of collaboration, we are excited to have found a way to drive sustainability innovation even further through this game-changing new product. We aim to continue our collaboration into new market segments, where we believe this new product will open up opportunities for all of us,” says Pierre Mary, VP, Nonwovens and Abrasive, Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Filtration and Performance business.  

OrganoClick delivers the biobased and biodegradable binder material for Organic 2.0, Ahlstrom-Munksjö produces the nonwoven paper, and Ellepot creates the final product.

“Working with our suppliers in co-developing smarter materials for the Ellepot customized solution supports our vision to help customers improve production efficiency, optimize handling and deliver increased yields and lower costs of goods produced. Minimum effort, maximum impact being the key feature to a smarter solution, we trust the co-development will continue to provide new and sustainable materials for the future,” says Lars Steen Pedersen, CEO Ellepot A/S, Denmark.

“We are very happy with the collaboration with Ahlstrom-Munksjö and Ellepot, which has resulted in a new fossil-free, and biodegradable nonwoven material used in Ellepots plant pot. Working together with partners in the whole value chain is key when bringing new eco-friendly products to the market. We are proud of that we, by joint efforts, have been able to replace current synthetic binders in the material with our 100 % biobased and biodegradable binder”, adds Mårten Hellberg, CEO OrganoClick. 

Organic 2.0 has been signed up for Sustainability Advancement Award, Short-Life Product Achievement Award and Nonwoven Product Achievement Award in the IDEA® Achievement Awards taking place this year. In addition, Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Ellepot, and OrganoClick are already planning the next steps in the collaboration. The goal is to develop more synthetic-fiber-free products and expand into other organic crop segments which require longer degradation times, such as landscape or forestry. 

For more information, please contact:

Diego Luis Puerta, Sales Manager, Industrial Nonwovens, Filtration & Performance Solutions, tel. +33608517883, diego.puerta@ahlstrom-munksjo.com

About IDEA® Achievement Awards
Presented by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine, the IDEA® Achievement Awards are presented every three years in conjunction with IDEA – The World’s Preeminent Event for Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics. The Awards recognize the best new product introductions in the following six categories: IDEA® Equipment Achievement Award; IDEA® Raw Material Achievement Award; IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award; IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award; IDEA® Sustainability Advancement Award; and IDEA® Nonwoven Product Achievement Award. 

Ellepot in brief
Ellepot A/S provides plant propagation equipments and products. The company offers machines, paper, and trays, as well as installation, training and online support services. For more information about Ellepot, visit: www.ellepot.com 

OrganoClick in brief
OrganoClick AB, based in Stockholm, Sweden, is a world-leading greentech company that sells biobased chemical formulations for modification of cellulose-based materials in the green way. Examples of products are biobased binders for paper and nonwoven and water repellents for textiles. Visit www.organoclick.com to explore more about OrganoClick. 

Ahlstrom-Munksjö in brief
Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a global leader in fiber-based materials, supplying innovative and sustainable solutions to its customers. Our mission is to expand the role of fiber-based solutions for sustainable everyday life. Our offering includes filter materials, release liners, food and beverage processing materials, decor papers, abrasive and tape backings, electrotechnical paper, glass fiber materials, medical fiber materials, diagnostics and energy storage solutions, as well as a range of specialty papers for industrial and consumer end-uses. Our annual net sales is about EUR 2.7 billion and we employ some 7,800 people. Read more at www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com

Huzhou – Maxcess, a global leader in innovative products and services for web handling applications, announced the opening of its new RotoMetrics, a Maxcess brand, rotary die-cutting factory in China. The new plant will manufacture and refurbish magnetic cylinders for flexible die applications and solid rotary die tooling. This new state-of-the-art facility will provide customers in China and the Asia Pacific region with better products and convenient localized services.

“This is exciting news for Maxcess,” said Nang Young, VP/GM APAC. “After more than a year of preparation and development, we are very pleased to see magnetic cylinders being produced in Huzhou. Solid rotary dies are also under testing, with full-time production anticipated during the second half of 2022. The pandemic brought great challenges, but with hard work, we overcame difficulties and made the production line run as scheduled. We sincerely look forward to working with customers and partners to produce these products locally so our customers can work better, faster and smarter. “

With approximately 5000+ square meters of manufacturing space, the new facility will provide products and services for customers in packaging, labeling, rotary processing and other industries.

“Localized production is a win-win strategy,” said Daisy Dai, Operations Director of APAC. “For customers, compared with imported products, the products produced in our Huzhou factory not only have significant value advantages, but also provide faster delivery times. In addition, we can provide customers with services such as refurbishment and maintenance for magnetic cylinders, as well as blade sharpening for solid rotary dies, which will offer convenient maintenance for local customers.”

The Huzhou factory is an important facility in Maxcess’ global manufacturing footprint. To ensure a consistent production process and high manufacturing standards, the main production elements for the Huzhou factory were imported from the United States. In addition, the processes and operating systems, quality management systems, supply chain systems and warehouse systems are consistent with Maxcess’ global standards to guarantee high product quality. 

About Maxcess
Maxcess helps its customers maximize productivity through innovative products and services worldwide. By combining more than 400 years of global service and support across the storied product brands of RotoMetrics, Fife, Tidland, MAGPOWR, Webex, Valley Roller and Componex, Maxcess offers an unrivaled network of application experts and end-to-end web handling solutions to help you work better, faster and smarter. Visit them online at www.maxcess.com

February 2022 – Colombia: IMPREAC – Impresos y Acabados S.A.S. has installed its second Nilpeter FB-Line, an FB-350, to improve production capacity in multi-layer coupon labels. The company expects to increase capacity by more than 30%.

IMPREAC – Impresos y Acabados S.A.S. was founded in 1991 by Mr. Ricardo Herrera, as a sheet-fed company. His son, Luis Fernando Herrera, started the company’s flexo department in 2013 to provide multi-layer coupon labels to their main customers. This development took two years to materialize.

A Year of Change
2021 was a year of change for IMPREAC. They celebrated their 30th anniversary of the company, an event in which they commemorated and celebrated the life of founder Mr. Ricardo Herrera, who unfortunately passed away in July. His family and employees further honoured his memory by continuing expansion projects with a new 1.700 m2 plant, located in the Industrial Park, Celta Park, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, and installing the new flexo production line Nilpeter FB-350. The company has succeeded in serving its customers without stopping production in the toughest moments of the pandemic, and in the midst of an economic reactivation.

React Faster to Last-Minute Jobs
“The new FB-350 will increase our capacity by at least 30%, giving us the chance to react faster to unplanned orders, and the flexibility to handle last-minute changes. Overall, it will improve our abilities in the production of multi-layer coupon labels and cardboard labels,” says Luis Fernando Herrera, Production Manager, IMPREAC – Impresos y Acabados S.A.S.

“Nilpeter was the only partner that we considered for this project, as our previous experience with the FB-3300S was really good, and we were looking for a backup press in which we could use the same tooling, take advantage of the standardization (fingerprint), and printing knowledge we have on the existing printing technology. Improving the efficiency and use of resources, with the technological improvements of the New FB-350,” Luis Fernando Herrera adds.

IMPREAC’s formula for success, offering a reliable product and flexibility in its operation, has allowed them to open export markets for the company in Latin America and Central America.

Wide Production Spectrum
“Being a witness from the beginning and working side-by-side with the customer has shown me the wide production spectrum that our presses are able to achieve. When we started, the project was focused on 5-page coupon labels. And now, mixing the development of IMPREAC with the technology of Nilpeter’s FB-Line, and passing the learning curve, they have been able to produce coupon labels up to 13 pages,” says Juan Pablo Patino Arevalo, Commercial Manager for the Nilpeter Andean Region.

Sophisticated Workhorse
The FB-Line is a sophisticated workhorse offering high ease-of-operation and superior printing quality. The new FB-350 installed at IMPREAC is equipped with high-capacity cold foil towers, Nilpeter’s rail-based re-inserting system, includes the new Automatic Plate Positioning feature, and a short web pass.

www.nilpeter.com

Tarsus Group, organizer of the Labelexpo Global Series, has announced that Labelexpo Asia 2022 will take place between 28th June and 1st July 2022 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shanghai.                 

Stated Labelexpo Asia Event Director Kevin Liu, ‘We look forward once again to welcoming exhibitors and visitors to the Asia-Pacific region’s leading label and package printing exhibition. For many converters this will be their first chance since the global pandemic began to actually see the latest machinery and software systems operating at the show.’  

Running alongside Labelexpo Asia 2022 will be master classes on Self-adhesive Label Materials, and Inks, Coatings and Varnishes. A special pre-press training course will also take place.

The China International Label & Package Printing Forum takes place on 27th June, one day before Labelexpo Asia 2022 opens, organized by PPC (Package Printing Committee), one of Labelexpo Asia’s supporting industry associations. 

Commented Lisa Milburn, Managing Director of the Labelexpo Global Series: ‘It is fantastic to be emerging from the pandemic and returning to face-to-face Labelexpo shows. In fact, throughout the last two years our China team has managed to safely run physical events and we have built up a lot of expertise in running safe and highly effective machinery shows. I look forward to welcoming our visitors to Labelexpo Asia 2022.’

To find out more about Labelexpo Asia 2022, visit www.labelexpo-asia.com.

Schaumburg, IL – INX International Ink Co. has renewed its platinum sponsor commitment and will offer expert insight on the latest sustainability developments for packaging at the upcoming PRINT UV Conference. The UV print industry’s premier event – being held for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago – takes place March 16-18 at the Encore by Wynn Las Vegas Resort, and INX has a special arrangement in place to help printers reduce their registration fee.

Jonathan Graunke, Vice President of UV/EB Technology – Assistant R&D Director, and Rebecca Lipscomb, Director of Global Regulatory Affairs, will offer strategic viewpoints during the “Sustainable Development Goals: A Key Requirement for All Printers Coming Shortly,” seminar at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, March 18.

“Sustainability is an important topic to address. Consumers are demanding it, brand owners want to align it with their strategies, and government agencies are increasingly legislating it,” said Graunke, who joined INX after graduating from college in 1992. Lipscomb has served in several roles at INX since 2011, and was promoted to her present position two years ago.

“The term ‘greenwashing’ can be deceptive and creates legal consequences, so having a sustainable strategy is critical in order to move forward,” he added. “UV/LED UV is an enabling technology. Rebecca and I will discuss how UV can enhance your strategy a number of ways through energy conservation, cleaner air, recycling and package lightweighting.”

As an industry leader in UV/EB inks and coatings technology, INX has developed many products currently being used by commercial offset, packaging and specialty printers. Understanding their capabilities and where market trends are heading are some of the questions INX product specialists are prepared to discuss with PRINT UV conference attendees.

Printers who plan to attend can save $100 by using promotion code INXVIP22 when they register on the PRINT UV website. To learn more about which UV/EB ink products you should consider, visit www.inxinternational.com.

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.