UK-based UV curing specialists introduce fully air-cooled UV LED curing system

UV curing specialists GEW have announced the launch of a major new product for both the company and the narrow web printing market. AeroLED is a fully air-cooled, high power UV LED system for full cure, printing, coating and converting applications up to 60cm wide. AeroLED delivers power and reliability with a totally unique concept which eliminates many of the operational problems in existing air-cooled LED systems on the market. Moreover, the innovative design makes AeroLED extremely cost-effective and step changes the accessibility of LED printing.

In an AeroLED system, the first significant innovation is in the air-cooling process. Cool, filtered air is distributed from a single centralised fan sited away from the press and exits through the UV lampheads, for quiet and reliable operation. The remote positioning of the fan avoids common problems caused by ink mist and dust ingress, while large air filters reduce the filter replacement cycle. There is no need for integrated fans or electronics in the individual lampheads, which eliminates the high pitched noise and contamination issues that these bring. AeroLED features the same LED chassis and core components as GEW’s LeoLED lamphead, for proven reliability straight from launch day. As with LeoLED, the new lamp uses GEW’s standard cassette design for easy maintenance, with tough watertight seals to protect the LED modules from ingress and to make cleaning easy and safe. Every aspect of the design has been carefully considered to deliver robust performance and long-term reliability.

AeroLED’s efficient optical design enables the lowest energy usage of all GEW products. This delivers energy savings of typically 50-70%, when compared to a conventional UV arc system. In addition to offering greatly reduced operating costs, printers upgrading to LED are able to free up a significant level of mains capacity, which can then be used to install new machinery and subsequently increase production capability. Two AeroLED systems have a lower electrical supply requirement than just one conventional arc UV system.

In addition to the sustainability benefits of AeroLED, GEW highlight the ease of installation to those considering a retrofit upgrade. Robert Rae, Managing Director of Sales at GEW, explains: “As AeroLED has GEW’s familiar E2C cassette design, upgrading an E2C system with RHINO/RLT power only requires switching to the AeroLED lampheads and the addition of a fan filter unit. All other components on press remain the same. This means that a retrofit upgrade can be implemented in as little as one day, and makes AeroLED the most cost-effective route to LED printing available, worldwide.” He adds: “Those new to GEW products will find the cost of a complete new AeroLED upgrade to be highly competitive, and something that pays for itself typically within two years through energy savings, not to mention the increased productivity that LED systems bring to press.”

A further advantage of LED in the curing process is its predictability and stability of UV output. AeroLED delivers a step change in process control by ensuring stable UV output year after year, and eliminates the uncertainty of conventional UV lamps, reflectors and mechanisms to ensure consistent production quality.

As is the case with all new GEW UV products, AeroLED uses GEW’s RHINO power supply and control range, for ultimate reliability with Industry 4.0 approved, IoT Remote Monitoring as standard.

UV LED is no longer just a technology for the future, it has become an essential technology for the present day. This change has been driven by the recent and dramatic increases in global energy prices, creating an unprecedented demand for low-energy, sustainable LED solutions as well as improved ink technology and availability. Technological advancement is leading to ever more efficient and cost-effective UV LED products, as is demonstrated by the introduction of AeroLED.

Robert Rae summarises his view on the current market: “At GEW we are seeing a record number of orders across all system types and LED business significantly increasing from both OEMs and end customers alike. In the next two years, LED could reach 50% of GEW’s output and we are gearing up for this, with a recent major investment in further new UK production facilities.” He concludes: “With the introduction of AeroLED, with its unique concept and highly competitive cost, the case for printers to upgrade to LED is stronger than ever before. The opportunities are huge and we are convinced LED will soon become the dominant technology in our narrow web market.”

About GEW
GEW designs and manufactures Arc and UV LED curing systems for printing, coating and converting applications. The company is the leading manufacturer of UV systems for label and narrow web printing, with a world-class production facility at its UK headquarters, subsidiaries in the USA and Germany, and an extensive network of worldwide distributors.

www.gewuv.com 

River Falls, WI — AMS Spectral UV – A Baldwin Technology Company announced its Platinum Sponsorship of PRINT UV 2022, the world’s leading conference for printers who employ UV-based curing technologies as part of the commercial and packaging printing process. AMS Spectral UV is a founding sponsor of Print UV, which is celebrating its much-heralded 13th edition after the pandemic forced a two-year hiatus.

Printers can use code “AMSLEDUV100” to save $100 on the cost of registration for the event.

Taking place March 16-18 at the Wynn Encore Resort Las Vegas, PRINT UV 2022 will unite experts from the United States and abroad to discuss the latest processes and advancements in the realm of UV and LED UV printing, which uses ultraviolet light to cure inks and coatings and has numerous advantages over the use of heat and evaporation as drying processes.

AMS Spectral UV has continued to invest in research, development and engineering, and will unveil new products that elevate and enhance what LED-based curing can do.

“AMS Spectral UV is pleased to announce its return as not only a founder, but as a Platinum Sponsor of Print UV 2022, and we are looking forward to reconnecting live and in person with our customers and colleagues throughout the UV printing industry March 16-18 at the Wynn Encore,” said AMS Spectral UV President Rich Bennett. “A lot has transpired in our space since the pandemic began, and we’ll have experts on hand to talk about our latest technology options for retrofitting presses, as well as economical upgrades from UV to LED UV technology, and our UV support programs.”

“We are introducing the latest generations of our number-one LED UV curing platform for the printing industry, including our all-new Quatro Series for high-speed web offset and packaging applications, along with our XP and XV Series for fast, economical sheetfed offset retrofits. We are excited to finally be able to show these technologies in person for the first time at Print UV 2022,” said Mike Bates, Vice President of Product Sales – AMS Spectral UV. “By participating in Print UV, we are helping those who invest in UV technology realize the best possible results by supporting a forum where they can share ideas with industry colleagues new and old alike.”

To register for PRINT UV 2022, visit printuv.com; to learn more about about AMS Spectral UV, visit amsspectraluv.com.

ABOUT AMS SPECTRAL UV
AMS Spectral UV – A Baldwin Technology Company was formed in 2017 when Air Motion Systems combined with Baldwin Technology’s UV division. The joined entity serves as the world’s leading manufacturer of LED and UV curing systems for sheetfed and web offset printing, flexographic and digital printing and a number of other markets – the company also manufactures leading drying systems for printing and industrial applications. More information is available online at amsspectraluv.com or by calling (715) 425-5600.

ABOUT BALDWIN TECHNOLOGY COMPANY, INC.
Baldwin Technology Company, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of innovative process-automation equipment, parts, service and consumables for the printing, packaging, textile, plastic film extrusion and corrugated industries. As a total solutions provider, Baldwin offers our customers a broad range of market-leading technologies, with a focus on improving the economic and environmental efficiency of production processes. Through a global footprint of 21 company-owned locations and an extensive network of partners, our customers are supported globally, regionally and locally by dedicated sales and service team members who add value by forming long-term relationships. Baldwin is privately owned by BW Forsyth Partners, a Barry-Wehmiller company.

For more, visit baldwintech.com.

BOBST has announced its participation at the FTA trade show in Fort Worth, TX, on March 14–15. The event, which will bring together suppliers, customers and the trade press from the flexographic industry in North America, offers the ideal opportunity for BOBST to present its vision for the future of packaging production.

Digitalization, automation, connectivity, and sustainability will be among the hot topics of conversation at the BOBST booth, where CI flexo technology and the full oneLABEL portfolio will be in focus. The company will share how it works to create solutions that answer the many challenges facing printers across the country.

Visitors will join BOBST’s technical experts to discuss existing and future innovations for label and packaging production, as the FTA celebrates the 40th iteration of INFOFLEX. This includes the VISION CI flexo press, which has been designed to deliver the most efficient performance for all production lengths on a wide range of substrates, and the broad oneLABEL portfolio, which encompasses inline flexo, digital and All-in-One label printing presses for fully optimizing the production floor.

“With over 1000 of our industry colleagues visiting the show, we have an excellent opportunity to discuss the latest BOBST technologies, which can help brand owners meet and even exceed customer expectations,” said Emilio Corti, Regional Market Director, Americas. “We are excited to hopefully return to a more regular schedule of in-person events, so we can continue to highlight BOBST’s innovative line of printing and converting equipment along with the excellent services we offer.”

With a presence in the whole of the flexible packaging market, BOBST offers a broad portfolio of equipment which includes vacuum metalizing, coating and laminating machines, in addition to rotogravure, CI flexo and digital printing presses.

Visitors can find BOBST at booth#215.

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 5 600 people around the world. The firm recorded a consolidated turnover of CHF 1.372 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020.

www.bobst.com

With a wide range of torque outputs and easy maintenance at competitive pricing, customers will see less downtime

Oak Brook, IL– Maxcess, a global leader in innovative products and services for web handling applications, today unveiled the Tidland D6X differential air shaft. Ideal for packaging and general converting applications, the D6X improves on the D2 and D3 models by offering easy maintenance, removable core stop trays for fast change-overs and a wide range of torque outputs at competitive pricing to run better, faster and smarter.

“We designed the D6X to improve upon our legacy D2 and D3 core-slip differential shafts in every way,” said Aaron Powers, Global Product Manager for Tidland Winding Solutions. “The removable core stop trays allow an operator to remove the tray with core stop positions set for one job, then replace it with saved core stop positions set for the next. The D6X will help our customers reduce their setup times and simplify maintenance, allowing for more uptime and throughput.”

Featuring easy-to-replace tension segments and air bladders, as well as two air systems for tension control and core stops, the D6X allows for high weight capacities while supporting odd and larger sized cores for a wide range of applications. With core stops three ways around, customers will see greater stability for better edge quality at faster speeds.

Visit www.Maxcessintl.com or call 1-844-MAXCESS to learn how to reduce downtime and improve safety the new D6X differential air shaft today. 

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 has signed the majority of the main contracts for civil works and machinery to build a new glass fiber tissue line facility located in Madisonville, Kentucky, U.S. The construction of the building will start in February 2022. The building and civil works are scheduled to be fully completed in summer 2023. The location of the new building is next to the existing Ahlstrom-Munksjö production site developing and producing filtration materials for transportation and industrial applications.

“The positive progress with this new investment demonstrates our commitment to customers in North America. By expanding our geographical footprint, we will be well positioned to support our customers, today and tomorrow,” said Pekka Helynranta, VP Glass Fiber Tissue business.

“Additionally, the investment indicates our significant commitment to Madisonville, Hopkins County, where the creation of more than 50 high quality jobs is extremely positive news for the area,” adds Willy Bordignon, VP Filtration Americas.

This $68 million (USD) investment is a major step ahead in Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s global growth strategy in glass fiber tissue markets. The new line will produce a full range of glass fiber tissue nonwovens, with a main focus on Luxury Vinyl Tiles and Vinyl sheet materials for the flooring industry of North America. This line represents state-of-the-art foam forming glass fiber tissue technology, and the customer deliveries from the new line are expected to start in mid-2023.

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

For many years Mark Andy has been proud of its initiatives that support school pupils and university students in extending their technological knowledge. These include open houses, workshops, and competitions, like the Mark Andy Student Awards, as well as internal traineeships with the Company’s Polish division. This year saw the launch of a new Mark Andy project that supported Julia Wojciechowska in the tests relating to her engineering qualification. It allowed Julia, who is a student of the Printing Technologies Unit, part of the Faculty of Production Engineering at Warsaw Technical University, to compare flexo and digital printing technology using Mark Andy presses.

“We were very delighted to help Julia with the preparation of her engineering thesis. The tests were conducted in cooperation with our partners: DuPont, Flexmar prepress studio, and Albi 2002, which uses Mark Andy presses,” says Lena Chmielewska-Bontron, European Marketing Manager at Mark Andy. “We know that students are always looking for this type of opportunity, and as a manufacturer and vendor of printing equipment we are always open for such initiatives. We were also pleased to involve our partners in this project, DuPont who supplied us with flexo plates that were imaged by Flexmar Studio, and Albi 2002, who conducted the tests on one of its Mark Andy flexo presses.”

Julia Wojciechowska explained that it is not easy for a student to find support of this kind as it involves time and financial commitment. “Mark Andy said ‘yes’ immediately when I asked them about this project – and they also invited other partners to get involved. I have received substantial support from Mark Andy, starting with the subject of my engineering thesis. Initially it covered a comparison of flexo with other printing technology, but it ended up including flexo and toner-based digital presses too. The research was very interesting for me, and Mark Andy’s employees helped me with their knowledge, experience, and commitment at every stage of the project. I should like to take this opportunity to thank my promoter, Katarzyna Pilczynska, who helped me to contact Mark Andy. I also wish to thank Mark Andy and its partners who supported me in the whole research project.”

Lena Chmielewska-Bontron adds: “For us it was also a new and interesting experience. We have been involved for many years in initiatives devoted to school and university students, so we were very keen to help Julia with her thesis. We will also use the results of her project in our daily work. I should also like to thank our partners for their support with this project.”

Tomasz Nojszewski, Sales Manager NCE DuPont Image Solutions, says: “DuPont has supported numerous initiatives concerning education and knowledge development among school and university students. We do it either on a global or a local level. So, when we heard about a common project with Mark Andy, it was quite natural to take part in it. We supplied Cyrel EASY ESX flexo plates as our material support. Based on a flat dot technology, they guarantee the highest printing quality. We have cooperated with Mark Andy for many years and previously took part in open houses and workshops organised by the company. This was a good opportunity for us to present the newest trends on flexo plate market. Another important activity is our more than 10-year cooperation with the Printing Technologies Unit at the Faculty of Production Engineering at Warsaw Technical University. We have equipped one of its labs with a UVA/UVC exposure unit as well as processor for dry plate finishing in Cyrel FAST technology. We also set up numerous lectures by DuPont representatives for the students. Backed by 50 years of experience in flexo plate development, DuPont is very keen to share its knowledge, both with our customers and with students. Supporting Julia’s project was one of the best examples of our approach.”

Marek Biedrzycki, owner of Flexmar prepress studio, says: “Since we support many different education-oriented actions, we were pleased to prepare and deliver photopolymers for the project. Earlier, we also organised practice sessions for students in our prepress studio. When Mark Andy asked us about support for Julia, we agreed immediately. We checked the jobs she prepared and made the photopolymers to print them. It was similar to our daily work where we support customers at every step of prepress process, prior to printing on a flexo press.”

The need to compare toner-based digital and flexo technology meant that the jobs had to be printed in two places. The digital work was carried out in the Warsaw-based Mark Andy demo room, equipped with a Digital Pro3 toner-based press. The flexo part was printed by Albi 2002 – the Warsaw label printer and user of two Mark Andy Performance Series P5 flexo presses, one of which was used for the test. Robert Cabaj, the owner of Albi 2002, says: “Our long-term experience with the modern technology we use, and a highly equipped machine park enables us to print the highest quality. So, we were very pleased to take part in this project and support Julia in her engineering thesis. We are always very open for this kind of education-oriented initiative, both now and in the future.”

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.

Cincinnati, OH – Haney announced today that it has been recognized by the BRC Global Standard (BRCGS) with its Global Food Safety Standard for the safe filling of dry food and non-food products, repackaged into flexible and rigid packaging. BRCGS harmonizes food safety standards throughout the supply chain and it is globallyrecognized across both food and non-food categories as the most rigorous third-party certification of its type. The Food Safety Standard is the leading Global Food SafetyInitiative (GFSI) program, and the most widely accepted by specifiers, brands and retailers.

“BRCGS is the globally recognized standard for food safety, and this certification confirms that Haney is packaging at world class standards,” said Dan Haney, President, Haney Packaging. “Third party confirmation is part of Haney’s DNA so adding BRCGS to our existing Food & Drug Administration (FDA) registration is a natural evolution in our company’s growth.”

Haney’s FDA registrations include:

-Over the Counter (OTC) Drug – Secondary Packaging
-Medical Device – Class I and Class II Packaging
-Food – Primary and Secondary Packaging

Dan Haney adds, “We are excited to offer our customers the additional assurance of BRCGS certification. Haney continues to expand our packaging and fulfillmentofferings, and this is just the beginning of many exciting announcements we have planned for 2022.”###

About Haney:Haney is a developer and manufacturer of consumer packaging, offering on-site, end-to-end solutions for design, prototyping, printing, converting, and filling operations of FDA regulated products for both primary and secondary packaging serving the food,beverage, personal & beauty care, household and pet care markets.

Leading brands utilize the company’s world-class Packaging Microfactory pilot production facility located in Cincinnati, Ohio for pre-commercial sustainable packaging exploration, consumer test market and promotional packaging, marketing retail salessamples and on-demand, digitally printed commercial packaging for roll-stock, stand-up pouches, shrink sleeves, labels, folding cartons and corrugated boxes.

For more information, please visit haneypkg.com, connect with us via hello@haneypkg.com or call (513) 561-1441

Fremont, CA – Veteran technology human resources leader Gail Coles Johnson has joined the board of directors of digital imaging technology company Electronics For Imaging, Inc., a portfolio company of Siris Capital Group, LLC.

“We are excited to add Gail to our board at such an important time for EFI as we capitalize on growth opportunities in the analog-to-digital transformation of industrial imaging,” said EFI Executive Chairman and CEO Jeff Jacobson. “Gail will provide strategic expertise and experience as we continue to build and strengthen our team to drive future growth and success.”

“I admire EFI’s compelling strategic vision and values-led culture,” said Ms. Coles Johnson. “It’s an honor to join the company’s board of directors and be part of a business driving such meaningful change in the industrial imaging industry.”

Ms. Coles Johnson currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for The Executive Leadership Council. She is a highly sought-after speaker for various panels on topics related to diversity and inclusion, innovation, workforce planning, generational mentoring, and minority recruitment and retention.

Ms. Coles Johnson previously served in a variety of roles at AT&T, including in sales, human capital, and management, before becoming AT&T’s Assistant Vice President of Human Resources in 2015. Throughout her tenure at AT&T, she led and executed human capital management strategies by building strategic partnerships, creating and executing leadership development programs, and hiring top talent across the organization, including c-suite positions.

Ms. Coles Johnson has a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School and Cornell University. She is an Advisory Council member with the National Institutes of Health, and has served on the boards of multiple organizations, including the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the National Black MBA Association and the Links Foundation.

About EFI
EFI™ is a global technology company, based in Silicon Valley, and is leading the worldwide transformation from analog to digital imaging. We are passionate about fueling customer success with products that increase competitiveness and boost productivity. To do that, we develop breakthrough technologies for the manufacturing of signage, packaging, textiles, ceramic tiles, building materials and personalized documents, with a wide range of printers, inks, and digital front ends.

www.efi.com