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

Atlanta, GA – MacDermid Graphics Solutions, a global leader in flexographic platemaking and printing solutions, has named Meghan Richburg Global Program Manager, Experience Center. Meghan’s primary responsibilities will include managing the day-to-day operations and providing outstanding experiences for visitors of The Flexo Xperience Center at MacDermid Graphics Solutions (The FXC).

Meghan first joined MacDermid Graphics Solutions in 2016 as a summer intern. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s in Marketing, Meghan joined MacDermid as Marketing Associate. She has been integral in building MacDermid’s social media presence and implementing marketing programs globally.

As Global Program Manager, Experience Center, Meghan will be responsible for the marketing and operations of The FXC. This includes creating experiences with center partners, event planning and execution, managing resources for successful center visits, and optimizing technology for virtual and remote use of the center. Meghan’s role is essential to accomplish the mission of The FXC of Moving Flexo Forward. Meghan will also manage all MacDermid events outside of The FXC.

“Meghan’s new role as Global Program Manager, Experience Center is not only well deserved but vital for the success of The FXC. Over the past five years, she has successfully assisted in planning and executing all shows and events for MacDermid. In the past year, Meghan has worked closely with the entire team planning The FXC. Meghan’s dedication to MacDermid and the project has been key in the company’s ongoing transformation. I am excited to witness her growth and future successes,” stated Leigh Carpenter, Global Marketing Manager at MacDermid Graphics Solutions.

Brad Wills, Global Senior Vice President at MacDermid Graphics Solutions, added, “The Flexo Xperience Center is more than a center for MacDermid to show off our flexo plate technology. The FXC is a center for our partners, customers, and the entire package printing industry to push the envelope of what flexo can achieve. The center is one-of-a-kind, and MacDermid is working with the industry’s top innovators, like SOMA, to create a neutral space for innovation, learning, collaboration, and research. Meghan’s new role will ensure we meet the goals of The FXC for years to come.”

The Flexo Xperience Center is located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and is scheduled to open in the first half of 2022. The center will be the first of its kind to bring the industry’s best innovation providers together in one place. The FXC will be a global center that will combine both hands-on and virtual visits for a “one-stop-shop” for the package printing industry’s entire workflow to experience the latest flexographic printing innovations. The center will be open to pre-media suppliers, tradeshops, printers, converters, consumer product good companies, industry associations, educational institutions, manufacturers, and other players in the package printing market.

About MacDermid Graphics Solutions
MacDermid Graphics Solutions is committed to becoming the most customer-centric company in the flexographic industry. From leading the way in photopolymer plate technology to first-class service and support, MacDermid is the innovation partner our customers trust. Our global network of strategic supplier partnerships and distributors, combined with our proven technology and support, ensures our customers achieve their operational, financial, and strategic business goals.

Learn more about our commitment to customer success at macdermidgraphics.com.

Rochester, NY – Durst North America has invested in top industry talent to supply Canadian customers with award-winning inkjet solutions in Canada’s ever-growing digital printing market.

Tim Saur, CEO / Managing Director, Durst North America, said: “Canada is an incredibly strong country and one in which, living in Western NY, I know to be very welcoming.  The reality is that our presence in Canada has not yet achieved what we anticipated.”

Saur continued, “At the same time, our market share in the USA continues to increase rapidly, and our customer success stories are growing and unrivaled.  I believe that with the new addition of Phil Hampson, a seasoned, focused, knowledgeable, and proven sales individual, combined with a growing service team, we can properly reflect to the Canadian market just how sincere we are about partnering in their continued success.”

Philip Hampson brings a wealth of experience as a veteran in the printing industry.  He has previously served in several National sales roles supporting various print markets.  “I have always admired Durst as a company and am honored to represent Durst throughout Canada,” states Hampson. “The Durst portfolio offers clients the ability to grow their business with industry-leading inkjet and software solutions. It is exciting to be in a position to offer a best-in-class portfolio of products across multiple segments including Large Format, Textile, Corrugated and Label markets.”

Durst’s inkjet portfolio has established itself as the benchmark for highest quality, reliability and productivity.  “Philip’s experience in inkjet sales and support makes him a strong and welcome addition to the Durst sales team,” said Larry D’Amico, Sales Director Durst North America. “He reflects our ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction before, during and after the sale.”

About Durst:

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

Durst U.S. online at: www.durstus.com