Abbott Label has installed the Domino N610i digital UV inkjet label press in Santa Fe Springs, CA.

Abbott Label is a family run trade-only label manufacturing company selling strictly for resale. The organization is comprised of four strategically located manufacturing facilities across the United States in Texas, California, Georgia, and Illinois.

In February 2020, Abbott Label added the Domino N610i digital UV inkjet press to their label printing arsenal to complement their HP Indigo, and to expand their digital printing capabilities at their headquarters in Dallas, TX.  Soon after, COVID-19 hit and there was a huge surge in variable data printing (VDP) applications.  Abbott Label turned again to Domino with the installation of the K600i dual bar digital UV inkjet printer in early 2021, further increasing their digital printing strength and capacity.

A year later and Abbott Label continues to grow, driving the acquisition of another Domino N610i… this one for their California location. 

We caught up with John Abbott, President of Abbott Label to discuss the California facility, the growing demand for digital printing, and why he chose Domino.   

Tell me about the Abbott Label facility in California

“Our facility is in southern California in Santa Fe Springs, which is roughly 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles, 20 miles northeast of Long Beach, and 10 miles northwest of Anaheim.  At that facility we have 65 employees, 55,000 square feet, and we’ve been there for 15 years.  From an equipment standpoint, we have two 17” Mark Andy 8-color full UV presses; two 13” die cutters; CEI 20” die cutter; 10” 8-color Mark Andy 2200; and 16” 6-color Mark Andy 4120.”

What was the driver for adding the Domino N610i to that facility?

“We have a large distributor base on the west coast with a growing demand for digital print. Until now, we have serviced those customers utilizing our Domino N610i which is located at our headquarters in Dallas, TX. I see the ability to serve the west coast market from Dallas as testament to Abbott Label’s outstanding service and Domino’s top tier quality. Adding the Domino N610i to our Santa Fe Springs location transplants our recipe for success closer to the end use market.” 

“We have made a conscious effort to make certain that all our facilities have similar manufacturing capabilities, unlike other competitors who utilize distribution centers instead of full manufacturing capabilities. This allows us to react and provide high-quality labels faster. Furthermore, the entire Abbott Label team believes that quality must be a given.  After having run the Domino N610i in Dallas for over two years, we are confident in its ability to provide our west coast customer base with high-quality products in a timely manner.”

When was the press installed and what jobs will run on this press?

“We installed the press in December 2021. The Domino UV inks are great. Highly durable and great colors! Our operators love running this machine.  Labels that we run on this press are food and beverage, nutraceuticals, industrial, retail, consecutive numbers, barcodes, and variable imaging.”      

What production & business benefits do you anticipate?

“Before installing the Domino N610i in our Santa Fe Springs manufacturing facility, we were having to serve the west coast digital market from our headquarters in Dallas. And although we could produce the high-quality labels quickly, we were still faced with longer shipping times due to proximity. The biggest benefit of adding the N610i to our west coast arsenal is the ability to respond faster to our customer needs. We also anticipate increasing top line digital sales. We feel we have only captured a very small percentage of the digital market on the west coast.”

What is most important you want your customers & prospects to know?

“Abbott Label prides itself as the most service-oriented trade only label manufacturer in the country, now offering digital printing out of our Santa Fe Springs, CA manufacturing facility. Digital print turn time is 3-5 business days after art proof approval.”

Thank you, John.  Anything else you would like to add?

“We would like to thank Domino and their team for amazing service and the strong partnership and look forward to continued growth as a result of it.”

Watch this video to learn more about Abbott Label and their partnership with Domino.
VIDEO: Abbott Label & Domino

Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions.  Celebrating its 44th year in business, Domino is a global organization with world headquarters in the UK, and North America headquarters in Gurnee, IL.  Domino has 25 subsidiaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 3,000 employees worldwide. 

For more information on Domino digital printing, please visit dominodigitalprinting.com  

Ghent, Belgium – HYBRID Software, the innovative software solutions provider for labels and packaging, has opened a dedicated branch in Barcelona, Spain through the acquisition of its regional reseller. The new office will be a vital hub for support and sales across the Iberian region. The team will be led by industry veteran David Morales, Managing Director of HYBRID Software Iberia since September 2016.

The new office positions HYBRID Software as a market leader in Spain and Portugal: an important and vibrant region for the labels and packaging market with an understanding of the local packaging market and the ability to offer sales and support in Spanish and Portuguese languages. The company expects an appreciable increase in support excellence, customer satisfaction, and long-term client relationships.

Says David Morales, Managing Director of HYBRID Software Iberia, “I and my team are looking forward to serving label and packaging printers and tradeshops in the Iberia region by delivering the most innovative solutions on the market.”

To get in contact with the office, please find the details below.

E-mail: info-es@hybridsoftware.com

Office address: Hybrid Iberia, S.L.U. is located at C/Riera dels Frares, 8-10, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

About HYBRID Software
With offices in Belgium, Germany, Italy, UK, China and the US plus a global partner network,

HYBRID Software is a software development company focused on innovative productivity tools for the graphic arts industry.

HYBRID Software’s CLOUDFLOW workflow, PACKZ and STEPZ editor as well as integration products offer a unique set of advantages that include native PDF workflows, vendor-independent solutions based on industry standards, scalable technology and low cost of ownership. These products are used by more than a thousand customers worldwide in all areas of prepress and print, including labels and packaging, folding cartons, corrugated, wide format and digital printing. HYBRID Software is a subsidiary of Hybrid Software Group.

www.hybridsoftware.com

Stow, OH – Mactac®, a LINTEC Company, announces it has completed the acquisition of Spinnaker Coating, LLC, representing $130 million of specialty revenue at a price of $40 million. The asset purchase consists of Spinnaker’s manufacturing facility and headquarters based in Troy, Ohio, and North American distribution centers located in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and, Vails Gate, New York. Spinnaker will operate as a standalone subsidiary of Mactac.

As part of LINTEC, Mactac is one of the largest, most diversified global pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) suppliers. Mactac’s acquisition of Spinnaker, which specializes in the customized production and distribution of pressure-sensitive roll label and sheet base materials in North America, creates a one-of-a-kind, world-class specialty labeling company.

With Spinnaker, LINTEC, and Duramark Products (formally Ritrama USA and acquired by Mactac earlier in 2021) serving the industry together, Mactac delivers customers unmatched technology, capability, service, and value. These combined pressure-sensitive adhesive technologies provide the North American market with necessary support and capacity.

“Mactac built upon our solid foundation adding enhanced service, capabilities and breadth of product offering,” said Ed LaForge, Mactac President and CEO. “Our combined product offering now encompasses all adhesive technologies, including hot-melt, solvent, silicone and emulsion. We offer a wide range of high-quality PSA materials for any application need, such as film, cast vinyl and specialty solutions. And, with Spinnaker’s unique business model, we will expand Mactac and Spinnaker specialty labelstock offerings to create a model unlike any other.”

The purchase of Spinnaker delivers Mactac customers an abundance of new opportunities in specialty labeling. Spinnaker customers benefit from Mactac’s advanced technologies, innovative solutions, modern production capabilities and depth of technical expertise. 

“Joining together gives Spinnaker access to Mactac’s state-of-the-art engineering and technology and offers our customers new and expanded product offerings and adhesive capabilities,” says Lou Guzzetti, Spinnaker’s Chairman of the Board. “And, like Spinnaker, Mactac is an employee-centric organization with a service-first culture. We look forward to realizing the possibilities this acquisition brings to our employees and to the market.”

In response to customer and market request for enhanced products and services, supply chain continuity and added reliability, Mactac is focused on market growth and operational expansion. The Duramark acquisition expanded Mactac’s technology, adhesive capabilities and production capacity with more facilities and locations, new world-class coaters, and advanced automation technologies. In 2022, Mactac will add five new world-class slitting assets and further grow its adhesive formulation and manufacturing capabilities.

Mactac and its parent company, LINTEC, a global leader in the field of adhesive materials, will continue to invest heavily in R&D and operational enhancements as part of its strategic plan. Mactac’s acquisition of Spinnaker further solidifies LINTEC’s commitment to bring its comprehensive global capabilities to the North American market. For more information on Mactac, its products and growth strategies, visit www.mactac.com.

About Mactac
For more than 60 years, Mactac has served the PSA material market supplying label printing, graphic design, packaging, retail display, fleet graphics, automotive assembly, and medical device assembly customers, among others. It is known for providing exceptional support to customers to help them grow their businesses and diversify their product offerings.

About Spinnaker Coating, LLC
Founded in 1928, Spinnaker is a customer-focused company that develops, manufactures, and markets adhesive-coated paper and film constructions for conversion by printers and industrial users into marketing, identifying, promoting, labeling and decorating applications.

Leading global manufacturer of print and packaging technologies, BOBST has revealed the latest addition to its lineup, the new EXPERTFOLD 165 e-commerceversion. Indeed, the larger version of the high-tech EXPERTFOLD 145 l 165 folder-gluer is now available with innovations for digital retail.

Already featuring a highly configurable and modular design, delivering unmatched flexibility and versatility, two new modules have been added to the 165 version: POLYVACUUM and GYROBOX. Their objective is to add value under the pressures of e-commerce. Already available for the MASTERFOLD 170 and 230, these two unique modules have been customized for the EXPERTFOLD 165 and are now available on this flagship for the folding-gluing of litho-laminated boxes. The launch demonstrates the BOBST approach to product development, meeting the changing needs of converters head-on.

POLYVACUUM was designed to unlock versatility. Bespoke upper transports allow the installation of external application tools, while the lower vacuum transports ensure extremely stable transport of the blanks. POLYVACUUM allows to fit special folding devices as well as in-line applicators of strips and self-adhesive tapes, needed for e-commerce boxes.

GYROBOX is a system that can pivot blanks at any angle from 0° to 180° in the running direction. Enabling converters to keep pace with heightened e-commerce demands, GYROBOX rotates boxes that normally require two passes in one single pass. The system can rotate left to right or right to left, allowing even complex boxes to be run at speeds of up to 250 m/min. Even when GYROBOX is not used, blanks can be folded and glued without any hindrance at full machine speed. This unique module enables the fast and cost-efficient production of speciality boxes, further increasing the great potential for diversification, together with POLYVACUUM.

Pierre Binggeli, Product Line Director Folder-gluers at BOBST, comments: “Across the retail sector, there has been an unmistakable surge in e-commerce as shoppers quickly turned to online during the pandemic. This brings added pressures onto brands and converters they rely on. As ever, we evolve our products to meet the needs of converters right here, right now – and in the future. With the EXPERTFOLD 165 e-commerce version, we’re offering a dedicated evolution of our tried and tested machine with additional tools for digital retail.”

A rapid turnaround from clicks to delivery is essential to sales and the customer experience. The right machinery in place can therefore make all the difference. “EXPERTFOLD 165 e-commerce produces a wide range of boxes in a single production line, with efficient production even for complex boxes. What is more, the technology has simple handling for shorter make-ready and more uptime, adding more value for the converter. As with all BOBST machines, complex technology is made simple with an operator-friendly user interface, with simple setup. We are pleased to bring a new powerhouse machine to the market and once again demonstrate why BOBST is the go-to name for packaging innovation,” concludes Pierre Binggeli.

Able to support digital transformation for packaging converters, the machine is equipped with MATIC automation technology and remote control. The swift setups and changeovers are also due to the fact that the entire folder-gluer and the different modules are managed through an HMI, allowing users to save and retrieve settings on demand. Ready for the transition to Industry 4.0, the EXPERTFOLD is already available with Helpline Plus and BOBST Service Apps, allowing remote access for fast and effective production monitoring and assistance. Indeed, the new EXPERTFOLD 165 e-commerce version meets the need for diversification and productivity, while also providing cost-efficient, future-proof converting.

To learn more about EXPERTFOLD 165 e-commerce and impressive BOBST range, please visit www.bobst.com.

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.

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