Tan Junqiao, senior advisor of PEIAC (Print Equipment Industries’ Association of China), gave a presentation about the Chinese label market. Maxime Bayzelon, vice president of ETI China, then spoke about the company’s history and products, while Waley Xuan, general manager of ETI China, gave a presentation about ETI Cohesio technology.  

A demonstration of the machine involved pre-printed rolls of wash-off beer labels being transformed into die-cut, self-adhesive labels. The silicone and a UV curable hotmelt adhesive were applied in-line, cured and then die-cut in register at a speed of 150 m/min.  

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‘Based on customer feedback, market growth, and our long history of serving the pressure sensitive industry, we determined that Escanaba’s no. 3 paper machine is an excellent manufacturing platform for meeting the stringent performance requirements of this market,’ said Ed Buehler, general manager for specialty papers. ‘This product line expansion creates more facestock and release liner options for label converters, and uniquely positions NewPage with the most comprehensive offering of pressure sensitive papers in North America.’  

The Escanaba mill’s No. 3 paper machine has a 262 inch trim. The mill is a pulp and paper manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 845,000 tons on three paper machines, producing label facestock and release liner, commercial printing, catalog, magazine and book grades. The Escanaba mill is third-party certified to three chain-of-custody systems, including the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes.   

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The company will display three RSI (Rotary Screen Integration) printing modules at the show, for OEM partners Nilpeter, Mark Andy and Omet. These modules can be integrated into the architecture, software and mechanics of the latest-generation printing presses. It can be controlled through the main panel of the press, which provides simultaneous, centralized monitoring of all rotary screen positions alongside other printing and converting operations.  

Also on show will be the re-engraveable RotaMesh screen for the RSI systems, and the re-usable RotaPlate screen for non-Stork systems. Both feature electroformed pure-nickel construction, offering easy handling, high stability and resistance to breakage at relatively high speeds.  

Stork Prints will be highlighting the many high-value applications of rotary screen, from decorative raised varnishes to brand protection labels. The company says it is investing in development of industrial label printing lines based on the rotary screen process – for example biosensors for medical applications, high- and ultra-high frequency labels for RFID, and adhesives for packaging.   

After its European introduction at Labelexpo Europe in 2009, Stork Prints will launch the DSI 4330L digital label printer, a short-run UV inkjet machine, to the North American market. The press is modular in design, allowing configurations from stand-alone digital printing machines up to complete digital printing lines with in-line (semi-rotary) converting.  

Laser engraving 

Stork Prints is giving live demonstrations on two machines, five times a day, of its direct laser exposer rotaLEX and the direct laser engraver rotaLEN.  

The rotaLEX 6630F laser is a high-speed, compact digital laser exposing device, serving high-quality RotaPlate screen printing applications in narrow web printing. The system provides a one-step digital workflow by eliminating the need for conventional film, ablative film and even ablative plate processing. The rotaLEX 6630F contains a UV multibeam optic system, specifically developed for the unit, which ensures increased speed and sharpness while maintaining total stability. The machine is compatible with all available RotaPlate screen specifications, from fine text to tactile applications.

The rotaLEN 5511 direct engraver is specifically dedicated to screen printers. It transfers images onto RotaMesh and RotaPlate digitally, and gives packaging and label converters a fully integrated workflow at the pre-press stage.  

New software 

Stork Prints will launch Active 3D RIP, a pre-media relief-dot generation software tool that boosts half-tone and high-light quality by direct laser engraving. The tool allows control when generating negative and positive dot-shapes and dimensions across the whole tonal range – from 1 percent to 99 percent density. Depth variables are unlimited and complete shoulder steepness can be varied from 0 deg to 90 deg. This flexibility gives the dots optimum support, especially in highlight areas. As a result, the printing form offers improved durability and consistent printing quality over longer periods. Active 3D-RIP reduces tonal loss by up to 50 percent, compared with existing 3D dot shaping techniques used for direct laser engraving.  

This year, the company has claimed a significant quality breakthrough in flexographic laser engraving technology, with the ability to achieve of 100 lines per centimeter (at one percent dot). The company says this is due to improvement in the laser engraving technology itself, the software enhancements on Stork Prints systems and better choice of printing form materials.  

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Tailored Solutions’ president Ken Meinhardt said: ‘As they move more and more into package printing, Label Traxx users find themselves running complex jobs on several presses, using many processes. Our new package printing option permits accurately estimating, managing and recording such jobs. Users who have tested these features tell us that they realize significant time savings and create far more accurate estimates.’ 

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The division will feature its Microsphere adhesives, its most repositionable range. Micronax is suitable for a wide variety of applications, including product decorations, wall graphics, temporary signage, repositionable notes, advertising pieces, arts and crafts and food packaging.  

Franklin Adhesives & Polymers will also unveil two environmentally-friendly adhesives: Covinax APE-free permanent PSAs; and Acrynax acrylic polymer hot melt PSAs, an alternative to solvent-based adhesives.  

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Before being approved, every drug must successfully pass the test of clinical trials. In many of these trials, investigators and subjects are not permitted to know whether an effective drug or a placebo is being administered. Often, trials involve liquid substances that obviously differ in color and such visual differences must be reliably neutralized. However, the person dispensing the substance must still be able to see how much liquid is contained in the vial or syringe.  

The disguises any differences in color, while preserving the view of the fill level. ‘We are very excited to bring this product to market,’ said Gene Dul, president of Schreiner MediPharm. ‘It is a unique, effective product that we believe will play a major role in clinical trials.’ 

Schreiner MediPharm’s new film can be adapted to suit the color of the liquids. In addition, it can be printed with graduation lines and product information, and a “proof-of-first-opening” element can be integrated as well. 

Pictured (l-r): Before and after neutralization

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The customer wanted vertical, enclosed units that could store 20 to 40 inch repeat by 100 inch or longer plate sleeves. The storage racks had to be modular, hold at least eight sleeves and offer easy accessibility from either side.   

Because floor space at the customer site was limited, HarperScientific’s craftsmen equipped each unit with heavy-duty casters and securing straps. That way, the enclosures – shielding the sleeves from light sources and normal plate dust – could be stored away from the printing line then easily moved, unloaded and reloaded by a single operator. 

In producing the custom units, Harper relied on many design features already available to the global anilox market from Harper’s SleeveWrak range of roll racks. Vertical storage prevents the sleeves from losing shape.  

‘Our customer was very pleased with the concept, design, quality of construction and overall flexibility of the system – and that is music to our ears,’ said Jim Harper, HarperScientific’s vice president.  

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For the second year, the sustainability report will be released in digital form only on the company’s corporate website. Click here to view or download the report. 

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Color-Logic sales and marketing director Mark Geeves said: ‘Poligráfica has demonstrated their prowess in printing with the Color-Logic system, and we are pleased to recognize and recommend them as a certified Color-Logic printer. We are particularly gratified to note that the Color-Logic process metallic color system is quickly becoming recognized around the world as the most consistent and cost effective means of creating metallics.’ 

Poligráfica, headquartered in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and with offices in Quito, provides a wide variety of printing and converting services to Latin American companies. Color-Logic develops color communication systems and software tool sets for a variety of special effect printing applications.  

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