FTA awards honor technology and print excellence

McDowell Label took home a Best of Show award at the Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) 2016 Excellence in Flexography Awards for its Performix Ion Multi-Phase Pre-Workout Dietary Supplement Label.

McDowell Label took home a Best of Show award at the Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) 2016 Excellence in Flexography Awards for its Performix Ion Multi-Phase Pre-Workout Dietary Supplement Label.

A total of 110 medals and awards were endowed, including 38 golds and six Best of Show, given to the best gold medal winning entries. The awards were presented at FTA’s Annual Awards Banquet, held in conjunction with the Association’s Annual Forum in Fort Worth, TX. Among other honors bestowed were Three Technical Innovation Awards, a new Hall of Fame inductee, President’s award and Sustainability award. 

The 2016 Technical Innovation Award In the Prepress Graphics category went to Flint Group for its nyloflex FTF Digital Plate Technology. The judges commented: ‘This new flexo plate technology provides flat top dots by simply processing like any standard round top digital plate. No additional investment, equipment, processing steps or consumable items are required. Additionally, a special, textured plate surface eliminates the need for time consuming surface screening. The optimized texture of the plate provides even ink laydown and increases solid ink density at any imaging resolution, even standard resolutions of 2400 or 2540 dpi.’

Also in the Prepress Graphics category, a 2016 Technical Innovation Award went to MacDermid Graphics Solutions for its LUX ITP 60 Technology. This builds on the company’s award-winning LUX Lamination technology, providing flat top dots ‘out of the box’. No additional platemaking steps or equipment are needed.

The third Technical Innovation Award went to PAD Peripheral Advanced Design Flexomaid for its Aeromaid technology, which cleans all types of anilox and gravure cylinders regardless of line screen or cell dimensions. Its patented head measures the roll before cleaning to determine the right amount of detergent to use, minimizing fluid consumption.

The 2016 and 54th inductee into FTA’s Flexo Hall of Fame is Mark Cisternino, the organization’s long standing president. Cisternino has worked with every committee and working group associated with FTA and remains on the FTA board of directors and board of trustees.

The FTA’s President’s award went to Sante Conselvan for his work leading the formation of FTA Europe ‘and vision of a stronger, unified European flexographic industry’. As president of ATIF (Associazione Tecnica Italiana per la Flessografia), Sante spearheaded the FTA Europe formation initiative by inviting all European flexographic associations to a meeting to discuss the creation of an organizational network to exchange information and ideas in a collective manner, in order to avoid wasting resources duplicating efforts. T

he 2016 FTA Sustainability Excellence Award went to flexible packaging converter Kendall Packaging of Jefferson, WI. The company was recognized for an initiative to decrease its carbon footprint and waste streams, with all scrapped converted materials baled and recycled. Other initiatives included installing skylights in work areas; high efficiency lighting throughout the building - generating a rebate from the State of Wisconsin; installing new air conditioners to reduce energy costs; sending out still bottoms to be repurposed for road material; putting in two retention ponds to reduce the plants water runoff; and continuously working with customers to down gauge films thereby lowering its material footprint.

PS label converter Specialty Printing received an honorable mention. The company became a member of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) in October of 2014 and its Lean to Green Program found ways to decrease runtime, reduce power and water consumption and reduce ink inventory.

Andy Thomas

  • Strategic director