FTA eyes flexo future

The educational arm of the four-day event, Forum 2019 technical presentations covered a range of topics for label, folding carton, corrugated, direct print and flexible package printing. While flexography was the star of the show, digital and hybrid printing were not ignored. FTA reported that nearly 20 percent of its exhibitors brought converting equipment to their booths.

New initiatives 
FTA launched some new programs this year including a Women in Flexo initiative. This member-driven group was in response to the growing trend of females entering the flexographic industry, the association said. According to initiative organizers Nona Woolbright, Clemson University, and Katie Graham, FTA, their hope is to develop a group that advances leadership skills, offers mentoring and builds a network that women in flexo can turn to for support.

The organizers said, ‘With the rise of women in leadership as well as skilled positions in the flexo industry from pre-press to suppliers to production, there’s a tremendous opportunity for FTA to provide a platform to specifically support women who wish to network, learn and grow within the industry.’

FTA president Mark Cisternino is committed to the initiative. ‘I feel it is prudent to organize a Women in Flexo group to bring attention to the growing percentage of women joining the industry in a variety of influential positions,’ he said.

The association also hosted a rebranded educational track on the show floor. The Innovation Central (formerly Solutions Showcase) was rebranded in 2019 and sponsored by Labels & Labeling and Labelexpo Global Series. The event featured 14 educational tracks, each lasting 20 minutes, offering visitors a glimpse into the cutting-edge technologies and trends. Topics included digital imaging, automation, platemaking, LED curing, capped surface plates, white ink transfer improvements and more.

Awards 
An awards ceremony during the event recognized achievements in technical innovation and sustainability.

FTA’s sustainability excellence award was given to IGT Global Solutions, for its volatile organic compound (VOC) reduction program, and Comexi, for the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of its F2 MC flexo press. 

PCMC, Esko and Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica were each honored for technical innovation. 

In the heavy metal category, PCMC was honored for its SteadyPrint, a combination of hardware and software that reduces bounce, improves press speeds by 200 to 400 percent and reduces waste by 35 percent. 

Esko won in the pre-press graphics category for its Print Control Wizard (PCW), a wizard-driven software used in pre-press that automates the role of the color expert. It generates perfect screens and curves for any application, allowing for plates to be exactly the same. 

In the pre-press – pressroom category, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica won a technical innovation award for its augmented reality DataGlass remote support. The system provides remote support personnel the ability to experience what a printer’s technical team sees and hears in real time, improving the time in which technicians can fix issues and instantly provide support. The project took approximately 18 months to create, modify and rework parts of the hardware and software so it can work with different devices and machines. 

FTA also named two winners for its annual President’s Award. Katie Graham, formerly the marketing and communications manager at Pamarco and now with the FTA, and Dr Danny Rich, senior color physicist in the Color Research Laboratory at Sun Chemical, share the 2019 honor.