New press technology at Labelexpo Americas

FLEXO PRESSES

Automation, wider printing widths and use of process color were key themes on the conventional press booths. Nilpeter demonstrated an FB-3 and FA-4* flexo press – the latter including Nilpeter’s new FP-4 unit for in-line flatbed foiling and embossing.

‘We saw visitors on our show floor really wanting to take advantage of the automation on these presses,’ said Paul Teachout, VP sales & marketing in North America. ‘We presented a flexographic solution to meet the digital challenge and affect the cross-over point between flexo and digital. Now with a simple recall of a job, fast change of plate cylinders, with full automation resetting the job, we are back into impression and register with zero waste, and that is highly competitive.’

The company also experienced strong interest in the inline QC-Die, which allows operators to ergonomically change cylinders in less than 10 seconds. The FB-3 was demonstrating Expanded Gamut process printing on both health and beauty PS labels and Juice label shrink sleeves. The highly automated FA-4* is now offered in a 17” format for the North American flexible packaging market.

Nuova Gidue launched in North America its Revo Digital Flexo Excellence M5 UV flexo press. The Digital Flexo concept won an Innovation award at the Global Label Award ceremony held at Labelexpo (see feature). All the Revo partners were present on the stand explaining how each element from plate and anilox to process color inks fitted together to achieve a high level of automation. The 430mm-wide M5 demonstrated all aspects of the Excellence technology, including ExcelPrint, ExcelDie and ExcelCut for the automatic ‘non-stop’ exchange of print cylinders and flexible dies.

Omet showed for the first time its XFlex X4 press in a 17in (440mm) format. XFlex X4 is Omet’s entry-level press and includes the company’s Vision register control system, twin servo-motors on each printing unit and label and film printing capabilities. The addition of the extended width to the XFlex X4 is targeted specifically at the American market, with a requirement to convert short and medium runs of labels to long runs of flexible packaging.

Although Mark Andy was majoring on the launch of its Digital Series press, this Labelexpo was also the first appearance of the new-look Mark Andy management team following the recent MBO. ‘Mark Andy is no longer for sale!’ announced president and CEO, Kevin Wilken. ‘Being sold every few years is not a great thing. The same management team that created Mark Andy’s strategy is now running the company.’

Wilken said that being owned by a Private Equity group had left a positive legacy: ‘They invested heavily in Mark Andy, meaning we could develop products like the new Versamax (flexible packaging press).’

The show also sees Mark Andy become a full service supplier with the launch of Mark Andy Print Products. The company recently added the DigiFlex CTP system to a full range of workflow solutions from plates to press consumables. ‘We are not just selling a press, we are owning any issues that the customer has,’ said Steve Schulte, VP sales & marketing.

On the RotoFlex side of the business, an improved edrive system was announced, allowing ‘instant’ start/stop, remote management and improved speeds up to 2,000fpm. Codimag demonstrated waterless offset 7-color process printing on a Viva 340 Aniflo press, using Esko’s Equinox software to simulate spot colors. The company used a CTP unit on the stand to run customer jobs live.

DIGITAL PRESSES: TONER SYSTEMS

HP Indigo gave a world premiere to its WS6800 digital press – successor to the established WS6600 platform - and showed its groundbreaking 20000 digital press for the first time in the United States. The WS6800 has a larger format print frame than its predecessor and an in-line spectrophotometer, opening up new opportunities for automated and closed loop color control. The 30in-wide HP 20000 can print both labels and flexible packaging, and was shown with an off-line Q3000 finishing system developed by ABG and Edale.

An intriguing new development is the patent-pending Mosaic software application for HP’s SmartStream Designer suite, which can generate unique combinations of graphics and text for each label in the same run.

The company also showed a new ‘self-sustaining’ imaging oil kit for HP Indigo presses, which generates distilled imaging oil sufficient for the printing process and for maintenance, with no external oil needed.

Alon Bar-Shany, VP and general manager, Indigo Division, HP, said that this year HP presses are expected to print over 500m sq meters of labels, growing at 30 percent year-on-year, or 6x faster than global label industry growth.

Reviewing the current installed base of ten 20000 presses, Bar-Shany said they are being used mainly for labels as well as some flexible packaging. The 30000 press dedicated to carton production now has 10+ installations, with typical applications including, pharmaceutical and consumer goods.

‘Some brands which worked with our digital label customers are now realizing they can extend those campaigns to flexibles and cartons, and then to applications like corrugated where we also have a solution.’

During the press conference Bar-Shany introduced two leading converters and users of HP Indigo technology, Todd Wentz, VP engineering at WS Packaging, and Maui Chai president and co-founder of FlexTech.

Todd Wentz said WS Packaging is considering the potential of digitally printed flexible packaging. ‘This needs a shift in mindset, where we can offer customers multiple avenues and give them a seamless move between the flexo and digital worlds.’

Xeikon introduced Cheetah, a new dry toner digital color press dedicated to the self-adhesive label market that runs 60 percent faster than its current 3000 series and described as the ‘biggest leap in its technology in 15 years’.

The Cheetah is a full rotary press that can print at 98ft/min (30m/min) in five colors at a true print resolution of 1,200 x 3,600dpi, with a web width of 7.9-13in (200-330mm). This places it directly in the narrow web market, said Filip Weymans, director of segment marketing and business development for labels and packaging at Xeikon, and meets the needs of printers and converters that are looking to print higher volumes of self-adhesive labels more economically.

The press offers five colors, with a standard configuration of CMYK+white, although further colors are available, such as orange and green, as well as custom colors that can be specified and delivered in a four-week time frame.

Weymans said: ‘We have noticed that our customer’s volumes are growing and you have to consider how many presses they can operate to meet this.

‘We took this as signal as a press manufacturer to develop a more efficient and economical press.’

The toner used with the Cheetah is based on Xeikon’s Ice toner, which was launched last year, although a specially modified version, Cheetah toner, has been developed to handle the increased printing speed of the press with a reduced particle size.

By materials, the Cheetah can handle a wide gamut of those used in the self-adhesive label market, from coated and uncoated papers to BOPP and coextruded plastics.

GRAPHTEC MOVES INTO LABELS

A new entrant to the label market is Japanese company Graphtec Corporation, which launched its LabelRobo LCX1000 digital label system. The 65-year-old company, whose core expertise is in cutting plotters, is ‘excited by the potential of the label market’, according to senior managing director Hiroyuki Takahata.

The system, which is suited for the production of GHS-compliant labels, comes in two parts. The LabelRobo DLP1000 print engine system uses Graphtec’s newly developed electrophotographic printing technology, achieving speeds up to 124mm/sec at a maximum output resolution of 600dpi x 2400dpi across 6in wide media. The LabelRobo DLC1000 is a digital label finisher including laminating, plotter-based die-cutting of different size and shapes, waste matrix removal, slitting and rewinding. The LabelRobo LCX1000 provides a three-way feed and handles pre-die-cut media, allowing users to print roll-to-roll, sheet feeding of roll-to-cut, and sheet.

The system will handle a wide variety of media, now under development, with water and weather resistance, including glossy paper, semi‐glossy paper and synthetic paper, PET film white, PET film clear and PET film silver.

OKI Data introduced its new C711DW digital press and finishing system. The C711DW utilizes a Hybrid Software front end. It prints at up to 25 fpm in continuous feed mode, and handles a variety of media including paper, polyester, vinyl and adhesive-backed substrates at widths of 6.5 to 8.5 inches. The supplier sold four of the systems while at the show.

The company also displayed the Kompac EZ Koat that can provide UV coating for rub-, fade-, water- and scratchresistant materials.

DIGITAL PRESSES: INKJET

Mark Andy announced the official launch of its Digital Series hybrid inkjet/flexo press, which integrates a 6-color UV inkjet module (CMYKOV+W) into a P7 press line. Live demonstrations of the press featured on-the-fly job changes and use of decorating options including cold foil, flexo spot color and varnish, as well incorporating Mark Andy’s Quick Change Die Cut (QCDC) technology.

Mark Andy also premiered a zero waste windup system for the Performance Press series.

Jaren D Marler, Mark Andy chief technology officer, runs the company’s digital operation from a base in San Diego. He pointed out that the digital unit achieves speeds up to 240 fpm, making truly hybrid, in-line operation possible.

‘We also have an open digital architecture. We can put in different heads or inks as the technology changes. For the future, more colors and wider is our direction.’

Mark Andy is partnering with an un-named supplier to deliver inkjet inks through its existing consumables distribution network, and Marler says these inks are optimized for the inkjet heads. Greg Palm, EVP New Business Development, said the possibility is open to integrate the digital press with Mark Andy’s ProLED LED-UV system once the inks are available. The press already uses LED-UV for inter-station pinning.

Fujifilm North America showed an FFEI Graphium with a host of new features, including over white and sync-to-mark. FFEI said over white capability increases the overall flexibility of what can be produced but also dramatically increases the potential opacity when used with the Graphium under white.

The use of over white can also significantly enhance text. For example when a coloured background with white knockout text is required it often suffers a lack of clarity. In these cases small text in an opaque white may be overprinted or a combination of a knockout with overprinted white used to clean-up and provide clarity.

Another enhancement introduced for the Graphium was the capability to support substrates of 40-600 microns, allowing the thinnest liners to heavy duty vinyl to be used. These were demonstrated on a fully featured ‘hybrid’ Graphium configuration, including pre- and post-digital flexo stations, a cold foiling station and die cutter.

Colordyne Technologies (CDT) launched its 3600 Series digital label printing press, powered by the latest Memjet technology and with an integrated in-line finishing unit built by PCMC.

The press has an increased print resolution of 1600 x 1375 dpi, ‘drastically’ reduced RIP times; speeds up to 225 ft/min (69 m/min); and a more user-friendly interface. The 3600 platform is fully modular.

Domino introduced a 7-color version of its N610i UV inkjet press, with Orange, Violet and White stations in addition to standard CMYK. The press prints at a resolution of 600 x 600 dpi and speeds up to 75 m/min (246 fpm). One of the two N610i presses on the stand was shown with in-line finishing, which could become a favored configuration at these print speeds, Domino believes.

Said the company’s Philip Easton: ‘Following the device’s successful launch at Labelexpo Europe in 2013, we have worked closely with our customers and the market to identify features that could strengthen the N610i’s capabilities and have responded accordingly. The options for the chilled roller and integrated finishing line enhance the machine’s already impressive performance levels, helping customers to boost margins, reduce lead times and become even more profitable.’

Durst launched its Tau LFS (Laser Finishing System) 330 UV inkjet press into the US market, integrating a 1,000-watt Spartanics laser die cutter into a Tau330 press line to allow single-pass fully variable printing and finishing. The RIP automatically delivers the cutting profile to the laser and synchronizes press and cutting speeds.

‘Now we are running at speeds up to 157 feet per minute, in-line finishing now makes sense,’ explained Helmuth Munter, Durst’s worldwide product manager. Durst also demonstrated its low-migration (under 10ppb) and low-odor inks developed in partnership with Sun Chemical’s Sunjet division. These extend the press’ capabilities into the primary food packaging and pharmaceutical segments. A nitrogen inerting unit suppresses the oxygen that creates the odor associated with UV curing.

The Tau 330 was demonstrated in its new 1260dpi High-Definition print mode, achieved by switching from variable dot size to binary mode with new dot placement algorithms. Munter answered the ‘unspoken’ question - why has LED-UV curing not been adopted? ‘The absorbtion spectrum of our Low Migration inks is different to the peak spectrum of LED, so we would have to slow down the press speed and put in a lot of LED light. Until LED matches better with the peak of low migration inks, this is not an option for our press.

EFI showed for the first time its 13in Jetrion 4950LX LED, a fully LED-UV cured inkjet press complete with in-line finishing. The press’s LED platform combined with chill rolls offers a ‘cool cure’, allowing handling of a broader range of substrates, including flexible packaging films. LED lamps are more consistent and last significantly longer than traditional UV lamps, says EFI, but do need to be water-cooled.

The finishing section of the 4950LX LED included flexo varnish, lamination, 1,000W laser die cutting, slitting and semi-automatic turret rewind. The press is now available with a new white ink module, which allows clear, metallic and colored substrates to be handled. The Jetrion 4950LX press prints at a standard 720x720dpi resolution and up to 200 fpm mode in a new high speed mode.

Stephen Emery, vice president of EFI’s Jetrion and ink businesses, said the company is approaching 200 Jetrion press sales, while ink volumes have increased 23 percent in the first half of 2014. There are no current plans to introduce an extended gamut ink set beyond CMYK, said Emery.

Also on the booth was an EFI 65-inch wide hybrid roll/flatbed printer suitable for high-quality label proofing and packaging prototyping applications. EFI’s Fiery RIP is common to the wide web and Jetrion platforms, allowing jobs to be color managed between them.

The latest release of EFI Radius’ ERP software, v15.1, adds PrintFlow dynamic scheduling. PrintFlow creates an optimized schedule for each machine based on constraints such as workload, job characteristics, work center capabilities, and delivery priorities. Other enhancements to the Radius platform include mobility features for sales and management personnel and a web portal to further simplify order entry by the end customer.

Epson launched its ColorWorks C7500 bench-top label printer, powered by the company’s new PrecisionCore print chip technology. The printer is designed to meet demands for full color variable printing in the Private Label, regulatory compliance and supply chain sectors. ZPL II programming compatibility allows direct replacement of a two-step (flexo pre-print plus thermal transfer variable imaging) workflow. In this application, the printer automatically merges ‘color pre-print’ images in memory with existing monochrome data streams.

The C7500 is Epson’s first ColorWorks industrial printer with a linehead configuration, which allows a higher resolution of 600 x 1200 dpi and a four-fold speed increase over previous models, as well as ten times higher ink capacity. The printer is constructed with an industrial grade metal casing,

The PrecisionCore chips also drive Epson’s first single pass UV inkjet press, the L-6034, which was present on the stand but not yet commercially available.

Komori America Corporation, co-exhibiting with INX International, introduced the NW210-E UV inkjet press, which takes the NW140 press into in a wider 8.25in format. Komori is the sole national dealer for INX International in the US. INX is also selling direct to customers.

The NW210-E press incorporates a 200W Spartanics X210 laser die-cutting station and is powered by the JetINX print head drive and ink recirculation system. It incorporates a low-heat UV LED pinning and curing system for single pass output at up to 80 ft/min.

The inks are resistant to outdoor elements, having been originally designed for the billboard market.

DLS based in Illinois, purchased its second INX press at the show. DLS owner Bob Hakman said, ‘The NW140 has been a very reliable performer for us, but the need for a wider and faster version was apparent to us in order to remain competitive in the marketplace and better service our customers. When we learned the NW210 would be released at this time, we got in line.’

Said Jacki Hudmon, senior vice president of sales for Komori America, ‘We are excited to be introducing this versatile press at Labelexpo Americas 2014 as it is the largest event for the label and package printing industry in the Americas.’

Screen launched its Truepress Jet L350UV inkjet label press in the US. The Truepress Jet L350UV offers print speeds up to 164 fpm and can accommodate maximum printing and media widths up to 12.6 inches and 13.7 inches, respectively. The company was demonstrating its single-pass opaque white UV ink as well as offering 4-color metallic samples produced with the Color Logic system for which Screen is certified. New is a corona discharge unit which improves ink adhesion on transparent film and metallic foil. Screen also showed its JetConverter L350 modular label converting line.

‘We have brought to this press Screen’s years of experience with variable data imaging, screening and color control,’ said Sean Cummins, product manager for Screen North America. ‘This is brought together in our own Equios front end, which helps us achieve a wide color gamut from the CMYK ink set in the press.’

The press on stand had been sold to US converter Label Shoppe, which will use the press in an in-line configuration as it uses only a limited number of dies.

Readers can find many videos recorded live at Labelexpo Americas here.