Industry News - June 2014

Eaglewood Technologies, LLC, makers of Sanilox Anilox Roll Cleaning Systems, has promoted Peter J. Mulheran to Sales Manager. Mr. Mulheran will be responsible for managing the product portfolio both domestically and internationally, as well as promoting Sanilox sales and the Sani-Blast Service department. Mulheran was active in the development of the Sanilox System which was introduced in February, 2014. The Sanilox Anilox Roll Cleaning System automates on-press roll cleaning with the flexibility of off-press cleaning. Mulheran has been with Eaglewood Technologies since its inception in 2007 and is active in TAPPI, the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) and is on the Board of Directors of the Twin Cities Flexo Association (TCFA).

In keeping with its mission to help customers stay on the leading edge of technology, Sartomer has released a new line of BPA-free acrylic oligomers. The oligomers meet newer regulatory requirements while delivering equivalent performance in ink and coating applications in the high-end food packaging industry. Most notably, the oligomers do not contain bisphenol A (BPA) or major components listed on the 2014 Nestlé Guidance Note on Packaging Inks. In addition, all have achieved broad international regulatory compliance. All three products are clear liquids with fast cure response and good water resistance. They exhibit high gloss as well as high impact strength, low shrinkage and solvent resistance in coatings (metal, plastic, paper and paperboard) and inks (inkjet, rotary screen and screen).

Graco’s InvisiPac Tank-Free Hot Melt Delivery System was named a finalist in the New Product or Service of the Year in the Industrial Products & Services category at The 2014 American Business Awards. It will ultimately be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award winner in the program. InvisiPac is a hot melt system for case and carton sealing. Its tank-free design puts an end to tank char, eliminates nozzle plugging and requires only ten minutes to reach operating temperature, significant advantages over traditional hot melt and other tank-free systems.

Trinity Graphic, a commercial printing industry leader in North and South America for more than 45 years, has announced the launching of new company branding in conjunction with a series of new company products and services.

According to Greg Barba, VP of Sales & Marketing, the image enhancement—along with a significant investment in some of the latest printing technologies—is part of taking the Florida-based company in a different direction. This diversification will allow Trinity Graphic to respond mmore effectively to current customers’ changing needs, and offer a wider range of services to potential corporate clients.

Corporations like Walmart are asking brands to reduce packaging sizes by significant percentages to increase space on shelves. Stricter financial targets, combined with consumer demands for speedy delivery, place yet more pressure on companies to shorten lead times without sacrificing quality. For printers and converters, one of the best options to keep up with the needs of the market lies with acquisitions of advanced equipment.

To that end, Phoenix, Ariz.-based Prisma has increased its capabilities in the folding carton market with the installation of a Heidelberg Easygluer 100 which has the ability to handle a broad spectrum of folded and glued carton styles and provide quick turnarounds without sacrificing construction quality.

Pillar Technologies has rolled out VERSATreat, a new state-of-the-art corona treatment technology. Specific features and benefits of the new system include the ability to treat both conductive and non-conductive materials, a proprietary ceramic ground roll coating with100percetn greater dielectric strength, longer service life, and a 3-year non-prorated ground roll warranty.

Paul Teachout has joined Nilpeter USA as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. With over 30 years of combined market experience Teachout brings rich industry knowledge to the Nilpeter team. Teachout will have complete oversight of the strategic direction, expansion, and operation of all North American sales and marketing activities.

Teachout comes to Nilpeter from global anilox supplier Harper Corporation of America, where he served as the HGS Technical and OEM Accounts Manager for the past 6 years. Previous experience included a 24-year-period at Webtron/Aquaflex as the Director of After Sales Services and Product Development.

Color-Logic-developer of the Process Metallic Color System, is entering into a technology partnership with Domino Printing, manufacturer of the new N610i inkjet label press which is noted for its ability to print on metallic substrates. The Color-Logic process has been certified Domino printers in the UK and the United States, so buyers of the N610i inkjet label press can be assured that the Color-Logic process is fully compatible with the device and that they can confidently offer metallic labels featuring the process to their clients. Color-Logic develops color communication systems and software tool sets for a variety of special effect printing applications. It provides brand owners, product managers, corporations, and their advertising agencies the ability to differentiate themselves and their clients with a simple print production process that yields dramatic results.

Videojet surveyed a variety of consumer goods manufacturers with fast-moving production lines and found that all had experienced coding errors—many of them on a frequent basis. Nearly half the companies responding were having trouble with coding errors at least once per week, with one-quarter reporting coding errors at least once per day. Solutions that identify errors before products are put into the supply chain can help save time, money and rework. Responding to those needs, Videojet Technologies has introduced the new Videojet Code Detection System, a combination of hardware and software that provides an enhanced level of Code Assurance by automatically checking for the presence of a printed code on every product. The system is best for flat packaging with a white or light marking window, allowing manufacturers to easily inspect ink jet printed codes on their packaging. The system verifies whether the amount of contrast in the marking area is sufficient, helping to catch common printing issues including missing, mis-positioned and clipped codes.

Flint Group Flexographic Products’ new rotec High Speed Sleeve greatly reduces bounce-induced skipping while simultaneously allowing for a significant increase in press speed. Its polyurethane structure lets the sleeve be combined with virtually any type of adapter or cylinder to achieve a reduction in press vibration and bounce, which can result in faster press speeds, improved productivity and a reduction in mounting tape and plate costs.

The unique material provides the right amount of compressibility to absorb press vibrations, even allowing allows printers to increase press speeds by 30 to 50 percent. Because the sleeve has a compressible surface, plates can be mounted to the sleeve using inexpensive 5 mil transfer tape, rather than the more expensive cushion tapes. Moreover, the cushion layer of the sleeve is less likely to break down during long press runs, so a printer can expect to achieve longer life from his photopolymer printing plates. The rotec High Speed Sleeve is available now in the North American market in wall thicknesses ranging from 0.118 inches to 3.94 inches and lengths up to 94.5 inches.

Mark Andy Print Products, has established a prepress and platemaking technology area as part of its Show Room in St. Louis, Missouri. The expanded show room and technology area has been developed to provide hands-on tools to educate converters and focus on the advantages of in-house platemaking and the value it brings to productivity and profitability. Combining these technologies allows Mark Andy Print Products to optimize the entire consumable package for converters. The technology area features Esko Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) Spark 4835 with Full HD Flexo, DuPont Cyrel Exposure frame with DigiFlow and DuPont Cyrel thermal FAST processor. All are available through Mark Andy Print Products. Mark Andy is the first global flexo machine manufacturer to become Full HD Certified by Esko.