packagePRINTING's 2002 Hot List

These products and companies were the most sought-after in 2002 by packagePRINTING readers.

Top 10: Prepress Equipment

1. Creo—PDF-based packaging workflow Prinergy Powerpack, copydot scanning systems, film imagers, and CtP devices

2. Agfa—Workflow and color management systems including the AgfaScan XY-15 Plus, Sherpa 43 Inkjet system, and Lithostar plates

3. Kodak Polychrome Graphics—Offers Digital and conventional plates, film, and proofing and color technologies including the Kodak Approval XP unit

4. BASF—Offers Nyloflex® and Nyloprint® equipment combinations for processing photopolymer flexo and letterpress plates and sleeves

5. MacDermid—Broad range of sheet, liquid, digital, and water-wash photopolymer plates, platemaking equipment, sleeves, and plate mounting systems

6. J.V. Imaging—Distributors of AsahiKASEI corrugated and process plates for flexo applications

7. Anderson & Vreeland—Photopolymer plate processing systems and rubber plate molding presses

8. X-Rite—Digital densitometers to ease prepress, ink, or press-side color evaluations

9. DuPont Cyrel—Cyrel® photopolymer plates/prepress systems, including the Cyrel FAST thermal technology

10. Corotron—Manufacturers of the eXact high-definition flexo plate exposure unit

Others: Beta Industries, Conversource, Esko-Graphics, and E.L. Harley

Top 10: Presses

1. Mark Andy/Comco—Printing and converting systems for the narrow-web packaging market

2. Gallus—Manufacturer of label printing and converting equipment including the Gallus EM 280 Plug & Print system

3. PCMC—Manufacturers of the Webtron and ZIGZAG press lines, for the flexographic printing industry

4. Ko-Pack—Equipment includes the All-in-One-Pass E-Class and C-Class letterpress, and specialty film and flexible packaging presses

5. Windmoeller & Hoelscher—Manufacturer and distributor of narrow-, mid-, and wide-web press lines

6. Chromas—Narrow-web presses for tags/labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons

7. Wolverine Flexographic—Mid- to wide-web flexo presses, including the Bull-Gear Stack-Type press

8. HP Indigo—Digital in-line, off-line presses for labels, films, and cartons, including the new web-fed ws4000

9. Kidder—6-, 8-, and 10-color flexo CI presses

10. Omet—Offers gearless flexographic print line, Varyflex, with quick sleeve-change technology

Others: Nilpeter, Uteco, Xeikon, and Bobst

Top 10: Converting/Finishing Equipment

1. CTC—Butt splicers, waste matrix winders, and turret rewinders for the label printing industry

2. Pinnacle—Makers of the LOG HOG single-blade slitter for economical cutting of vinyl, PSA, foam, and spun adhesive rolls

3. Elsner Engineering—Manufacturer of automatic rewinders, overwrappers, and folders for consumer products

4. LasX—Offers contract services for pre-production or production digital converting on in-house sheet-fed or roll-fed Laser-Sharp® systems

5. Pearl Technologies—Offers an extensive line of snap-in pre-gapped wicket punches, clamping wicketers, cross-web punches, wrinkle removers, hanger holes, and rotary perfs

6. American Int'l Machinery—Supplier of Signature® folder/gluers with 24 models in sizes from 24˝ to 57˝

7. Matik—VESTA-4 models from 23˝ to 43˝, equipped for high-speed folding and gluing of corrugated boxes

8. Rotoflex—High-speed inspection, slitting, and rewinding machines for label and converting applications

9. B.Bunch—Builds folders, multi-stream folders, unwinds, rewinds, and sheeters

10. Foster Manufacturing—Manufacturers of the Practik Precision Cutter for standard straight, square, and clean cutting applications

Others: ALS, GMS, Jagenberg, Novagraf, Moreland Machinery, and REM

Top 20: Press Accessories/Components

1. Prime UV—Curing systems for printing flexible packaging materials on wide-web CI presses, including the Double Action Air Cooling with Smart Automation Control

2. Maxcess—Brings together the Fife (guiding equipment), MAGPOWR (tension control systems), and Tidland (shafts) under one umbrella company

3. SIMCO—Static neutralizing products including the Blue Bar and monitoring system

4. Corotec—Complete lines of corona discharge surface treatment equipment and accessories for narrow-web, wide-web, and 3-D applications

5. CC1—Register controls for the web printing industry

6. AAA Press—Makers of LIGHTouch UV curing systems, and distributors of narrow-web replacement parts

7. Dynaweb—Provides web tension control solutions for the web-fed process industries

8. Pillar Technologies—Compact narrow-web corona treater/power supply combination, available in sizes from 71⁄2˝ to 26˝

9. Allison Systems—Specialized doctor blades and advanced doctor blade systems for gravure, flexo, and pad printing applications

10. Polywest Americas—Offers a wide range of prepress products including Polyflex® and Novotec® sleeves

11. Print Vision Systems—The PrintInspector is a 100 percent web inspection unit

12. Solo Systems—Makers of front-access corona treating systems

13. Sonic Solutions—Provides ultrasonic cleaning solutions for anilox rolls

14. Tantec—Bipolar static elimination systems; plasma surface treatment equipment

15. TruColor Vision Systems—Supplies bar code equipment, press accessories, and a variety of web inspection units

16. Daetwyler—Doctor blades for flexo, gravure, and specialty printing

17. Enercon—Bare roll, covered roll, and universal roll corona treatments, available from narrow-web to ultra-wide web sizes

18. C.A. Litzler—Manufactures continuous processing ovens and machinery for all types of webs and substrates

19. CRC Information Systems—THE System is a fully-integrated, industry-specific business management software suite

20. Astro-Med—The QuickLabel® Systems product group of Astro-Med supplies the QLS-4100 X four-color digital label printer

Others: UV Research, Edward Graphics, Anilox Roll Cleaning Systems, Coast Controls, Dynaloy, Ion Industrial, Primera, Energy Sciences, Monroe Electronics, Printco, and Rotary Technologies

Top 15: Substrates

1. Raflatac—Paper-based and synthetic pressure-sensitive label stock

2. Granwell Products—Polylith® synthetic papers combine the durability of plastic with the printability of paper

3. Crown Roll Leaf—Supplier of hot stamping foils, holographics, diffraction patterns, and heat transfer films

4. Kurz—Offers a line of stamping tools and hot stamping foils, including the Sparkle Bright series of LIGHT LINE™ foils

5. Arjobex—Polyart™ high-density polyethylene offers the printability of paper

6. Contract Converting—Film product offerings include Plastiprint, a synthetic paper with the durability of plastic

7. DNP—Offers thermal transfer ribbon technology

8. Appleton Papers—Ascent™, made with DuPont Tyvek®, uses an aqueous coating for a bright white print surface

9. Avery Dennison—Fasson-brand pressure-sensitive and non-adhesive coated papers, films, and foils

10. Dunmore—Engineered, custom-coated, laminated films and fabrics

11. Multi-Plastics—Supplies the narrow-web label industry with unsupported print-on films and over-laminate films

12. Plastic Suppliers—Distributor for Deprosa's acrylic and PVdC-coated products

13. Loparex—Specializes in release coatings for flexible-web applications

14. API Foils—Hot stamping foils and supplies including metallic, pigment, pearl, specialty, and holographic foils

15. DuPont Tyvek—Fine polyethylene fibers bonded by heat and pressure for a durable printing surface

Others: General Formulations, Stickon Specialty Tapes, NaStar, Acucote, IMPEX, and Ritrama

Top 15: Inks/Adhesives/Coatings

1. Northwest Coatings—Water-based and UV-curable adhesives and coatings

2. Rad-Cure—UV-curable coatings, adhesives, and specialty inks

3. SICPA—Solvent and water-based inks optimized for flexo and gravure applications

4. Sun Chemical—Inks and coatings for all the major printing processes sold under Sun Chemical, Kohl & Madden, US Ink, and Coates

5. Sericol—The UVivid® ink system is available in UV flexo, UV rotary screen and UV letterpress formulations

6. acpo—Self-wound overlaminates for the label industry

7. Adheso-Graphics—Pressure-sensitive tapes including sticky back, transfer, and d/C

8. Akzo Nobel—Water-based/UV inks and coatings for the narrow-web, label, and packaging industries

9. Environmental Inks & Coatings—High-quality water-based and UV inks backed by technical service and product support

10. INX International Ink—Makers of INXCure™ UV/EB inks, INXFlex™ pourable UV inks, UNICure™ hybrid litho inks, and INXScreen™ rotary screen inks

11. Sierra Coatings—Custom coatings of heat seals and other adhesives for transfer, permanent, and pressure-sensitive applications

12. tesa tape—Offers a full range of flexo platemounting tapes

13. Water Ink Technologies—Water-based and UV-curable inks and coatings featuring pourable viscosities, high-density colors, and safer formulations

14. EM Industries—Affair® Effect Pigments are non-arcing, non-toxic, and non-reactive

15. Flint Ink—Inks/coatings for paper, paperboard, film, foil, corrugated, preprint, and household products applications

Others: Bostik Findley and Loparex

Top 5: Diecutting Equipment

1. RotoMetrics—Manufacturers CNC and EDM rotary tooling for the narrow-web industry

2. Acton Rotary Dies—Suppliers and retoolers of engraved rotary dies and print cylinders for the narrow-web industry

3. Wilson—Rotary engraved cutting dies for flexo printers

4. American Die Technology—Engraved rotary dies for all applications

5. Bernal—Rotary dies for folding carton and packaging applications

Editor's Note: These rankings do not constitute an endorsement by the magazine.