American Die Technology

LENEXA, Kan.—Kocher + Beck USA has acquired American Die Technology of Suwanee, Ga. to build what the company says is the second largest tooling manufacturer in North America, with two production facilities, more than 100 employees, and strategically located sales offices. The new Kocher + Beck USA will manufacture hard tooling at the Suwanee location. The product range includes engraved rotary tools for various applications, which include EDM, MARATHON, AD2, Platinum, AD1, and Thermalizer dies. In addition to rotary dies the company supplies hot stamps, removable blade sheeter/perforators, anvils/pressure rolls, printing cylinders, gears, equalizer pressure monitors, multi scorer units and magnetic cylinders. All flexible

LENEXA, Kan.—Kocher + Beck USA has acquired American Die Technology of Suwanee, GA to build what the company says is the second largest tooling manufacturer in North America with two production facilities, over 100 employees and strategically located sales offices. ADT was founded in 1985 in Atlanta, Ga. and quickly became a leader for quality rotary tooling in North America. Today, ADT is operated by the second generation that continues this reputation for quality rotary tooling combined with world-class service and innovation. The company is located 30 miles north of Atlanta in a 52,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility. The new Kocher + Beck USA

During the last few months, packagePRINTING has explored various finishing effects converters can employ to give their customers’ packages the necessary zing to draw and hold the attention of consumers as they walk down the aisles. The holidays are approaching fast, and not only are consumers shopping for good old Aunt Joan, but if the packaging does a good enough job, they may pick out something for themselves. And it’s not only textiles, electronics, or toys—many people enjoy foil-wrapped candies around the holidays. How will consumers find them if they don’t jump out at them from the jam-packed shelves? Stamping/embossing avenue Like anything else,

Turnaround times are critical in today’s package-printing world. Couple quick turnaround with the demand for shorter runs, and your press operators will be switching tools almost constantly. Diecutting is an integral part of the entire printing process and can impact the speed at which you can fulfill print orders. Just as diecutting impacts the speed of your print job, external forces, such as consolidation, globalization, new substrates and shorter runs, affect the ­diecutting market. “The label printing industry as a whole has been changing rapidly in recent years,” says Frank Hasselberg, executive vice president, Kocher + Beck USA. “These changes also have a huge

Reducing foil waste can be simple. Experts tell you how. FOIL STAMPING AND embossing is, innately, a very wasteful process. Material waste is part of the package-enhancing technique. While foil scraps will probably never be eliminated from the process, designers, equipment suppliers, and end users are finding ways to reduce waste and save converters, printers, and their customers money. How? Stamping and embossing equipment suppliers recently chimed in to answer that question. Plan carefully Foil often graces packaging in the form of ornate designs or borders—accents to the overall design layout. This usage of foil automatically lends itself to foil waste, since only a

ACTION ROTARY DIE Manufacturing and retooling of engraved rotary dies and print cylinders. Includes adjustable, air-eject, removable blade sheeter/perf, multi-level including slit over perf, and thermal cutting dies. Specializes in deep engraved dies. Introducing vacuum dies and molecularly enhanced tool steels. Write 387, Visit www.actionrotary.com Adams Technologies Automated steel rule bending systems, laser dieboard systems, routers for strippers and counter cutters, water-jet rubber-cutting systems. Write 388, Visit www.adamstechnologies.com, American Die Technology A complete line of CNC and EDM dies. Our cryogenic treating process extends the die life of the Marathon dies. The Thermalizer holds up to abrasive materials. To aid press operators, we designed

AAA PRESS INT'L Praxair™ laser-engraved ceramic anilox rolls; tint sleeve kits. Write 604, Visit www.aaapress.com, ABSOLUTELY MICRO*CLEAN Micro*Clean use a unique plastic media to deep-clean anilox rolls. The well-proven method is used off-press in an enclosed blast cabinet. The media is cleaned and recycled for reduced costs/elimination of hazardous waste. Write 605, Visit www.microcleanintl.com ADVANCED CYLINDER REPAIR Recognized leader in "In Press" cylinder repair services. We serve the offset, web, and flexo industries with the most up-to-date repair technology available. Write 606 American Die Technology Anvil rolls and printing cylinders for narrow-web flexo equipment with web widths to 30˝. Write 607, Visit

ACTION ROTARY DIE Manufacturing and retooling of engraved rotary dies and print cylinders for the narrow-web printer. Includes adjustable, air-eject, removable blade sheeter/perf, multi-level including slit over perf, and thermal cutting dies. Specializes in deep engraved dies. Introducing vacuum dies and molecularly enhanced tool sheets. Visit www.actionrotary.com For Action Rotary Die Write 388 ADAMS TECHNOLOGIES Automated steel rule bending systems, laser dieboard systems, routers for strippers and counter cutters, water-jet rubber-cutting systems. Visit www.adamstechnologies.com American Die Technology A complete line of CNC and EDM dies. Our cryogenic treating process extends the die life of the Marathon dies. The Thermalizer holds up to

Stamping and embossing experts reveal how to get the best results from the package-enhancing processes. by Kate Sharon, Associate Editor THE VALUE OF stamping and embossing equipment is well known. In today's retail world, where it's hard to walk down a grocery store aisle without seeing several packages enhanced by the glimmer of foil, stamping and embossing capabilities are a converter's key to value-added products. "Increasingly competitive markets create a larger demand for differentiation in product, packaging, and promotion, which is perfect for foil stamping and embossing," according to Jim Hutchison, senior vice president of sales of Universal Engraving Inc., a foil stamping and

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,