GREEN BAY, Wis.—Timothy J. Sullivan, president and CEO of Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), announced the acquisition of F.L. Smithe Machine Co., Inc. of Duncansville, Penn., which specializes in the design and manufacture of high-performance printing and converting equipment solutions.
DUNCANSVILLE, Pa.—It has been reported in the Altoona Mirror that F.L. Smithe Machine Co., a manufacturer of envelope machines and Aquaflex narrow-web printing presses, has signed a letter of intent to merge with Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), which is a division of Barry-Wehmiller Companies.
DUNCANSVILLE Pa.—Anchor Printing, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has added two Aquaflex ELS servo presses to add capacity for its growing flexible packaging business. General Manager Andrew Weitz, said, "We knew we wanted to move up to servo technology so we looked at all the press offerings before deciding on the Aquaflex ELS Servo."
Ones and zeroes seem to rule the roost—digital is everywhere. In the printing world, digital has a firm grip in the commercial arena where variable-data printing is the “killer app.” According to Jeff Wettersten, director, Digital Print Solutions for Sun Chemical, “Digital printing has gained a strong position in commercial printing due to its variable-data capability. The ability to personalize messages in printed media where they are reaching an audience of one has transformed the use of the product.” In package printing, it’s not so simple; variable-data printing doesn’t have the same play as it does in the commercial sector. “Variable data
The use of combination printing/processing is not a rarity in package printing—not by a long shot. A printer that has the need could combine any of the printing processes, in addition to converting operations such as foil stamping and embossing. The value provided by combination printing is that each printing process can bring its own specific attributes to the party, says Andy Colletta, president/CEO of Nilpeter USA. “Flexography and offset printing provide the lion’s share of the coverage on a signature, including the text and four-color images,” he explains. “Rotary screen is often used to provide an opaque background prior to printing, while
It happens over and over again to packaging converters and printers—customers walk into their shops asking for a packaging solution that incorporates effects the converters can’t accommodate because their press capabilities do not allow for them. Eventually these converters must decide whether to diversify their offerings or continue to turn business away. Some might be able to afford to let business walk, but for others, the extra business may make or break their year. For the latter, a major business decision is at hand. A converter can take any number of approaches to provide solutions for its customers, but two options quickly emerge at
Short-run printing is a reality today for any package printer, and a converter’s ability to adapt to this reality will go a long way toward customer retention. Being able to offer customers the option of shorter runs is the equivalent of offering them a new product—such as a new substrate, a specialty ink, or the ability to soft proof. However, integrating the shorter jobs into conventional press runs can be a challenging proposition. On the one hand, no one wants to turn down business, but on the other hand, fitting the shorter job in between two longer runs means more planning and makeready. Profecta
No business serious about its commitment to its customers would shy away from enhancing its product offerings. Current trends in the package-printing industry reflect just that, especially the trend toward short-run printing. One such enhancement is adding digital printing capabilities for your existing product lines. But just what is digital printing? When people say “digital printing” what do they mean? Defining digital printing “It really depends on what aspect you’re looking at,” says Dan Briley, North American category manager, industrial products, HP Indigo Digital Press. “In general, when you’re talking about the packaging application, digital printing refers to the fact that every single package,
Shorter print runs, green technology, the emergence of flexible packaging and UV inks, shorter makeready times, globalization—we’ve heard them all of late. Talk to almost any converter or print industry manufacturer and these buzz terms are likely to come up. Whether you’re a high- or low-volume converter, these issues impact the packaging industry in a variety of ways. Perhaps the most important result is that they push press manufacturers to continually evolve their products to keep up with the rapidly changing package-printing market. The challenges are the same for narrow- or wide-web press users. Shorter print runs are converters’ new realities, making shorter makeready
DUNCANSVILLE, Pa.—Aquaflex, owned by F.L. Smithe Machinery, announced that it significantly exceeded 2006 sales projections, nearly doubling sales over the previous year. Mac Rosenbaum, vice president of F. L. Smithe said, “We nearly doubled the number of presses sold in 2006 over 2005. And, in 2005 we virtually doubled the number of presses delivered in 2004. It’s very gratifying to see the industry respond so positively to our new Aquaflex product line. We’ve all worked very hard to make the line relevant to the printer’s present and future needs.” While company officials declined to reveal specific sales data, they report that production lines have
