XSYS Print Solutions

Thinking ‘inline the box’ in Charlotte Inline was the word of the day at the Gallus/BHS Folding Carton Technology Seminar in Charlotte, N.C, in November. About 50 attendees, including North and South American folding carton manufacturers and paperboard converters, learned “How to add value to the box while improving efficency.” Klaus Bachstein, CEO, Gallus Group, kicked off the afternoon with a presentation on the Gallus/BHS inline philosophy. He explained that creating finished diecut blanks with a web-based system in a single pass optimizes workflow, simplifies handling, saves time, and boosts cost-effectiveness. He said it also allows for improved effeciency and process flexibility. Speakers included

What can’t UV and EB (electron beam) inks do? They cure fast. They allow for high print quality. They’re nice to look at. And, they’re kind to Mother Nature. No wonder they are becoming common in the package-printing industry. According to Don Duncan, director of research, Wikoff Color Corporation, more than 90 percent of all EB inks and at least half of all UV inks are used in packaging. “As it relates to UV offset inks, the newer ink technologies have a wider operating window, which allows UV offset printers to print using very high screens without having issues relative to water-balance. New UV

BRUSSELS, Belgium—A panel of label industry experts has reviewed the votes for the Label Industry Global Awards and announced the winner of the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement category. Andrew Jack from Dow Corning was selected as the overall winner by the international label industry judging panel at the FINAT World Congress in Berlin following a review of the online votes against the Awards criteria. This prestigious Award category is sponsored by Avery Dennison in the year which marks the 100th year since the birth of Stan Avery. Andrew Jack has a career spanning over thirty-five years in the silicone industry, firstly with Midland

Specialty inks are the cherry on top. Just like cherries add a little something extra to a gooey hot fudge sundae, specialty inks give consumers a special treat that enhances an already attention-grabbing package. “Packaging converters in today’s marketplace are routinely looking for innovative ways to attract consumers to the shelves,” says Joe Schlinkert, technical director, Color Resolutions International. “Increasingly the converters are asking their ink suppliers to develop inks that truly stand out and grab the consumer’s attention.” He explains that some approaches being used include phosphorescent inks that glow in the dark, high luster metallic inks, pearlescent inks that change color based

Although it is difficult to define exactly what smart packaging is, one significant component of any smart package is its ability to communicate with the person interacting with it. In food packaging, some packages can communicate freshness, while others can communicate a product’s history or expiration. In terms of the pharmaceutical market, packages integrating RFID tags to verify authenticity is another example. Other smart packages combine communication with functionality, like self-cooling beer kegs or self-heating soups and coffees. According to a report from NanoMarkets, LC, titled, “Smart Packaging Markets; 2006-2013,” the global smart packaging market will grow to $4.8 billion in 2011 and reach

Coatings are somewhat unsung heroes in the package-printing world. They provide many important functions, yet most people don’t even know they’re there. These people don’t care either—except that if the coatings weren’t there, they might not like the label or package as much, might even complain about it, or worse yet, might not buy the product. Whoa, Nellie! “Houston, We’ve got a problem.” “Iceberg dead ahead!” Now, we’ve got somebody’s heart pumpin’. Coatings to the rescue No, coatings can’t help much when it comes to world calamities, but if the heart that’s “pumpin’” happens to be a product manager, now we’re playing in

BRUSSELS, Belgium—XSYS Print Solutions has announced a call for entries for the XSYS Print Awards 2007. The third annual event will be held at Labelexpo Brussels with awards presented the last day of the show on September 29, 2007. Label converters from all over the world are encouraged to submit sample labels of their choosing for evaluation by a panel of industry judges. Criteria for judging includes registration, smoothness of dot/vignette, overall print quality, and degree of difficulty. Entries will be placed in categories relating to technology and application. XSYS awarded 11 companies with 14 awards at Labelexpo Chicago 2006. Categories included WB Flexo,

UV inks are commonly used in package-printing applications. So much so that Don Duncan, director of R&D, Wikoff Color Corp., thinks it’s about time to rephrase how we reference ink categories. In referring to water-based and solvent-based inks, he says, “I use the phrase ‘so-called conventional’ because UV inks are now so common that they are no longer ‘unconventional.’ We need a new word for the mixture of oil-based, water-based, or solvent-based inks that UV is replacing. How about ‘old-technology.’” The term “old technology” might not fly (Duncan admits that it’s “a little over-the-top”), but the point is well made. UV inks are firmly

With the use of shrink-sleeve labeling for product decoration growing at a double-digit rate, suppliers of shrink film inks are developing a steady stream of products to carve out a piece of the action. But in addition to the normal adhesion issues that are common with non-porous film applications, shrink inks have several other factors to contend with that make their development more challenging. Some of these issues include distortion (cracking, delamination, etc.), blocking, coefficient of friction (COF), and in food and beverage applications, low odor. Demanding applications Shrink labeling is growing in popularity because it offers brand managers at least two advantages. It

J ACCEL GRAPHIC SYSTEMS The Sentinel Ink Management System is an electronically-controlled, completely automated cartridge-based ink dispensing system. Write 941, Visit www.accelus.com, See Ad p. 26 American Water Graphics Water-based ink systems for flexo printing applications. Write 942, Visit www.awg-ink.com Braden Sutphin Ink Company Supplies high-quality sheetfed, flexo, and other inks. Write 943, Visit www.bsink.com Colorcon NO-TOX® printing inks are ideal for packaging and labeling that directly contact food surfaces. Write 944, Visit www.colorcon.com Deco-Chem UV flexo, water-based flexo, rotary screen, conventional, and UV screen printing inks; UV adhesives; and letterpress. Write 945, Visit www.decochem.com DNP IMS America Offers a wide range of wax, wax/resin, and resin