February 2008 Issue
Applied DNA Sciences Joins Brand Protection Alliance
STONY BROOK, N.Y.—Applied DNA Sciences has been unanimously approved by the Brand Protection Alliance board of directors to join its organization, which provides brand owners and global manufacturers with direct access to a portfolio of technology and service providers in the field of product authentication and brand security. “Applied DNA Sciences has a unique technological position that is a provocative example of the BPA’s commitment to continually expand the depth and range of the technologies and services that we can offer to our clients. Applied DNA Sciences’ technology broadens’ our portfolio towards a defined goal of giving brand owners more choices and the ability
AWA Report Examines Global Sleeve Label Market
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands—AWA has updated and expanded its AWAreness Report on the global shrink sleeve label market. The Global Sleeve Label Market and Technology Review 2007 provides an assessment of the global sleeve label market, covering both global and regional markets, growth prospects, material trends, and technologies, with emphasis on the changing structure and trends within this business area. Sleeve label formats have been the focus of growth in the label sector throughout the early part of this decade, with double-digit growth rates and an increasing list of end-use applications. Sleeve labels have provided label designers, brand managers, packaging technologists, raw materials producers, and printers
Bemis Celebrates 150th Anniversary at New York Stock Exchange
NEENAH, Wis.—Bemis Company, Inc. kicked off its 150th anniversary celebrations by ringing The Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. The bell ringing was attended by Jeffrey Curler, chairman and CEO of Bemis Company, and the Bemis board of directors. “The ringing of the New York Stock Exchange closing bell marks the beginning of an important year for Bemis,” says Curler. “We issued our first shares of stock in 1885 and have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1966. Now, a century and a half after our founding, we can take this opportunity to celebrate
Don’t Let the Web Guide You
In an industry that has little time to waste, web guides are critical in determining how long job setups will take. And, with costs always on the minds of business owners, web guides can help keep waste to a minimum. Without these systems, a job can still be completed. But, the important questions is, “Do you want to finish it before the next guy, and at a lower cost?” Here’s how three converters learned to love web guiding systems. Look ma, no hands! Cardinal Health—a global company serving the health care industry with pre-packaged medical products—recently purchased a custom fill, form, and seal machine
drupa 2008 Exhibitor Registration at a Record High
DÜSSELDORF, Germany—Four months before the start of drupa 2008, print media trade fair, the exhibitor registration reflects the international market situation and industry developments. Consequently, the leading technology producing nations will be the most strongly represented countries at drupa 2008: Germany, Italy, the U.S., Switzerland, Netherlands, Japan, the UK, Belgium, and Spain. Exhibit space booked by emerging industrial countries such as China and India has increased considerably: by 300 percent for China and 60 percent for India. With more than 1,800 exhibitors on more than 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space, 400,000 expected visitors, and about 3,500 journalists from around the world, drupa
Heidelberg to Host Operator Training Classes on Folding in February
KENNESAW, Ga.—As part of its ongoing commitment to print industry education, Heidelberg’s Print Media Academy will host operator training classes on basic and advanced folding techniques this month at Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, Minn. The training classes, which are open to the public, will be conducted on an automated Heidelberg Stahlfolder TH 66 folder, and will assist operators of small and mid-size businesses in building their knowledge and skills on some of the industry’s most advanced folding equipment. Classes are open to the public and are not limited to Heidelberg customers. The class schedule is as follows: • Basic Folding Techniques: Folding
High-Impact Graphics
In a retail environment, a consumer’s first impression can be decisive. That means a package’s ability to deliver a sensory punch is a must for brand owners. The proliferation of specialized “high-impact” solutions (inks, foils, and other materials such as shrink labels, holographics, and lenticulars) is good news for consumer product companies (CPCs) looking to differentiate their products, as well as for designers working with a variety of applications. From a prepress perspective, the task is to supply end users with high-impact packaging with significant perceived added value that will create dramatic interest for the consumer, while presenting the converter with the fewest headaches.
Highlights of the Official pre-drupa Media Conference
Last month, packagePRINTING attended the pre-drupa media conference, where industry leaders announced somewhat guarded plans for the two-week-long trade show, to be held May 29-June 6 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Although much of the focus was on the commercial print industry, several companies discussed what package printers can expect at drupa 2008. Heidelberg is stepping out with its new “HEI TECH” campaign, which includes its “HEI Performance” and “HEI Value” solutions. The company’s Packaging Print Solutions Hall will feature HEI TECH Centers for Special Applications and Very Large Format and Integrated Packaging Production, as well as Information and Business Centers and A HEI School, for
Lean Manufacturing: Slim Your Waste
For the last several years, Lean Manufacturing has been growing in the printing and packaging industries. PIA/GATF started presenting Quick Changeover training to printers and packaging companies starting in 1993 and implementing Total Production Maintenance starting in 1998. The problem printers have had with Lean is they have felt there are too many variables and that Lean applies to manufacturers that make widgets or automobiles. However, appeals for improving process efficiency in the printing industry date back to 1914 in articles in local printing trade publications. Lean Manufacturing is all about cost and money, so printing and packaging managers must first understand Lean’s perspective
Lights, Camera, Action!
Boy, there’s a lot to inspection! In-line versus off-line, rewind versus press-mounted, the human eye versus video—these are only a few, but critical, considerations. There are various inspection systems on the market, some for use on the press, and some for use on the rewinder as the web is rewound. Each inspection system is designed to take certain actions when it detects a defect in the printed product. These defects can range from registration to incorrect characters. In addition, with brand protection emerging as a growing market niche, the ability to inspect microprinting and other security markings not visible to the naked eye is
packagePRINTING January Issue Correction
In the article, “Punching out a preventive maintenance punch list” (packagePRINTING, January 2008), Jeff Opad was incorrectly identified as co-owner of Solo Systems. Opad is not affiliated with Solo Systems. Opad is co-owner of Jemmco, a supplier to the extrusion and web converting industries. Founded in 1999, Jemmco offers a complete line of equipment and supplies for processing paper, film, and foils. The company has developed a line of industry supplies designed to provide maintenance and R&D personnel with high-quality, affordable products. Its product portfolio features a full line of silicone sleeves, dyne products, roller coverings, corona treating supplies, cleaning products, static-elimination products, and
Rising from the Ashes
Back in 1979 when Joe Elphick, president and CEO, and his partner (since retired) founded Colonial Carton Company (CCC) in New Jersey, the two probably didn’t picture a 72,000-square-foot facility in North Carolina, with an additional 40,000 under construction. They probably also did not foresee almost losing the company’s building and almost all its equipment after a fire. However, joining the Independent Carton Group (ICG) helped ensure that the company would not only rise from the ashes with some of the latest technologies available, but also that there would be no loss of business or productivity when the unthinkable occurred. Having a contingency plan
Something From Nothing
Creating a new product/packaging design and taking it from concept definition to the store shelf (and beyond) is quite a complex process. It involves many different disciplines, several different companies (typically), and to say the least, many different personalities. Throw in a mix of technologies and time constraints (such as, “You’re late already!”) and you have a real-world packaging design assignment. Right in the middle of this mix is the packaging/graphic designer. The designer’s role is to take what a brand owner wants to do and create something that can be done—sometimes, not an easy task. Package printers have a huge stake in this
Stork Prints Finds Solution for High Paste Dot Application
BOXMEER, Netherlands—Wim Claassen, application specialist at Stork Print’s Technology Centre, has found the answer to applying high dots of paste on a substrate without the problem of smearing. He discovered this while working in a situation where the required dot height was causing the pre-flow problem of paste pouring through the screen before the substrate reached the application point. “I found that we could solve this problem by using special screens, and extra rollers to guide the substrate around the screen. This way, the substrate itself stops the paste from dripping through, at the exact spot where it should be applied anyway,” he explains.
Take Your Shot —Polischuk
One of my favorite days of the year is when we host the judging for packagePRINTING’s Excellence Awards competition. I should qualify this, because it’s a favorite work day. I still like Christmas better. On our “judgement day,” several industry representatives from a broad spectrum of package-printing segments come to our office to scrutinize the fine details of hundreds of entries. This is no easy task because the Excellence Awards competition covers virtually every segment of package printing. The judges move from tags and labels and flexible packaging to folding cartons and corrugated materials. Within these categories, they compare and contrast entries that are
Walking the Walk
Success is measured in many ways. For public companies in North America, there are a number of key parameters. Revenue growth, stock price, shareholder equity, and earnings per share are some of the more visible metrics. Based on these measuring sticks, Multi-Color Corporation (MCC), headquartered in Sharonville, Ohio, is a very successful company. Under the leadership of Frank Gerace, president and CEO, its revenues have increased 123 percent during the last five-year period, coming in at $222 million for its 2007 fiscal year. Its impressive earnings growth during that same period has provided shareholders with an overall five-year annual return of 22 percent.
