September 2004 Issue
And We Need It By Yesterday
Rotary die makers are finding that package printers and converters want their dies bigger, better, and faster. IT'S NO SURPRISE in today's world when a customer asks for a new die, he wants it practically yesterday. Short of putting a drive-through window in their manufacturing plants, rotary die vendors are feverishly working toward finding new technologies and processes to help speed up turnaround time, from conception to delivery at the customer's front door. It takes two to tango The implementation of faster turnaround time doesn't lie just in the hands of the rotary die vendor alone—the customer also plays an intricate role in the
Big and Better
Package printers are reaping the benefits from productivity enhancements that are built into today's wide-web flexo presses. BIGGER IS BETTER! That's a motto that suppliers of wide-web flexo presses wish all package printers would adopt. But bigger also conveys images of heavier, more cumbersome, and slower—all qualities that today's nimble, agile manufacturers can't afford to be. And they don't have to be—because today's wide-web flexo presses are getting better and better in many ways that make them "lighter on their feet." Steven F. Lekan, director of business development for Comexi America, gives credit to flexo printers for helping drive the positive
Eyes on Ergonomics
The technology behind cores, shafts, and chucks appears basic, but further inspection reveals a world of science aimed at efficiency, safety, and ease of operation. ERGONOMICS HAS BECOME an increasingly important focus for package printing and converting companies. Also called human engineering, ergonomics is the science of "designing jobs and workplaces to match human capabilities and limitations," according to Sean Craig, product manager for Tidland. "Interest in this science has grown steadily, along with the rising number of workers' compensation claims for work-related, non-traumatic injuries or disorders involving soft-tissues (nerves, tendons, muscles, and supporting structures), known as work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs or MSDs)." According
Innovative Pursuit of Packaging Excellence
Innovative™ Creative Packaging Solutions combines a drive for perfection with state-of-the-art packaging design, printing, and converting. The result is an advanced one-stop folding carton shop. INNOVATIVE™ CREATIVE PACKAGING Solutions lives up to its name. For the past 20 years, the South Plainfield, N.J. company has been on the cutting-edge of high-quality folding carton design, printing, and converting. Led by President/Chief Executive Officer Shawn Smith, Innovative has taken a progressive approach towards producing defect-free folding cartons. With a willingness to invest in new, state-of-the-art equipment and a business philosophy of "Do it right the first time!," Innovative has become a prominent player in producing folding
Labeling with a No-Label Look
Want a way to make a product's label look great? One answer is to make it look like there's no label. THE CLEAR, NO-LABEL-LOOK label is a rage with consumer products companies (CPCs). These companies are driven by the need to differentiate their products and to make them look fresh and unique. And right now, one means to create that unique shelf appeal is coming from clear film labels. "The no-label-look is a way that marketers and end-users [CPCs] can create differentiation to gain market share," says Terce Henriquez, vice president of global label sales for AET Films. Meeting market needs The no-label look
The Multi-Purpose RIP
Easy to integrate—and packed with JDF functionality—today's robust RIPs are tagged "revolutionary" and "central" for any workflow. THE RIP OF of today is a master of all trades: color management, advanced screening, JDF-functionality, ticketed workflow, soft proofing finesse—a wide range of performance targets for a new era of prepress automation. Central RIP (raster image processor) for any workflow; revolutionary RIP architecture; JDF-enabled—and proud of it. These descriptions fit the latest trends in RIP technology targeting prepress environments today. Xitron, for example, has been giving high emphasis to its Navigator Harlequin RIP, XiFlow workflow, and Xenith Extreme Adobe RIP—all of which introduced new functionalities at
Thermal-ware for Package Printing
Thermal transfer printing offers printers and converters easy money-making opportunities, among several other benefits. WITH ALL THE talk about variable data printing these days, packagePRINTING went straight to the experts to find out the fundamentals of thermal transfer printing and what it can do for today's package printers and converters. pP: What are the main benefits that thermal transfer printing offers printers and converters? Amy Schmitt, IIMAK marketing communications manager: Advantages include: • Flexibility—Changing variable data is quick and easy when managed electronically. This significantly reduces downtime when compared to hot stamp or ink imprinting. Unlike hot stamp or ink imprinting, there are no
