Labelexpo Europe 2015: Preview (Part 1)
The first of the three-part compilation of what’s new at 100+ stalls at Labelexpo Europe during 29 September - 2 October 2015, at Brussels Expo (with inputs from Label & Labeling).The products have been listed in alphabetic order.
14 Sep 2015 | 7762 Views | By Noel D'Cunha
AB Graphic International
From demonstrating its new Digicon Series 3, the new digital finishing line it launched last September, to introducing a heavy-duty flatbed hot-foil head with rotatable foil feeds, there will be action at this stall. Tony Bell, sales director for AB Graphic International, says, the combination of plate load, autoslit and autoiscore on the Digicon Series 3 allow customers to benefit from reduced set-up times.
The new hot-foil head, Bell says, will allow for feeding foil along and across the web direction. Male-female embossing can be performed simultaneously with the foil process and impression capacity has been increased to 50 tonnes. “Benefits include increased capacity, more efficient use of foil, and the ability to run multiple foils and embossing in the same module,” he adds.
To add to it product range, ABG will also launch its new full rotary servo-drive converter, redesigned to reduce overall footprint and set-up waste on job changes. The Converter at the show will be demonstrated with a fully automatic Vectra turret rewinder.
Indian Contact: Creed Engineers, New Delhi
Stall: 6A37
Accraply, the US-based Barry Wehmiller company, will launch Stanford AccraSeam FC, a fully-continuous shrink sleeve seamer. The new kit will join Stanford’s line of machines like AccraSeam, Seammachine Jr and Doctor Machine Inspector. Equipped with a fully automatic table, the AccraSeam FC electronically sets the layflat width and seam location, based on the desired layflat. Both the layflat width and seam location can be adjusted while the machine is running. Job parameters can be recalled via 15-inch touchscreen controls.
Accraply claims that at 421-cm (14-ft) long and 182-cm (6-ft) wide, the AccraSeam FC has a compact footprint. The dual shaft unwind and rewind turrets have flange-mounted pneumatic shafts with electronic core offset, making core size changes easy. The AccraSeam FC is fitted with a layflat inspector and ultrasonic sensor monitor on the width of the layflat while running, providing both digital and printed report at the machine. This monitoring system comes fully integrated into the AccraSeam FC but is available as a standalone system.
The servo-driven AccraSeam FC incorporates servo-controlled solvent dispense, electronic oscillation, integrated web guide and tension control.
Stall: 9A20
The company is introducing the NIRP in series of dryers for pinning hybrid (water/solvent) UV inks in between coloured ink stations as a substitute for UV-LEDs. NIRP in modules are as compact as UV-LEDs, but allow higher pinning performance and lower investment costs, says the company.
Also, the UV-curing energy at the final station can be ‘significantly reduced’. Adphos NIR drying technology is designed for printing applications on plastic films and other thermal-sensitive substrates with low thermal stress on the substrate.
Stall: 7E63
The Memjet’s ‘Waterfall’ technology will feature in Afinia Label’s latest offering, the L801 colour label printer, shooting 700-million ink drops per second from its 70,400 jets per printhead. “It’s more energy efficient, and more mechanically sound. And, it’s up to eight times faster, even faster than most black and white printers,” says Scott Coates, Afinia Label UK’s business development manager.
Also on display will be the other new offering, the R635 laser label printer, the DLP-2000 mini digital label press, the DLS-1000 finishing system and a new label applicator A300. “We will be showing our entire line of label printers, inline label finishing, converting, and application equipment. When combined, we have the industry’s fastest and least cost end-to-end label solution,” says Coates.
Stall: 8A29
The US-based manufacturer of high-speed curing equipment for printing, drying and industrial finishing, Air Motion Systems (AMS) will look to transform the flexo market with the UV Light-Emitting Diodes systems (UV LED). The system’s full advantage of the benefits of in lieu of traditional mercury lamps to reduce heat, include saving energy and increased productivity for label and packaging converters.
Though there is no installation of AMs India, one AMS LED UV kit has been retrofitted on Coimbatore-based Shree Maruthi Printers’ 10-colour sheetfed press.
Indian Contact: APL Machinery, Faridabad
Stall: 8B15
Alphasonics
Alphasonics will show new developments in anilox cleaning, which adds facilities for control over the lifetime of the roll. A new technology that alternates between varying ultrasonic frequencies in one cleaning cycle will receive its debut.
Alphasonics was part of the Univacco Technology supported open house, hosted at Avery Dennison Knowledge Centre in Bengaluru.
Indian Contact: Royal Coat, Mumbai
Stall: 7B41
Apex International
In strategic partnership with the Revo digital flexo and Soma Engineering, Apex will engage in live product demonstration. Apex specialises in supplies of anilox/metering rolls and bridge/plate sleeves for label, flexible packaging, corrugated, offset and industrial coating applications.
The REVO demonstration (Stand 11C10) will focus on flexography’s response to digital printing and provide special solutions for on-demand printing. In addition, Apex International will be participating in live demonstrations at several machine manufacturers. An up-to-date list will be revealed during the show.
Indian Contact: Colour Dot, Chennai
Stall: 11B20
Applied Laser Engineering
The Meridian Nano is a new type of laser engraving machine targeted at R&D applications and everyday production of print rollers for flexo, gravure, letterpress, inking and applicator rollers, as well as embossing and imprinting for printed electronics.
The Meridian Nano laser can provide traditional thermal engravings and operate with nanosecond laser pulses. As a result, a broad range of materials can be engraved with this single laser, including metals, ceramics, elastomeric and black lacquers. The maximum roller length of 600mm and a weight limit of 50kg provide a means for an optimal cost effective design.
Stall: 7E18
The company is introducing new linerless-specific grades of direct thermal products for applications, including weigh scale labels, logistics/warehousing labels, industrial labels and portable printing. Appvion also launches a label grade for the package delivery segment, as well as any applications using visible light and/or near infrared scanners, as well as a new grade designed primarily for use in weigh scale applications such as deli, hot foods and self-service labels, which can also be used for distribution and logistics labels.
Stall: 6A21
Pitching the queer on anti-counterfeiting will be Arjobex Security’s new range of security and tamper evident films designed to protect products. Polyart Inkjet is a polyethylene film coated on one side. Its waterproof inkjet coating offers a fast drying time and is compatible for most pigmented and dye-based inks, claims the company.
Made of expanded HDPE, the Polyart film is tear and water resistant, and can be printed like paper using conventional and digital technologies (HP Indigo, inkjet). The papers cover the main labelling technologies: IML, self-adhesive and wet glue. Ideal for all labels that must work in tough environments, this Polyart film can withstand water, grease and chemical products, tearing, outdoor use, and low temperatures (-60°C). Main applications are labels for tracking, security, logistics, horticultural, chemical drum, direct food contact, pharmaceutical, and luggage.
Stall: 5A28
Slow to start, Asahi’s AWP water washable plate has pinned its success to the technology called ‘pinning top dot’. According to Dieter Niederstadt of Asahi, the trend is to replace Pantone spot colour printing with multicolour separation out of a fixed colour palette.
“The trend was already there 15 years ago with Opaltone and Hexachrome, but only today the different plate, anilox and press materials exist to actually make it work,” he adds. The AWP, which does not use thermal or solvent washout process, ensures best plate register. Coupled with the pinning top dot technology, an additive with lower surface energy, results in ink transfer over the run uniformly, without leaving it on the plate. Niederstadt says, “AWP plate characteristics fully support the trend of fixed colour palette printing.”
Indian Contact: TechNova India, Mumbai
Stall: 5C20
Ashe will show for the first time its automatic core loading facility on the company’s glueless four-spindle turret rewind non-stop finishing machine. Each core can be loaded individually within seconds and gaps between each loaded core can be set and achieved with the system. The same system can operate core sizes of internal diameters from 25mm to 76mm. A 520mm wide Opal ‘glue-less’ turret slitter for labels will be operational during the show.
The latest design of die station will also be running on a 420mm wide Opal converting line. This form of rotary die station is loaded horizontally and the pressure load is achieved via hydraulic rams, allowing precise and accurate loading of the die cylinders to the material being run. The design also allows for ease of loading and unloading of the die cylinders when fast changeover times are required for blank label production.
Indian Contact: Fotedar Engineering Services, Mumbai
Stall: 4E64
Interactivity will be the watchword, says the company, where visitors will be able to experience the support it provides. There will be five interactive zones focusing on solutions that enhance shelf appeal, productivity, sustainability and services.
Avery will also introduce a new anemulsion acrylic general-purpose adhesive allowing up to five times higher ‘time to stick’, up to 60% higher force to peel on cardboard, up to five times better high speed loop tack, and more than three times higher adhesion at lower temperatures. Other new products lineup include Aqua Opaque for wet opacity issues in wine and spirits labels (ice bucket test); and AeroDress, a self-adhesive substrate for optimal shelf appeal on aerosol cans.
India Contact: Avery Dennison India, New Delhi
Stall: 5A31
It will be the SAMM 800, semi-automatic mounting machine for 800mm width narrow-web presses at AV Flexographic’s stand. It’s a version SAMM for wide-web machine introduced in 2013, but made suitable for different types of sleeves and cylinders on one machine, says Maarten de Jong of the company. “The trend is towards shorter job runs. This is important for many larger narrow-web printers, because they often have multiple types of presses,” he says.
AV Flexographic will also showcase machines for platemaking along with two other companies from its Group – Tech Sleeves and Leapfrog, showing their sleeves and a 3D printer. There is also a new model of mounting machine about which de Jong does not want to say much at this stage.
Stall: 6E48
For AVT, Labelexpo Europe will be the first major tradeshow since its strategic alliance with systems solutions provider Erhardt + Leimer (E+L). A new joint portfolio of solutions, born of the alliance, will be demonstrated for the first time at AVT’’s, E+L’s and various partners’ stands throughout the exhibition.
AVT will premiere the Helios S Turbo inspection system designed to help increase printing and rewinding speeds. Offline setup is introduced, designed to standardise inspection results and address the needs for production processes automation. SolidProof is a new offline proofing system to ensure that no critical errors have been overlooked in the print production process, with options for barcode and Braille verification, as well as a 21 CFR Part 11 compliance module for the pharmaceutical sector. Partner stands will host the ZeroSet automated inspection workflow for digital presses.
Indian Contact: Reifenhauser India, Mumbai
Stall: 9C05
Bar Graphic Machinery
In 2013, Bar Graphic launched two new systems, the Elite Digiflex and Elite Multiflex slitter rewinder systems. At this show, the company will double the number to make it four launches. The first is a 450mm-wide BGM Elite MultiflexG2, a full servo multiple substrate inspection slitter rewinder for unsupported and supported materials from 11 micron upwards. Fitted with BGM intelligent tension control system, the machine will be demonstrated with E+L’s latest sensor-free MMLD control system.
The second is the BGM Ecoflex, a multiple substrate inspection slitting and rewinding machine, fitted with a one-metre capacity unwind and integral roll lift. It includes a job memory facility. The third and fourth launches are eDTR re-register die-cutting slitter rewinder and eDSR high speed die-cutting slitter rewinder, both fitted with BGM’s easy load die-cutting station. The weight of the die is supported by the bottom guide rail, improving operator set up time, handling and reducing damage.
Stall: 7D51
A new die-cutting tool concept for in-mold labels (IML) will be the highlight of the Berhalter stand. On display will be the latest generation of die-cutting machine in combination with the new Label-light tool, which offers advantages such as favourable tool cost and short lead times, claims the company. “As materials become more complex and more sensitive, a perfect interplay between die-cutting machines and die-cutting tools is more important than ever before. Reducing cost means also using thinner IML films,” says Harveer Sahni of Weldon Celloplast, the Indian representative of Berhalter.
Berhalter claims to be the leading company worldwide by die-cutting and processing IML labels as thin as 40µ and even thinner films.
Indian Contact: Weldon Celloplast, New Delhi
Stall: 5E41
The company’s new Comet RS3403, an eight-colour flexographic label press, equipped with a top loading print cylinder and converting system for fast changeover, can be upgraded up to 12-colours, and include special features required by the customers. The Comet RS3403 complements the company’s Autoflex and Apollo range of flexographic presses, which can be built from a web width of 270mm up to 1800mm.
Berkeley will introduce the Autoflex Excel AS300 automatic high-speed shrink film sleeving machine, capable of converting up to 350m/min.
Stall: 4A61
Germany-based manufacturer of RFID converting and finishing equipment for the value-chain of inlays, smart labels, hangtags and tickets, will show a new continuous encoding machine.
The SmartTwo T-165 will offer serialisation printing on the front and/or back of the inlays, smart labels, hangtags and tickets via a high resolution digital printing system, which can be combined with options for drying and camera data verification. The T-165 printing at 300dpi is capable of encoding up to 30m/min, which translates to approximately 90,000 units per hour, depending on the product size.
Stall: 11F38
You can pick up ‘Any’ desktop colour label press at Bitek stand, literally. The two launches by Bitek are named Any-001 and Any-002 with variable data software included.
The Any-Cut I is a new desktop laser die-cutter with a 200x200m cutting area, while Any-Cut II is a compact A3 size laser die-cutter (300x300mm). The Any-Cut I has a maximum output speed of 18m/min and Any-Cut II 40m/min, or 5,000 labels ‘of any shape or size’ per hour, and includes a slitting unit. The Any-Cut series facilitates both cutting and marking simultaneously.
Stall: 9A43
For Linerless labels, Bostik introduces TLH4300E adhesive, which combines high tack on cardboard and HDPE. Coating weights are as low as 15gsm ‘in some conditions’, says the manufacturer. TLH4275HE is an adhesive technology for non-staining labels. Developed for use in the food processing, food retailing and logistics sectors, the HMPSA technology can be used in application temperatures as low as -4 deg C and is compatible with a range of materials, including vellum and thermal paper.
For Deep Freeze Labels, Bostik’s TLH2259E meets EU Regulation No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. This multipurpose adhesive adheres to a variety of substrates, including cardboard or film materials in low temperature, wet and frosty conditions.
Stall: 6E52
On display at Brotech will be its SDF finishing system with a new semi-rotary flexo print unit and semi-rotary die-cutting technology.
The new CDF Plus includes flexo coating, semi-rotary die-cutting, slitting, sheeting and conveyor stacking in one compact unit. Brotech also introduces the TR in- and offline turret rewinding system with four quick change expandable spindles, core gluing and end roll closing system with integrated label dispenser and inkjet printer.
Stall: 8B58
The focus of BST at the show will be on the new wide array sensor derived from their subsidiary AccuWeb on its web guiding systems EcoGuide, colour measurement, 100% inspection and workflow.
On display will be the inline spectral colour measurement, iPQ-spectral, with a new process sequence module; the iPQ-Check, the module of the iPQ-Center for the 100% print inspection, which will now have a new, self-developed high performance LED lighting; Shark 4000 Lex, the flexible, adjustable 100% inspection system for use on rewinders and narrow-web printing machines, which will now support the iPQ-Workflow; and the video web monitoring, the PowerScope 4000, which will now be more user friendly, claims the company.
Indian Contact: BST Sayona Automation, Mumbai
Stall No: 6C46/6C58
Cab will introduce the Hermes+ XC6 2-colour print and apply system dedicated to the production of GHS-compliant labels. The XC6 uses thermal transfer technology with a resolution of 300dpi and printing speed of 125mm/s on a print width of 162.6mm.
A ribbon saver for coloured printheads reduces the consumption of ribbon and single labels can be printed on demand. Applications options include tamped, blown or rolled on.
Stall: 11E41
Cheshire will present a new engraving system called UniFlo developed for UV ink applications. It features a continuous cell structure that has 50% less land area than 60-degree or elongated 75-degree hexagonal engravings. This offers a more efficient and finer ink distribution to the plate, says Cheshire, and improves ink flow within the anilox, minimising ink stress or the turbulence that occurs at the point of transfer. This reduces ink foaming.
According to Cheshire, beta sites are reporting an average doubling of colour densities compared to conventional engravings, with uniformity of coverage, reduction of pin holing and smooth and cleaner vignettes ‘perfectly fading out to zero’ being other benefits. Higher ink transfer efficiency from anilox to plate allows lower pressure setting for more consistent quality, critical when adopting fixed palette or HD flexographic techniques. UniFlo also sees the eradication of UV spitting, says the manufacturer. The continuous engraving improves the ink flow within the anilox, eliminating the build-up of ink behind the doctor blade, which forces it to lift and cause the ink spray or spitting. UniFlo is compatible with all print applications, from heavy solids to four-colour process.
Stall: 6B20
The Colordyne Technologies production class 3600 Sprint will be introduced at the show. It is an entry level, roll-to-roll printing system capable of printing full-bleed on die-cut media (ready for label applicator equipment) or on continuous rolls of media (to complete the job offline on existing web finishing systems). Print resolution is 1600x1375dpi and speeds of up to 275ft/min (84m/min).
The newly released Colordyne 2600 Series mini press bridges the gap between Colordyne’s 1600 series industrial class products and the 3600 Series production class family of products. The single Memjet printhead is capable of printing at up to 60ft/min (18m/min) at up to 1600x1600dpi resolution. The frame can handle 24in (600mm) outside diameter rolls.
Stall: 9C60
Just what the doctor has ordered. Convertech will introduce a new doctor blade, Sureprint Excel Pro, for high wear resistant applications, including metallic inks, and for both flexo and gravure presses. This India-based company has been manufacturing doctor blades since 1993.
According to Convertech, with the new blade it is possible to achieve low friction doctoring with longer running life. “Its superior characteristics eliminate issues of faster wear and tear when using metallic printing inks,” says Dhruv Sanon, manager at Convertech. Also, on display will be Convertech’s Sureprint HST and Excel blade.
Stall: 4E20
A turnkey solution for bar code label market, find the Vinsak LVPI inkjet system with a new platform of heads, a transport with dual rewind and an online die-cutting unit, which gives unique possibilities for manufacturing and coding of blank labels. “The product evolved based on the needs of the market for a product in-between the TIJ (thermal inkjet) and the four-inches wide drop-on-demand systems,” says Creed.
Also find the digital laser engraving (DLE) system expanded to offer the entire pre-press for flexo, letterpress, screen, dry offset and sleeve consumption. The company will host an open house at the Lead Lasers factory in Holland, which is a 90-minute drive from the Expo, for customers who wish to see the equipment and test their own files. Creed will also showcase it principals, ABG, Lombardi and Iwasaki products at its stand.
Stall: 8C50
The company extends its offset CTP products into flexography with a preview of a new flexo CTP device. With many of the features of its sister offset products – which now total over 2,000 machines sold – the FX-36 Flexo has a resolution range from 3,200 to 9600dpi.
The pneumatic plate handling system is designed to feed the thicker flexo plates (up to 4mm). The imaging unit uses a linear magnetic drive and the imaging head incorporates water-cooling.
Indian Contact: Nippon Color, Mumbai
Stall: 9B20
Daetwyler’s new Onestep doctor blade, a one-piece construction, which eliminates the need for a backup blade and allows straight mounting without deviation, will be on display at the show. The rigid design allows thicker ink to meter normally while maintaining a clean, sharp wipe, says the company.
The strengthened blade decreases blade flex, creating consistent ink film metering without an ink hydroplaning effect behind the blade, helping eliminate or substantially lessen UV ink spitting.
Indian Contact: Daetwyler SwissTec India, Pune
Stall: 7D23
PicoColour II UV inkjet digital label press, a 210mm wide machine running up to 35m/min will be the highlight at the Dantex stand. The new press is available with CMYK and optional white. Used in conjunction with optional Corona treatment, PicoColour II can be used for paper as well as filmic based media.
Also new at show is the DW Mk2 flexo plate processor, available in 2735, 4835 and 4260 sizes and incorporating a new PC-based control panel. The company’s DigiWash plate processor now incorporates the AquaClean filtration system.
Stall: 4A40 / 8C40
Dutch manufacturer DG Press argues that web offset is beneficial for order sizes from 1,000 to 1-lakh sq/metres. This is based on the reasoning that offset printing plates cost a fraction of flexo photopolymer plates and gravure cylinders. Plus, it takes minutes to prepare. So, at the show, the company will demonstrate how to make the transition from flexo or gravure applications to web offset. The new Thallo web offset press, available in the range of 520, 850, and 1050mm web widths, using variable size sleeves, will demo key advantages for flexible packaging printers.
Stall: 11D27
Get a first-hand view of the new modular inkjet solution from Domino at the company’s stand. The N610i will be seen not only as a standalone roll-to-roll press, but also as a modular hybrid solution integrated with the ABG Digicon 3, incorporating flexo, varnishing and die-cutting modules. Add to this screen and foiling modules too, if you wish.
Also on the stand are two K600i digital print modules integrated onto a GraphiMecc web inspection system to print black variable data and to demonstrate Domino’s new digital foiling unit. This uses the K600i to print a digital adhesive and create the image area prior to UV-curing and delamination. Domino’s digital cold foil unit can utilise a wide range of metallic foils, including security and decorative holographic foils.
Indian Contact: Domino Printech India, Gurgaon
Stall: 9A60
Dow Corning experts will be on hand at the show to discuss its two new offerings, the Syl-Off 7945, a water-based silicone emulsion designed for the PET film coating process, and Syl-Off SL 411 coating, a solvent-free silicone release polymer. Designed to replace solvent-based release coatings, the Syl-Off 7945 claims to exhibit fast cure, good anchorage and a lower release force.
The Syl-Off SL 411 offers low platinum levels and optimises high-speed performance on bulk roll pressure-sensitive labelstock, food packaging and industrial release papers using glassine and super-calendared kraft (SCK) substrates.
Stall: 7E35
Give different cuts to the labels with DPR’s Taurus, a digital label cutter, capable of converting pre-printed media to die-cut labels. Powered by an air-cooled Co2 30W laser source, the system support vector-based files and operates at up to 30 linear m/min. The unit laminates, removes matrix, slits and rewinds.
Another new product from DPR is a wide-format digital label finisher capable of handling media of up to 14 inches (355mm) wide, matching today’s wider digital presses.
Stall: 9C55
The company will launch FXC6 3A/OP an over-printable flexo cold foil, good for paper, PP, PE and PVC both in fine details and solid areas, with good release properties, excellent over-printability, according to the manufacturer.
Corona treatment is recommended for PP, PE and PVC. Primer is recommended for semi-coated paper and PET. Its foiling speed is up to 70-80m/min and in some cases 110-120m/min on Gallus machines.
Stall: 7A28
Dupont’s Cyrel Fast DFUV flexographic printing plate, the company claims, is optimised for improved solid ink density when used with UV-curable inks. Cyrel DFUV is a thermal process plate specifically designed for shorter print runs using UV inks on high priced labelstock – including PS labels and shrink films – where minimising start-up waste is essential. Cyrel DFUV comes up to colour ‘almost immediately’ and is designed for very fine screens, says DuPont.
DuPont will also introduced Cyrel Easy Plate Technology, a new platform that simplifies the pre-press process by building the flattop digital dot directly into the plate. For both fast thermal and solvent platemaking systems, removing the flattop dot processing step and its associated cost increases efficiency and consistency, says DuPont.
Indian Contact: Dupont India, Mumbai
Stall: 11B16
Looking for a digital press, but tight on budget? At the show, Durst will show a ‘budget priced’ single pass UV inkjet label press designed for the small and medium-sized label converters. The Tau 330 E available in two print width, for the small and medium-sized label converters. Tau 330 E is available in 200mm or 330mm with four- (CMYK) or five-colours (CMYK+W), offers a print speed of up to 48m/min (157ft/min) and the choice of two print resolutions – the standard print mode at 720x360dpi and the HD print mode at 720x1260dpi. Durst says the newly designed high pigmented UV inkjet inks provide a noticeable cost reduction compared to existing systems.
So what’s new in the Tau 330, the bigger version? New options include an industrial scale jumbo roll unwinder/rewinder, handling rolls of 1,000mm diameter – or roll lengths up to 4,000 linear metres – for material widths of up to 350mm, thus facilitating uninterrupted print production of long print runs with less roll changes. The inline finishing system designed by German company Printum can also be integrated with it.
Indian Contact: Printronics, Chennai
Stall: 8B26