Print Week News

Arjowiggins launches Cocoon direct mail campaign
5/17/2012 12:34:00 PM GMT

The ‘White and Recycled' campaign will target printers, designers and corporate audiences with direct mail sent throughout May and June.

Three premium mailers will be accompanied by tailored emails, promoting Cocoon's high levels of whiteness, print quality and environmental neutrality.

A dedicated website has been created for the campaign with information about the Cocoon range, production process and advantages of paper recycling.

It also features an environmental calculator, demonstrating the difference in carbon emissions, water, energy and wood used by Cocoon 100% recycled papers compared to virgin fibres.

Cocoon comprises coated and uncoated papers available in weights from 80-400gsm. It is manufactured from FSC- and European Ecolabel-certified recycled de-inked pulp produced at Arjowiggins' Greenfield S.A.S. mill in France.

The campaign spans across Europe, with Antalis McNaughton stepping up as the exclusive UK provider of Cocoon papers to distribute 8,000 mailers nationwide.

Arjowiggins' operational marketing manager Angela DeVorchik said: "With this new campaign, we hope to showcase the high quality results that Cocoon 100% recycled papers can deliver, as well as the range's commitment to environmental integrity. End-users can make their own environmental commitment without sacrificing on a high-quality, bright-white print finish."

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Kodak Park was home to 'secret' nuclear reactor
5/17/2012 12:12:00 PM GMT

The reactor's existence was recently publicised by the Democrat and Chronicle, after an employee mentioned it to a reporter from the local newspaper.

According to the report, the reactor was housed in a two-foot-thick, concrete-walled bunker beneath the basement of Building 82 in the Kodak Park research complex.

While the relevant Federal regulators and Kodak research scientists who worked in the facility were aware of its existence, city officials and residents were in the dark.

A Kodak company spokesman told the Democrat and Chronicle that he could find no record of any public announcement about the facility and that he was unsure if the company had ever notified local police, fire or hazardous-material officers.

One good reason for the high-level of secrecy around the reactor, which was used for research purposes, was the fact that it contained 1.5kg of highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium.

According to nuclear non-proliferation experts, for an industrial manufacturer to be in possession of even a small quantity of this highly-controlled radioactive substance is almost unheard of.

"It's such an odd situation because private companies just don't have this material," Miles Pomper, senior research associate at Washington's Centre for Nonproliferation Studies told the local newspaper.

The reactor was a californium neutron flux multiplier or CFX, so-called because it contained small plates of highly enriched uranium that multiplied the neutron flow from a tiny californium-252 radioactive core.

The resulting neutron beam was used to check chemicals and other materials for impurities and for tests related to neutron radiography, a former Kodak reseach scientist told the Democrat and Chronicle.

Kodak's CFX reactor was built in 1978, at which time no other American industrial firm had anything like it, and dismantled in 2007 after the company decided that it was no longer required. "There were alternative and less expensive means to obtain the analytical results," said the spokesman.

Since then the chamber that used to house the reactor has been cleaned and deemed fit for reuse, although it remains empty.

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Drupa orders bring strong Q1 start for Heidelberg
5/17/2012 11:01:00 AM GMT

Bestsellers included the new "flagship press" - the B1 format Speedmaster XL 106 - and the Speedmaster SX platform, which sold almost 500 units.

The company, which is due to publish its 2011/12 end-of-year results on 14 June, took orders at Drupa from over 80 countries and recorded significant growth in Asian markets such as Japan and China. Top orders came from Germany and China followed by the US, Middle East, UK and Japan.

Chief executive Bernhard Schreier said developments in the U.S. and Japan were cause for optimism. "Many print shops have used Drupa to thoroughly renew their machine park so as to be able to meet the requirements of the market," he said.

Schreier said the level of incoming orders during the show indicated that confidence within the industry was returning. "The investment backlog is continuing to unwind in many parts of the world.

Heidelberg's expectations of Drupa had been more than satisfied, he added. "The volume of orders at the show is equivalent to around half of the production of printing units over the past financial year.

"The fact that we have remained true to our development projects over recent years, some of which have not been easy, has been rewarded. We can now also look to the future with optimism."

KBA posts Q1 results, hails Drupa orders
5/17/2012 9:17:00 AM GMT

The group published its first quarter report as Drupa was drawing to a close and while he was unwilling to give specific figures - as financing had yet to be finalised in many cases - chief executive Claus Bolza-Schünemann was upbeat about KBA's performance.

"We have signed a lot of contracts with both existing and new customers," he said. "But it will be weeks, or even months, before all the financing has been clarified, customer prepayments have been received and we and other exhibitors can assess our true performance at Drupa 2012."

Operating profit for the quarter to 31 March 2012 improved from a €1.8m (£1.4m) loss in the prior year to a €2m profit, while the pre-tax result swung from a €3.9m deficit to a €200,000 profit.

Group sales also improved, rising 4% from €253.3m to €263.5m thanks to a near 28% spike in web and special press sales, which increased from €127.3m to €162.6m, although sheetfed press sales fell around 20%, from €126m to €100.9m.

KBA blamed the drop in sheetfed press sales on "a fourth-quarter dip in demand" as well as a number of late orders that had not yet worked through to the bottom line. However, it highlighted an 8% rise in sheetfed press orders to €152.9m

This was partly attributed to a pre-Drupa event at KBA's Radebeul facility in March, which was attended by more than 1,000 print professionals and helped to overcome the traditional reluctance to invest in the quarter preceding print's biggest trade show.

However, the pattern of mixed returns continued as - in the absence of the major contracts that had resulted in the record prior-year figure - incoming orders for web and special presses plummeted 71% from €290.6m to €83.7m.

This left KBA's overall order intake down 45%, from €432.1m to €236.6m, although its order backlog increased 29% to €798.8m, which the press manufacturer said was at odds with the industry trend.

Meanwhile, the group's headcount fell from 6,404 on 31 March 2011 to 6,294 in 2012, with this figure expected to further reduce, ultimately falling below 6,000 following the conclusion of various cost cutting initiatives.

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FM Brooks announces 'industrial printing' show
5/16/2012 12:09:00 PM GMT

Set to take place on 13-14 November 2013 in Cologne, Germany, the two-day event will focus on developments within the industrial sector catalysed by 3D printing and digital inkjet production.

The organisers claim InPrint will analyse the opportunities presented by industrial print applications spanning issues such as additive manufacturing, or decorative surface imaging.

Marcus Timson, director of FM Brooks, said: "For future print technologies and technical print, whether inkjet or screen, there is currently no dedicated event and community that connects technological innovators with strategic industrial decision makers and pioneering print entrepreneurs. This gap will now be filled with the launch of InPrint 2012."

FM Brooks has involved print technology manufacturers, print businesses and consultants in the development of InPrint 2013, details of which will be revealed in the coming weeks.

According to Rob Haak, founder of dotrix and now general manager of inkjet consultancy Spikix, which was a member of the InPrint development group, there is a "huge transformation" taking place within the manufacturing sector.

"The role that inkjet can play within this new shift is significant, leading to innovative inkjet applications and further ink and fluid developments to address the end-user requirements for these exciting opportunities in the industrial printing markets," he added.

Last year, FM Brooks, which is headed up by former Fespa Event directors Frazer Chesterman and Marcus Timson, unveiled EcoPrint Live 2012.

The show, which will take place in Berlin from 26-27 September 2012, will place an emphasis on sustainability through "efficiency, the reduction of waste, implementation of effective process management and a committed, dynamic sales and marketing campaign".

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French algae problem creates opportunity for eco-friendly paper
5/16/2012 12:26:00 PM GMT

Run-off from livestock waste is believed to be polluting the soil around the area, creating build-ups of phosphate, which is a health hazard and has a negative impact on tourism due to its unpleasant appearance and putrid smell.

Two years ago, Favini commissioned a third party to collect the algae from the beaches and dry it, making it easier to transport to its Venice factories. Two hundred tonnes of French algae have been collected since the scheme began, of which 5-10% is retained through the drying process to be used as flour for Alga Carta paper.

The Shiro Alga Carter paper accounts for approximately 5% of Favini's product portfolio, but is its most significant innovation, according to the company, due to the "fashion of environmental awareness and alternative material sourcing".

Alga Carta paper is used globally, the main clients being graphic design and luxury packaging businesses, including large sunglasses and cosmetic brands, and is distributed in the UK exclusively by Kent-based Fenner Paper.

Favini began the process in Venice in 1992 in an attempt to recover lagoons from severe pollution resulting from agricultural and industrial waste. Eventually, the government improved sewerage and, although Favini still sources a small amount of algae from the area, the company was forced to look for resources elsewhere.

Favini group operations manager Chris Brown said: "The problem on the Brittany and Normandy coast, especially in September, got so bad that horses were dying on the beach. We hope for the French public that the problem is resolved quickly, but in reality, it is going to be many years before that happens."

Brown believes that the company has many more opportunities across Europe for resourcing algae should the problem in Brittany subside, but said it was much more widespread than is publicly perceived.

He added that China would be a huge market for the company due to the high level of pollution creating algae blooms in the sea near Shanghai, but the lack of infrastructure to transport the patented product back to the Venice mills is not in place to utilise the resource yet.

Innovation and investment
5/16/2012 11:07:00 AM GMT

Even half-way through, this trend became clear, and exhibitors were reporting numerous business deals around the world. This readiness to invest has continued uninterrupted in the second half of the show.

"Drupa was a complete success for the industry. The show is breathing new life into the sector. Numerous business services and innovations were on display, and overall these resulted in high levels of investment," is how Bernhard Schreier, president of Drupa 2012 and chairman of Heidelberg summarised the impact of the show.

He continued: "What the 1,850 exhibitors have presented here over the past two weeks will strengthen the potential for development for the printing and media industry in the long term.

"Here in Düsseldorf, business transactions have been agreed and the groundwork has been laid for the industry's successful future."

By this evening, 320,000 experts from over 130 countries will have visited drupa - 70,000 fewer than 2008. "This drop is not a great surprise to us or the sector overall. In Germany alone, the printing industry lost over 61,000 workers from around 3,900 firms between 2000 and 2011. Over 7,700 printing companies closed in the US in the same period," explained Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, chairman of the board at Messe Düsseldorf.

"In this context, it is not surprising that there were fewer visitors to drupa 2012. But - and this is the key thing - customers are no longer coming with large delegations or as part of a company trip to drupa. Rather, it is top-level management who are travelling to Düsseldorf. Drupa is clearly the show for decision-makers, the show for business."

This claim confirms Drupa's position as the world's most important and largest business-to-business show in the sector.

Ultimate Packaging buys Bobst press
5/16/2012 10:48:00 AM GMT

"With its performance and innovative features, the F&K 20SIX is the ideal answer to the demands encountered in the production of flexible packaging, such as for fresh and chilled foods. We are expanding our leading position in this market in the UK," said Ultimate Packaging managing director Nigel Tonge.

In addition to a high production capacity of up to 600m/min with web widths of up to 1,300mm, the F&K 20SIX also has significantly lower makeready times and much less waste. "With the F&K 20SIX, we can reduce makeready times from two hours to 20 minutes. This machine increases productivity substantially," said Chris Tonge, sales and marketing director.

Manroland makes headway in India
5/16/2012 10:43:00 AM GMT

The company signed for seven Regioman double-width towers and three jaw folders at the show to boost the production capacity of its 10 newspaper titles.

Speaking to Drupa Report Daily, Peter Kuisle, member of the executive board at Manroland Web Systems, said: "Every third newspaper worldwide gets printed on a Manroland web press. We have one-third of the worldwide market share for web presses and are leading providers in both heatset and coldest presses."

The Times of India has a long relationship with Manroland with multiple press lines of Colorman, Geoman, Regioman and Cromoman installed at numerous production sites across India.

Bennett & Coleman also signed a deal with Ferag India at drupa for a new mailroom system to support the new presses. The deal comprises a UTR conveyor, stacker, film wrapper and strapping machine as a part of Ferag mailroom system.

Meanwhile, Manroland Web Systems has also agreed a deal at the show with HT Media, publisher of English-language daily Hindustan Times, for one four-high tower and folder former, which will be added to one of its existing Colorman presses at its Greater Noida facility.

Anil Bhatia, managing director of Manroland India, said, "With this new order, HT Media has reaffirmed its trust in the web offset technology from Manroland for [its] print requirements."

As a part of this expansion plan, HT Media has also purchased a service upgrade to increase the speed of all the towers in its Colorman presses to 90,000 copies per hour.

Drupa 2012 draws to a close
5/16/2012 10:17:00 AM GMT
Despite visitor numbers contracting by 18% since 2008 - the expected total will be down from 390,000 to 320,000 when the show closes today - manufacturers and suppliers said the quality of customers had increased dramatically with decision makers arriving ready to do business.

Landa, which created a sensation at the show with the launch of its nano printing technology, took deposits for ‘hundreds' of Nanographic presses, with the S10 B1-format model notching up the most orders according to founder and chairman Benny Landa. He said: "I'm on such a high, the show has been so fantastic for us.

"One of our objectives was to try and jump-start the industry, by coming here with a more optimistic and positive outlook. I imagined we would have a big impact, but what amazed me most has been the customers' response. It's been amazingly positive, both to our message and our technology."

Digital press sales were also booming elsewhere. HP doubled its sales target for the new B2 HP Indigo 10000 and reported "huge" sales of the new HP Indigo 5600 and HP Indigo 7600 as well as successes with its Inkjet Web Press Series and labels and packaging presses.

Francois Martin, worldwide marketing director, HP Graphic Solutions Business said: "As such, drupa 2012 proved itself this year to be a show for all print markets where visitors come to do business around commercially available solutions. "

Elsewhere, KBA told the drupa report daily it had signed orders totalling "three-digit million Euros".

The company also reported a 4% increase in group sales for the first quarter following an 8% increase in sheetfed orders with more being signed during the show as well as web press orders from Germany and France.

Finishing equipment supplier Duplo reported more good news raking in €3m (£2.4m) during the show, €1m above expectations, while it made 2,200 leads across 109 countries.

And Canon, too, notched up strong figures with 270 production printer sales across the Canon and Océ range and over 10,000 new leads. Echoing the feeling of many at this year's show, professional print director David Preskett called drupa 2012 "a real success."

Drupa 2012 president, and Heidelberg chairman and chief executive Bernhard Schreier said the show had "breathed new life into the sector".

"Here in Dusseldorf, business transactions have been agreed and the groundwork has been laid for the industry's successful future," he stated.

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Pop-up book attracts attention for Antalis McNaughton
5/15/2012 5:52:00 PM GMT

Hertfordshire-based Abstract Group created art installations of the pop-up pieces for Antalis McNaughton's exhibition stand at the customer event, Roadshow, on seven A2 spreads based on an accompanying direct mail campaign aimed at designers.

The designs were bound in an A3 hard cover and printed on Antalis McNaughton's Creative Papers range and featured as the prize of a draw that ran throughout the company's 11 customer events across the country.

"Decades of Design" accompanied a direct mail campaign conceptualised by design group Stocks Taylor Benson, featuring seven individual inserts inspired by buildings, cars, typefaces and fashion from previous decades.

The campaign showcased different uses for the Creative Papers - including Conqueror, Keaykolour, Rives, Pop'Set and Curious Collection - featuring various print techniques.

Print company Allens was assigned the offset printing for the campaign, and Screentec produced screen printed inserts, which were accompanied by pages that had been treated with foil blocking, spot UV and embossing.

Abstract Group created sketches based on those featured in the direct mail campaign to be converted to Kasemake files compatible with the company's CAD system. The art pieces were then cut by hand on a plotting table and produced in individual A2 hard-bound covers for display at the Roadshow.

Antalis' operational marketing manager for Creative Papers Peter Harrison said: "The campaign has created an enormous amount of interest from our customers.

In particular, customers showed an interest in how creative papers can be used for applications such as luxury packaging. Customers were also interested in seeing how Conqueror can be used for creative pieces, rather than business stationery for which it is well known."

Sasha O'Neill, marketing manager at Tyneside printer Elanders, who won the exclusive pop-up book, said: "It was a very interesting concept - it taps into trends of every generation from the 1920s art deco through to the 80s.

"Creative is a big part of the marketing communication industry - it needs to be engaging. We need to consider the visual concept and this does; there is the intrigue to turn page after page. It is a highly engaging piece of marketing literature."

Delta Group in UK Indigo 20000 debut
5/15/2012 1:30:00 PM GMT

Delta, which has just opened a print facility in Los Angeles, opted for the press as part of a bid to expand its digital printing offering and for the machine's productivity and format.

Chief executive Jason Auluk said: "We like to stay at the forefront of new technology. The 20000 will enable us diversify our offering and fulfil a lot more applications in areas such as label printing."

The Indigo 20000 will be commercially available from 2014.

Firstan takes a nanographic 'leap of faith'
5/15/2012 1:04:00 PM GMT

The company signed an agreement on the first day of Drupa to take on the B1 digital press at its Cambridgeshire plant at the end of 2013 as its first "major move into digital print".

Firstan said it would work with Landa until the machine is ready for installation, running print trials and giving feedback to the manufacturer to develop the machine to the printer's expectations.

The company has never before advocated brand new developments but trusts that Landa will deliver on its state-of-the-art technology, confident that it will be ready for the agreed time and corrections will be made before and during installation.

Andrew Hartwig, managing director of Firstan, said: "Landa has not spent this amount of money on something that is going to fail and neither are we. It feels like the finished article to me."

He added that the press was the only machine that fit with the infrastructure of the company, citing its wider substrate offering and finishing units set it apart from its closest digital competitors.

The company is a major supplier of packaging for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector and said the late-stage customisation that the S10 provides makes it a suitable solution for "anti-counterfeit, flexibility and brand protection" required by customers.

Firstan claimed that there was no other manufacturer on the market which could compete with the Landa S10 for the folding carton market. Hartwig added: "We are looking towards the next decade of printing and this ticks all the boxes - it does everything we want."

Leary offers bespoke quality control
5/15/2012 1:02:00 PM GMT

It has unveiled Braille detection, code verification and glue detection systems as part of its new LearyArray series of system controllers.

Chief executive Kevin Leary said the company could offer a bespoke combination of sensors, lasers and cameras, controlled by the LearyArray system's Monet software. These can now be used to check glue is being correctly placed on complex folding cartons, to check Braille markings are correct and to verify both 1D and 2D codes.

"The glue and Braille systems can check in excess of 130,000 cartons an hour and the code verification system 150,000," said Leary.

PaperCo to stock Arctic Paper's Arctic Volume range
5/15/2012 12:36:00 PM GMT

Arctic Volume is a high-quality matt-coated paper and board grade. The range consists of three papers, available in grammages between 90gsm and 300gsm.

Arctic Paper said the paper's properties included high bulk, opacity and rigidity, which made it ideal for advertising material and magazines.

All Arctic Volume standard products are FSC certified, which ensures that pulp used in production is obtained from forests managed in a sustainable way.

A spokeswoman for Arctic Paper UK said PaperCo was its biggest customer. She declined to give figures on the size of the new contract for the Arctic Volume range.

Arctic Paper UK managing director Garry Colyer said: "This new distribution arrangement reaffirms the long-standing relationship between PaperCo and Arctic Paper and reinforces their position as the UK's leading distributor of other Arctic grades including the Amber and G-Print products."

PaperCo category manager Chris Smith said: "We're delighted to be introducing Arctic Volume into our coated portfolio. It's a product well-renowned for its physical properties and outstanding print performance that allows our customers to optimise the yield advantage of lower grammages, helping to maximize budgets."

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Unite has MMP strategy into 2013
5/15/2012 12:52:00 PM GMT

The two parties met last week for the first time in almost three months, when a Unite party headed by general secretary Len McCluskey went to Austria to meet with the company's management.

Unite is in the process of taking legal action against MMP over the planned closure of its Bootle plant, which followed on-site protests over redundancy pay and terms.

According to Unite, the meeting came about when the company's chief executive personally called McCluskey, following increased pressure from a number of major customers.

MMP did confirm that this was the reason the meeting was set up, but a statement from the company said: "We confirm that a meeting took place last week in which the parties exchanged their views. Based on this it has been agreed to meet again soon."

It is unclear at this stage whether MMP intends to reopen the plant, but Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke told PrintWeek that the union would not "collapse and go away" on the issue.

He said: "A number of their blue-chip customers feel very uncomfortable being connected with what is going on here and we have been pressing them to raise this issue with MMP, which they have done.

"As far as we are concerned, this dispute is still ongoing and we are continuing with action against the company. We have a strategy in place to take us well into 2013; we will not let our members be treated like this."

Scodix wins S74 sales
5/15/2012 12:50:00 PM GMT

The first Scodix S74 modular machine, will be shipped directly from the show to German printer Rieker Druckverendelung.

Rieker owner Ralph Rieker said: "We are buying the base station, but plan to add additional elements such as holography and lenticular stations when they become available."

The second S74 press sold off the stand will be delivered to Graficol, a Netherlands-based trade finishing house. Graficol has also bought a dedicated Braille option, also launched at drupa, to add applications for the visually impaired.

The S74 machines use jetting block and multiple independently controlled inkjet nozzles to deliver Scodix's PolySense clear polymer in small drops and multiple layers.

Scodix is also to partner with distributor Samafitro to sell its devices to the south-east Asian market.

KYMC's modular flexo press goes on sale
5/15/2012 12:59:00 PM GMT

KYMC described the Moduflex as a "servo-driven, electronic line-shaft press providing fast register set-up and tight register tolerances vertically or horizontally inline with multiple printing and converting machinery".

The modular configuration has options including flexo, gravure and offset stations and rotary or flatbed die-cutting, it added.

Tetra Pak has been using its Moduflex for aseptic packaging, according to KYMC general manager John Pan.

He told Drupa Report Daily: "It's a modular concept, so we can almost build the press the way the customer wants it. It's very operator-friendly and has very quick changeover."

Most of the Taiwanese manufacturer's machines are customised to suit customers' markets, he said.

Pan said that policy had resulted in the sale of a gearless flexo press on 8 May for a seven-figure sum.

The French company bought the Euroflex because KYMC - unlike its European rivals - was prepared to modify it, he said.

Most of KYMC's machines cost less than $2m, Pan said.

"We can offer high-quality equipment at a much lower barrier of entry," he added.

"They're going to get a quicker return on investment and that's where we see KYMC being a leader."

Springer puts trust in Manroland
5/15/2012 12:53:00 PM GMT
Peter Kuisle, director at Manroland Web Systems, sees it as important evidence of the trust from a large customer placed in the recently formed Manroland.

The agreement includes various services for the long-term assurance of operational readiness of the newspaper printing systems.

Axel Springer and Manroland Web Systems have enjoyed a close and successful business relationship for several decades. Print houses in Berlin, Essen and Ahrensburg use numerous newspaper printing systems from the Augsburg company, including 15 Colorman systems.

Anton Hamm, service manager at Manroland Web Systems said: "We have been driving the?service division forward for many years, and we are now the market leader.

"The agreement just concluded shows that Axel Springer trusts us to do a good job, and that we are on the right track with our service concept."

The work is being implemented by Print Services, the Manroland brand in the services sector.

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Bagel Direkt in double Sitma order
5/15/2012 12:53:00 PM GMT
The company, based in Mönchengladbach, Germany, placed an order at drupa 2012 to expand its production equipment by adding two more Sitma packaging lines.

The move increases the firm's film packaging capacity to 10 lines. The new lines are equipped with 18 feeders each and can be modularly expanded at any time to meet rising demand.

High demands are imposed on the collating and packaging systems in two respects: stable production at high speeds and selective collating to the smallest areas. The Sitma lines fulfil both criteria to customers' satisfaction, said Bagel Direkt.

General manager Udo Bogner said: "Sitma has always provided us with ideal solutions for our needs. Thanks to our long and effective partnership, we decided to stay with this manufacturer for our expansion.

Italian company Sitma is represented in Germany by Arisma, based in Kelkheim, near Frankfurt.

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