LPIA 2

LABELS & PACKAGING

2020

INNOVATION ASIA

1- 2020

A Changing Print Market: Top Trends for 2020

Memjet Chief Executive Officer Len Lauer shares his views, full article on page 16

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The future of label printing – drupa is even more important than you think Brand Owners and Digital Packaging COVER STORY A Changing Print Market: Top Trends for 2020 The next level in flexo plate making Thailand’s Juih Tay installs new BOBST M1 label press Zolemba improves production efficiency by 20% Wikitude Helps Brands Like Jack Daniels Conquer the Packaging Industry Kodak and Uteco sells first Sapphire EVO W Kornit unveils Vulcan Plus Xeikon launches REX Tye Cine Saved Time and Reduced Costs Great interest in Gallus Open Day in February 2020 Making Prints Shine with Embellishments Asia Pacific consumers look for efficiency and convenience Sleeve labels: an all-round picture drupa stages first special show dedicated to digital textile printing Next Generation of Packaging: Tetra Pak’s Connected Packaging Platform Innovative Sustainable Food Packaging Options: Veg-Fresh Farms, Startups And Co Price or service - choose your poison.

BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER 150 years of Windmöller & Hölscher EFI Launches ‘D’ series of VUTEk printers Most difficult print jobs in top quality at high speed The world is experiencing a severe plastic waste crisis News from around the world and around the region

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AUGUST 26-27 - 2020

2020

Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd Level 28, Office 28-31 Clifford Centre, 24 Raffles Place, Singapore 048621 Tel+65 6733 5342 Fax +656733 3586 Chairman

Paul Callaghan paul@printinnovationasia.com

Conference Director

Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com Editor Sha Jumari sha@printinnovationasia.com

Chairman Judging Panel 2019 Packaging Excellence Awards Judges -Wim Swiggers - Phee Boon Eow Ben Kwok SHIFT_20 (AFTA) has 11 active Committee members for 2019/2020 For everything you need go to www.printinnovationasia.com

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

8

The future of label prin even more important t “The digitalization of our world and of our lives is everywhere and is rapidly entering into the print and packaging industry.

Digital may be a competitor but it can also be part of the solution for printers and converters to be more efficient.”

When I think about drupa, I think about it as the World Cup of Printing.

The World Cup too happens every four years – but contrary to drupa my own country is usually not a qualifier there.

People told me when I first joined the printing industry “don’t go there, it’s too big, you’ll get lost”, or “don’t go there, it’s not focused enough on your business”. Since my first drupa visit, I can’t wait to visit again and I certainly won’t miss it in 2020.

Yes, it’s true that drupa is huge and I did get lost there more than once. Yes, it’s not just focused on labels-printing, but to attend the biggest print show in the world gives me an overview of the complete printing market, the latest innovations and the trends that we can expect in future years. The different printing sectors within the industry are related and some trends that occur now in one category will also evolve in another. For example, inkjet technology was first introduced for wide- format applications but it is now playing a major role in label-printing.

To gain knowledge about competing printing processes at drupa gives me more insight and adds new perspectives to my own business.

So, what can we expect from the next drupa in 2020? First and foremost – innovation!

Printing, including packaging, is under intense pressure to transform itself. Brand owners are upping the pace and have new, different requirements. The industry is more competitive than ever and innovation is

what our clients – brand owners – are looking for.

One very important aspect is sustainability. Printing, and especially packaging, is under huge pressure to

improve its carbon footprint and to limit waste. Today’s younger generation participates in regular demonstrations to put pressure on governments and brand owners. They don’t know why packaging is important but many

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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nting – drupa is than you think think it’s something inherently evil.

Most don’t understand the benefits of packaging and look only at the waste generated. Even if today some more sustainable solutions are available, a lot of them are not implemented – simply because they are not yet economically viable. Yes, everyone wants a better, cleaner planet but nobody is prepared to pay for it! Packaging customers are out to cut cost, whatever it takes.

Our group has, for example, developed many new solutions and brought them to the market. We are certified PEFC, FSC; Imprim’vert did a carbon footprint analysis. But today our green turnover is still very small. Maybe we are not good enough in promoting or selling our solutions, but the resistance to change is also still very strong – too strong in my view. I really hope to see more sustainable packaging materials coming through, and more environmentally friendly inks, with print-machines able to print and process substrates in a more environmentally friendly manner.

At the World Cup of print, the biggest contest is the confrontation between printing techniques: flexo, offset, helio and the new digital rising star. In the context of increased demand for more sustainability, quality, shorter delivery times and reduced costs, all printing technologies are improving and innovation can move applications from one printing technology to another.

But like at a World Cup, watch out for the hooligans – those who only believe in one printing technology (their own) and don’t appreciate or understand the advantages of others.

Nowhere else can you be as close to the evolution of printing technologies as at drupa. Here an understanding

of the advantages and disadvantages is essential in order to better serve your customers’ needs. I expect major changes to come for all printing processes as they need to improve efficiency, waste management, quality and also reduce their environmental impact significantly. Something to have in mind is that traditional print techniques are becoming more and more digital, with sensors all over the machines and taking away timeconsuming tasks from the operators.

For example, digital set-up tools enable printers and converters to be more efficient; cameras and sensors can reduce the set-up time and increases productivity significantly – and all without replacing your current operators.

The digitalization of our world and our lives is everywhere and is rapidly entering into the print and packaging industry. Digital may be a competitor but it can also be part of the solution for printers and converters to be more efficient, to calculate in a more precise way their real costs and to integrate physical products into the digital world using, for example, augmented reality. RF-ID and printed electronics are also opportunities for the print industry to connect with the digital world. Digital in general, incorporating pre-press, printing and converting in one system, is on the rise with the automation of all the steps of the print-workflow, thereby helping to optimize the entire production floor and not only the printing part. And it also links printers and converters better together with their customers and suppliers. In a digital world print can be seamlessly integrated into multichannel communications offering personalization (individualisation).

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And what about my expectations for drupa 2020? Well, I don’t usually have specific expectations - most of the time I get surprised by visiting a booth I didn’t intend to visit, which then informs or even inspires me about something unexpected. In the end, you will get a different view on your investments or on the market trends and dynamics.

So ‘expect the unexpected’ and be open- minded! As mentioned, drupa is the best place to understand that the printing world is made of numerous applications and that with all the innovation and new technologies being made available, the changes happening are in fact opportunities for printers and converters to reshape their future.

Finally, think beyond the printingpress; it will take more than a new press to be successful. At drupa you need to look at the entire productionchain for print and packaging. Substrate innovations are going to be critical in the coming years. The digitalization and the automation of the entire workflow will change your organization. New technologies will require the hiring of new staff and development of new skills. The way you will engage with your clients will change significantly as they are all soon going to be digital natives.

So rather than resist the changes, be ready to embrace them.

Like the World Cup, drupa is an event you really shouldn’t miss – the biggest meeting place for the world’s leaders in printing and packaging, a place where all the latest innovations will be put under the spot light. So, see you at drupa 2020!

About the author Isidore Leiser is CEO of Stratus Packaging, one of the leading European label converters using both conventional and digital technologies to transform the label industry.

drupa cube: eleven days of vision and inspiration To provide participants with the best possible visitor experience, drupa invests in top-class knowledge transfer

through its five special forums, the drupa cube being one of them. “educate - engage - entertain” is the slogan of the cube, designed to provide a broad spectrum of highly relevant content that is motivating, very stimulating and interactive for visitors thanks to the various talk formats. Worldrenowned speakers are set to create a buzz with a visionary range of topics.

Amongst others, best-selling author Michael Gale will look at the future of the industry and will offer concrete recommendations for activities that will secure a successful digital management as well as important background information on how to take the plunge into digital management.

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Brand Owners and Digital Packaging Digital package printing is redefining the ways brand owners are using packaging to engage consumers and drive purchasing.

Printing packaging on digital presses offers brands of all sizes, from large corporations to small-batch producers, many opportunities to enhance brand power, consumer engagement effectiveness, and customer experiences. Advantages such as its ability to print more versions within a product line, enabling shorter runs, and supporting the use of special effects, digital printing offers brand owners many ways to create powerful labels and packaging that deliver desired results.

In a new report research has highlighted and analyzed packaging trends in key industries, with a special focus on the food and beverage market segment. The report combines research survey data on brand owner trends with examples of how digital printing is powering packaging success and improving customer engagement points. It showcases how brand owners are leveraging digital printing’s many benefits, including short runs, versioning, personalization, and sustainability.

Packaging just as Important as the Product Many brand owners believe that a product’s packaging is as important as the product itself. Because packaging is a crucial marketing and communication tool, brand owners look for ways to improve its quality, creativity, and effectiveness. Digital printing offers brands many opportunities to enhance the power of packaging.

While large-scale brands may dominate shelf space (and the majority of

touchpoint packaging

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packaging volumes), consumers are increasingly seeking out small-batch, artisan brands in a variety of market segments. The rise of small-to-mediumsize brands is influencing demand for digital printing of labels and packaging, as these organizations require highquality output, special effects, short runs, and the flexibility to respond to changing market and customer needs.

growth of small-batch production of baked goods, specialty snacks, and beverages. According to the Specialty Food Association, in 2018, specialty food sales hit an all-time high of over $140 billion, growing 9.8% in the past two years. In addition, the association reports that over 80% of Millennials are purchasing artisan food, the biggest percentage of any generation.

Food and Beverage Market Drives Innovation Food and beverage is a market segment where small-batch and artisanal brands appear to be thriving.

Consumers’ increasing proclivity toward healthy eating and interest in handmade products are driving

Brand owners are continually refreshing products to appeal to more consumers. In addition, consumers of food and beverage products expect brands to incorporate the latest trends in product development and marketing.

According to a recent research survey of brand owners across key industries

that use packaging, those focused on food and beverage report producing compelling and engaging packaging is a top packaging objective; other areas of importance include offering more versions and customization options, keeping up with the latest types of print enhancements, and better managing inventory. Digital printing is redefining the ways brand owners are using packaging to engage consumers and drive purchasing.

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• Adapt to your customers’ exact specifications by designing your own reusable theme with HTML, CSS, and code; add extra functionality, featured product areas, bespoke pages (like FAQs), personalised product recommendations, and more.

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Scan the QR Code or visit https://url.xmpie.com/ustore to request a demo:

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A Changing Print M

Top Trends for 2 2020 is here and the new decade promises opportunity, growth, and excitement for the printing industry. In this article, Memjet Chief Executive Officer Len Lauer shares his views on what will make the print industry thrive in 2020.

Innovation Makes Print Thrive As we begin the new year, the industry’s largest companies are engaged in a takeover battle: Xerox vs. HP. There are different perspectives on how this potential takeover will play out. Still, one thing is sure—when the two biggest digital equipment manufacturers in the printing industry focus internally on control of ownership, it’s the end-user who is likely to suffer the most.

Because in an industry that is looking for new ways to be profitable, innovation is the most critical factor to success. Memjet is well positioned to be the industry’s innovator for color digital printing.

In the US, Industry profits in 2019 tell an interesting story. Large printers are struggling to remain profitable. Small printers, on the other hand, are growing

their profits. In the third quarter of 2019, profits before taxes for large printers dropped to negative -5.33% of revenues. For small printers, though, profits before taxes rose from 6.74% of revenues in the second quarter to 9.70% in the third quarter.

For these smaller printers to sustain this growth, their suppliers must innovate and create printing solutions that can diversify their product offerings, grow their volume and share of the market, and expand into new markets.

Last year, Memjet introduced a new printing technology called DuraFlex.

This technology is affordable yet produces industry-leading speed and quality as a result of our innovation.

Like other Memjet technologies, DuraFlex is modular so that OEMs can develop printing solutions and get them to market faster and more affordably.

We introduced DuraFlex in September.

The next month, our new OEM partner Kirk Rudy was taking orders for its new, low-cost DuraFlex-powered printer—the FireJet 4C—at industry tradeshows. It is that type of speed and innovation that the market needs today.

Chief Executive Officer Len Lauer

The Tipping Point for Inkjet The potential of inkjet has been a discussion point for years. How many drupa conferences have been billed as “the inkjet drupa?” But as we begin 2020, the full potential of inkjet is finally being realized, creating exciting opportunities for the printing industry as a whole.

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Market:

2020

Today, Memjet is delivering higher resolution, higher speeds, and lower costs than have ever been possible with inkjet printing. These printhead developments, combined with technical innovations that support our OEM partners in the development process, result in a new breed of affordable printing solutions that produce highquality, beautiful output.

These print solutions have a lower barrier to entry than more expensive and complicated printers. As a result, more and more printers are now able to leverage the value of production inkjet and expand their businesses into areas they never thought possible, including labeling, packaging, and industrial printing.

So, will 2020 truly be a drupa where inkjet comes into its own? We believe it will. We anticipate a record number of OEM partners showcasing powered

by Memjet solutions at drupa and highlighting what is possible with today’s inkjet technology.

These inkjet-powered solutions are being developed across a wide variety of segments and applications. We are most excited about low cost, single-pass packaging solutions for corrugated, folding carton and flexible materials as well as for labels and mail and addressing applications.

Industry expert Régis Thienard also sees the potential for inkjet. In a recent article published in the drupa

"Essentials of Print," he wrote, “The growth here is significant, and I am convinced that we are at a clear tipping point for inkjet to become the dominant technology at drupa 2020.

We will witness some revolutionary machines and see that there is almost no limit for inkjet.”

Expanded Substrates 2020 will also see significant expansion in industrial printing. While this term means different things to different people, we see industrial printing as printing on different substrates and different shapes. The possibilities are endless: glass, metal, packaging, labels, textiles, and more. Today, the list of substrates is growing and is limited only by imagination.

Memjet DuraFlex Technology

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Memjet technology has replaced analog solutions among printers, brand owners, and companies involved in consumer package goods or eCommerce. These businesses embrace the digitization of print partly because of these improved environmental and economic outcomes.

By contrast, inks have not traditionally been part of the sustainability conversation. But that is starting to change.

While the list of substrates may vary, inkjet technology enables users to realize the same benefits across substrates: customization, high speeds, high-quality output.

Memjet, for example, is talking to a wide range of OEM partners that seek to print on materials other than paper.

From flexible packaging to corrugated – even plastic tubes and metal sheets.

Memjet OEMs are pushing the innovation envelope and opening up new possibilities every month.

As inkjet enters the expansive packaging space, food contact compliance becomes an important area to address.

Safety and compliance are areas on which Memjet is very focused, ensuring our water-based inks are compliant with ever-changing regulations, and

to working with coating and substrate suppliers to test ink migration.

Ink and Sustainability Just as consumers are paying attention to the impact they—and their choices—have on the environment, businesses are starting to put much more emphasis on the environmental impact they have.

The expanded role of digital printing translates to a more positive message for sustainability. Printers and end-user customers experience reduced waste from minimizing plate preparation and makeready processes. Further reduction of waste comes from print overages or out-of-date materials, not to mention the time, cost, energy, and distribution savings that come from digitally printing the right materials, at the right time, in the right locations.

Memjet works with OEMs that are developing solutions for a variety of markets, with a focus on labels and packaging. These OEMs—and their end-user customers—increasingly want inks that are safer for the products, the people handling them, and the planet, Memjet offers the safest inks possible: water-based inks. These inks contain chemicals that are less harmful, are safer to use, and are more environmentally friendly than liquid toner, UV-curable, or solvent-based inks.

The Future is Now No matter what role your organization plays in the printing industry, you will be touched by these trends. Stay ahead of your competition by adopting digital inkjet technology in your business in 2020.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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The next level in flexo • Increased productivity thanks to unique plate alignment and advanced plate queuing system • Sustainable processor due to encapsulated washout zone with very low emissions into work space • Easy handling of large format plates, no human touchpoint • Excellent performance due to innovative pin-bar transport system with automated plate punching, fixing and detaching

Catena-W 80

The newest additions to Flint Group’s Catena Product family, the Catena-W , for Washer, and Catena-DL, for Dryer Light finisher, follow Flint Group’s promise of delivering solutions which are Better.Faster.Easier to use.

Since Xeikon Pre-press joined the Flint Group Family in 2015 both Flint Group Flexographic and Xeikon Prepress were suddenly in the very unique position to have the expertise in plate manufacturing and plate processing equipment in-house. This unique position in the industry resulted in a close collaboration between our R&D departments with the aim to provide a fully optimized Pre-press environment to our customers including equipment and plates.

"We believe that no one in our industry can match this level of expertise and the first feedback we got from our beta customers is confirming our view", says Friedrich von Rechteren, Global Commercial VP, Flint Group Flexographic.

The Catena-W is designed to deliver highest productivity through unique plate alignment which avoids plate skew during transport as well as an advanced plate queuing system. This limits the distance between plates being processed and maximizes the throughput. An integrated plate shuttle will enable a single operator to easily handle large format plates, and a minimum gap between queues will increase the number of plates processed per shift.

Catena-W 80 Xeikon Pre-press R&D Director Bart Wattyn explains: “Right from the beginning our ThermoFlexX imaging systems were designed to help our customers through automaton and leading edge technology. By listening to the challenges our customers have to face every day, like handling large size flexo plates that are easy to damage, we developed the Flextray with fully automatic loading and unloading.

The positive feedback we received was tremendous!

Consequently, we announced the Catena-E LED exposure system in 2019 with a fully automatic plate feed from our imagers.

Plate processing (wash-out) gives an extra challenge and we took it as a design goal that an operator should be able to handle large plates, single handed and without ever having to come into contact with their solventwet surface”.

Compared to other washers the Catena-W operates in a sealed environment. Its efficient extractions ensure a minimum of solvent fumes reaching the workplace, which benefits the health and safety of operators.

The Catena-DL features an automated lift that can be used to move a plate from the shuttle to the dryer drawers and into the light finishing section while avoiding any human touch point.

Stefaan Herman, lead user and Site Manager at Miller-Graphics, a Brand Management, Repro and Flexo Plate making company specializing in flexible

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

21

o plate making packaging, paper and foil, corrugated and labels, states: “We have a great deal of experience and pride ourselves on keeping pace with technical innovations. Choosing the right equipment is vital to keep our business ahead. We are always interested in Flint Group and especially ThermoFlexX developments and happy to take the opportunity to be the first customer installing the Catena-W and Catena-DL. We’ve found the Catena-W pin-bar system to be very useful. This avoids the need for punching the plate by using an external spiked clamp system.

Not only does this save a step, it also means there’s no polymer residue from the punch that can sometimes stick

Catena-DL80

on a plate. Furthermore, the distance required for clamping is less and, thus, saves us some plate material. Rather than a drive chain that passes through the solvent, Catena-W uses a leadscrew that’s outside the liquid, this saves a lot of maintenance. For the environment in our plate room, we noticed that special

covers limit the solvent evaporation with almost no smell discernable in the room. The systems are noticeably quieter, too. Over all we believe that ThermoFlexX has definitely brought a literally fresh and extremely valuable approach to our business”.

JOIN in AUGUST 2020

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2020

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

AUGUST 26 - 27th Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam's industrial production rose by 10.0 percent year-on-year in May 2019, accelerating from a 9.3 percent growth in the previous month. Output increased further for manufacturing (11.6 percent vs 10 percent in April); and water supply and waste treatment (8.4 percent vs 7.9 percent).

On the other hand, production of electricity supply and distribution went up at a softer pace (11.0 percent vs 12.4 percent) and mining and quarrying output declined (-1.5 percent vs 2.4 percent). Considering the first five months of the year, industrial output grew by 9.4 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.

Industrial Production in Vietnam averaged 9.15 percent from 2009 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 28.40 percent in January of 2010 and a record low of -10.10 percent in February of 2013.

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Thailand’s Juih Tay installs new BOBST M1 label press Juih Tay Co., Ltd., a letterpress converter for label based in Nakorn Pathom, Thailand, has recently installed a narrow-web BOBST M1 inline UV flexo printing and converting press with the goal to diversify its production and enter new sectors of the label market.

Over the past 30 years, Juih Tay has built a wide customer base in Thailand. The company manufactures and produces all sort of stickers and labels for a variety of industries and products including food, cosmetics, tires, and cars. The company has different kinds of printing technology in its plant including silkscreen, rotary, and letterpress equipment. Letterpress technology was not enough to fulfil customer demands for higher quality output and turnaround times were too long. Moreover, some label applications could not be produced by letterpress technology.

In order to diversify production, John Liao, the owner of the company decided to invest in a more efficient machine with short setup and fast changeovers times and minimum waste. In 2018, he visited the Labelexpo Southeast Asia exhibition and saw the BOBST stand where the M1 narrow-web machine was in demonstration.

“I was impressed by the machine performance,” Liao said. “The ease of operation, the printing and converting workflow all in one pass, and the high quality of the output, it was just what I was looking for.”

Juih Tay’s M1 is a 10-color machine, 370 mm web width with inline units including cold foil stamping, printing on adhesive (stickers), coating of varnishes and lacquers, as well as diecutting for the production of high added value labels in a single pass.

The assisted pre-register setting and, above all, the PrintTutorTM cameras installed on every print unit are much appreciated by the company especially because due to their combined action, startup times and waste are minimized.

The machine has been in production since March 2019.

“Through the press automation there is little margin for human error,” said Liao. “There is little need for the operator to adjust the register at speed variation, because the press brings it automatically in register, one color after the other and keeps the register during all stages of production. Waste at job changeover averages 30 meters, which is excellent.”

In addition to being highly productive in a sustainable way, the M1 also enables connectivity though the PrintTutorTM camera.

“Customers can access the production data from remote devices, such as smart phones, or PC anytime and they can use the information to further increase efficiency,” said Sebastien Geffrault, Zone Business Director BU WF, South East Asia Pacific.

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Zolemba improves production efficiency by 20% Netherlands based label converter, Zolemba BV, has installed a Martin Automatic MBS unwind splicer to improve productivity at its plant in Haaksbergen. The MBS non-stop unit, which is fitted to a 530mm converting line that has two flexo print stations and two die cutting units, has made a significant difference to machine downtime for roll changes with the line typically running at 120m/min.

Starting life as an online business that had a requirement for small batches of shipping labels, owner and CEO Richard Rensen soon realised that buying in bulk and re-selling was the way forward and created two companies to handle this business: Label XL for printed stock, and Label Discounter for blanks. In 2017 these were amalgamated into Zolemba, which was one of 10 companies selected and supported by the Dutch Government to expand overseas trade.

Today, Zolemba employs 50 staff at its modern 4,500sq/m facility and in 2019 will generate label sales of €9m working a double-day shift, five days per week. Introducing his company, Rensen explained: “We have a very strong green mentality here – in fact environmental protection is part of the company’s DNA. We strive to find less impactful means of production, both in terms of efficiency and the materials we use and are constantly engaged in a programme of product innovation.”

It was when looking for ways to achieve a better level of production efficiency that Zolemba first became aware of Martin Automatic technology at Labelexpo in Brussels in 2017. A meeting with the Martin’s European Sales Manager, Bernd Schopferer, set up a machine demonstration that highlighted how an automatic unwind/ splicer could improve productivity at Zolemba. Over the following months a good working relationship was forged, resulting in an order being placed and the machine being commissioned in January 2019.

Now, 12 months on from installation, Chief Production Officer at Zolemba, Marthijn Kieneker says: “The MBS is working perfectly and performing as promised. In fact, we’re achieving even better figures than we had predicted with the Martin. With up to 16 roll changes per shift and a saving of around 10 minutes on each, the numbers add up to major savings,” - and that is not taking into account the part-used rolls of different sizes that can now be utilised, and the low

residual waste on each that can be achieved with automatic splicing.

Capable of handling rolls up to 1016 mm (40“), the MBS also offers the opportunity to splice from one roll of material to another at standstill - for example when effecting a job change.

“There is no doubt that non-stop is the way forward. The Martin MBS has shown us how to improve productivity and the benefits it brings, which we have extended to the handling of the matrix waste with the addition of a pneumatic removal system.

By removing previously unseen bottlenecks in the production process, automation acts as an accelerator. We estimate the MBS has given us more than two extra hours of production on each shift – that’s a major shift in efficiency!” added Rensen.

With digital inkjet as well as flexo print capacity in-house, and both laser and conventional die cutting, Zolemba is well equipped to satisfy the market demand for short and long run jobs and is constantly striving to reduce its carbon footprint. One example of this is an extra benefit of non-stop production. By keeping the production lines running there are no issues with damage to the substrate caused by residual heat from the UV curing lamps.

Concluding for Martin Automatic, Bernd Schopferer commented: “We are delighted to be working with such an environmentally-conscious converter.

The more we can educate the market about the value that automation brings to reducing waste, the better for all concerned.

Customised solutions are the best, and Martin Automatic is second to none in this field.”

“Quality is never an accident.

It is always the result of intelligent effort.”

John Ruskin

Martin intentionally designs each piece of equipment so that it is easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to maintain.

We do the hard work so that you don’t have to.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Wikitude Helps Brands Like Jack Daniels Conquer the Packaging Industry The days of AR being only a fascinating new tool for IT specialists and game developers are in the past because AR has reached the printing and packaging industry. The example of Wikitude illustrates quite well how it opens up a whole new world of creative options. and the genius idea of bringing AR into the mix. The project was released to the US market in April 2019 and has entered the German distribution in August. Until now there have already been 30.000 installations.

Augmented reality has trickled into the printing industry for a while and we have observed it spreading into new areas on our blog over the years.

With constant new technologies and innovations this field is developing and expanding fast. Now brands like Jack Daniels, TUI and Ford have a new take on packaging by expanding the consumer’s visual experience through AR. A New Approach with Wikitude Wikitude, a startup company from Salzburg, developed a new AR software for mobile devices. It is the first application that is using a locationbased approach and reads the scanned object’s position with the GPS and compass of the device to calculate the motion sensor. The image recognition and tracking allows for augmented content like videos, slideshows, sound, text, panoramas and even 3D animations. And many brands have already started to work with it.

The Wikitude SDK 8.0 only needs a 2D (printed) AR trigger, known as Image Targets, for the ImageTracker to analyse the live input and choose the right material from the Target

Collection and show it to the consumers on their mobile devices. It is even possible to work with multiple image targets. Developers and corporations can start their own project easily by downloading the sample app and working on their ideas with the support of the Wikitude team.

Jack Daniels’ Virtual Storyboard The whiskey brand Jack Daniels used the technology for an introduction into the history and development of the label. All that consumers need to access the material is to download the Jack Daniels app for iOs or Android and point the camera of their device at the printed label. Jack Daniels had the application developed by Tactic, a studio from San Francisco, who used Wikitude SDK 8.0 to create a vivid experience for their costumers with 3 dimensional pictures and animations.

Every willing consumer can now enter the world of Jack Daniels with 10 minutes of material from the manufacturing of the liquor to the distillery and the history of the company. All thanks to a printed label

TUI and Ford are Moving to Augmented Reality Of course Jack Daniels is not the only company that ventures out into the world of AR. TUI has started a trial period for augmented excursions on Mallorca in January of 2019.

Tourists were able to explore the cities and points of interest on the island individually with stereoscopic AR glasses. Everything that usually needed to be provided in a guided tour or a guidebook can be excessed on demand and appear right in front of the user’s eyes. The tour includes not only information but also photographs, videos and even 3D models.

Ford used the new technology to explore their vehicles with augmented reality. The concept is very similar to TUI’s approach: A costumer gets the chance to discover the highlights, the manual and experience the smart features of Ford cars on display in their Malaysian showroom. It also provides the prospective costumer with video material and facts not only on the car itself but also on additional informatio like the requirements for a test drive, a loan calculator and a dealer locator.

In the foreseeable future AR will prove itself to be an effective marketing device: mobile phones will be able to identify packaging flawlessly regardless of the phone’s software or scanned product without any additional application. Technological solutions are already on the market and in great demand.

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Evo XD – The right choice for high profits in flexo

The Evo XD generation flexo presses developed by Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica up to 10 colours embodies the essence of strategic principles of efficiency and sustainability thanks to a number of innovative solutions aimed at assuring added productivity even with the shortest of print runs, excellent print quality and the eco-friendliness of the converting process.

Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica S.p.A. koenig-bauer.com Koenig & Bauer (SEA) Sdn Bhd kba@kbaasiapacific.com

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Kodak and Uteco sells first Sapphire EVO W Kodak and Uteco announces sale of its first ever Ultrastream powered flexible packaging press, ahead of its official debut at drupa 2020.

Kodak is introducing its superior ULTRASTREAM Inkjet Technology in the new UTECO Sapphire EVO W, the first flexible packaging press to enter the market using Kodak’s latest continuous inkjet technology.

The first ULTRASTREAM System with a print width of 1.25 meters has been sold into the market in advance of its expected debut at drupa 2020 in Dusseldorf, Germany with a healthy pipeline of active prospects. The company that purchased the machine has not been revealed yet.

The new Sapphire EVO W The wide format of the new Sapphire EVO W allows brands to leverage digital printing in their traditional flexographic print formats.

As packaging converters and brands look for more cost-effective solutions

for shorter production runs, Kodak and Uteco have created an industrychanging press. Enabled by water-based inks and production speeds equivalent to analog presses, the Sapphire EVO W can print short- to medium-run length jobs, achieving price points favorable to flexography.

Sapphire digital solutions execute variable data campaigns and reduce waste and excess inventory delivering increased sales at lower costs. Included in the delivery of the Sapphire EVO W is Kodak’s environmentally friendly and industry compliant inks and fluids which open the door for applications in food, beverage, and personal care.

“ULTRASTREAM is revolutionizing flexible packaging for brands,” said Randy Vandagriff, President, Enterprise Inkjet Systems Division and Vice President, Eastman Kodak

Company. “Uteco’s application of our technology in their new press is a game changer and a great example of how Kodak is helping printers to lower their costs and drive efficiency.

We are proud to be delivering on the promise we made in February to have units in the market by the second half of 2020.”

“As the world leader in the production of printing and converting machines for flexible packaging applications, we recognize the need for digital solutions in our customers’ operations,” said Aldo Peretti, President and CEO of the Uteco Group. “Converters and brands expect quality solutions that are sustainable and uphold brand integrity.

We are proud to work with Kodak to deliver new technologies that meet such demands and enable growth.”

20 _018

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

AUGUST 26 - 27th Ho Chi Minh City

2020 Asia's Oldest and Biggest Packagiong Conference and Awards

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Kornit unveils Vulcan Plus The Vulcan Plus is the highest capacity DTG mass customisation print system in Kornit’s product portfolio.

By Sha Jumari.

and the flexibility of the Vulcan Plus gives them and amazing opportunity to increase throughput, serving more and more customers,” Yarrow added.

Prior to launch, the system has undergone beta testing by customers in both the United States and Europe. The Vulcan Plus is now available globally including the Asia Pacific region.

Kornit announced the launch of the Kornit Vulcan Plus, a next-generation system for DTG mass customization.

The Vulcan Plus represents the highestcapacity DTG print system in Kornit’s product portfolio and according to the company, in the broader marketplace.

The predecessor Vulcan is a DTG print system that was awarded the SGIA Product of the Year in 2017.

Based on customer feedback, Kornit has improved the system to come out with the Vulcan Plus. The Vulcan Plus adds value to the customer over the Vulcan by enabling use of Kornit’s proprietary retail quality NeoPigment Eco-Rapid ink set. It is also compatible with ColorGATE RIP software, which enables colour matching, Pantone libraries and effects like colour knockouts and PDF workflows.

“During the past three years in which the Vulcan has been in the market, we have gathered a lot of knowledge on how to improve the reliability and stability of this revolutionary platform.

It’s fair to say that there isn’t a subsystem that wasn’t improved. All these improvements, which include the software, ink delivery system, pallet

conveyor, fixation station and more, mean that the system is highly reliable with over 90% availability time at our customers’ sites,” said Andy Yarrow, president of Kornit Asia Pacific.

According to Kornit, it learnt from its customers printing “literally millions of shirts” to improve the stability and reliability of the Vulcan platform considerably. The Vulcan Plus gives the customer improved uptime and utilisation from his equipment to lower overall cost of ownership.

The system is targeted to two groups of print businesses. Digital printers with some DTG experience who are looking to scale up capacity, and medium to large screen printers looking to streamline their production floor by moving their short runs to digital.

“As well as screen-transfer, we consider the Vulcan Plus to be perfect for those customers who have already invested in digital, but have multiple systems, and are maybe working with online B2C platforms. They are perfectly suited for the Vulcan Plus, because generally their jobs are one-offs, and lots of them every day. Turnaround time is tight

When asked why Asia needs the Vulcan Plus, Yarrow said: “Good question. It’s really about giving customers a genuine replacement for short-mid run screenprint jobs. The unique set up of the Vulcan platform with its multiple pallets means that you get the productivity of screen with the flexibility of digital.

We are seeing genuine throughput at customer sites of more than 230 shirts per hour, which is almost double that of the Atlas platform that we launched last year. This is incredible.”

Vulcan Plus is rated to print up to 235 impressions per hour, sized 13” by 13” on dark garments, with Kornit’s singlestep process. Depending on the job types and working hours involved, this translates to anywhere from 550,000 to more than one million impressions annually. Achieving approximately 50% higher throughput than Kornit Atlas, Vulcan Plus does compromise on application flexibility, requiring all eight of its pallets to be of the same type.

Available pallets include standard tee, youth/ladies, zipper hoodie, sleeve/ legging, tote bag.

“I believe the launch of the Vulcan Plus really makes a bold statement to the market that Kornit is here to really drive the industrial end of the market. We are committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions that enable our customers to transfer from analogue to digital, deliver prints at incredible speeds and amazing retail quality,” Yarrow concluded.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Xeikon launches Xeikon announced the launch of its REX program supporting printers looking for entry-level, affordable digital production solutions to fulfill their customers’ demands for shorter runs, just-in-time production and customisation.

The investment threshold for professional digital printing solutions can be an issue for smaller companies wanting to step into this new market.

The REX program will offer a range of remanufactured Xeikon presses providing an attractive and affordable option for printers and converters looking to expand their business with digital applications.

Jeroen Van Bauwel, director of product management stated: “Xeikon has been offering digital presses into the market for more than 30 years. But often, our customers’ digital business runs faster than their press and after a few years they already need to re-invest in a faster model. The returned press still has a long lifetime ahead so with our REX program we are remanufacturing these older presses by running them through our factory, implementing all recent updates and upgrading the digital

front end to the latest version of our workflow: X-800 6.0. The presses that have gone through the REX program are then offered again into the market at a very attractive investment cost.

Through the REX program, we are making our well-known digital presses accessible to converters new to digital, with limited investment budgets. REX stands for Remanufactured, Ecological : Xeikon quality.”

Introducing: the Xeikon 3030 REX investment level below € 200k Label converters are today investing in digital solutions ranging between 200k€ up to 1.5m€. About 20% of these converters have an investment capacity of up to 300k€.

Last year Xeikon introduced its Label Discovery Package, which provided an offer within this range of investment.

By adding the 3030 REX to its

portfolio, Xeikon is expanding the possibilities for all label converters.

The Xeikon 3030 REX is an entry-level press, which will catapult converters looking to take their first steps into digital immediately into the professional and industrial space. This is a full colour digital press with the benefit of opaque white which gives access to health and beauty markets, premium beer and other end-use markets in the label space.

The 3030 REX uses Xeikon dry toner technology, certified for food safety, therefore giving access to the significant food label markets. The dry toner is also light fast allowing converters to address label end-uses requiring durability. The 1200 dpi print resolution ensures converters can also serve the high-quality offset label market as well the flexo quality market.

Xeikon’s digital front end, X-800 6.0 is the cherry on the cake, as this can be integrated with existing MIS systems, allow fully automated job preparation and handle complex variable data jobs with ease.

“Beside the benefits of our press technology, a Xeikon investment can be regarded as long term security. When necessary, our presses can be upgraded on-site for speed and width when the business evolves to that need. We believe the Xeikon 3030 REX will stimulate an even faster adoption of digital in the label market. Not forcing converters to make concessions about serving certain markets but addressing 90% of all enduse applications in the label industry.

This will be an investment which can grow with their needs over time as their business evolves,” said Jeroen Van Bauwel, Xeikon Director of Product Management.

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Tye Cine Saved Time and Reduced Costs Tye Cine Colour Separations Sdn Bhd started its operations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1988. With a humble beginning as a small production house that had aspirations for advertising back in the late ‘80s.

The company transformed itself in 2000, when it took their big leap forward by investing in digital flexo platemaking. After the successful commissioning and training of its team in 2001, Tye Cine officially became the first company in South East Asia to offer digital flexo platemaking.

In 2004, Tye Cine etched into their history books once again by moving into their current plant in KIP Industrial Park that would support

its growing business and ambitions.

Ever since, Tye Cine have repeatedly proven themselves with continued investments in technology and human capital, with its primary intention to grow and expand the Flexo industry in this region. Today, together with their strategic business partners, Tye Cine have established themselves not only as a reputable pre-press company but as specialists in flexo plate making, direct laser engraving for sleeves and plates, and color separation.

Flexo in this segment Flexographic packaging is one of the fastest growing market segments in Asia. Along with this growth comes a new set of challenges for packaging printers. The flexible packaging market demands faster job changes, lower costs, and higher health and safety fines, while offering high print quality and short runs. “Our customers have high expectations when it comes to quality and service.

Nowadays, everyone is trying to differentiate with higher quality in regard to resolution and special print effects. To ensure continued competitiveness, we have to stay up to date with new technologies. When we started with plate making, we were asking around the industry about suppliers who were delivering high quality products.

Flint Group received many recommendations when it came to high quality and the durability of their

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

36 consumables are required. “This plate reduced our cost and saves us time which leads to increased productivity and better consistency.”

printing plates. A good product by itself is not enough to win and grow market share; a strong and reliable support structure must be inclusive in the total package to succeed. This was the critical decisive factor for Tye Cine to partner with Flint Group, who have a reliable local presence with global technical expertise. With this formula, it has been 18 years of a successful partnership, and we look forward to more,” said Mr. T.S. Theng, Managing Director of Tye Cine.

Implementation Tye Cine uses a variety of Flint Group’s nyloflex® flexo printing plates for specific applications: nyloflex® ACE Digital: With a round

top dot, the nyloflex® ACE Digital plate sets the benchmark in flexo printing. The high durometer plate can be used for flexible packaging, tags & labels and corrugated pre-print suitable for water-based and UV-inks. “The nyloflex® ACE Digital is definitely the standard plate of the market. It delivers an outstanding quality reproduction of smooth vignettes and high contrast images on film, foil and coated paper substrates”, stated Mr. Theng nyloflex® FTF Digital: The inherent flat top dot plate, nyloflex® FTF Digital with a smooth plate surface, can be customized with surface screening and is ideal for the flexible packaging market. No additional equipment, no time-consuming LED exposure or any

nyloflex® FAC Digital: This plate is utilized to achieve superior print quality with sharper images, more open intermediate depths, finer highlights and less dot gain in corrugated postprinting. Additionally, Tye Cine is a certified FlexoExpert, which helped tp improve Tye Cine’s platemaking processes, elevating them to another maturity level.

Result “Generally, all Flint Group products we use deliver a very good print result and are very durable. Furthermore, we save time and reduce costs due to faster setup times and less press stops.

Our partnership has delivered cost reductions and increased productivity.

Flint Group understands both Tye Cine and the market’s needs. Their support on new developments have always been excellent, and we work very closely at our printers. When I think about great partnerships, I always think about Flint Group,” stated Mr. Theng. nyloflex® is a registered trademark of Flint Group.

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More than 130 visitors came to Gallus Open Day event, which took place in February 2020 in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

The two printing systems Gallus Labelmaster and Labelfire were demonstrated live at the Print Media Center Label. In the Knowledge Forum printing experts talked about the latest developments regarding low migration as well as digital white applications.

The first Gallus Open Day in 2020 in Switzerland was packed with insights into Gallus and Heidelberg solutions and innovative applications for a smart label production. Visitors were able to see efficient state-of-the-art

• Gallus Labelmaster with new Digital Printbar and the new Rotary Die-Cut Unit Quick

with up to 70 m/min (230 ft/min) was shown during the Gallus Open Day. The hybrid press has a digital heart and an inkjet print unit with seven colors.

The Labelfire was demonstrated with the Digital Embellishment Unit (DEU) in order to show the production of highly embellished products. This module can be optionally integrated.

Digital foiling effects as well as relief and haptic effects impressed the customers at the event.

Your partner for digital How easy and cost-efficient the label production is with the Gallus Labelfire

Key Topics: Low Migration and Digital Modules Gallus Labelmaster with the new

label production as well as the latest Labelexpo highlights: • Gallus Labelfire with Digital Embellishment Unit (DEU) and Digital Metallic Doming

Günter Mazur and Heiko Mazur, Managing Directors, Häuser KG & DruckDiscount24.de

d

Great interest in Gallus Ope

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en Day in February 2020 Digital Printbar was explained in detail during the workshop about digital modules. Printing digital white with inkjet can now be included on each Gallus machine system by adding the Digital Printbar. Premiered at Labelexpo Europe 2019 the sales release is planned for the third quarter of 2020.

printing market.

The next event for customers and interested printers and converters will be in June 2020 during Heidelberg`s

“drupa at Wiesloch” at the headquarters of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, taking place from June 18-20 and 2223, 2020.

In the Print Media Center visitors could further see how efficient label production is possible, shown on a Gallus Labelmaster Advanced with a production speed of up to 200 m/min.

A further part of the open day event for invited guests were expert talks on low migration requirements, one of the most relevant topics within the label

„With the new LEDcure,

we can get a huge amount of printing done. Here in Cologne‘s biggest printing company, tradition and innovation work hand in hand. The LED system from IST Metz is designed to offer top performance at low running costs. The new LEDcure can do even more than its predecessor, and

we can now print very efficiently!“ IST Metz LEDcure: The most efficient UV LED system of its kind

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Making Prints Shine w We explore an easy way to dip into the world of embellishments and how it can open up new revenue streams for print businesses.

By Sha Jumari.

To add value, print service providers (PSPs) need to consider going beyond basic services by offering specialty processes and applications such as embellishments. Whether it's foiling, embossing or spot varnishing, embellishments on printed products are highly sought after.

“We view printing as the foundation and it’s no longer enough to satisfy our customer’s evolving needs. Over the years, we’ve seen a growing need for printers to differentiate themselves from its competitors by bringing value to print. Embellishment or Digital Print Enrichment allows printers to expand their portfolio and take on different type of print jobs, we see a rise in embellishment applications especially in the premium and luxury industry,” said Mike V. Ebrahim, Product Marketing Manager, IP Business Development

for Konica Minolta Business Solutions Asia.

According to an InfoTrends survey, print customers demonstrated an appetite and willingness to pay premiums of 24% to 89% for special effects, over CMYK-only printing. The survey also revealed that embellishments could apply to a significant portion of their work.

Embellishments can give the printed product maximum impact for the customers. Eye-catching embellishment techniques can include hot foil stamping, spot gloss UV, embossing, debossing, letterpress, diecut shapes, lamination, duplex, etching, and laser cutting techniques.

Applications for embellishments are wide ranging, from packaging,

marketing collaterals, greeting cards and gift cards, book covers, business cards, and more. These days, some digital systems can even support variable data printing with spot varnishing and foiling.

Why embellish?

When used effectively, embellishments can add interesting elements to an otherwise flat print, making it instantly stand out from the crowd. For brands, it is one of the most effective ways of increasing product visibility in stores and on shelves. For example, this can be achieved by having a reflective surface on the product packaging.

Embellishments have the ability to increase perception of value in a printed product, which in turn reflects the branding of the product and company. This is why more and more marketers and brand owners are looking to embellishments to aid in brand representation in their marketing and communication collaterals.

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

with Embellishments

Embellishments can draw attention to specific areas. Tactile effects can engage the audience by imitating a product texture or outline. Some embellishment options have the ability to motivate an action or a reaction from the audience.

matte), texture prints, metallic prints, and the like,” said Ebrahim.

The Fast Track to Embellishment Embellishments are decorative details often done post-print. Conventionally, embellishments are done through analogue methods requiring special machines, tools and expertise.

Conventional processes tend to be slow, and needs longer turnaround times.

Often times, embellishment is often outsourced to a third party specialist.

Even if PSPs want to bring embellishing in-house, with conventional finishing, each effect or embellishment would need its own specialised equipment.

They would need to decide which embellishment option customers would want more of, or invest in multiple machines to cater to the different needs.

For companies that require smaller runs, investing in just one analogue machine can be too expensive, much less several. Throw in the required expertise to run the machines, it may not be worth the trouble.

“2D and 3D effects printing, which falls under embellishment printing, has been produced through traditional means for as long as print methods such as lithography, flexography, silkscreen, and die stamping have been in existence. You would see them applied as spot coatings (gloss or

Digital embellishment systems are becoming a more viable option now more so than ever. Its benefits are similar to digital printing. Going digital means eliminating cumbersome dies, screens, tools and can lower overall costs. Due to the eliminated steps, turnaround times are significantly reduced. With

digital, there is no minimum amount required; PSPs can embellish just one or even 1,000 of the printed product in addition to delivering personalisation and customisation. Some of the effects can be integrated into just one single pass. A front-running machine in the digital embellishment space is the MGI JETvarnish 3D Evolution.

“Back in 2008, industry pioneer and leader MGI launched the very first digital embellishment machine in the market, the JETvarnish. Albeit at the time the capability was only for flat (2D) spot UV, the JETvarnish addressed both volume and registration pain points at that time. Soon, competing technologies appeared in the market and advancements in technologies has now made it easier to apply digital embellishment on digital prints. The MGI JETvarnish is leading the way. Lately, we see that there’s a huge demand for shorter runs, shorter turnaround times, personalization

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and variable data printing are steadily increasing,” said Ebrahim.

MGI JETvarnish 3D Evolution Supplied by Konica Minolta Business Solutions Asia, the MGI JETvarnish 3D Evolution is the ideal solution for digital and traditional PSPs looking for a scalable upgrade path with larger formats and quicker prototyping. The 100% digital process is a system that enables spot UV coating, digital hot foil, variable data and tactile effects. It can be used for packaging, commercial printing and digital printing.

With the basic JETvarnish setup, users can spot varnish and create a 3D varnish image for a tactile effect from 7 microns up to 232 microns in a single pass on top of CMYK print. It has a Variable Data Enhancement (VDE) kit to enable “on-the-fly” variable data for text, graphics and images. For those who want to include foiling effects, the iFOIL-L Inline module allows the application of real foil without screens, plates, and dies.

The MGI JetVarnish 3D Evolution supports large format prints and dynamic performance with 8-up format of up to 75 x 120cm. It has a high volume productivity with up to 4,200 B2 sheet size per hour for EVO

75 version. It is equipped with an innovative software suite developed by MGI that includes Job Cost Calculator, Job Manager and Varnish Editor.

Uniquely MGI JETvarnish – AIS technology “The main advantage of the JETvarnish family against competition is its disruptive AIS technology. Short for ‘Artificial Intelligence SmartScanner’, it is the first, and the only one of its kind in the industry. We describe the AIS as Intelligent and Adaptive Digital Registration system for the MGI JetVarnish 3D series.”

Prior to the AIS, the existing technology then was the use of registration cameras which provided a way for a digital embellishment printer to adjust its print based on paper feeding and general printed image position in relation to the paper.

The AIS’ technology not only looks at the same qualities; it does a whole lot more: “The AIS scans and analyses the image on the printed sheet, compares it to a reference image uploaded to its storage, looks for changes and calculates the delta for each key point that it automatically determined. The AIS then sends instructions to the print controller to create a new mask file that

perfectly aligns on the images on the pre-printed sheet, resulting in a very precise delivery of UV ink,” Ebrahim explained.

Prints, especially digital ones, vary from sheet to sheet, which is why the AIS does its analysis and response for each and every pre-printed sheet fed.

In fact, when the AIS determines that what it scans looks very different from what it has in memory, it does not print at all, ensuring that wastage of the preprinted sheets is kept to a minimum, if not none.

This adoption of AI brings about the following benefits to the customers and in effect, the customer’s customers including accuracy, efficiency, consistency, productivity, proficiency and the ability to maximise the printable area on a sheet by eliminating printer marks. Data intelligence is also employed. The AIS automatically determines over 300 key points for each design uploaded to the JetVarnish 3D Evolution. Then, using more than five Billion calculations per second, the AIS correlates - using data analytics each of the 300 key points, creates a new custom mask file then sends it to the print controller. It does so on each and every sheet in the print job.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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Asia Pacific consum efficiency and conv The Asia-Pacific (APAC) consumers have shifted their preference towards hyperconvenient, technologically advanced and environmental-friendly products across the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) range.

This shift has upsurged to such an extent in the last few years that more than 63% of the consumers from the region are seeking for products that save their time and effort, said data and analytics company, GlobalData.

“With consumers becoming more discerning and watchful while purchasing, brands need to adapt to new shopping habits of consumers, as the established mass market strategies such as ‘all under one roof ’ and ‘pile ‘em high and sell ‘em cheap’ have become obsolete and unprofitable.

With busier lifestyle and comfort with ecommerce, customers are opting those brands that provide convenience in the way consumers like – not the other way around,” said Shagun Sachdeva, consumer insights analyst at GlobalData.

“Things that need to be addressed by the consumer facing companies include use of greater and more sophisticated technology, changes in the packaging, simple labelling of products, as well as the use of social media in product promotion and customer interaction.”

According to GlobalData 2019 Q3 consumer survey, nearly 34% of consumers in the APAC region look for a product that is trending on social media whereas 45% of consumers prefer to buy 'better-for-environment' and 'animal-free' product. Therefore, consumer and retail companies would need to align their business strategies to cater to the demands of a young and technology driven population.

The companies must aim at offering seamless and integrated solutions to satisfy evolving consumers’ needs.

Shagun explained: “In the era of consumerism, brands need to keep consumer experience at the forefront.

With the shoppers and channels progressing independently and together riding on the technology wave, brands need to continuously innovate and evolve with the focus being on providing experiential techdriven solutions.”

“If we look at the retail industry, it is in the midst of a revolution, being

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mers look for venience

and they are forced to evolve with cost-effective and wide-reaching digital marketing practices. The factor will be more relevant to food, beverage and personal care industry.

governed and, to an extent, dictated by evolving consumer behaviour. To succeed in this ‘new’ retail environment, brands and retailers need to understand the factors at play. This requires gaining an insight into consumers’ minds, what motivates them, how this differs from previous attitudes, and what worked in terms of marketing techniques and the overall strategy.”

Classic examples to quote here includes Amazon focusing on expanding its

geographic footprint in APAC with an integrated platform that enables the consumers to make various online transactions ranging from food, hotel stays, cabs, flight booking to movie ticketing. WeChat is another multipurpose social media app allowing users to make video call, shop online, pay for food and even call a taxi.

Recently, Reliance Jio also launched UPI payments through its MyJio apps.

Social media has changed the way companies connect with their audience

For instance, in the personal care space, another Japanese beauty brand, Shiseido offers Optune, a personalized skincare service using an iPhone app that monitors skin conditions, sleep patterns, and environmental conditions, and provides skincare recommendations.

Sachdeva concluded: “2020 is going to be another interesting year as consumer companies and the retailers are prepared to evolve as they have realised the criticality of engaging the consumers for better connect pre, during, and post their purchases.”

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

46

Sleeve labels: an all-round picture

By Corey M. Reardon, President & CEO, AWA Alexander Watson Associates

Sleeve labels, printed on film substrates, perform their central role of wrapping round the complete perimeter of a product’s plastic or metal packaging in one of two ways – by stretching, or by shrinking to conform precisely to the container’s geometry.

Shrink sleeves are applied as a loose tube to the container, and shrink to conform to the package’s sometimes complex geometry when they are exposed to heat as they pass through a special heat tunnel. Stretch sleeves, typically printed on LDPE, are sufficiently elastic that they can be pulled over the product container’s geometry, and will then naturally shrink to a tight fit.

market sectors for sleeve labels are primarily beverage (66%), food (19%), household chemicals (7%), and health and personal care products (5%).

The different sleeve label formats Sleeve labelling involves different formats -- heat shrink TD, stretch, ROSO™ MD (‘roll-on shrink-on’), and RFS MD sleeving – which in turn

Pressure-sensitive labels (=self-adhesive labels) are leading with 40% as labeling technology, followed by glue applied labels (35%) and sleeve (19%)

For heat shrink TD sleeves, today’s most popular format, pre-printed film is applied as a loose tube over a container, heat-shrunk to fit the container contours, and held in place only by intimate contact with the container’s surface. For stretch sleeves, a pre-printed film is applied in tube form by stretching over a container, and held in place simply by tension. ROSO™

Both stretch and shrink sleeve labels are emerging as a desirable form of product labeling due to the 360-degree message branding that helps the product attain high impact presentation on the store shelf. Sleeve labeling continues to be one of the world’s most dynamic label technologies and methods of product decoration, but overall growth is slowing from its earlier heights as the technology moves towards maturity.

As a whole, globally, sleeve labeling today represents the third-largest labeling technology, after pressuresensitive and traditional glue-applied labels. It claims 19% of global label volumes, and AWA research shows that it will continue to grow at around 5.2% p.a to 2021. The end-use

Take a look at the End-Use Segment, sleeve labels are globally used for: the beverage segment is clearly leading with 66% serve different end-use markets and involve format-specific application characteristics. In terms of base materials, sleeve labelling is a filmbased format, with 51% usage of PVC film, 27% PET-G, and 9% OPS.

MD and RFS MD sleeves – hybrids of heat-shrink sleeves and wraparound labels - are applied most commonly in flat webs which are seamed at the time of application, and then shrunk after fixing to the container.

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48 sleeve labeling volumes found use in beverage labeling, with a further 19% in food labeling.

Which material do companies choose if producing printed sleeve labels? More than 50% choose PVC, followed by PET-G

Regional markets In the mature and developed label markets of North America and Europe, sleeve label market growth rates - while stabilizing at lower rates of growth than previously - are still outperforming the other product decoration/label formats in terms of growth. Across all the geographical regions, heat shrink sleeves claim the highest market share of all the sleeve formats.

In the mature and developed label markets of North America and Europe, sleeve label market growth rates - while stabilizing at lower rates of growth than previously - are still outperforming the other product decoration/label formats in terms of growth. Across all the geographical regions, heat shrink sleeves claim the highest market share of all the sleeve formats.

The heat shrink TD sleeve format – growth of 5.8% over prior year - covers 89% of total sleeve usage Heat-shrink TD sleeves: most popular choice In terms of volume, growth, and popularity with brand owners, heat shrink TD sleeving is the most successful format, with an 89% share of the global sleeve market. It uniquely provides the 75% shrinkage or distortion capability that complex container shapes demand, and is today widely in use in consumer container packaging - particularly on the speciallycontoured plastic containers for onthe-go drinks and snacks.

For brand owners, heat shrink sleeves deliver a much-expanded opportunity for on-pack decoration/mandatory information print compared to other labeling methods – including other sleeving formats. They offer head-totoe decoration for high-visibility retail shelf stand-out and, as well as a 360⁰ head-to-toe printable area, all-round protection of container contents and the option for over-the-cap secure container sealing. It is also worth noting that many heat shrink sleeve labels today are perforated, so consumers may separate them from the container after use, to simplify effective recycling of both container and sleeve.

In 2018, of the estimated total volume of 11,823 million square meters of sleeve labels, an estimated 10,488 million square meters were in the heat shrink TD sleeve format – growth of 5.8% over prior year, and 89% of total sleeve usage. This was the highest growth rate of all the sleeve formats, although slower than in previous years.

Alternative sleeving choices In 2018, sleeving technology sales also accounted for 878 million square meters of stretch sleeve labels (2.5% growth): 407 million square meters of ROSO™ MD sleeve labels (3.5% growth); and 50 million square meters of RFS MD sleeve labels (3.7% growth). 66% of all

Europe The European region is a leading consumer of sleeve labels, which claim 14% of the overall label market and, in 2018, 19% of the region’s primary product labeling volumes. Sleeve labels are primarily found in the beverage segment (50%), followed by the food segment (30%), and household chemicals (10%). Heat shrink sleeve label volume growth was the highest for all label formats in Europe in 2018 at an estimated 6.6%, while total sleeve label format volumes increased by 5.4%. Forecast growth to 2021 for all labeling technologies is 3.2% p.a., with sleeves forecast at a CAGR of 4.4%.

North America In North America, market status is also positive, demonstrating stable label

Which sleeving technology is growing the fastest?

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By region, North America grew the fastest, at 5.8%, with Asia growing at 5.5%. These two are followed by Europe (4.5%), South America (3.6%), Africa and Middle East (3%)

European Sleeve Label Market by End-use Segment

North American Sleeve Label Market Growth by Format

Asian Total Label Market by End-use Segment

South American Sleeve Label Market Growth by Format

African & Middle East Label Market by Label Technology

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

50 with that experienced in 2017, at 3.9%, and forecast overall growth for the label market for 2018-2021 is forecast to remain stable at 3.9%.

market growth across United States, Canada and Mexico, delivering an overall growth rate in 2018 of around 3.2%, driven by high growth in sleeve, in-mold and pressure-sensitive label technologies. The forward forecast for 2018-2021 suggests an overall annual growth rate of 2.9%, with growth strongest in heat shrink sleeve and inmold label technologies.

In 2018, North American sleeve label market volumes are estimated to have grown by 5.8%, and claim an 11% share of the total label market. Heat shrink sleeve volume growth was estimated at 7.0%, to a volume of 895 million square meters. Stretch sleeve label volumes grew by 3.0% to an estimated 226 million square meters. ROSO™ MD and RFS MD sleeve labels grew by an estimated 4.2% to a total volume of 231 million square meters. The North American market is the leading user of RFS MD sleeve label formats.

Sleeve labels are primarily found in the beverage segment (50%), followed by the food segment (25%), and household chemicals (13%).

Asia In the Asian region, the Chinese label market, combined with good growth in India and South East Asia, have had a positive effect on overall label market growth rates – 5.7%. Asia is currently the world’s largest and fastest-growing label market, with a 44% share of global demand. In 2018 sleeve labels claimed a 27% share of it, as well as 33% of the primary product label market. Beverage is once again the largest end-use label market in Asia by far, representing 47% of the total, with food in second place

at 23%. The sleeve label technologies grew by an estimated 5.5% in 2018 – in line with 2016 and 2017 growth, with the highest percentage increase evidenced by RFS/ROSO MD sleeve labels, although volumes for this format are low. The forward growth forecast for the Asian market over the period 2018-2021 is estimated at 4.2%, with sleeve formats enjoying higher growth, at 5.2%.

South America South American label volume growth in 2018 is estimated at 1.6% – a recovery from static/negative growth shown in previous years -- and the outlook is for continued moderate growth. The forward forecast for the region in the period 2018-2021 predicts a continuation of positive growth rates at an annualized growth rate of 1.8%.

Key end-use label market segments within the region are food, beverage, health and personal care products, and retail.

Sleeve labels, with a 4% share of the overall South American label market and 5% share of the primary product label market, grew by 3.6% in 2018, with heat shrink TD sleeve volumes growing at a slightly higher rate of 4%.

Africa/Middle East In Africa and the Middle East, South Africa, Israel, North Africa and the Middle East remain the main label markets, and ongoing political and economic issues across much of the region detract from the realization of higher penetration rates for packaged goods and the use of labeled products.

Regional growth in 2018 was consistent

Sleeve labelling grew at an estimated 3% in 2018. Food is the largest enduse segment for labels overall, at 47%, with beverage in second place at 29% -characteristics of a developing market.

Sleeve labels claim just a 10% market share, and while in-mold labels are forecast to be the fastest growing label technology in the region, at a CAGR of 4.5% for 2018-2021, glue applied labels, with a 63% market share in 2018, will continue to account for the majority of additional total label volumes in 2021.

Recycling considerations PET, HDPE and PP containers are widely recycled in Europe, North America and Asia for extensive, broadranging second-life use. As a result, consumer brand companies (and recycling companies) require shrink sleeves that are compatible with the sorting and recycling processes used today around the world; do not reduce the quality of recycled plastics, and do not have an adverse effect on the recycling of the plastic films employed.

A recycler will work to remove all materials that he does not want – typically, everything other than the container itself (e.g. cap, sleeve) – and the process often begins with shredding of all the material followed by a bath to separate materials of different densities and remove those not required. Recycling sleeves with plastic containers can be complex, and the increasing use of perforated heat shrink sleeves is contributing to simplification.

Looking forward The sleeving technologies are continuing to evolve at all points of their different value chains -- and heat shrink TD sleeve labels are enjoying an ever-increasing understanding of the promotional benefits of combining high-quality graphics with complex container geometries on FMCG packaging. For such technicallyunique applications, and simpler, less ostentatious sleeve labels, this is a product decoration and identification technology that is here to stay.

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drupa stages first special show dedicated to digital textile printing Touchpoint textile, a new special show for digital textile printing applications, is premiering at drupa 2020 in Hall 4. With the textile industry spawning technologies for numerous industries, touchpoint textile connects these various sectors, offering them a platform for cross-industry collaboration, new projects, as well as product and manufacturing ideas that will be demonstrated on-site in a microfactory.

As the world’s leading trade fair for printing technologies, drupa is providing this forum to reflect the rising significance of digital textile printing and to underline its importance

as a driver of innovation and growth in new fields of business for the printing industry. The special show is an indicator of how drupa is gaining ground in new markets, which apart

from textile printing include packaging, large format printing, industrial and functional printing. All of these segments are going through the same transformation processes, offering tremendous potential for growth.

Support from leading industry experts Touchpoint textile is backed by two main partners: the German Institutes for Textile and Fibre Research (DITF) as Europe’s largest textile research centre, and the non-profit European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association (ESMA).

Together with cross-industry partners, DITF is setting up a Digital Textile Micro Factory at drupa, a fully networked, integrated production chain from

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ESMA General Manager Peter Buttiens.

“We’re looking forward to demonstrating our expertise and knowhow in textile applications to visitors at drupa’s touchpoint textile.”

Rising significance of textile printing “Continued digitalisation and crosssectional technologies are accelerating innovation”, comments Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa and Global Head of Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. “drupa’s role is to be a source of momentum for our industry, fostering and shaping change.

We’re committed to identifying all relevant issues and integrating them in our forums. customer specifications and design to fabric finishing. Demonstrating new possibilities for digitalisation and direct customer interaction, such as 3D garment simulations with direct data transfer to virtual and augmented reality applications, the microfactory shows how digital textile printing, cutting and colour management can be integrated in a fully connected production environment. A variety of products, such as flags, t-shirts and bags, will be fabricated “hot off the press” each day.

Networked production chains of this kind, fuelled by a combination of agility, creativity, flexibility and productivity, empower the textile industry to respond ever more promptly and specifically to customer demands and trends, even in small quantities.

Partners and sponsors of the Digital Textile Micro Factory are: Assyst (3D clothing simulation, digital twins), Vuframe (VR/AR), Mitwill (design network), Ergosoft and Caddon (RIP and colour management), HP and Multiplot (large format textile printing), Zünd (digital cutting), Juki (production and workflow) as well as Dommer, berger textiles and Kaspar (sponsors).

Another important contributor to overall concept development is Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, which is simultaneously integrating relevant subjects in its curriculum in order to equip tomorrow’s employees for new challenges.

ESMA, in turn, is in charge of the conference programme, inviting speakers from research, development and industry to discuss printing and finishing technologies, workflows, market developments and sustainability.

“Textile printing is expanding rapidly thanks to innovations in printing processes. Both, digital and conventional technologies, can contribute to this change”, says

The growth potential in textile printing is phenomenal. It’s against this backdrop that we’re dedicating a special platform to these applications.”

Even beyond the touchpoint textile special show, digital textile printing will be an important focus of many exhibitors. drupa visitors are thus assured of getting a 360- degree view of current developments and trends in this important sector.

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Next Generation of Packaging: Tetra Pak’s Connected Packaging Platform Tetra Pak just launched their connected packaging platform which provides shoppers with a vast amount of information on where the product comes from or where to recycle the package and so on.

They turn ordinary milk cartons into interactive information channels using code generation, digital printing and data management.

The packaging industry lives off innovations, advanced technologies like robotics and creative minds that think out of the box. That’s how, over the last years’ progress, paper bottles came into being, as well as DotCode and plantable packaging and time will tell what else is possible in the packaging industry.

The packaging company Tetra Pak is on a great way and just launched their new connected packaging platform.

Their technology turns ordinary milk cartons into interactive information channels using code generation, digital printing and data management.

The Turn towards Digital Packaging The future in general – but also with special regard to the packaging industry – is digital. Supply chains are being constantly controlled, there’s more transparency, improved quality control and new and more efficient ways of communication withcustomers. The connected package concept enables

food and beverage manufacturers to design their packaging as data carriers that provide better traceability and value to all stakeholders throughout the value chain.

The development of the connected packaging platform was strongly influenced by industry 4.0 technologies.

It’s the result of a collaboration between Tetra Pak and ABB– both companies bringing in their expertise, ABB’s digital solutions and Tetra Pak’s expertise in food manufacturing.

New Opportunities Thanks to New Technologies Before launching their connected packaging platform, Tetra Pak did some research and found that people in both the US and UK are ready for package interactivity. In China, digital packages are already proving successful. Many products in China carry a QR code on the packaging that if scanned via smartphone leads the consumer to a web page where he or

she can find all relevant information on where the product was made to where the package can be recycled and so on.

“We are unlocking new opportunities for our customers to get more value from packaging than even before.

No longer is it only about product protection and functionality, it is about connectivity. The future of packaging is undoubtedly digital: this launch is a step towards a truly intelligent package, and we are excited to collaborate with our customers on this journey,” says Ivan Nesterenko, Vice President, Cross Portfolio at Tetra Pak. What is Digital Packaging Good For Information! That’s what the connected packaging platform provides end consumers with. Shoppers are able to access vast amounts of information on where the product was made or the farms where the ingredients came from.

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Innovative Sustainable Food Packaging Options: Veg-Fresh Farms, Startups And Co The produce industry is in dire need of more sustainable food packaging options.

Whether it comes to unnecessary plastic or excess packaging material in general, the industry is going through a significant shift. We have collected the latest news on innovative sustainable options.

Food packaging has been criticised a lot in recent years. Whether we are talking about the unnecessary use of plastic or an overuse of packaging material in general, sustainability seems to be the top priority of both consumers and retailers. Being one of the most pressing issues for both the produce and packaging industry alike, we have many bright minds working on more

sustainable solutions for the future of food packaging. Here are some of their attempts at solving the problem.

Earth Check for Veg-Fresh Farms In December, Veg-Fresh Farms debuted their new sustainable packaging option: a brand new design from eco-friendly packaging supplier Earth Check. And the name reflects

the programme as Veg-Fresh Farms General Partner Randy Cancellieri told the British produce industry magazine AndNowUKnow: “The packaging is a unique package design made from non-bleached, lightweight, 100-percent recycled paperboard that is sourced from local mills. It is also moisture resistant, so it makes the perfect packaging for our tomatoes!” The new

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packaging option therefore combines multiple levels of sustainability, with the usage of eco-friendly, recyclable material and a local supply of raw materials and manufacturing. Earth Check offers two packaging options, the Earth Check Window Box and the Earth Check Open Pints, both relying on a minimal amount of plastic and geared for organic produce.

For Retailers And Consumers The new packaging options were very much designed with the consumer in mind. Nowadays, sustainability has a high priority to consumers and therefore raised the demand for better options considerably. The conscious consumer doesn’t only decide by comparing the products themselves but also considers everything that went into it, including the packaging and final presentation.

The open-pints especially have been a success. “[Consumers] really love being able to purchase something that does not have any plastic in the packaging,” says Randy Cancellieri. As of now the open-pint design is mostly used selling the Organic Medley Tomatoes but they are already working on a generic openpint solution for other produce.

Startups For Sustainability Of course, Earth Check and VegFresh Farms are not the only ones working on more sustainable packaging alternatives. Other suppliers like the Offset Group and The Complete Package have their own lines of sustainable packaging solutions offering custom options for packaging production and design, using eco-

friendly materials. Tetra Pak launched their connected packaging platform in December which provides shoppers with a vast amount of information on where the product comes from or where to recycle the package. But it is startup companies especially that really revolutionize the field and offer the most interesting and innovative sustainable packaging solutions. Those small startup companies are working on completely new approaches to packaging and environmental pollution all over the world.

New Materials For New Solutions Where established companies can sometimes take a little longer to create new procedures, smaller new suppliers get a chance to shine. The shift to sustainable packaging has put newcomers in a perfect position to

create a stir in the packaging industry.

While others are trying to achieve a more sustainable packaging product, many startups are looking for completely new packaging materials. Ecoshell, for example, creates containers, bags and butlery from biodegradable materials such as sugar cane or corn starch from industrial waste products.

EggPlant is working on a biodegradable alternative to plastic, so as not to only to reduce the usage of plastic but completely eliminating it by offering an eco-friendly alternative. And the Finnish startup Sulapac is trying to replace plastic with biodegradable packaging materials from wood that offer the same productions benefits, like being able to be shaped, molded and mass-produced. You see: the future is green.

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Price or service - choose Whether you like it or not the customers you serve either value the services that you provide, or they don't.

Many businesses pretend that they are a value service provider but in truth, they are not. "If your customers have a champagne lifestyle but a beer budget - then you better start serving BEER." Too many businesses try to be all things to all men/or women.

Price: In order to run a focussed, price sensitive business you need to get tough, really tough. Ditch the overheads, nice lounges, receptions, marketing and focus everything on the reduction of price. Commodity

printers allocate all resources to the most efficient equipment, the minimum work mix and minimum resources.

General printers, ones that do a bit of everything, should not confuse themselves with commodity; they will never be as efficient as a truly focussed commodity organisation. Alternatively, don't focus on price.

Service: If you genuinely do offer exceptional value then your customers should pay a premium, but every sinew of the business should be focussed on the customer, their needs and personal service. The business should be unique, special and different and have few competitors. It's like comparing a Savile Row tailor with a sweatshop - as I say choose your poison, the ones in the middle will have a tough time.

markets, technology and/or software development.

Whatever you choose, and this year you must choose, get extremely good at a few things.

Note: This doesn't mean that you can’t do lots of things, perhaps inefficiently, but you must be focussed on the 80%.

I have sometimes advised businesses to split into two - One focussed on something, the other generalised.

2) Get really good at a few things – simplify.

Many businesses are overly complex, they make 80% of the profit on 20%

3) Portfolio analysis.

To help with above, simplification.

Consider portfolio analysis.

A simple Boston Box to understand where your products sit in the matrix.

Cash Cow, Star, Problem Child or Dog. Which ones need investment, which ones need culling or outsourcing.

By analysing and simplifying your product mix, you are beginning to prioritise the organisation.

4) Get under the skin of your customer.

of the products. 2020 is the year to get tough. As above, if getting really efficient is your thing, and selling on price then get really, really good at it. Be the best at whatever you choose to do.

This could be - Process efficiency or market sector specialty, product specialty like special effects or customer understanding, new

All printers need to understand the plans of their customer. All too often we are kept at arm’s length and treated as a service provider, rather than a partner. It is your job, as their supplier, to try and understand their business and needs as well or better than they do themselves. It astounds me, that many businesses still do not have a CRM

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e your poison.

substitute products and services Screens in store, Mobile, Video, Social Media are all fighting for our attention and perhaps some time and effort to better understand things, that you don't currently know about, may be a worthy investment - even a new product or service. Once you have built your own insight - use it for commercial advantage.

system for tracking and managing their customer behaviour and interactions.

CRM is not just a database of names and contacts, it is the place where all interactions, good and bad are recorded, used and analysed so that the business is better at making customer centric business decisions.

Most printers can tell me the makeready in seconds, utilisation and efficiency but not what the customer ordered this time last year. (Really).

5) Understand the new battleground Insight and knowledge.

Many print managers, printers and service providers offer their customers insight services and yet many do not use them for their own business.

Understanding your marketplace, your competitors and your customer’s plans, are critical these days. There are many

business analyses tools, that you can use to understand the environment you are competing or acting in. Porters 5 forces, looks at the competitive landscape. Especially the threat of

6) Marketing is simply an opportunity to show your products and services.

Many businesses believe, that their route to growth and success is by employing professional marketers to promote the business. In some cases, this is absolutely correct. BUT, before you go out and employ a Marketing Director. Understand what marketing really does. Marketing gives you an opportunity to show prospects how good your product or service is. (This is the important bit) If your products or services are RUBBISH you will just show more prospects, how bad your

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customer experience or your products are. First rule, get focussed on the appropriate products and services for your customers, before you invest in marketing. ' 7) Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

I am a big fan of strategy, strategic analysis and business analysis but establishing the right business culture within the organisation is way more important than strategic planning. You can plan all you wish, but if the culture and attitude of the organisation is wrong, no amount of strategy will help.

Culture starts at the top.

Changing the culture of the business does not happen overnight. The leadership needs to plan and execute communication, training, empowerment, mentoring and support infrastructure to support the right cultural environment. Once this is achieved - anything is possible.

8) Training and Mentoring.

As above, building a knowledge base, encouraging training, encouraging mentoring will help the individuals within the business thrive. Recently I have built Learning Management Systems for all sorts of training needs from Health and Safety, Induction, Customer training, anything that can be put into a PowerPoint can be converted into a LMS, with quizzes, certificates and user progress reporting.

Encouraging your super skilled staff, to train and mentor others, starts with confidence in the business. No operator will teach someone else to do their job, if they are not secure in the belief that they have their own security in the first instance. Building security and then sharing skills, will help the entire business develop.

9) Stop getting bogged down with trivia.

Too many business owners get bogged down with trivia. I call it "working in the business rather than on the business".

As a business owner or manager, how many hours per day do you spend dealing with trivia? How is your time better spent? Investment in executive support, or simple delegation will make your hours much more productive.

Sometimes delegation can be so difficult - because mistakes will happen, but you have to let this happen in order to empower others and to give yourself time to plan the business forward.

10) Use experts.

I am bound to say this as a consultant but having just invested in training for Prince 2 Project Management and Business Analysis qualifications, I have realised how much other experts out there could have helped me in the past. Academics are probably awful at running a business, but hell do they know some really useful stuff. By using experts, you will fast track your business, make less mistakes, and learn something in the process.

There are all sorts of experts; colour and quality, health and safety, standards and certification, project management, business analysis - or general leadership.

Using people with a unique perspective helps you as a business owner to see a bigger picture.

Anyone who thinks they know it all - is a fool, life is about learning and the learning never stops. Bring in an expert when appropriate to advise and question your thoughts and plans. It may save you a fortune.

These are just 10 tips to start the little grey cells working for 2020 - If you want a conversation about how I can help your business progress please message me on this platform.

About the Author: John Charnock Director and Owner of Print Research International Ltd. Print Research International (Pr-int) is an international consultancy that has a network of consultants around the globe that specialises in helping businesses with business development, technology adoption and developing staff. Pr-int also helps equipment and software manufacturers to develop routes to market and new product development especially when technology led.

John advises many companies in the print sector such as: The Inspired Thinking Group, ProCo, Transcend Packaging, Colour Logic and Red Tie web to print. He is a judge for several printing awards, he is a mentor and acts as non-exec to several businesses that serve the sector.

Previous to running his consultancy John was the Group Technical Director of St Ives a £450M PLC organisation and introduced innovation and business strategy at all levels of the business. He was heavily involved in the group’s investment in digital production systems in the all 6 of its divisions covering books, magazines, financial, retail display, exhibitions and direct mail.

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20 _018

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

AUGUST 26 - 27th Ho Chi Minh City

2020

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

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BUILDING THE FUTURE 150 years of Windmöller From paper manufacturer to market leader for machinery in the flexible packaging market.

The German machine builder Windmöller & Hölscher, a specialist for the flexible packaging market, has celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2019. In fifteen decades, the family-owned company has developed from a paper goods manufacturer to a market and technology leader for machinery in the flexible packaging market.

The beginnings as a paper goods factory W&H was founded on 01 October 1869

by Hermann Hölscher and Gottfried Windmöller as Windmöller & Hölscher Paper Goods Factory in Lengerich, Germany. With four employees, the school friends handcrafted paper bags for packing merchant goods and were folding capsules for packing pharmaceutics.

To replace the laborious manual work, inventor Hermann Hölscher began to develop a machine. After numerous trials and improvements, he applied for a patent for the first "paper cone bag machine" in 1877. This machine

Sustainable products will remain one of the main topics for W&H at the upcoming exhibitions interpack and drupa.

mechanically folded and printed conical paper bag. Shortly thereafter, W&H began to sell machines as well as paper goods.

From paper manufacturer to machinery manufacturer W&H’s machine sales grew successfully: from 1888, independent printing machines were added to the portfolio. They enabled the bags to be better labelled and more elaborate advertising to be printed. In 1892 a third of the W&H turnover came from the sale of machines, the rest from the manufacture of paper goods. In 1913, W&H concentrated entirely on machine sales. From then on, W&H’s own production was used to test the developed machines.

An international presence right from the start By 1880, W&H was already supplying 50 international customers. W&H employees travel all over the world for just as long. A passport from 1893

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67

E TOGETHER & Hölscher In 150 years W&H has developed to a market and technology leader for machinery in the flexible packaging market.

cylinder flexographic printing machine - the basis of modern flexographic printing for flexible packaging. In 1967, W&H launched the first blown film line with internal cooling, thus enabling a new quality in film extrusion. W&H has also been offering cast film lines since 1979.

With these innovations, W&H has shaped the flexible packaging market like no other machine manufacturer.

Today, W&H is known throughout the world as a technology and market leader for its machines for the production of flexible packaging. Over 8,000 W&H machines are in operation worldwide. testifies to one of the first service assignments: A W&H engineer travelled 2,000 km from Lengerich to Bucharest by steam locomotive and ship with a paper bag machine. In 1900, W&H began building a worldwide sales network with its first representative in Sweden. The first own sales subsidiary was founded in 1971 for the Benelux countries. Further subsidiaries all over the world followed. Today, W&H’s partners include around 5,000 customers on all continents. Over 95% of W&H’s turnover comes from exports.

Innovations that have become standards W&H invented numerous machine innovations that are now standard in the flexible packaging market. In 1930 W&H, in cooperation with packaging manufacturer Bischof + Klein, invented the first stepped-end sack tuber for paper bags. In 1954, W&H launched the world’s first central

150 years of BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER Together with customers and employees W&H celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2019 at its headquarters in Lengerich. The motto of the anniversary year was ‘BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER’.

“BUILDING stands for our core

competence as a machine manufacturer.

TOGETHER stands for the spirit of partnership. With FUTURE we express that we are not only looking back on the success story of the past, but also on the future”, summarized CEO Dr. Jürgen Vutz.

Say Hi To the Future in Düsseldorf At the upcoming interpack and drupa trade fairs, which will be held in Düsseldorf, W&H will once again present its qualities as technology leader and showcase the latest machine generations, digital products and innovative solutions for sustainable packaging. One of the highlights at both exhibitions will be the NOVOFLEX II, the next generation in flexo printing.

The new CI flexo press has been specifically designed to deliver the best performance for the most demanding print jobs and has many additional features such as VISION technology and Center Force CI frames and decks.

The NOVOFLEX II is the next generation of CI flexo presses.

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EFI Launches ‘D’ serie EFI announced the launch of a new midrange roll-to-roll printer line targeting sign and display graphics. EFI’s signature Connect event was the launchpad for the ‘D’ series of VUTEk inkjet printers, consisting of the D3r and D5r. By

Sha Jumari The new EFI VUTEk D3r and D5r LED inkjet printers leverage the capabilities from the VUTEk 3r+ and 5r+ printers. According to EFI, the ‘D’ series is designed to offer the right mix of features, productivity, and cost to create opportunities for signage and graphics professionals. The ‘D’ series of printers was created upon customer feedback for a mid-range, mid-volume solution.

“The ‘D’ series lands itself well to the mid-level shops that need the flexibility.

It is a truly unique product that leverages all the same technology from our higher-end roll to roll devices with the same quality output. It’s just more flexible. This is what’s really important about it, is that it gives people choices when they previously can’t make a choice,” said Rodd Harrison, Sales VP for EFI Asia Pacific.

“For someone who is looking for higher volume and high productivity, they would go with the 3r+ or 5r+. But

if super high volume is not the goal, but flexibility is, then the ‘D’ series is perfect. The D3r and D5r comes slightly under the 3r+ and 5r+. While it is not as fast, the ‘D’ offers greater flexibility,” Harrison continued.

The D3r and D5r are dedicated roll to roll machines, but they can have table attachments to allow them to print board as well. The new printer line supports other options including inline x-cutters and y-slitters; automatic backlit and block-out printing; media spreaders and motorized winders; and more.

“Instead of buying multiple devices, they can do more on one. For example, with a D3r, you can do vehicle wraps for trains, buses and taxis, and just one hour later, you can be printing a cosmetics display backlit for a department store.

Totally different applications, on one single machine,” said Harrison.

According to Harrison, the ‘D’ line of printers is perfect for markets in Asia, which requires a ‘Swiss Army knife’ type of product.

“In the US and Europe, the markets are big enough where printers can buy different machines for different applications. But for markets in Asia Pacific like Singapore or Australia, the markets and volumes are not that huge.

So businesses here really need to buy a piece of equipment that’s more like a Swiss Army knife that allows them to do many things. The machines need to be able to do multiple prints, not just in terms of customer’s jobs, but even the type of output. The more flexible we make our products, the better it will suit more markets in Asia,” Harrison continued.

White and Clear Inks in a Single Pass One of the main differentiating features of the ‘D’ series is the use of white and clear inks – all in one pass.

The VUTEk D line is equipped with additional printheads and is able to offer matte and glossy effects to cover a wider amount of unique applications such as wall decorations and murals, window graphics, flooring, high-value prints with selective gloss effects, fleet graphics, truck-side curtains and more.

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es of VUTEk printers

an ultra-high-definition print mode offering near-photographic quality.

“The ‘D’ series is the only EFI printer that does the clear and white coats at the same time. With the other printers, you would have to choose between the white or clear. With the D3r and D5r, you can essentially do colour, white and clear, all at the same time, all in a single pass,” said Harrison.

cosmetic display, and there’s an image of a bottle of makeup, you can just have that with a high gloss coat. This would make that part really stand out with its reflective qualities as well as having that enhanced pop of colour. The clear coat is also a protective coating,” Harrison added.

Both white and clear ink can be produced together for premium applications. The ‘D’ series supports multilayer printing, advanced white printing modes, and clear ink with glossy or matte coating modes.

The ability to print clear ink meant that time is significantly saved by eliminating the need to have separate offline coating systems. The clear protective coating provides three years of outdoor protection against abrasion and scratching, chemicals such as detergents, weather damage, air pollution, UV fading and yellowing.

“The clear ink can also be a flood coat, or a spot coat, and it can be a semi-gloss or gloss finish,” Harrison continued.

“What this means is that you can put a clear coat on top of everything, like a flood coat, with either a gloss or a matte finish. That’s really good for lots of applications, but you can also do a spot colour, like a spot clear,” said Harrison.

Clear ink enhances the output, adding an extra pop to the colours and opens up beautiful creative possibilities: “Imagine you’re doing something for

Mid-Level Solution for High Quality and Efficiency The VUTEk D3r prints up to 204 sqm/hr, while the D5r can produce up to 244 sqm/hr. The D3r and D5r printers come at 3.5- and 5.2-meters wide respectively. The printers are equipped with UltraDrop Technology and delivers precise and sharp 3-point size text, and a true resolution of up to 1,200 dots per inch. The ‘D’ line also features the Museum print mode,

The printers’ LED curing ensures not only cost savings but also a more environmentally sound printing solution, consuming less energy and enabling the use of thinner, heatsensitive substrates. The ‘D’ series has obtained the highest category Gold Greenguard certification for low chemical emissions, which means the machines meet some of the world’s most rigorous chemical emissions standards and can be used in sensitive indoor environments like schools or healthcare facilities.

The ‘D’ series uses environmentally friendly, LED-curable EFI 3M SuperRange XF UV inks. EFI VUTEk SuperFlex 3M inks are also available for manufacturing of popular and profitable vehicle wraps and fleet graphics.

The printers utilize EFI’s Fiery proServer SE digital front end, allowing increased productivity as well as accurate colour matching. For added productivity, users can choose to add a software productivity pack and are able to remotely connect with the printers using a mobile application.

For more information on EFI’s portfolio of solutions for the display graphics industry, visit www.efi.com.

Visit EFI at drupa 2020 in Hall 9, booth no. A40-1 – A40-2.

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Most difficult print jobs in top quality at high speed • Windmoeller & Hoelscher runs Flint Group’s nyloflex® plates with great success.

• ThermoFlexX Woodpecker Nano surface structures in combination with Flint Group Flexographic plates show their impressive potential for print performance enhancement under challenging conditions.

K 2019, the world's leading trade exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry, closed its doors after eight extremely busy days in Duesseldorf starting on October 16th, 2019. The 3,333 exhibitors provided impressive evidence that plastic is still an innovative, indispensable and forwardlooking material. The 225,000 visitors showed great interest in recycling systems, sustainable raw materials and resource-saving processes in particular.

With this, K 2019 sets a clear signal for the responsible use of plastics.

Windmoeller & Hoelscher, specialist for extrusion, printing and converting machines in the flexible packaging market, presented new developments in three areas at K 2019: Efficient production, sustainable packaging and PACKAGING 4.0. While showing highly automated job changes on their

new blow film extrusion lines live at the K show, interested customers were also invited to attend print demonstrations with the latest introduced flexographic printing press, the NOVOFLEX II, at the new Technical Center at Lengerich.

The NOVOFLEX II is W&H’s promise for maximum productivity through high performance and fast job changes. With a speed of up to 800 m/ min, the NOVOFLEX II belongs to the top performance segment.

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

72 “With a completely new design of the print deck with a very stiff arrangement of rollers and impression cylinder, we have reduced vibrations and related issues to a new market standard. This enables top quality print results at very high speeds even with critical vibration inducing images”, explains Hermann Veismann, General Manager Business Unit Printing and Finishing, W&H. He continues, “In return, the flexo plates must have exceptional ink transfer capabilities to keep up with the improved design.”

“We immediately realized, that the quality requirements of W&H are one of the most demanding in the market”, adds Dr Uwe Stebani, General Manager Xeikon Prepress.

“We started with a joint project team of Flint Group Flexographic and Xeikon Prepress, and really could drive the print quality to a new level for digital flexo plates. Our system solution comprising ThermoFlexX imagers with the breakthrough Woodpecker

Finishing option with punch and register system

Extended thanks to develope XG Inks

ORIS FLEX PACK // WEB CxF/X-4 Support

Roland VersaUV LEF2-200/300, LEC-330s

Print Job Editor

Roland VersaCamm VSi

ORIS Special Media

Trans

d gamut o newly ed XG Inks

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

73 Nano surface screening technology in combination with the nyloflex® NEF plates and UV LED exposure met the expectations of W&H and, thus, nicely contributed to the overwhelming success of the print demonstrations.”

Friedrich von Rechteren, Global Commercial Vice President of Flint Group Flexographic, added, “It is impressive to see that W&H confirmed our quality aim for superior results on a state of the art high speed flexible printing press. With our new flexographic system for solvent plate processing, customers can achieve a new quality level in flexible packaging produced with an open plate processing system. Similar qualities could only be achieved with closed systems available in the market until now. Woodpecker Nano in combination with Flint Group Flexographic plates, provide significant benefits to our customers with regard to cost and quality and representing a milestone in flexible packaging printing”.

The nyloflex® NEF plate is a high durometer plate for flexible packaging and labels and is specially developed for creation of flat top dots as well as reproduction of surface screening. The combination of UV LEDs and UV tubes allow the definition of various dot shapes and shoulder angles or relief elements. The Woodpecker Nano

software enables the output of surface micro structures at imager level, and thus, avoiding the need for costly RIP options. Woodpecker Nano surface screens are perfectly symmetrical and the finest available for LAMs layer digital flexographic plates.

ORIS FLEX PACK Cost-effective turnkey solution for packaging proofing & mock-up production Print incl. metallic, white & spot colors Lowest cost per proof Finishing option incl. embossing, varnish and foiling effects Continuous- and halftone proofing

sfer Film www.cgs-oris.com

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The world is experienc waste crisis Primarily due to the enormous amount of plastic manufactured and the state of plastic waste management. Globally, manufactures produce 348 million tons of plastic each year, compared to 1.5 million tons in 1950.

The plastic dilemma: 348 million tons of plastic produced per year worldwide, half of which becomes waste The world is experiencing a severe plastic waste crisis, Primarily due to the enormous amount of plastic manufactured and the state of plastic waste management. Globally, manufactures produce 348 million tons of plastic each year, compared to 1.5 million tons in 1950. In Europe, only 30% of plastic waste gets recycled, meaning it is collected and treated but not entirely returned into the production system. In the most recent DossierPlus on the topic, researchers from Statista present the status quo of plastic waste treatment and how plastic impacts the environment.

Europe alone produces 60 million tons of plastic. Drastic measures taken by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) have shown to be vital in

reducing potentially ruinous levels of waste generation. The measures aim mostly on reducing the use of singleuse plastics and packaging, as those are the biggest culprits when it comes

to plastic waste. The data reveals significant differences in selected EU countries when it comes to waste treatment. In Germany, for instance, only 0.1 percent of plastic packaging ends up in landfills, while Spain reported 38.2 percent of packaging in landfills.

Data looking at the trade of plastic reveals the potential impact of China banning the importation of foreign plastic waste in 2018. The measure shocked the global scrap trade and forced western countries to rethink the recycling agenda. According to the University of Georgia’s forecasts, by 2030, almost 111 million tons of plastic waste worldwide will need to be processed elsewhere, if China continues its ban of plastic disposal.

The DossierPlus also investigates the negative impacts of plastic production

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cing a severe plastic

on the environment, including its impact on emissions and therefore climate change, as well as health risks caused by pollution.

Discarded plastic degrades into small particles that contaminate the environment. These microplastics end up in oceans, fishes’ organs and even the human food chain and are intentionally added to a long list of products in the cosmetic industry. Most clothing is also made from synthetic fabric containing plastic microfibers which additionally end up in wastewaters.

With bio-based plastic as a controversial alternative for sustainability, the report suggests rethinking the lifecycle of plastic products starting from material design.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 1 2020 Get ready for Vietnam in 2020

76 winding mechanism incorporates a 6 drive system giving three independent tension control zones to produce a virtually wrinkle-free metallization process and better handling of thinner substrates.

Vietnam’s Ky Phat installs new BOBST machine Ky Phat Corporation has purchased an EXPERT K5 2900mm equipped with the AluBond process; the machine will be operational in their factory in Q1 2020.

Founded in 2006, Ky Phat Corporation is one of Vietnam’s leading producers of food and beverage packaging films, pharmaceutical and specialty packaging films supplying all types of CPP, PE and high barrier films. The company has been supplying the highest quality packaging films in Vietnam for over ten years to the most trusted partners in the food packaging industry.

Metallized CPE The new machine has been purchased primarily due to its ability to handle CPE film. There is currently a lot of demand in the market in Asia for metallized CPE film; this is a heat sensitive, thin gauge film which requires careful handling.

The EXPERT K5 has been optimized to handle the new generation of sustainable substrates such as CPE; the heat management system has been designed for better handling of more thermally sensitive materials.

Additionally, the BOBST renowned

The addition of the AluBond process will enable Ky Phat to offer their customers film with high adhesion levels and even higher barrier levels.

AluBond® has been shown to greatly increase metal bond strength and metal adhesion on the most commonly used substrates (PET, BOPP, CPP and PE) during aluminium vacuum metallization; metal adhesion values of up to 5N/15mm can be achieved.

As well as providing excellent adhesion levels on all substrates, when AluBond® is applied to CPP and BOPP films it provides enhancement of oxygen (OTR) and water vapour (WVTR) barrier performance.

Commenting on the new investment, Sec Nhin Ho, Chairman of Ky Phat Corporation said: “Due to demand from our customers for metallized CPE film, we are growing very quickly in this area and needed to expand our capacity to increase our production.

BOBST are well known in the industry for their handling of heat sensitive films such as CPE and CPP and we were also very impressed with the AluBond® process which will give our film an edge over our competitors.

We look forward to the machine being installed and running in our factory”.

MPS Systems Asia appoints Müller Korea as local agent in South Korea Local representation for MPS flexo, hybrid and offset printing solutions in South Korea is now provided by Müller Korea. MPS Systems Asia, with headquarters in Malaysia, made the agreement with Müller Korea in the latter half of 2019.

1. NY Cho, Managing Director of Muller Korea and Tim Klappe, MPS Systems Asia Managing Director at Labelexpo Europe 2019. jpgrepresentation for MPS flexo, hybrid and offset printing solutions in South Korea is now provided by Müller Korea. MPS Systems Asia, with headquarters in Malaysia, made the agreement with Müller Korea in the latter half of 2019.

Established in 1997, Müller Korea is located in central Seoul and is well connected to the label and packaging industry in addition to newspaper, book bindery and commercial printing. The company is also an agent for Muller Martini, a worldwide organization that manufactures, markets and services a full range of post-press finishing equipment.

NY Cho, Managing Director of Müller Korea explained the choice to partner with MPS: “In printing presses, our customers want superior quality and productivity, as well as flexibility in substrates - an essential strength to produce value-added labels. Awareness of state-of-the-art & eco-friendly printing equipment has increased, and Korean printers place a high importance on quality control.

MPS presses have proven all these requirements and are designed to be extremely flexible and easy to operate.

For us, it is the ideal partnership to meet our customer’s expectations.”

In addition to sales support, Müller Korea provides a strong service and engineering organization with a policy to visit customers onsite within two hours from the initial request.

THE PERFECT SYNTHESIS OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Frontal Dual trolley

Combi drying system

Fully encapsulated Fully automatic

HIGH PERFORMANCE. BEST PRINT. WWW.UTECO.COM

The NXS 300 is outlined by a modular ultra-compact design, suitable for very short-runs.

NXS 300 is equipped with unique and innovative solutions.

Combi drying system: Powerful compact energysaving system that allows a strong reduction of noise thanks to the combi technology.

Frontal Dual trolley: Versatile trolley for extremely fast job changes and trolley set-up. With this system you can change the cylinder, the inking system, or both at the same time.

Printing Units: the printing units are fully encapsulated to reduce VOC emissions and noise pollution.

Automatic positioning of the doctor blade and ink tray.

UTECO: NOT ONLY FLEXO. UTECO CONVERTING SPA • I 37030 COLOGNOLA AI COLLI (VR) • PH.: +39 045 6174555 • FAX: +39 045 6150855 • UTECOVR@UTECO.COM •

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78 to increase transparency, Nestlé will continue to outline further initiatives and provide regular progress updates.

“No plastic should end up in landfill or as litter,” said Mark Schneider, CEO of Nestlé. “Making recycled plastics safe for food is an enormous challenge for our industry.

At K-Print 2018, MPS Systems Asia demonstrated an 8 colour EF 530 flexo press printing wrap around labels with micro text on thin film, which attracted great interest from Korean printers.

“Showing a press running at 200 m/ min on a 20” substrate confirmed the enormous productivity that MPS presses can achieve - from simple labels to complicated multi-layer labels, shrink sleeves, and various packaging materials,” said Tim Klappe, MPS Systems Asia Managing Director.

“With Müller Korea’s expertise in label and packaging printing and highly responsive sales and service support, our current and new customers that choose MPS printing presses are in good hands.”

Nestle pledges $2.07 billion in food-grade recycled plastics Nestlé announced that it will invest up to CHF 2 billion (USD$2.07 billion) to fund the development of sustainable packaging solutions and lead the shift to food-grade recycled plastics.

In 2018, Nestle announced its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. Nestlé will reduce its use of virgin plastics by one third in the same period whilst working with others to advance the circular economy and endeavor to clean up plastic waste from oceans, lakes and rivers.

Most plastics are difficult to recycle for food packaging, leading to a limited supply of food-grade recycled plastics. To create a market, Nestlé is committed to sourcing up to 2 million metric tons of food-grade recycled plastics and allocating more than

USD$1.55 billion to pay a premium for these materials between now and 2025. Nestlé will seek operational efficiencies to keep this initiative earnings neutral.

Packaging innovation, including new materials, refill systems and recycling solutions, is another key challenge on the path towards a waste-free future.

In addition to its significant in-house research through the Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences, the company will launch a USD$258 million sustainable packaging venture fund to invest in start-up companies that focus on these areas.

These two initiatives come in addition to Nestlé’s major ongoing efforts in research, sourcing and manufacturing to make its packaging recyclable or reusable and contribute to its goal to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. As part of the company’s packaging commitment and

That is why in addition to minimizing plastics use and collecting waste, we want to close the loop and make more plastics infinitely recyclable. We are taking bold steps to create a wider market for food-grade recycled plastics and boost innovation in the packaging industry. We welcome others to join us on this journey.”

"We are pleased to see Nestlé commit a CHF 2 billion investment toward creating a circular economy for plastics, alongside a reduction of its use of virgin plastic in packaging by one third by 2025. By eliminating the plastics we don’t need, innovating in areas like reuse models and new materials, and circulating the plastics we do need -- also in more challenging food grade applications -- we can create an economy where plastic never becomes waste.

Achieving the commitments announced today will significantly contribute towards realizing this vision,” said Andrew Morlet, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

EXTRUSION | PRINTING | CONVERTING

600 + SOLD The most preferred CI Flexo printing press in the world

MIRAFLEX Ready for PACKAGING 4.0 Experience intelligence with: EASY-SET – superior impression setting as standard with every press CHECK-REPEAT – continuous repeat length monitoring EASY-COL – intelligent colour matching and ink management system VISION – intelligent, intuitive and integrated web inspection system TURBOCLEAN – most advanced inking and wash-up system … and many more!

Windmöller & Hölscher KG Lengerich / Germany Phone + 49 5481 14 - 0 · info@wuh-group.com www.wuh-group.com Local Contact: Dr. Mathew John +234 8028025787