PRESSIdeas March-April 2020 issue by Jacob George

20 vol-20 Issue- 03-04 Mar-April 2020

162

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Vol.20 Issue 03-04, 2020

COVID-19 Survey of Printing Industry.......08 drupa 2020 postponed....................................11 The most intelligent Speedmaster..............12 Sangam Khanna on COVID-19......................16 Heidelberg Subscription model...................22

A monthly Publication from PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

INS seeks stimulus package...........................27 Konica Minolta dominates..............................30 HP mobilizes 3D Printing solutions.............55

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Contents FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK..............................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Printing Industry braves COVID-19.............................................................................................................................................................................................8 drupa postponed to April 2021................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Hedelberg puts the most intelligent and automated Speedmaster into series production.............................................................................. 12 Print can’t be immune from coronavirus: Sangam Khanna............................................................................................................................................ 16 OPA demands Print to be defined as ‘Essential Services’ in COVID-19 crisis............................................................................................................. 17 Heidelberg cuts 2000 jobs globally ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 FTA Forum goes virtual................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Organic Foods getting Coronavirus boost............................................................................................................................................................................ 20 ‘Gutenberg Festival’ at OPA......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Heidelberg Subscription model gets successfully established..................................................................................................................................... 22 Work remotely with Sistrade Software................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Sistrade launches new version of its MIS|ERP software.................................................................................................................................................... 24 KMPA seeks government intervention to help Printing Industry ................................................................................................................................ 24 3rd drupa Global Trends Spotlight Report............................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Newsroom Leaders 2020 postponed...................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 India’s Best Printed Newspapers 2018-2020......................................................................................................................................................................... 26 INS seeks stimulus package from Govt.................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 WAN-IFRA launches dedicated resource site (coronanewsroom.org)........................................................................................................................ 27 HP brings world’s most productive Digital Press portfolio............................................................................................................................................. 28 Konica Minolta dominates India’s Production Printing ................................................................................................................................................... 30 Fujifilm: Aggressively expanding in the Graphic Arts segment.................................................................................................................................... 32 Fujifilm India expands its customer service footprint in South India.......................................................................................................................... 34 HP helps business professionals stay productive at home ............................................................................................................................................ 35 Konica Minolta responds to COVID-19 with various initiatives .................................................................................................................................... 36 How Xerox is responding to COVID-19................................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Tai Nizawa is the new Managing Director of Konica Minolta India ............................................................................................................................. 37 Digital printing: from strength to strength in packaging................................................................................................................................................ 38 The next level in Flexo Plate Making....................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Toppan launches Green Flat....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Customer support has priority.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42 C-P Flexible Packaging introduces Virtual Press Check Capabilities for critical infrastructure industries...................................................... 43 Arca Sleeves, pioneers of the future........................................................................................................................................................................................ 44 Sappi to kick off Virtual Trade Show........................................................................................................................................................................................ 46 DuPont response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and control....................................................................................................................... 47 Abbey Labels doubles die-cutting speed with MPS and AB Graphics technologies............................................................................................ 48 PackPlus South & PrintFair 2020 postponed to December............................................................................................................................................. 49 YesGo inaugurates Bangalore Branch..................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 CPI improves food packaging production with BOBST tech.......................................................................................................................................... 50 Miraclon announces return of Global Flexo Innovation Awards................................................................................................................................... 51 Successful Label Summit Latin America 2020 concludes................................................................................................................................................ 52 Flint Group’s global update on COVID-19............................................................................................................................................................................. 53 Temporary activity decrease of several Bobst production sites worldwide............................................................................................................. 54 LMAI postpones Digital Printing event of Mumbai........................................................................................................................................................... 54 Emmanuel Bareaud appointed President Flint Group Narrow Web............................................................................................................................ 54 HP Inc. and Partners mobilize 3D Printing solutions to battle COVID‐19.................................................................................................................. 55 Massivit 3D contributes to battling the COVID-19 pandemic........................................................................................................................................ 56 Evandro Matteucci joins EFI ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 Mimaki introduces high-quality signs and graphics printer UJV100-160 ................................................................................................................ 58 Screen Print India 2020 Mumbai edition postponed ....................................................................................................................................................... 60

Jasmeet D. Editor & Publisher (jasmeet@pressideas.com) Vineet K G. Associate Editor (vineetkg@pressideas.com) Jasvinder S. Sub-Editor (jasvinder@pressideas.com) Jacob George Marketing and Sales (jacob@pressideas.com) M.S. Mukundan Advertising and Sales Southern and Western India (aims@pressideas.com) Graphic Designer Anil Kumar

Networking/ Hardware Consultant Sukhdeep Singh USA Correspondents Tensi M., Preeti European Correspondent Rimi, Yadhu Morphine Production Thomas K Alex

PRESSIdeas March-April 2020 Vol. 20, Issue 03-04 Printed by Jacob George and published by Jasmeet Singh on behalf of PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt Ltd. Printed in India at Hues and Colors 363, Industrial Focal Point, Phase-IX Mohali, and published at PRESSIdeas, 437-A 1st Floor, Industrial Area, Phase-2 Chandigarh-160002 (India) Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. All material supplied is compiled from sources believed to be reliable or solely an opinion of the authors. PRESSIdeas is not responsible for any steps taken based on the information provided herewith.

March-April 2020

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FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK Dear Readers, The world is struggling to save itself from the tentacles of the deadly virus dubbed COVID-19. The virus with no cure so far, has travelled from its purported originating organism ‘bat’ to humans. With millions affected at almost every corner of the world, the loss of life has been enormous. The developed countries with the best of medical facilities, R&D and resources too are reeling under the burden of measures to contain the spread to save lives on the one hand and failure to find a definite cure or vaccination to assure much needed hope on the other. The underdeveloped and developing world is looking towards the leaders in anxious anticipation for fear of loss of life as well as livelihood. The virus is notoriously known for its spreading through extremely close contact – within six feet of someone infected. This has rendered most of the human physical movement suspicious; coming out of our self-quarantined abodes risky; interacting with strangers unsafe… actually, cutting off social, economic as well as political life of the whole civilization. Authorities have imposed restrictions on free movement of people, social gatherings, public and private transportation, institutions, offices, businesses and every possible place of risk for the human to human or otherwise transfer of the virus, which has claimed an obnoxious rate of mortality. The world was already suffering from a bad economic phase before the virus struck. The situation has worsened to further pushing back of the recovery period. Many experts have claimed the existing situation would be the ‘new normal’ of our lives. The only fear in this is that not all will be able to adopt or adapt to the ‘new normal’ which is anything but normal. With the lockdown situations having been extended a couple of times so far, the social and economic situation of industry and people in general has only deteriorated. Industry people, business owners as well as working class have been expressing their varied apprehensions all along. PRESSIdeas conducted an online survey to gauge the situation from the point of view of the decision makers from the printing industry. The story based on the survey responses is the cover story this time. The current issue of the magazine also contains news about changes in schedules of various events due to the COVID-19 crisis. Drupa 2020 has been postponed to April 2021; so have Newsroom Leaders 2020; PackPlus South & PrintFair 2020, LMAI’s Digital Printing event of Mumbai and many others – both nationally and internationally. Mr. Sangam Khanna, Komori India, has expressed his views on the coronavirus crisis in another story. Almost every technology and solutions provider has changed its approach taking into account the COVID-19 situation. Many key players’ detailed activities have been included in this issue while there have been wide contributions from the Printing Industry by way of providing essential solutions to the society. 3D Printing has come as a vital tool to produce equipments needed by frontline people. While the concept of ‘work from home’ has been pushed as an emergency measure, it is never possible to shift most of the work environments from their current place. Majority of the community is earnestly waiting for the situation to return to normalcy. We hope things come back on track healthy, safe and with least possible loss. Let’s pray for the wellbeing of every human in the times of this harsh pandemic.

- Jasvinder Singh, Sub-editor

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March-April 2020

Printing Industry braves COVID-19 A survey by PRESSIdeas weighing the different aspects of COVID-19 situation and its repercussions on the Printing Industry. COVID-19 has upturned the normal flow of our lives. Industry is facing the most uncertain of terms due to the uncountable repercussions of the sudden crisis. Every stratum of people has been affected so as the various sections of the industry. The economy is in turmoil, which is no less than the social and professional lives of individuals world over. The coronavirus spread unabated with no cure, no prevention except ensuring a safe distance from the virus carrier itself. It spreads so fast through direct human contact that it is usually too late before it is detected. It is often not before it has already infected many others creating a dangerously extended chain which is far more taxing to be properly tracked.

Though there has been a wider sentiment of empathizing with people in need in these difficult times, yet it is pretty obvious that COVID-19 and the lockdown have dealt a blow to millions of small businesses in the country.

Key Notes : > 65.3% of the respondents believe it would take one year or more for the situation to normalize again. > Almost three-fourth (73.5%) plan to cut cost in the existing scenario. > Liquidity of money and ease/ increase of purchasing power of citizens may help in reviving the economy of the country.

March-April 2020

The impending danger of infection and a high mortality rate therefrom triggered panic decisions from authorities world over; many coming as off the cuff and many proving inefficient due to the sheer scale of the spread. Those suspected of possible infection were quarantined, marked and isolated. Those suffering were isolated and kept under medical supervision for the duration of the infection; and those who were worried were presented with a long list of medical advice to follow to avoid the bug. Indian government came up with Lockdown, which meant every outdoor activity, save for a listed few essential services, to be stopped for a period, which was the estimated ‘incubation’ period plus the duration adequate to break the chain of spread of the virus. Most of the country was shut down – with no economic or business activities, no schools, no offices, no factories…. – actually no stepping out of houses. As a result, the industry, chiefly dependent upon unorganized workforce, triggered a wave of fear because of absence of work, earning capacity and uncertainty about future. The salt of lockdown was enough for the injury of economic slowdown the industry was already suffering. The Lockdown period in India has been extended many times over because the virus kept spreading at ever increasing rate risking more lives should the lockdown be eased. At the time when the present lockdown (the third extension) deadline is too drawing towards a close, PRESSIdeas conducted an online survey of industry colleagues to look deeper into the impact of the present crisis on our Printing Industry. The survey included decision makers (management,

sales, marketing, administration, production) from the industry representing – Printers (offset, digital, flexo, gravure etc.); Print Buyers, Print Machinery/ Consumables Supplier; Printing trade services; Paper suppliers; Packaging; B2B printing services etc. Of all the respondents who took part in the survey, a sizeable 38.8% said COVID-19 impacted their business significantly. What is more concerning is that about 35.7% have termed the impact as critical and about 12.2% have termed it as deadly. Only 13.3% from the industry called the situation more or less normal.

Cost cutting measures will be the direct effect of COVID-19 pandemic Around 24.5% of the respondents perceive their main difficulty during the crisis as the ‘lockdown impact’ while over half (55.1%) of them suggested that lack of business or orders as the main difficulty. The third largest group called lack of transportation/ material movement as their main difficulty. A small size of industry people pointed lack of labour, finance and other factors as their main difficulty. These difficulties were faced by businesses as there was little or no movement of ‘uncategorized’ material, products and services. Various local authorities put up barriers to strictly implement the lockdown for fear of spread of the disease which also as an effect brought a virtual stop to raw-material as well as finished products. About 19.4% of the respondents agreed that there has been staff retrenchment/ redundancy while half (51%) denied it. 29.6% are not sure about it. Since, the situation was held in ‘as it is’ situation, employees, customers, labour and material got

pressideas/ commercial printing

wished anything above 6 months without future interest.

stuck where they were. Many rushed to their homes with whatever means available to ensure extended sustainability. Even a few who could be shifted to ‘work from home’ scenario were sparingly available. Cost cutting measures by the businesses representing the Printing industry will be the direct effect of COVID-19 pandemic. Almost three-fourth (73.5%) agreed that they plan to cut cost in the existing scenario. It is obviously because of piling overheads, fixed costs as well as salaries, which are all in absence of the normal business cycle of earnings and spending. What is fearsome is a big majority of representatives have put their investments on hold. Those who are still waiting to reach a decision in this regard together with those who have already decided to hold investments constitute a big 83.7% of the respondents. It is chiefly because there is uncertainty regarding the elimination of virus which is today freely roaming around hideously. Investments require demand to boost sales and thus return on those investments.

Demand for waivers in fixed monthly costs In the uncertainty of when and how the situation will be back to normal, investors are holding back their decision to invest. It is more obvious when we see that 65.3% of the respondents from the industry believe it would take one year or more for the situation to normalize again. Only 11.2% say it will normalize in 3 months. Exactly half of the respondents say EMI deferment won’t be of much relief. 39.8% called it a relief while 10.2% have other suggestions to relieve the hardships. Among the EMI deferment suggestions, the period of relief has been

March-April 2020

Many have agreed about the ‘new normal’ because of COVID-19. The sizeable industry believes extending the lockdown is not a viable solution. The industry should be allowed with clear-cut rules about social distancing, masks, gloves, sanitizing etc. One respondent in his suggestion said, “The Government Regulations guidelines and support should be less vague. The government should allow all activities related to printing and paper applications so that there’s less burden on the industry and its people.” “Today, I am worried about the future orders. The industry is facing a very bad situation. I am uncertain about future. I am afraid about customers shifting towards digital advertisements instead of print,” said another worried printer respondent. “We would also like some waivers in our fixed monthly costs such as electricity and rent which run into lakhs. Please also consider reducing PF and ESI contribution of the Employers as this is also a huge expense,” demands a respondent.

Need for discipline on pricing, payments, HR management, facilities management and protocols for post Lockdown Though there has been a wider sentiment of empathizing with people in need in these difficult times, yet it is pretty obvious that COVID-19 and the lockdown have dealt a blow to millions of small businesses in the country. Without assistance, most will find it difficult to survive. Printing industry is finding it difficult to receive pending payments. Moreover, there are no fresh orders and many have suffered cancellation of previous orders by customers. “We have already witnessed changes to how work is getting done in this unique “new normal” scenario. In my view only essential services (Boxes, Label priniting) will survive, rest will have to look

for changes in their business model,” said a concerned printer. “Packaging might come back to normal soon but commercial printing would take longer,” adds another. “There should be waiver of interest and EMI for at least one year. Deferred EMI is only postponing the inevitable. Companies should not hold on or pass on credit when not required,” advised one respondent. Someone suggested that before anything, the Govt. has to play a vital role by pumping in huge money in the economy so that liquidity of money and ease/ increase of purchasing power of citizens may help in reviving the economy of our country. We need to adapt to the changes and need to formulate strategies adhering to the changing scenarios. The industry must use this time to formulate discipline on pricing, payments, human resources management, facilities management and put protocols in place to be practiced as soon as the Lockdown lifts. Some believe there will be fiercer competition post lockdown. While a few others fear there will be heavy shortage of labour in coming months. They think process automation will boost the production. The situation is extremely bad and will take more than 6 months to come back to normal. Sustaining will be a big issue. The industry needs to bounce back ASAP or else a lot of businesses will be closed. Industry is eagerly waiting for essential Govt support especially for the MSME and necessary relief offerings by way of easing of restrictions, allowance in fixed payments, interest waivers and financial aid for returning back to activity. Only time will tell what will the COVID-19 really cost the industry before the normal business returns back on track.

pressideas/ commercial printing

drupa postponed to April 2021 Coronavirus risk looming largely makes Messe Dusseldorf reassess the event schedule. The organisers value the increased risk of infection at major events.

The drupa trade fair scheduled for 16-26 June 2020 will be postponed to 20-30 April 2021. In doing so, Messe Düsseldorf is following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German Federal Government to take into account the principles of the Robert Koch Institute when assessing the risk of major events. Based on this recommendation and the recent significant increase in the number of people infected with the new corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), including in Europe, Messe Düsseldorf has reassessed the situation. In addition, there is the general ruling issued by the city of Düsseldorf on 11 March 2020, in which major events with more than 1,000 participants present at the same time are generally prohibited. “The decision was taken in close consultation with our advisory boards and sponsoring associations,” emphasises Werner M. Dornscheidt, Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. It also reflects the wishes of individual industries: “As their partner, we are currently doing everything in our power to reduce the economic losses suffered by our exhibitors”. “The city of Düsseldorf is following the instructions of the state government. Our aim is to slow down the spread of the corona virus so that the health system can continue to function properly,” emphasises Thomas Geisel, Lord Mayor of the state capital of Düsseldorf and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Düsseldorf trade fair company.

Delaying the spread of the virus as far as possible is also a declared goal according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). In order to fulfil Messe Düsseldorf’s responsibility for risk prevention, the company primarily had to minimise the increased risk of infection at major events. Measures to reduce the risk of transmission at major events, which the Robert Koch Institute has clearly defined – such as ventilation of the venue appropriate to the risk of infection, the exclusion of persons from risk groups and the comprehensive installation of entrance screening, were practically impossible to implement. Also, comparable measures were and are unreasonable in view of the unforeseeable rapid development and the size of the various events with up to 60,000 participants. drupa president Claus Bolza-Schünemann also agrees with this: “A postponement of drupa was unavoidable after the latest developments. The decision is therefore right and responsible. Many exhibitors start their logistical preparations middle of March – today’s announcement of the postponement enables all those affected to react now, reschedule and prepare for the event date in April 2021. The excitement for ’embrace the future’ remains undiminished – also in 2021″. In view of the increased risk entailed by a fair with significant international participation, the industry associations also welcome the announcement:”drupa is the most important meeting place for the international

printing industry,” says Dr. Markus Heering, Managing Director of the Printing and Paper Technology Trade Association of the VDMA. “True to the motto ’embrace the future’, it is characterised by personal, international contact and live product presentations. The risk of infection would simply be too high at present. We therefore support the decision to postpone the event and look forward to the date next year.” The Düsseldorf hotel industry is also sending out an important signal through its umbrella organisation DEHOGA (Trade Association for the Hospitality Industry): “We appeal to our members and the entire industry to be flexible when it comes to rebooking by exhibitors and visitors. The Düsseldorf trade fairs such as drupa play an enormously important role for the city, the hotel industry and the catering trade. It would be counterproductive not to show goodwill in this situation,” as both DEHOGA-Representatives Giuseppe Saitta (Chairman Düsseldorf/District Group Rhein-Kreis Neuss) and Rolf D. Steinert (Düsseldorf/Rhein-Kreis Neuss Hotels and Tourism Group) emphasise. Werner M. Dornscheidt is pleased about the general consensus and encouragement in this special situation:”We would like to thank all partners for their excellent cooperation in making these difficult and time sensitive decisions. We are pleased that together dates were found so quickly in order to provide all those affected with reliability in planning.”

March-April 2020

Hedelberg puts the most intelligent and automated Speedmaster into series production - sets off fireworks of innovation in sheetfed offset for the digital Smart Print Shop.

Heidelberg will be putting the most intelligent and automated Speedmaster ever into series production. The completely redesigned Prinect Press Center generation with the new Speedmaster Operating System delivers Push to Stop functionality and connection to the Prinect Cloud to every Speedmaster. Many new digital assistance systems, such as the Wash Assistant or Intellirun on the Wallscreen XL, turn the Prinect Press Center into a modern, attractive workstation, and allow the operator to continuously call on the machine’s performance potential. However, the hardware has evolved as well. In addition to the new and significantly larger 24-inch multi-touchscreen, the standard illuminant lighting to ISO 3664:2009 was converted to LED. Instead of time-consuming tube changes, as before, switching between standard illuminant D50 and D65 with and without UV is now done simply by pressing a button.

New scalable solutions in the area of printing plate logistics; zero defect production with intelligent waste paper management; and thoroughly positive feedback from field test customers.

“Following the overwhelming success of Push to Stop at the drupa 2016, we have invested a great deal in advancing the idea of the Smart Print Shop and in taking Push to Stop to a new level,” explains Rainer Wolf, Head of Sheetfed Product Management. Software development, of course, plays a key role in this. Heidelberg, however, has also heavily invested in press technology, closing automation gaps, further optimizing subprocesses, and developing new applications. “The result speaks for itself, and we are proud of the innovation fireworks we shall be setting

off with the Speedmaster 2020 generation to make sheetfed offset printing even more attractive and costeffective,” enthuses Rainer Wolf, and adds “with our flagship, the Speedmaster XL 106, we have defined the term Peak Performance Class in the industry. Up to 90 million printed sheets a year are already reality today. Now, that’s what we call peak performance in practice. With our new Speedmaster generation, we offer our customers outstanding conditions to fully exploit the possibilities of modern, digital offset printing.”

Hycolor Pro – the new digitally controlled dampening unit Heidelberg automates the dampening unit of the Speedmaster XL 106 with the new Hycolor Pro. The quantity of dampening solution is decided and metered between pan roller and metering roller. The pressing/squeezing required for this purpose can now be carried out by automation directly from the Prinect Press Center. This saves time and effort, and enables finest corrections from the control panel even during production. The basic settings of the dampening unit are recorded digitally, and from the Prinect Press Center XL 3 it is now possible to also adjust the dampening solution metering on only one side. “80 percent of our inking-related service calls are due to the inaccurate setting of the dampening unit,” explains Rainer Wolf. “With Hycolor Pro, we now have defined and measurable settings we can

Key Notes : > New Press Center generation delivers Push to Stop and an interface to the Prinect Cloud to all Speedmaster models. > Hycolor Pro – the new digitally controlled dampening unit. > Washup time reduction through LotoTec inking rollers, extended washup systems, and intelligent washup programs.

March-April 2020

Heidelberg is now delivering the most intelligent and most highly automated Speedmaster of all time. The completely redesigned Prinect Press Center generation with the new Speedmaster Operating System delivers Push to Stop functionality and connection to the Prinect Cloud to every Speedmaster.

pressideas/ commercial printing

Only recently, a Speedmaster XL 106-6+L of the latest drupa 2020 generation for packaging printing went into operation at Mediahaus in Ahaus. Managing Director Jan Hendrik Walfort (on the right) and his print shop manager Marco Segeler expect a significant improvement in productivity.

also use for digital Remote Service. From the control panel, the printer can now meter more or less dampening for one side, thus react faster and more sensitively, and approach the scumming point much more precisely. This creates stable production run conditions with less waste paper and faster reaching of the good sheet.” Washup time reduction through LotoTec inking rollers, extended washup systems, and intelligent washup programs Washup times are still a major makeready time factor, especially in packaging printing. Further improvements in the area of rollers and washup systems have now been implemented to significantly reduce these washup times. Apart from the new Wash Assistant software for intelligent determination of the degree of soiling and preselection of the optimum washup program, further innovations relate to the area of washing fluid supply. Besides water, up to three more media, such as washing fluid for conventional and UV inks, roller protection fluid or deep cleaners, can now be metered in the inking unit. The modules of the blanket washup device in the Speedmaster XL 106 were made 20 percent lighter, and a fully automated impression cylinder washup device is now available for

the coating unit. In particular with perfecting presses with coating unit, approximately 50 hours of manual cleaning time per year can thus be saved in three-shift operation.

New scalable solutions in the area of printing plate management

system “Plate to Unit”. The pure mechanics, however, make up for only half the story. Digital workflow integration is at least as important.” This includes defining a suitable sequence of print jobs in job planning, optimizing the sequence, the correct output sequence in the CtP system including assignment of a plate ID, but also delivery to a digitally identifiable plate transport system. The extensive range of tools of the Prinect Production Manager is used for this. From the digital planning board, the jobs are placed directly in the job queue, including all job parameters. The plate trolley appropriate for this job is automatically requested, and “Plate to Unit” ensures that the correct plate is delivered to the correct printing unit. “Plate to Unit” reduces the 23 manual interventions previously required to just three.

“The requirement to be able to exploit the cost-effectiveness, reproducibility and quality of offset printing also for very small runs is becoming increasingly important. In extreme cases, customers wish to produce runs as short as 100 sheets. The manual loading and unloading of the plate changing systems will thus, in the long run, no longer be sustainable – the physical strain on the operator is simply too great,” describes Rainer Wolf, and adds “the fully automated infeed and disposal of the printing plates is only the logical consequence – we call the

Customers with fewer plate changes, however, can also achieve relief for the operator. Digital workflow integration is similar, with the exception that the plate trolley is verified using a mobile scanner and lifted to the gallery level with a lift – the so-called “Plate to Gallery” procedure. A wider gallery offers the operator very good ergonomic conditions during job preparation, while the current job is in production. “Plate to Gallery” is also interesting for folding carton printers, since the machines are

Especially when ink changes are frequent, considerable advantages can be achieved with LotoTec inking rollers. After having passed the long-term test, these inking rollers with patented surface coating are now released for series production. Since rewashing the rollers is not necessary and, due to their excellent printing properties, they are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in packaging printing.

March-April 2020

pressideas/ commercial printing

printing, or devices for waterless offset and letterset, were transferred from the Speedmaster XL 75 to the XL 106. A new coating supply allows minimal circulation quantities, which saves costs, especially with special applications involving expensive coatings. The Speedmaster XL 106 is now available with special equipment for substrate thicknesses of up to 1.6 mm. In the area of applying dispersion coating on both sides in a single pass, the speed of previously 15,000 sheets/hour can now be increased to 18,000 sheets/hour with the Speedmaster XL 106 and optimized drying with just two dryer units before perfecting. usually raised and the operator can now use the lift to conveniently take printing plates, coating plates, ink and other aids to gallery level. The time required for the plate change itself has also been improved. The changing time for the fully automated, simultaneous AutoPlate XL 3 plate changer has been, once again, drastically reduced by more than 30 percent, and now requires exactly the same amount of time as the blanket washup that takes place simultaneously, so that no additional time is required for plate changing.

Zero defect production with intelligent waste paper management The demands especially on packaging printers are constantly increasing. Smaller quantities on demand, just-in-time deliveries, narrow tolerance windows and increasingly far-reaching audits combined with simultaneous price pressure, are the challenges the printing companies are facing. In this context, the topic of waste paper management is gaining in importance. Heidelberg has an entire solution package to offer here for the realization of individual customer requirements. It starts with the CodeStar, a presettable inkjet system at the feeder table that applies a unique sheet ID, and thus makes each sheet traceable. By digitally implementing presetting data in Intellistart 3, Prinect Inspection Control 3 not only helps eliminate the previously time-consuming manual setup procedures for sheet inspection, but it can also identify the sheet ID so that defects can be clearly

March-April 2020

assigned to the individual printed sheet. The new “Device Assistant” function can be used to determine the reaction for each defect type. It can thus be determined, for example, whether sheets should be disposed of via the inline waste paper ejection, whether a strip should be inserted, or whether the automatic non-stop device should be engaged to separate waste paper from good sheets.

New applications and features Heidelberg provides its customers with new applications that enable them to expand their portfolio, and address new customer segments. With FoilStar Cure, the adhesion of cold foil on in-mold label foils can be increased to a level that permits stable productions runs. Further modifications to the FoilStar offer the possibility of embossing hologram effects into the coating layer using the “cast & cure” method, and of curing the layer with LED. In the area of rotary die-cutting, the successful Speedmaster XL 106-DD will be complemented by the Speedmaster XL 106D with just one die-cutting unit. This provides a less costly alternative sufficient for many applications. The fully automated non-stop system of the Speedmaster XL 106 has also been redesigned, and, in addition to increased robustness for folding carton printing, now offers the option of rack operation for thin materials, for example in label printing. A number of technical features for security printing, such as ink fountain for rainbow

The new Speedmaster XL 75 has been fully redesigned and updated to the latest ergonomic standards. The maximum speed of the straight printing version was raised to 16,500 sheets/hour, with an optional increase to 18,000 sheets/hour. In combination with the new Prinect Press Center XL 3 and the range of new assistance systems, the Speedmaster XL 75 sets the standards in the 50 x 70 cm format.

Positive feedback from the field test A Speedmaster XL 106-8-P of the new generation has been undergoing field testing at Aumüller Druck since last fall. “The innovations of the Speedmaster XL 106 greatly support our daily quest for improvements. We were able to significantly reduce makeready times by up to 40 percent, for example. This was made possible by the faster printing plate change with AutoPlate XL 3 and the new preset functionality of the machine, which has also led to an increase in average production speed by up to eight percent,” summarizes Volker Dollinger, Head of Production. The average run length at Aumüller last year was 2,600 sheets. Each operator thus changed 240 plates per shift, and had about 1,000 steps to climb. With the new “Plate to Gallery” printing plate logistics, the printers are physically relieved and the elimination of long ways saves additional time. “With the new Speedmaster generation, Heidelberg has also taken a critical step towards “autonomous printing”. Our team is relieved of routine tasks and supported in its decisions. This increases the willingness of the operators to actually put the enormous

pressideas/ commercial printing

Aumüller Druck uses the new “Plate to Gallery” printing plate logistics. It physically relieves the printers and the elimination of long ways saves additional time.

productivity of the press into practice. A further increase of our OEE is ample proof of this. Our focus, however, is on the entire value chain. Push to Stop lets us benefit from further improvements to this end as well,” confirms Volker Dollinger. Only recently, a Speedmaster XL 1066+L of the new generation for packaging printing went into operation at Mediahaus in Ahaus. “This new investment provides many interesting application options for our creative team,” confirms Managing Director Jan Hendrik Walfort. “Many technical innovations, such as the Hycolor Pro dampening unit and the Speedmaster Operating System, simplify operation and significantly increase productivity.”

System in a field test since mid-2019. The Push to Stop concept and the Prinect Production Manager provide optimal support for the printer. “What impressed us most about the Speedmaster XL 75, in addition to the new control system, is the increased printing speed of 16,500 sheets per hour, which we consistently and stably use for most substrates. We were also able to reduce waste paper by about two thirds,” summarizes Marcus Friedrich his positive experience.

“Heidelberg’s innovativeness is still going strong. The unique competencies in the field of mechanical engineering, control technology, software, application and process engineering, simulation and analytics are now bundled in the new Innovation Center right at the heart of the Wiesloch site, providing ideal conditions for the continued success of the Speedmaster. Digitized offset printing is already more competitive today, especially for short runs, than many people believe and we still see a lot of potential,” asserts Rainer Wolf.

Quality, service, speed – these are the pillars of Offset Friedrich print shop, on which the family business has built its success and continues to grow, despite strong competition. “We strive to work profitably and need a high level of automation, which is something the Speedmaster XL 75 can deliver on a permanent basis,” confirms Managing Director Marcus Friedrich. He has been producing on a Speedmaster XL 75 five-color press with the new Prinect Press Center and the Heidelberg Operating

March-April 2020

pressideas/ commercial printing

Print can’t be immune from coronavirus: Sangam Khanna The Deputy Managing Director of Komori India shares his views about the scenario post the COVID-19. Print can’t be immune from this deadly killer COVID 19 virus. I see that way forward for all the citizens is to break the chain from spreading further then where ever point it is. The Total Print Business in India in all forms is INR Cr 46,507, while in Offset it is INR Cr 27,551. The estimated loss to the Print industry is expected to be Rs.3850 Cr. even if the lockdown continues for 30 days. The Offset Industry we expect may land up having a fig of approximately Rs. 2270 Cr to Rs 2800 Cr. (Calculation is based on a pro rata basis). This will account for not only loss of business but also the cost of man-days which have gone without work. Captive Installed base and unutilized capacity which is a part of a perishable asserts like manpower time, production capacity utilization etc., which can never ever be made up. If India is able to contain the COVID 19 with a stipulated time frame I am sure that the Graphic industry has a capacity to bounce back. As I speak to some of my friends from the industry, I have mixed reaction. From an extremely confident to fairly confident and very few are not confident on the total outcome. Well most have their own reasons based on their local commitments and other pre-defined payouts which are already defined and may hit their balance sheets just before the end of the financial year end.

Seeing an Opportunity I have always been an optimist, and do see that there is opportunity for all in the making provided we apply ourselves well enough. As Social Distancing will be the way we live from now on the Print industry too will also transform as I see COVID-19 as a game changer for all of us in the near future.

Survival of the fittest (Charles Darwin theory) As my mentor used to say “Business has always been done with exchange of money and material, only thing that will change is way of doing Business “. One who adapts to the change and embrace it will survive and the rest will parish. I do not think in the history of the Print Industry such an opportunity we have ever got to sit back look at our glory and mistakes made and analyze ever for a period of three weeks. I see it as a God sent opportunity in disguise to re-structure our mind set and our businesses. As we must plan to look within us and do a quick SWOT analysis we will see forward.

March-April 2020

Weakness 1.

Strength 1.

2. 3.

As we see the pressure on the Banks and to avoid any further NPAs will also be strong on the printers’ mind, after the stern action against the defaulters for non-payments.

7. 8.

4. 5. 6.

India has a great entrepreneurship’s full of energy to surge ahead of other countries. We have the youngest & dedicated manpower in the world Banks are willing to extend money for growth at reasonable rates. Land for the Industry is cheap in many state allotments Internet penetration is high GST has made business transaction

easier for businesses to do business interstate. Skilled affordable manpower. Raw material like paper, Inks & chemicals are comparable to world prices. Etc.

Entrepreneurs are scared to take risk in the present every changing national and international business Scenario with factors beyond their control. Rise of Forex USD, JPY Euro to INR is a big concern as most high productive equipment’s, raw materials are still imported in India and directly affect the final product and it lays a stress on the profitability. Min wage bills and local skilled manpower to get subsidy in some industrial area to is a concern as most industrial areas have to get skilled manpower from other towns making it difficult for them to avail Govt subsidy. Unable to add value to the finished product the printers land up having a cut through competition.

pressideas/ commercial printing

5. 6.

Leaving a few most of the printers’ lac trained manpower. Leaving a few bigger issues for the Printers today is Standardization and lac of certifications like the ISO, TQM & Six Sigma etc. Most MSMEs where Press owner is the CEO to manager and Supervisor. This lacks up the specialization and ability to delegate the right work to the right person. All they key decision are taken by the owner (irrespective if he understands the final outcome or not).

Internet Order taking, Business to be done avoiding contact keeping in mind Social Distancing. More and more Customers and Suppliers will choose to do business without physical contact. We have opportunity in every vertical of print as I see from Commercial, SemiCommercial, Publishing, Label, Digital, Packaging, Specialty packaging, food packaging etc. I see that there is great potential for Packaging companies to work with international packaging Colom orates and build contracted volumes. Domestic collaboration of Printers combining capacities to fight with bigger players. (Gujrat has this now cultivating at the grass root level)

Threats 1.

Opportunities 1.

Export from India are on the world buyers mind after they have put all their eggs in one basket (COVID 19 episode from China) they look for other alternatives like India, Vietnam, Sri lanka, Bangladesh etc.

The COVID 19 if a permanent solution is not fond in weeks the economic impact may multiply and the loss may be irreparable. If the permanent Solution takes several months the economic fallout will be really difficult for the industry to cover. 3. The Demand and Supply gap is likely to grow bigger as and can work both ways. A. either the demand gets more and there is not enough supply chain. Or B. The supply chain gets back to place but there is no money with the buyer to purchase. Banks get too conservative before they lend to the customers, however as the RBI and most banks will like to fund as many industries as possible it will be challenge for the Banks to fund the industry’s keeping in mind most of the balance sheets will be bleeding for cash crunch. Global uncertainty and frequent ups and downs in Forex, Gold, Oil & Stock Markets… directly affect the industrial

cost of production. Frequent hire and fire in the MSME job sector too will hit the quality, productivity and creativity. Ability for the entrepreneur’s to take mitigated risk may reduce affecting the slowdown in new investments in the Graphic arts. Other competing countries like Vietnam, Sri lanka, Bangladesh gear up faster than India to recover as much business as possible from the world market.

As I conclude that this is the time to plan, plan again Plan and restructure or re innovate our businesses. Plug up the gaps. Try and be a lean mean business. I am sure all of you know what is good for you I am no one to advice what one must do, but certainly keep your eyes open welcome the change and expect the best. Look for opportunities, in this moment of COVID19 Crisis and appreciate the change is there to stay with us from now on. Let’s look for solutions and share our success and failures so as we all can learn from each other. Today is a Good Day & Tomorrow being even Brighter...

OPA demands Print to be defined as ‘Essential Services’ in COVID-19 crisis In wake of the spread of COVID-19, the Indian government declared lockdown for 21 days, many state government imposed curfew to save the country from this epidemic. The government has decided a few essential services to continue for the society. Since printing is not put in this category, Offset Printers’ Association (OPA) has called on authorities at national and state level to recognise printing too as an essential services. Printing is an essential part of packaging meant for food which being an essential service may suffer in absence of raw material for the packaged foods etc. The OPA enumerated various basis for allowing the printing industry to work as an essential service: • Printers producing printed packaging, hygiene products, pharmaceutical printing and packaging for medicines

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constitute key value chain component, so does the communication element for the public health information system. Labels, posters and information-folders are very important communication tools, to give clear and barrier-free information to citizens and to explain important measures and to help to avoid direct contact at critical places and structures. Citizens rely on daily news to keep themselves informed about the virus. Elderly people, since they are in a highrisk category, largely rely on traditional print media for true facts, which are scarce in times of rampant flow of fake news vehicles. Fake news in times of COVID-19 can jeopardize lives. At a time of widespread uncertainty and concern, the printing of newspapers/ literature must continue. Printed books are a better mean to

inculcate reading habits in young people, as compared to digital media. At the time of containment, ensuring smooth supply of Printed books can be of great help to our young generation. Therefore, a continuous production of printed books should be maintained. For the supply of packaging for critical products, of reliable information through the printed press and of printed books OPA and its members underline that it is critical that government include the printing sector and related supplying sectors as essential industry during COVID-19 crisis.

March-April 2020

Heidelberg cuts 2000 jobs globally - closure of unprofitable businesses, sharp cuts in production costs and structural costs – production of “Primefire” and “very-large-format printing” to stop.

To improve overall profitability as soon as possible, production in both businesses (Primefire 106 and very large format product range) is to be discontinued by the end of 2020 at the latest.

Key Notes : > Non-recurring expenses of approximately €300 million impact FY 2019/20 earnings. > Return transfer of around €375 million in liquidity from trust fund secures financing of action package. > Net debt to be almost completely eliminated; highyield bond to be repurchased.

March-April 2020

The Management Board of Heidelberg has recently adopted a wide-ranging action package, as announced last year, for a short-term reduction in structural costs and long-term improvements in the Company’s profitability. Focus on the profitable core business and systematic streamlining of the cost base are geared to delivering a €100 million improvement in EBITDA, excluding the restructuring result. At the same time, a return transfer of liquidity reserves from the trust fund will almost completely eliminate net debt, thereby significantly improving Heidelberg’s financial stability.

Wassenberg, Heidelberg’s Chief Financial Officer. With the return transfer, the Board of Heidelberg Pension-Trust has resolved to support Heidelberg’s stabilization. “We are dealing responsibly with the funds placed in trust by Heidelberg, in the interests both of the pension beneficiaries and of the Company. The sounder the Company’s financial base, the better it is for its pension beneficiaries,” said Prof. Rupert Felder, Chief Executive Officer of Heidelberg Pension-Trust e.V.

Action package to increase profitability “Heidelberg’s realignment is a radical step for our Company that also involves some painful changes. As hard as it was for us to make this decision, it is necessary in order to put our Company back on track for success. Discontinuing unprofitable products enables us to focus on our strong, profitable core. This is where we will further extend Heidelberg’s leading market position by leveraging the opportunities of digitalization,” said Heidelberg’s Chief Executive Officer Rainer Hundsdörfer.

Financing secured, net debt to be almost completely eliminated Heidelberg is significantly improving its liquidity with a return transfer of part of the liquidity reserves in the amount of approximately €375 million from the trust fund managed by Heidelberg Pension-Trust e.V., which was established in 2005. The Company plans to improve its financing structure by reducing debt and systematically press ahead with its realignment. “This will make us crisis-proof in the short term and significantly improve profitability so that we can press ahead with our digital realignment,” said Marcus A.

Heidelberg will direct its future focus to the profitable core business with an average EBITDA margin of over 8 percent. It will discontinue individual products that earn far too little and significantly impact the Company’s profitability with an annual loss totaling some €50 million. In digital printing, for example, the market for the Primefire 106 product has grown much more slowly than anticipated because of the difficult industry and market environment. Similarly, in sheetfed offset printing, the very-large-format product range has been falling well short of sales targets because of a fundamental change in the market structure for this subsegment. To improve overall profitability as soon as possible, production in both businesses is to be discontinued by the end of 2020 at the latest. The aim is to focus Heidelberg consistently on profitable activities in order to secure strong operational performance and profitability under its own power, also when times are difficult. As has already been announced, Heidelberg’s realignment is accompanied by comprehensive streamlining of production costs and structural costs. In total, the planned measures will affect up to

pressideas/ commercial printing

2,000 jobs worldwide. This may also include plant closures. This reduction in force is an essential part of the long-projected action package for Heidelberg’s realignment, quite independently of what is currently a very difficult business situation due to the corona pandemic. Negotiations on the detailed implementation will be taken up in talks with the employee representatives set to begin in the near future. Especially in view of current circumstances, Heidelberg is conscious of its responsibility to the workforce and will work with the employee representatives to ensure that the reduction in force is made as socially responsibly as possible. Depending on the outcome of negotiations with the employee representatives as well as accounting charges in the financial year 2019/2020, the non-recurring expenses necessary to implement the action package are estimated to total about €300 million.

Current financial year impacted by action package and economic environment The non-recurring expenses for the action package and the increasingly deteriorating global economic environment due to the corona pandemic will negatively impact sales and earnings in the current financial year more severely than so far anticipated. It must therefore be assumed that full-year sales will now be well below the prior-year level of some €2.490 billion and that hence

the forecast EBITDA range – excluding the restructuring result and one-time proceeds from the sale of Hi-Tech Coatings – of between 5.5 and 6.0 % can longer be attained. Including the non-recurring charges due to the Company’s realignment, the current expectation is for the net result after taxes to be negative, reflecting the size of the restructuring expenses.

Priority following realignment is on increasing profitability The measures announced are to be systematically implemented in the months ahead so that Heidelberg can complete its realignment in the near future. This means a major part of the realignment will be initiated in the financial year 2020/2021, such that – depending on the outcome of negotiations with the employee representatives as well as the economic impact of the corona pandemic – there may once again be a negative net result after taxes in the transition year, too. It is anticipated that substantial positive effects from the realignment will materialize starting in the financial year 2021/2022. “With this comprehensive action package and major refinancing, we are doing everything in our power to position Heidelberg so that we are sufficiently resilient to remain profitable even in times of economic uncertainty. The top priority following Heidelberg’s realignment will be

profitability,” said Marcus A. Wassenberg.

Focus on technology leadership in core business with emphasis on digitalization to advance A consistent focus on the Company’s profitable businesses where Heidelberg ranks among the world market leaders is at the heart of the realignment. These businesses serve a global market that experts estimate will grow slightly in the years ahead and provide a sound basis for Heidelberg’s products and solutions with a stable long-term print production volume exceeding €400 billion a year. With its integrated solutions portfolio and new digital business models such as subscription, Heidelberg will continue to expand its leading technological role with the aim of even better driving its customers’ success going forward and consequently returning to sustainable growth. Future investment spending will focus on full end-to-end digitalization of customer value creation, which primarily means integrated system solutions for machines, software, consumer goods and performance services. The vision is to create a cross-industry IoT-based platform to automate all customer-supplier relationships. This solution will enable print shops to secure a significant gain in productivity.

FTA Forum goes virtual FTA announces Virtual FORUM 2020. The FTA has announced Virtual FORUM 2020, an online replacement for this year’s inperson conference, where content previously planned for the event will be broadcast live in a webinar format utilizing FTA’s Zoom Meeting platform. FTA members receive complimentary registration for the three-day event; non-member registration is $200.

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Each day of Virtual Forum 2020 will feature a pair of technical sessions spread between the morning and afternoon. • The sessions are as follows: • An abbreviated version of the FTA Awards Banquet Presentation. • Contrast in Print Technologies: Preprint vs. Postprint: Comparing preprint and postprint tech, and how corrugated

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printers and their customers can choose the right process for each job. Press Optimization: Straight from the Mouths of Printers: Establishing consistent print quality, workflow stability and efficiency of operations, through press optimization. Color Consistency: Achieving the Target: How using hardware to capture data and software to visualize it allows production crews to print to the numbers and ensure color consistency. Inside the Minds of Brand Owners: Why We Care: Brand owners discuss the ways in which color is important and how its importance affects their package-branding decisions. Innovation & Technology Born from Frustration: How color is affected

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by ink, anilox and plate selection— and improved by cutting-edge technologies—along with finding the best combination of consumables. FQC: Exploring Technology & Defining Value in Packaging: Technology advancement born from in-depth research conducted by industry members and students of flexography.

The three remaining sessions from FORUM 2020 will take place later this year at Fall Conference 2020: • Evaluation, Optimization, Control: The Complete Plate Making Package. • Print Quality Scoring: Friend or Foe? • The Defectives II: A “Virtual” Guide to Troubleshooting.

March-April 2020

Organic Foods getting Coronavirus boost The coronavirus pandemic is leading to a surge in demand for organic and sustainable foods. Retailers across the globe are experiencing hefty sales increases for organic products. Online retailers are reporting the highest sales growth. Whole Foods Market, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest natural food retailer, has started limiting the number of its online grocery customers because of unprecedented demand. In the UK, Abel & Cole reported a 25% increase in sales orders, whilst Riverford is reporting a demand surge. Nourish Organic, an Indian online retailer, experienced a 30% sales rise last month. Physical retailers are also benefiting from emergency measures introduced by various governments. Organic and health food shops have remained open in many countries; they are attracting new shoppers, whilst existing customers are spending more. In France, some organic food shops are reporting sales increases of over 40%. COVID-19 is raising consumer awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health. Consumers are buying more organic and healthy foods as they look to boost their personal immunity.

COVID-19 is raising consumer awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health. Consumers are buying more organic and healthy foods as they look to boost their personal immunity.

Key Notes : > Online retailers are reporting the highest sales growth. > Indian online retailer Nourish Organic experiences 30% sales rise in a month. > Demand for organic & sustainable foods expected to remain strong after consumer fears subside.

March-April 2020

The surge in demand is however bringing supply issues. The organic food industry is now global with international supply networks that are coming under pressure. Many of the raw materials used by European and North American organic food companies are produced in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Lockdowns are disrupting supply chains. For instance, India is a major source of organic tea, herbs, spices & related ingredients. Emergency measures introduced in March have halted food processing and exports. Demand for organic & sustainable foods is expected to remain strong after consumer fears subside. Previous food and health scares caused an initial sales spike followed by sustained demand for organic products. For instance, the BSE crisis in 2000 escalated demand for organic meat products in Europe; sales remained buoyant in subsequent years. Similarly, SARS led to a spike in demand for organic foods in China (and Asia) in 2004. The melamine scandal in 2008 bolstered demand for organic baby food in China. Within a few years, the Chinese market for organic infant formula became the largest in the world. Organic foods were first introduced on a large-scale

in the early 1990s. It took over 15 years for global organic product sales to reach USD 50 billion in 2008. Ten years (2018) later, they surpassed the USD 100 billion mark. With COVID-19 changing the way we shop and eat, the next leap to USD 150 billion could be within the next 5 years. An update on the global organic & sustainable food market will be given at upcoming editions of the Sustainable Foods Summit: â&#x20AC;˘ Asia-Pacific edition: 7-8 September, Singapore â&#x20AC;˘ European edition: 16-18 September, Amsterdam Since 2009, the Sustainable Foods Summit has been covering major developments in sustainability and eco-labels in the food industry. The executive summit now takes place in the major geographic regions of the world: North & Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. Ecovia Intelligence (formerly known as Organic Monitor) is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on global ethical product industries. Since 2001, it has been encouraging sustainable development via its services portfolio: market research publications, business & sustainability consulting, technical research, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits.

pressideas/ commercial printing

‘Gutenberg Festival’ at OPA OPA remembers the ‘Father of Modern Printing’ with member families. Every year Gutenberg Festival is celebrated by Offset Printers’ Association (OPA) to remember the father of Modern Printing. The event is celebrated on day of HOLI festival for the networking of the families of the members. Gutenberg Festival at Ludhiana features networking between member families and remembrance of India’s great cultural values and heritage. This year OPA Carnival celebrated 21st Gutenberg Festival on 10 March 2020 at F2, Raceway, South City, Ludhiana. Welcoming the participating member families, Mr. Parveen Aggarwal, President OPA said, “The main purpose of these celebrations is to guide the members for living stress free life. Relaxation has been shown to reduce the incidence and severity of stress-related diseases and disorders in many patients.” More than 34 member families participated. “The family gathering in the name of ‘Father of Modern Printing’ is the great step of OPA,” said Mr. Hans Raj Chopra, Finance Secretary. The event was marked by many fun activities like games, puzzles, talent contests and Lucky draw etc. Children of printers were felicitated for winning at the fun events that took place on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kushl Kumar Jain, Vice President said, “Our children are assets, it

becomes a proud moment not only for the family of the child but for the entire OPA family to see our children shining.” Mr. Parveen Aggarwal felicitated two young talents – a daughter of a printer from Ludhiana for producing ‘Cosmetic Bakery’ products and a young singer, son of a

Muktsar based printer, whose first music album just got released. Member families enjoyed the fun games and funny contests, like balloon bursting, cat walk, singing, laughing, and many more. They were also presented gift hampers by the association.

March-April 2020

Heidelberg Subscription model gets successfully established New contract options from Heidelberg boost overall efficiency of print shops. The subscription model of Heidelberg – under which customers no longer pay for the equipment they use, but simply for the number of sheets produced – has now become successfully established in the graphic arts industry. The company is therefore further expanding its data-based contract business and adding to its existing Heidelberg Subscription portfolio, placing greater emphasis on its partnershipbased approach. All the new options support the Smart Print Shop concept developed by Heidelberg. The now available Print Site Contracts provide a variable combination of consumables, services, software, performance consulting, training, and equipment solutions in a single package with the aim of further improving print shops’ machine availability and overall performance.

The now available Print Site Contracts provide a variable combination of consumables, services, software, performance consulting, training, and equipment solutions in a single package with the aim of further improving print shops’ machine availability and overall performance.

Print Site Contracts – four contract packages aimed at making customers more profitable Print Site Contracts are available in the form of lifecycle agreements or subscription. Customers have a choice of four packages with different scopes of services and methods of payment. They range from a “Lifecycle Smart” contract that includes services and consumables to a “Subscription Plus” package that covers consulting, training, service, consumables,

Prinect software, and equipment solutions. All four packages aim to maximize customers’ overall equipment efficiency (OEE), which represents the actual added value when compared to purchasing individual components. Along with reducing makeready and throughput times, the overall focus is on increasing net output while also generating less waste. In addition to state-of-the-art equipment solutions and on-site process consulting, customers also benefit from the many years of experience and expertise on which Heidelberg application specialists base recommendations, such as the appropriate consumables for a particular situation. The monthly fees for the standard “Lifecycle Smart” and “Lifecycle Plus” packages are determined by the services used. In the case of the “Subscription

Key Notes : > Data-based lifecycle solutions support Smart Print Shop concept. > Taking partnership to a new level with Print Site Contracts. > A new, scalable contract portfolio is placing greater emphasis on Heidelberg’s partnership-based approach.

March-April 2020

A new, scalable contract portfolio is placing greater emphasis on the partnership-based approach adopted by Heidelberg and focusing on improving the performance of its customers.

pressideas/ commercial printing

Smart” and “Subscription Plus” options, on the other hand, they depend on the actual output. The packages can be combined with the purchase of a new press or based on the customer’s existing equipment. Customers opting for one of these contracts can rest assured that only coordinated consumables and services of the usual high Heidelberg quality are used. They also avoid the considerable expense of obtaining each of the offerings included in the contract individually. The Heidelberg Assistant digital portal plays a key role, too, providing contract customers with a digital link to a whole host of additional services such as a vendor-managed inventory, important realtime information relating to their company’s performance, and easy access to the Heidelberg eShop . “Heidelberg is helping to improve the print shop production process with our new range of partnership-based Print Site Contracts, leaving customers to focus more on their market, and on developing service and product innovations,” says Garo Derderian, head of Lifecycle Business at Heidelberg.

With its expanded contract portfolio, Heidelberg is making an altogether more active contribution to improving print shop performance. “Perfect interaction of the various components is the only way of optimizing the production process. The extensive wealth of data obtained via the link to machines in the service environment, which Heidelberg makes a point of utilizing for the new contracts, plays a key role in this regard,” explains Derderian.

Global market launch of Heidelberg Subscription on schedule The worldwide market rollout of Heidelberg Subscription is progressing according to plan. The company has now won over numerous packaging, label, and commercial printing customers on every continent. With this model, Heidelberg is following the growing equipment-as-a-service trend in mechanical engineering and moving further away from simply selling presses. Customers only pay for the number of sheets actually printed, which reflects the level of industrial productivity. Under the top configuration level of the model, Heidelberg offers a complete

smart system comprising equipment, software, all the necessary consumables – such as printing plates, inks, coatings, washup solutions, and blankets – as well as a comprehensive service and consulting portfolio geared to availability. If customers so wish, the company will also take care of all aspects of automated logistics operations for consumables as part of a subscription package (vendor-managed inventory). “The ongoing development of data-based capabilities is creating a performance profile that is unique in the industry. The contracts’ focus on optimizing Heidelberg products during the operating phase has now become a vital focal point of the company’s strategy and ensures the innovative edge of its high-end equipment solutions is put to good use,” underlines Dr. David Schmedding, who is in charge of the new business models at Heidelberg. In the medium term, Heidelberg is planning to generate around 30 percent of its total sales from contract business.

Work remotely with Sistrade Software The strategy for future work can be developed already now, by making sure that the office work can be done remotely. These are unsettling times for the printing and packaging industry companies in Europe and on a global scale. Covid-19 situation has affected the entire industry and while the majority of digital and commercial print companies are under enormous strain of the unknown, awaiting for this health crisis to pass to be able to resume their work, flexo and packaging companies experience the increase in new orders that require a rapid response for the demanding consumer market. To keep up with the demand without compromising the safety, the companies took precautionary measures to safeguard the health of employees through the protective garments and masks also by keeping the required distances and sanitizing workstations. Flexo and packaging companies are also faced with the raw material shortage as the market now sets first-come-first-serve basis, especially

solvents are they are used for disinfectants and huge restrictions and costs in terms of logistics. Whatever these unprecedented events might leave the industry at, it is critical that we all take the measures and prepare the companies for what lies ahead. With the help of Sistrade MIS|ERP system, the strategy for future work can be developed already now, by making sure that the office work can be done remotely, that the clients can reach the companies online, by increasing the monitoring of the shop floor and warehouse, and reducing the physical contact on the shop floor by the means of equipment and digital job orders. Embracing digital disruption both in terms of technologies and in terms of change in the business models can be the answer to the industry, taking smart measures for a smarter and safer factories.

SISTRADE is an international information systems engineering and consulting company, with offices and branches in various countries. During 19 years of its activity, SISTRADE has always bet on software for vertical markets, and currently has customers in more than 24 countries on 4 continents. SISTRADE is a company certified in ISO 9001 and NP 4457 standards (Quality and innovation).

March-April 2020

pressideas/ commercial printing

Sistrade launches new version of its MIS|ERP software The new Sistrade V.12.6 MIS|ERP software now provides over 200 new features and improvements. Sistrade has launched a new version V.12.6 of the Sistrade MIS|ERP software which now provides more than 200 new features and improvements that help simplifying, accelerating and improving business processes.

there was a need to speed up the colour selection. In the colour section, by clicking on the colour name/pantone/varnish, the article and other additional information can be changed through a pop-up window.

Sales Management The new features and improvements available in the Sistrade software enables reduction in operating costs, efficient use of time, easy access to information and optimization of the resources. Companies can collect critical information related to their business that will allow managers to make more agile and efficient decisions within the company or from anywhere in the world.

The CRM Module In the CRM module, the possibility of connecting the Calendar to Outlook Office 365 with bidirectional synchronization has been added, in addition to the existing Microsoft Exchange and Gmail. The users can now easily prepare, send and receive Customer Satisfaction Surveydata (evaluation of the service provided by the organization).

Estimating The label component now includes a number of new features such as: • Automatic Record of Finished Product, Cutting and Engraving. After the approval of job order it automatically archives the finished product as well as the job order cuttings and engravings in the corresponding type of file. • Validation of FSC certification when choosing the raw material FSC certificate to be used in a given job. • Indicate the production method of the recto and verso labels in the cylinder feed length or width. This way, in the component details, the user can indicate whether the label is made in the width or along the roll in the estimates/ job orders. The flexible packaging and substrate extrusion components now includes FSC Control feature, now the user can define type of FSC/PEFC certificate for these components. In the offset and packaging components,

March-April 2020

In the Invoicing module, it is now possible to prepare Sample/Offer invoices. Customers now use this document to bill orders of this type. In the Orders module, the new Trading feature allows reflecting the scenario of Purchase and Sale of (other) products and services, which may not even pass through the company, going directly from the supplier to the customer, it only requires a delivery note to invoice the sale to the customer.

Stocks & Purchases Management The Stocks module now has the feature for the graphic monitoring of the automatic warehouse. It is therefore possible to generate QR CODE barcodes and include them in the labels generated in Reporting

Service or by Print Buffer.

Production Management When registering the quantity, the Production Data Collection now allows the validation of the employees work start on a machine according to their skills. A presence of at least one employee is now mandatory in the manual registration of new quantities.

Scheduling This module enables companies to keep History and compare the scheduling forecast with the actual data from production collection, providing the insight of deviations. In scheduling, there is now the possibility of defining criteria by Resource, allowing the customers a more detailed analysis.

KMPA seeks government intervention to help Printing Industry The Kerala Master Printers Association seeks special financial package to tide over the crisis. wages, the sector is struggling to meet electricity charge and building rent expenses,” said KMPA president R Gopakumar. The lockdown due to Coronavirus crisis has resulted in little to no activity during the period in the industry and the Printing Industry has been no different. Kerala’s printing industry association KMPA has urged the government to release a special financial package to help the suffering industry. The state’s printing and packaging industry has sought the government’s intervention to tide over the crisis. KMPA has demanded that the government announce the package as interim relief for about 5000 printing presses that come under MSMEs. “Many of these units are on the verge of complete shutdown. Besides labourer

The association has presented a nine-point financial package which seeks various exemptions like relief from minimum electricity charge from the month of April to June and provision of bill payment in installments. Other points include the need for low-interest, collateral-free working capital loan to recover from the crisis; EPF relief; and the need for the lockdown days be deemed as medical leave – and the workers’ salaries are given by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation. They have also sought prompt GST refund and permission to the state’s printing presses to carry out printing works of government and public sector undertakings.

pressideas/ commercial printing

3rd drupa Global Trends Spotlight Report Printers adapting to challenging market conditions by successfully launching new products and services. This year’s drupa Spotlight report, Strategic choices in a competitive and converging marketplace, publishes this month. In a survey (conducted before the coronavirus outbreak) over 500 printers and almost 200 suppliers described the challenges and successes of launching new products and services. For many in the industry, planning their recovery from the coronavirus recession may well necessitate such launches, so lessons must be drawn on how best to do so. In most market sectors and most regions there are very challenging conditions. As for suppliers, they are only as healthy as their customers and they too must respond to the declining prospects for traditional products and services. For many the answer must be, at least in part, to launch new products and services. “Commodity printing is overtraded, move away from commodity printing or close your doors,” says a Commercial Printer from South Africa. Roughly 60% of printers launched major new products or services in the last four years into their existing markets. About half the launches were successful and very few went badly wrong. Diversifying the range of products/services and gaining new customers were chosen as the top benefits. As for the drawbacks, most reported that the launches sucked in far too much staff time and other resources and often ran well behind schedule.

resources, while building the correct channels to market was a common challenge. Before the coronavirus outbreak, 76% of printers and 85% of suppliers were either definitely or possibly launching new products or services in the next four years. Clearly that will mean investment, with digital print technology followed by finishing being the most popular targets for printers. The report draws four key lessons on how best to succeed when launching new products or services: • Launching new services and products needs proper well-prepared processes • Careful selection and development is essential – no knee-jerk reactions • Plan conservatively – expect delays and complications • Manage your expectations – be realistic These two quotes from panel participants underline them: “The most important lesson has been to define plans with the ability to adapt to rapid changes in market and customers’ demands.

The challenge is to grow by introducing new product or services areas while maintaining the existing ones,” says a Packaging Printer, from Puerto Rico. “The switch from print to print + digital is essential for the survival of the graphic industries. Customers are no longer waiting. If you cannot provide the service they request, they will leave you, because a competitor, who has been able to adapt and develop new services, will take the market,” says another Commercial Market Supplier from France. The full report in English will be released by the end of May and available for sale on www.drupa.com. The Executive Summary will be available for free in German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Chinese.

About 30% of printers had launched into new market sectors. This is clearly a more difficult challenge and the results reflected that, with c.40% of the launches going well (compared with 54% for existing markets). Turning to suppliers, approximately 80% launched new products/services over the last four years. The results were clearly better the larger the company with a success rate of 40% for the smallest suppliers up to 80% for the largest. The top benefits were diversification and gaining new customers. The biggest problems by far were launches running late and sucking in too many

March-April 2020

Newsroom Leaders 2020 postponed Due to coronavirus pandemic, WAN-IFRA is postponing the date of its Newsroom Leaders 2020 – a unique programme for editors and journalists (Powered by World Editors Forum). Keeping in view the safety and health of participants and course leaders, which the organisers consider paramount, the programme will now be held on 27-30 May and 1-4 June 2020. Newsroom Leaders is an executive education programme for editors & journalists. An initiative from the World Editors Forum and WAN-IFRA, it is a module based learning workshop programme aimed at improving the knowledge of editors and journalists. The programme will develop future-ready newsroom leaders and help news publishers create a pool of talent for the future. Newsroom leaders will have the following modules :

Dynamic Journalism, 27 May 2020, Delhi This one day workshop for newsroom leaders will review the latest trends in media and discuss how to develop multimedia content and manage multimedia teams. It

will also throw light on the latest tools and technologies which help to get quality work done quickly.

Maximising the impact of your investigative journalism, 28 May 2020, Delhi This one-day masterclass will discuss how to choose the subject to create maximum impact for your investigative journalism. It will also look at how to present investigative stories for print, digital and mobile audiences. ‘How to build teams and audiences to drive and measure the impact of your investigations’ would be another aspect covered by the session.

Audience development programme, 29-30 May 2020, Delhi

analysed and used for improved storytelling. This course will help you unlock the powerful world of data journalism to tell deep, insightful stories in novel ways.

Newsroom leadership and change management, 3-4 June 2020, Chennai This two-day workshop will introduce participants to key principles of change management, customized to the unique situation of journalism organizations and the most pressing needs of 21st-century news leaders. This workshop will ask participants to draw heavily on their own experience and their organizations’ challenges during the workshop.

This audience development programme will help editors to grow and understand the audiences engaging with their organisation and ensure that audience intelligence is at the heart of their editorial, product and commercial strategy.

Those who complete all the module and pass a test (short essay and multiple choice quiz) will be awarded a ‘Newsroom Leaders’ merit certificate.

Advanced data mapping for journalists, 1-2 June 2020, Chennai

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This workshop will provide strategic insights, case studies and skills and tools to allow editors to ensure that data is being effectively

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Module Leaders Kevin Anderson, Former executive editor and news director at Gannett Wisconsin Media,UK Rakesh Dubuddu, Founder-Factly, India Eric Ulken, Product Director at Newsroom Tools, USA Today

India’s Best Printed Newspapers 2018-2020 The International Color Quality Club (ICQC) contest is conducted by World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), once in every two years since 1994. This print-quality competition for newspaper and magazines recognises the best-printed publications in the world. It also offers the opportunity for newspapers to demonstrate their capability to print colour at a consistent level as per the conditions laid down by ISO. The Color Quality Club is more than a technical printing competition because it offers participating companies the additional possibility to benchmark their printing quality against recognised international standards and improve it. The competition also gives publishers the confidence to innovate and offer different kinds of printed products with very high print quality standards to readers and advertising customers.

March-April 2020

A total of 67 publications, newspapers and magazines, produced by 54 publishing and printing companies in 20 countries achieved membership in the International Color Quality Club for this two-year period (2018-2020). Altogether, 121 publications from around the world participated in the latest competition.

15 winning titles from India The ICQC membership, once filled by leading newspaper titles of the West, began seeing winners from India early in this century. The 23rd edition of the competition in 2018-2020 saw Indian newspaper titles emerge as the largest group in the club with a total of 15 winning titles, from 12 publishing and printing companies. Quite simply, they are “India’s best printed newspapers,” and profiled in an exclusive book published by WAN-IFRA South Asia.

The printed edition of this publication ‘India’s Best Printed Newspapers 2018-2020’ is priced at Rs.500 per copy.

pressideas/ newspaper

INS seeks stimulus package from Govt. pay salaries and meet other expenses.

With the economic crisis continuing to worsen, Indian Newspaper Society (INS) estimates the industry’s loss to the tune of INR 12000-15000 crores in the coming six months or so. The conditions deteriorate each passing day due to minimal economic activity in the country and lockdown conditions triggered by the coronavirus crisis. Consequently, INS has urged the government to release a strong stimulus package along with other relief measures to help the ailing newspaper industry. The newspaper industry has already suffered losses to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore – Rs 4,500 crore in the last two months, INS revealed in a presentation to the government. With no advertising from the private sector or economic activity, in the next six-seven months, the industry stares at a possible loss of Rs 12,000 crore - Rs 15,000 crore. An estimated over 30 lakh people’s lives are directly or indirectly dependent upon the newspaper industry which is struggling to

“In our various communications we have requested for withdrawal of five per cent customs duty on newsprint. Newsprint cost accounts for 40 to 60 per cent of the total cost for publishers. The removal of the five per cent customs duty on newsprint will have no impact on domestic manufacturers or any ‘Make in India’ efforts,” INS said in a letter to the government. A two-year tax holiday for the newspaper firms, 50% increase in advertising rate Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) and a 100 per cent increase in budget spend for print media are the other demands put forth by INS. It has also sought prompt settlement of all outstanding advertising bills by many parties including state governments and BOC. INS President Shailesh Gupta shot off a letter to Information and Broadcasting Secretary Ravi Mittal saying the newspaper industry is facing an “unprecedented crisis” with no advertising revenue, huge input costs and import duty newsprint contributing to recession. As the coronavirus lockdown was imposed on March 25, Gupta said newspapers have cut down their pages to unprecedented levels with many merging

weekend supplements to the main editions. “Despite these measures, newspapers are losing money every single day,” he wrote. Detailing the crisis in the industry, he said while consumers pay in full and cover the costs for essential goods like food, milk and groceries, they cover only a fraction of the cost of newspapers. The gap is normally made up through advertisements which have drastically gone down, as industries and manufacturers have stopped advertising due to shutting of activities. Many small and medium Newspapers have already suspended publishing and other newspapers are facing serious challenges and if they collapse, it is bound to affect the domestic Newsprint manufacturing industry too. “Such a situation will have a ripple effect thus affecting large number of employees, their families as well as allied industries, printing presses, distribution mechanism, newspaper vendors and delivery boys,” Gupta said. INS represents over 800 newspapers in the country.

WAN-IFRA launches dedicated resource site (coronanewsroom.org) WAN-IFRA has published a dedicated resource site at www.coronanewsroom.org to share its members’ experiences, bestpractice, crucial resources, and the things we are doing to help. The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic is reverberating within news organisations, impacting every aspect of publishing: newsroom organisation, distribution, production, planning, coordination and ensuring staff’s safety and well-being.

Starting March 18, WAN-IFRA launched a series of webinars to address some of the main challenges facing news media in the context of the global Coronavirus outbreak. Drawing on the practical experiences of media from around the world, three upcoming webinars will examine the main areas in which decision-making, leadership and practical action are vital in assuring the safety of the journalists and the newsrooms, and the business continuity of the news organisations.

With each passing day of the Covid-19 crisis, journalism is showing, unequivocally, why it matters. WAN-IFRA is mobilising its staff, members and different communities to exchange their experiences, ideas and support for each other. This resource centre will serve as a destination for you and your teams. It is a developing, evolving platform and we want you to be a part of it.

Newspaper Production and COVID 19 Paper March 25 Ensuring the safety of field reporters March 26 • Expert advice and practical tips to ensure maximum planning, preparation and responsiveness in relation to journalists reporting on health emergencies generally, and the current outbreak specifically.

Reporting: Ethics and Standards April 2 • Strengthening ethical reporting as a means of providing essential, accurate public information and examining the media’s role in debunking growing misinformation about the status of the outbreak. WAN-IFRA is the World Association of News Publishers. Its mission is to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media. WANIFRA provides its members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society. With formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, it derives its authority from its global network of leading news publishing companies and technology entrepreneurs, and its legitimacy from its 60 national association members representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries.

March-April 2020

digital printing

HP brings world’s most productive Digital Press portfolio New 5th- and 6th- gen HP Indigo digital solutions provide fast growth opportunities.

HP Inc. announced two new bold and transformational HP Indigo generations designed for print service providers and converters to digitally print significantly higher volumes profitably. Both digital press platforms will unlock new opportunities for the analogue-to-digital transformation. •

More than 100 parts in the drupa portfolio were produced with HP 3D printing with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology.

Key Notes : > Series 5 & 6 platforms deliver large digital print volumes with their high speed and productivity. > HP Indigo 100K B2format commercial press – nonstop printing and 6000 sph. > LEPX runs as fast as analogue; Indigo V12 with 12 colours.

March-April 2020

The new B2-format HP Indigo 100K Digital Press for commercial print, the first press in the new Series 5 platform, is engineered for higher productivity to deliver more than one million B2 duplex sheets per month. Printing at 6000 sheets per hour, the press is designed for offset players to adopt highly productive, on-demand printing with less waste. Commercial availability of this press will be at drupa. • For label production, the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press, designed with next-generation HP Indigo LEPX architecture, is a narrow-web press that exploits the core power of Indigo’s Liquid Electrophotography (LEP) technology. First in the Series 6 platform, the HP Indigo V12 offers up to 12 colours on press, a speed of up to 120 meters per minute (400 f/pm), and multiplies productivity performance to match analog speed. A new, automated colour-matching technology, Spot Master, provides the industry’s fastest time-to-colour. The drupa portfolio also delivers continued innovation in eight additional new presses: the B2 HP Indigo 15K, SRA3+ HP Indigo 7K and HP Indigo 7eco for commercial printing, the HP Indigo 6K, HP Indigo 8K, HP Indigo 25K for labels and packaging, and the HP Indigo 35K and B1 HP Indigo 90K for folding carton and specialty applications. Value packs with upgrade

options will allow existing customers to benefit from these new features and capabilities. “The need for high-quality, versatile and productive digital printing is crucial today, given the rising demand for same-day delivery, sustainability and customized print experiences. With the new portfolio, we’ve set the stage for our customers to grow and build the print factories of the future. In today’s fast-paced environment, where jobs can suddenly land on your doorstep, customers need the agility to react quickly so they can profitably cash in on those opportunities,” said Santi Morera, general manager and global head of graphics solutions, HP Inc. “Over the last four years, HP customers have almost doubled business, generating $15 billion in revenue in the last year alone from over 100 million print orders. We believe the dramatic innovations in our drupa portfolio will usher in a new era that will drive continued growth for customers over the next decade and beyond,” said Alon Bar-Shany, general manager, HP Indigo.

New HP Indigo 100K commercial press creates more profit opportunities The world’s most productive digital B2 solution, the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press is designed for high

pressideas/ digital

productivity required by offset players to transition more work to digital and boost sustainability with on-demand printing. Engineered for nonstop printing, the new HP Indigo 100K is Indigo’s first Series 5 press and delivers significantly higher productivity with Indigo’s renowned digital offset look and feel. Delivering 6000 sheets per hour5, the HP Indigo 100K four-colour press boosts margins on short-run digital production and introduces new calculations that confirm a lower total cost of ownership. The HP Indigo 100K uses advanced paper handling and offset-like gripper-to-gripper design for precision registration, and also enjoys boosted digital capabilities including a five-input source feeder, colour automation, calibration and fast switchover between jobs and media.

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Customer beta testing, launched before 2019 peak season, is now concluding at commercial PSPs globally, including offset players. The HP Indigo 100K is scheduled for commercial release at drupa.

HP 3D printing production opens a new era of digital manufacturing

Since its drupa 2012 debut, the HP Indigo B2 format digital sheetfed is the market leader with more than 1000 units sold.

New LEPX architecture unleashes the power of HP Indigo LEPX releases the core physics of LEP technology, producing Indigo’s renowned, high-quality digital printing. In LEPX architecture, six imaging engines operate inline simultaneously, instead of LEP’s single engine, multiplying speed to match analog with the added benefits of digital printing. As a result, LEPX offers the speed and efficiency for PSPs to profitably produce large print volumes than previously possible.

Highlights of the LEPX: •

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Operators can run jobs at a single predictable speed, regardless of the type of graphics, ink coverage or specialty colours. Up to 12-colours on press. Change

inks on the fly and create any colour combination. Crisp 1600 dpi native print resolution. The HP Indigo V12 narrow-web press prints at 120 linear meters/min (400 fpm) for any job with up to 6 colours, comparable to analog speed. The press also supports the digital label industry’s largest range of substrates, from 12 microns unsupported film to 450-micron (18 pt) board, using the integrated inline primer.

More than 100 parts in the new HP Indigo drupa portfolio of presses were produced using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology, including on the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press, HP Indigo V12 Digital Press, and HP Indigo 15K Digital Press. HP 3D printing technology enables HP to accelerate learning and design cycles, delivering parts in days versus weeks, reducing carbon footprint by decreasing energy and material consumption, with some parts up to 90% lighter.

One platform for automation and excellence Beyond the press, HP PrintOSX unites cloud-platform applications with an AI-driven service and support infrastructure to enable customers to get the most out of their press investment. Based on PrintOSX advanced technology, tools and know-how, customers can start building the “print factory of the future” and reach operational excellence, automate production, and innovate with highvalue applications. Launched at drupa 2016, more than 12,000 HP customers are now connected on HP PrintOS, using a range of applications that leverage big data on the cloud in real time for all types of production challenges. Applications helping drive success for PSPs include:

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Marketplace, now featuring a new UI, is loaded with new applications and partner solutions, including information on the latest market trends and business opportunities, as well as hundreds of free open artwork files that customers can customize for their needs. Mosaic now made easier. In collaboration with Microsoft Xiaoice, unlimited unique “mosaic-ready’ seed patterns created by AI technology are available in Marketplace. Enabling designers to create unique hypercustomization projects faster and more cost effectively, the first 4000 mosaic patterns are available free of charge until the end of 2020. HP Site Flow is an end-to-end production automation solution from ordering to shipping. Site Flow offers now three user levels – Lite, Pro and Enterprise – supporting PSPs producing as few as 50 jobs per day to over 10,000. In 2019, more than 20 million print orders were processed by Site Flow, a 34% increase year-over-year. Color Beat now enables automated G7 colour certification via HP Indigo press connectivity. Predictive Press Care algorithms proactively address potential press issues before they impact production.

Availability The B2 HP Indigo 100K and HP Indigo 15K, SRA3+ HP Indigo 7K and HP Indigo 7eco for commercial, as well as the HP Indigo 6K, HP Indigo 8K, HP Indigo 25K, HP Indigo 35K, and HP Indigo 90K for labels and packaging are all scheduled to be available in June or later in 2020. The HP Indigo V12 Digital Press will be demonstrated at drupa. The press is scheduled for commercial availability in 2022.

March-April 2020

digital printing

Konica Minolta dominates India’s Production Printing With more than 50% share in the segment, the company is making solid gains in high-growth markets such as Labels &Packaging. Through its state-of-the-art offerings, Konica Minolta is able to cater to the specific and ever-evolving needs of the graphics arts industry. “As a leader in the industry we provide various workflow applications to improve the customer productivity and profitability,” says Kuldeep Malhotra, Vice President, Sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India. “As a domain leader in the Indian Digital Production Printing space, Konica Minolta has a large portfolio of Production Printing and Industrial Printing Products. This includes the popular AccurioPress series – such as AccurioPress C6100/6085, AccurioPress 6120/6136, and AccurioPress C3070/C3070p/3080 – as well as cutting-edge products such as the MGI JETvarnish and the AccurioLabel 230,” he adds.

“Konica Minolta is in the pole position to cater to the evolving print requirements of a post-coronavirus world.” – Kuldeep Malhotra.

Key Notes : > India, as a market, is rapidly digitising. Businesses across sectors will continue to adopt cuttingedge technology to optimise their processes and functions. > Konica Minolta’s focus on delivering differentiation through state-of-the-art technology. > A dedicated customercentric approach has helped it to strengthen its position in India and become a preferred vendor.

March-April 2020

“India represents a unique business opportunity to a leading global organisation such as Konica Minolta. The country’s print and printing market is rapidly shifting towards digital and we are witnessing an increase in the sophistication and quality of prints demanded by the end-consumer. Digital machines that come equipped with advanced capabilities such as hyper-personalisation through variable data printing and creating innovative tactile effects are, therefore, registering a growth in their demand. With its range of cutting-edge digital printing solutions, Konica Minolta has established itself amongst the frontrunners catering to this evolving market paradigm,” continues Kuldeep, divulging the company’s plans for the Indian market. Konica Minolta’s focus on delivering differentiation through state-of-the-art technology and a dedicated customer-centric approach has helped it to strengthen its position in India and become a preferred vendor. At present, Konica Minolta has managed more than 50% share of India’s Production Printing segment and have been making solid gains in high-growth markets such as Labels &Packaging. “In terms of the future, we are targeting increasing our footprint in the Industrial Printing segment and further consolidating our leadership position in the Production Printing space. We will continue to launch newer products and upgrade our existing portfolio with machines that deliver superlative print quality, speed, efficiency, accuracy, and profitability to Indian Production Printing businesses,” says Kuldeep.

Konica Minolta has registered impressive growth since commencing its India operations. In 2018-19, it outpaced the industry growth to register a CAGR of 18% and generated revenues in excess of INR 693 crore. “We built on this impressive performance in 2019-20 as well, launching newer products and making deeper inroads in regional markets through our pan-India network,” reveals Kuldeep.

Cater to the evolving print requirements of a post-coronavirus world. 2020 has been slow in terms of business so far, on account of the novel coronavirus outbreak, but he expects the market to recover strongly once this unprecedented crisis passes. “We are calibrating our objectives – both in the short and long terms – to reflect the current market reality. We are also realigning new product launches, channel outreach initiatives, and growth/expansion plans and will be holding them at a more conducive time,” says Kuldeep.

pressideas/ digital

“When it comes to business, every challenge represents an opportunity. As unfortunate and unexpected as it was, the COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the critical need to accelerate digital readiness across the enterprise ecosystem. This push for digital evolution has resonated strongly in the Indian print and printing industry as well,” he says while speaking about the present tough economic conditions worldwide. “While the current mood is subdued on account of the nationwide lockdown, we foresee the demand for easy-to-use printing solutions that streamline and manage workflows digitally to remain flat for sometime before the industry actually becomes fully operational. The adoption of digital machines that allow for seamlessly access, editing, and scheduling of print jobs from anywhere through a dedicated app or online portal is also expected to increase,” he opines, adding, “We will also see profitability, print accuracy, and job versatility becoming the most important parameters behind any purchase decision in this domain. Print and printing businesses will seek to optimise their operations and reduce wastage while increasing the number and diversity of print use-cases that they can fulfil through their machines. As a tech-driven OEM committed to constant innovation to deliver better business outcomes, Konica Minolta is in the pole position to cater to the evolving print requirements of a post-coronavirus world. We shall be educating our customers of various workflow applications were they can receive the jobs online.” The response to the recently launched Konica Minolta products has been very over-whelming and they are leading in the respective segments, according to Kuldeep. “AccurioJet KM1 has been a unique machine with widest capability in terms of Media and Application capability. We shall continue to promote the AccurioJet KM1 as the front runner in the technology innovation and demonstrate the capabilities using Digital Printing.” An award-winning varnish and foiling solution, MGI JETvarnish comes with many innovative features that have popularised it within the Indian print and printing industry. It can create visually-stunning, custom UV spot-varnished prints, Digital Foil embellishments, and other specialised

effects that were only possible through offset printing until now. Moreover, it comes equipped with variable data printing (VDP) capabilities that allow for unique graphics, text, and numeric data to be incorporated in every print. This allows print and printing businesses to enhance their profitability and drive greater growth by catering to new-age commercial print jobs – at speed and scale. “The demand for a state-of-the-art solution like the MGI JETvarnish is high across all segments. In particular, we are registering an increase in demand for its tech differentiation from high-growth verticals such as labels & packaging, food & beverage, and pharmaceutical. We expect the demand in these areas to play a key role in accelerating the adoption of MGI JETvarnish in India in the future,” says Kuldeep. Major shows have been postponed due to corona spread. Recently, Messe Düsseldorf rescheduled drupa 2020 to April 2021. Many other industry events have been postponed too. “This demonstrates one thing quite clearly: the print and printing industry’s move towards greater digitisation needs to accelerate at a rapid pace,” states Kuldeep. This will not just be in terms of their market offerings but also how they collaborate and connect with each other. Leading players such as Konica Minolta are already in the process of driving large-scale digital transformations, both within their internal business units and with external stakeholders. Surely there will be a change in all the aspects of the documentation needs of the various applications. “It is too early for us to assess the business model changes because of the COVID-19 but we are confident that it would lead to a positive trend for Digital Printing as we foresee that the print runs to get shorter, more personalisation and increasing VDP,” he adds. “We envision being the preferred partner of choice for all the Industrial and Production Printing requirements. In sync with this mission, we have adopted a multipronged approach that leverages our robust pan-India network to ensure that every stakeholder across the value chain benefits from the differentiation that our innovative digital technology brings. We will deploy internal and partner training initiatives across the country, in addition to organising BTL/ digital activities, innovative roadshows, and exhibitions. Through these measures, we

aim to reinforce our technological superiority in high-growth markets such as Labels, Commercial Printing & Packaging, Photo with our Production & Industrial Printing range,” he declares. Uncertain market conditions have made it extremely challenging to accurately forecast short-term growth. India, as a market, is rapidly digitising. Businesses across sectors will continue to adopt cutting-edge technology to optimise their processes and functions. We foresee the maximum demand coming in from high-growth markets such as labels & packaging, commercial printing, photography, and graphic arts, etc. as more and more businesses realise the differentiation that digital print technology can deliver. “We are confident that the demand for Konica Minolta’s wide range of industrial, production, and office printing products will continue to grow once the situation normalises and economic activity revives,” says Kuldeep. In 2019, Konica Minolta has been a leader in both Production and Industrial Printing offerings. Amongst machines recently purchased and installed by businesses across the country were the AccurioPress C6100, the AccurioPress C83hc, and the AccurioPress C3070p. “Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 all of us are in a difficult space. We would like to assure all the readers that Konica Minolta shall put best of its efforts to continue to bring products & solutions to help our customers be more productive and profitable,” concludes Kuldeep. On the back of the brand’s promise of superlative after-sales service and support, Konica Minolta currently boasts of a customer satisfaction level of more than 90% in service – the highest in the industry. Their strong support framework is also the primary reason behind the high demand for pre-owned Konica Minolta machines in the market and also drives repeat business, with existing customers contributing more than 40% to their overall revenues from India. Underscoring its leadership position in the overall printing industry in India, the Konica Minolta brand has registered a year-on-year growth over last 9 years, ever since it started business in India. Konica Minolta India has been amongst the fastest growing subsidiary for KM, Japan.

March-April 2020

digital printing

Fujifilm: Aggressively expanding in the Graphic Arts segment Upcoming products include Wide Format Ink Jet Printers, environmentally friendly Flexo Solutions for high quality packing market and solutions for the Wedding Album Market. Fujifilm is a known name in the Graphic Arts Industry of India with a diverse range of products and solutions. With over 85 years of existence, Fujifilm has been a pioneer in imaging technology and has constantly displayed an innovative line-up of products offering Imaging and Print-Related Solutions for Consumers and Businesses.

“We believe that industries such as the packaging industries and the pharmaceutical industries will continue to evolve with a diverse mix of processes, products, and ancillary services for their customers. These are unique times and individually each stakeholder has a role to play in the most unselfish manner for the industry to keep growing.” - Mr. SM Ram Prasad, Head, Graphic Arts Business, Fujifilm India

Key Notes : > Targeting to double current installations on the Acuity range with more innovative products. > Sets up demo centers as a part of its aggressive expansion plan in India. > Aims to achieve double-digit growth this year and emphasize on ‘Aggressive Top & Bottom-line Performance’.

March-April 2020

For consumers, Fujifilm has been stepping up its focus each year across all the product lineups. From providing solutions, including on-screen editing systems and digital image scanners, computer-toplate (CTP) systems and quality proofing systems. In an exclusive interview with PRESSIdeas, Mr. SM Ram Prasad, Head, Graphic Arts Business, Fujifilm India explains about the latest offerings, “The best-in-class products of the industry’s leading manufacturers are all backed by the efficiency of Fujifilm. We even offer a full line of advanced chemicals to both ourselves and other compatible rapid access processing system. The products we offer in the graphic arts industry are as follows: • Work Flow Solutions: To optimize workflow and enhance consistency along with efficiency in graphics production • Plates (PS.CTP): Fujifilm’s Brillia series offers a comprehensive range of high sensitivity thermal violet CTP plates, including process less and low-chemistry plates, which have earned an industry-wide name for superior quality, superb on-press performance and reliability • CTP Equipment: Fujifilm is a leader in computerto-plate (CTP) printing solutions • Wide Format Solution: Fujifilm Acuity UV flatbed printers offer you the latest breakthrough in wide format UV digital imaging technology • GA Film: Fujifilm Recording Film, which assures greater output accuracy, faster processing and increased productivity, is widely embraced by the printing industry. • PCB Film: Charged Accelerator Emulsion Technology developed for controls the image expansion accompanying the development progression. This results in outstanding line sharpness and precise line width control, producing fine lines and spaces without compromising exposure or processing latitude. This means that the Satisfine system meets the demanding requirements of high-complexity HDI / PCB creation.

We have been a company providing the best of printing applications for both roll-to-roll and rigid media which can be used across in everyday lives of people from the typical signage’s to bill boards, retail signage’s, including QR coded wallet payment display boards, interior decorations, various gifting solutions, etc.”

Six major businesses of Fujifilm’s Indian operations Fujifilm is among the leaders in imaging industries and has six major businesses in India i.e. photo imaging, image capturing, medical division, graphic arts division, industrial products and recording media. “In most of the domains, Fujifilm is the market leader, however, 60% of the revenue comes from the medical business,” says Ram Prasad.

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Of all these, in the graphic art segment, Fujifilm offers computerized printing plates, image scanners and other digital printing and publishing equipment and materials. It even provides advanced solutions for multiple stages of the printing process — from scanning and prepress to plate-making and proofing. “At Fujifilm, we maintain direct contact with consumers through our sales network in India and are open to working with new partners to reach out to various consumer segments. We have even set up demo centers as a part of our aggressive expansion plan in India, as the graphics arts segment is one of the key growth drivers,” adds Ram Prasad. Fujifilm has already crossed 100 units of Acuity installations in India, selling five-six units every month. “We are now targeting to double our current installations on the Acuity range with more innovative products, with a focus on tier-2 and 3 markets as well,” states Ram Prasad. The Acuity range of printers has been a success with its speed, quality and precision in work. Moreover, the printers are energy-efficient and kinder to the environment.

At the forefront of UV Printing technology Fujifilm has earned the trust of graphics professionals worldwide by taking the lead in providing reliable and convenient solutions that raise productivity and quality. Fujifilm is aggressively expanding in the Graphic Arts segment. In the last fiscal year, they were at the forefront of UV Printing technology and own one of the largest patterns for UV Technology in the Wide format Printing range. “We are creating an ecosystem in India, with a series of Branded Wide format UV Printers. In the last fiscal year, this series catered to 30% and we are expecting similar growth this year,” emphasizes Ram Prasad.

‘Never Stop’ Campaign – building a strong emotional connect with customers “With our ‘Never Stop’ campaign, we wanted to create awareness about the brand’s services across sectors and highlight our longstanding relationship with the Indian consumers. With the launch of the digital film, we have been able to represent Fujifilm’s success in transitioning from a photographic film company to a holistic brand that

provides value across different fields,” says Ram Prasad. “The film based on the lives of a regular Indian family who visit the hospital due to health issues builds an emotional connection with the audience. Until now, it has been able to emotionally build a strong connect with over 13 lakh viewers and encourages them to never stop believing, innovating, changing and challenging,” he asserts.

Expands presence in southern India with new Bengaluru office Fujifilm recently announced the opening of its new office in Bengaluru. The new set-up will help the company expand its presence in southern India, better serve its existing customers, and also provide an exciting and fun working environment to its workforce. With the new workplace, Fujifilm plans to increase the workforce by 30% in the city across functions like Electronic Imaging Division, Instax, Industrial Products, Graphic Arts and Medical Systems.

Coronavirus crisis and its impact on Printing “The novel coronavirus is not only a global health emergency but also an unprecedented global financial crisis,” says Ram Prasad. “Seeing the present conditions, all the major industries across the globe will be adversely affected. However, we believe that industries such as the packaging industries and the pharmaceutical industries will continue to evolve with a diverse mix of processes, products, and ancillary services for their customers. These are unique times and individually each stakeholder has a role to play in the most unselfish manner for the industry to keep growing. Fujifilm salutes the people who are fighting the battle on the frontline and we hope this pandemic ends soon with the minimum possible harm to all the sectors,” he continues. “The coronavirus outreach is a human strategy affecting many people and businesses across the world. With people being away and suggested to work from home, it has brought massive economic slowdown and printing businesses is no exception. In accordance with government directives that permit ‘essential businesses’ to operate when they supply or otherwise support critical infrastructure sectors and other essential businesses, we have

implemented necessary steps to support our employees who can work from home and have instituted additional safety protections for those employees whose work must be performed on-site,” he reveals. “Looking at the current scenario, we understand how difficult this situation is and therefore recommend everyone to come together as a nation and one connected globe – to resolve and see ourselves through these tough times,” urges Ram Prasad, who expresses his concern that the COVID-19 might impact the printing business in a significant way.

Fujifilm India in coming days “We have constantly displayed an innovative line-up of products offering Imaging and Print-related solutions for consumers and businesses year-on-year. In the coming year, we will be introducing new products in our Graphic Arts division like Wide Format Ink Jet Printers, environmentally friendly Flexo Solutions for high quality packing market and solutions for the Wedding Album Market,” says Ram Prasad. During FY2018-19, Fujifilm India recorded a turnover of INR 1150 CR out of which Medical Systems was the major contributor followed by Photo Imaging, Electronic Imaging, Graphic Arts, Recording Media and Industrial Products respectively. Fujifilm is focused on expanding its Image Capturing Business like X-Series range of mirrorless cameras and Instax range of Instant Cameras alongside their Photo Imaging Business, which includes a range of print solutions, especially for the wedding market. They will also be introducing advanced systems for the Healthcare Sector, according to Ram Prasad. “We aim to achieve double-digit growth this year and will be emphasizing on ‘Aggressive Top & Bottom-line Performance’,” he declares. “At Fujifilm, we are continuously innovating — creating new technologies, products and services that inspire and excite people everywhere. Our goal is to empower the potential and expand the horizons of tomorrow’s businesses and lifestyles,” concludes Ram Prasad.

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Fujifilm India expands its customer service footprint in South India - Strengthens customer connect with its sixth company-owned service centre in India to build on growth in the Tier 2 markets. industry in the country and thus it is one of the main markets for Fujifilm as well. With the ever changing and advancements in technology, Kerala has emerged as one of the regions which adapts to these advancements very quickly. With the opening of our new service centre in Kochi, we strive to offer our customers the best possible service backed by the latest advancements, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and making them Fujifilm loyalists.”

Fujifilm India launched its customer service centre in Kochi, a one-stop destination for premium value added services. The service centre was inaugurated by Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India, Mr. Arun Babu, General Manager Electronic Imaging and Optical Device, Fujifilm India, Mr. Hiroki Yokomizo, Marketing Advisor Electronic Imaging and Optical Device, Fujifilm India, The service centre located at Oberon Mall, Kochi will further strengthen the customer connect in South India and enable the organization to reach out to its customers across the city. Fujifilm India presently owns and operates five Customer Service Centres across cities like Gurugram, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Equipped with state-of-the-art facility and equipment, the service centres can repair all the X-Series,

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GFX Series and INSTAX range of cameras and will soon offer services for Fujinon Cine & Broadcasting lenses. Speaking at the inauguration Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Kochi is an extremely important market for us and therefore, we are delighted to launch our exclusive Customer Service Centre in the city. With the launch of first of its kind customer service center in Kochi, Fujifilm India marks another milestone to ensure an interactive and informative service experience for our existing and potential customers.” Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Arun Babu, General Manager Electronic Imaging and Optical Device said, “Kerala is one of the most important markets for the photography

The newly launched service centre has trained engineers and technicians to cater to all customer queries for the products. From basic hand tools to high-end tools, the facility boasts of advanced technology to attune customer’s devices to Fujifilm service standards. To offer personalized support to customers, Fujifilm also organizes technical trainings and workshop sessions for its engineers to make them familiar with the products and solutions. All the company owned customer service stations have friendly staff with open counters for interactions with technicians and added transparency. With a robust after sales network in India, Fujifilm strives to dive deeper into the geographies with a focus to increase its service structure to cater to a larger number of audience.

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HP helps business professionals stay productive at home Printing for months without reloading – introducing HP Neverstop Laser with 7X more printing in the box, first-of-its-kind, easy toner reload for less than one cent per page. HP Inc. announced global availability of HP Neverstop Laser, the world’s first toner tank. “As business people shift to work from home, they need technology that is easy to use and printing with fewer interruptions – HP Neverstop delivers both,” said Tuan Tran, President, Printing, HP Inc. “This means printing for months, without having to refill toner, at the lowest cost per page.” Key features include:

Get more toner in-box delivering up to 7X more pages than inclass lasers •

No cartridge replacement interruptions with up to 5,000 pages of printing included before your first toner reload.

Lowest cost for Original HP Toner in-class. Less than 1 cent per page •

Get legendary quality, reliability and precision printing now and every time you reload.

continuous toner supply system (CTSS) and recycled content.

Pricing and Availability HP Neverstop Laser is available for purchase now globally from select retailers.

Save every time you reload •

HP Toner Reload Kits cost less, with up to 2.5X more pages compared to in-class HP cartridges. Quickly restore toner levels with up to 2,500 pages – no mess, no stress.

Connected and mobile •

Easy mobile scanning and printing, secure fax sending, seamless Toner Reload Kit ordering and Smart Tasks document organization with the HP Smart App, which allows on-the-go access from virtually anywhere.

Certified energy-saving and Sustainable •

•

HP Neverstop Laser’s low emission, clean air quality technology is both Blue Angel and Energy Star 3.0 certified. Made with more than 25 percent recycled plastic by weight while the toner reload kit is made of 75 percent recycled plastic by weight. Up to an 84 percent smaller environmental footprint over its life2 than standard laser printers due to

March-April 2020

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Konica Minolta responds to COVID-19 with various initiatives Supports front-line employees and professionals; California-based Ambry Genetics to introduce PCR testing in response to requests from the state governments and others. To prevent the spread of infection and provide support to the healthcare community, Konica Minolta has been working a variety of measures that make use of the technologies and know-how it has fostered in its companywide activities, including the healthcare business centered on early diagnosis, and will continue implementing these measures in flexible and agile manners. Konica Minolta has expressed its sincere respect to the governments and local communities that work on the frontline to prevent the spread of infections, as well as healthcare professionals who are dedicated to diagnosing and treating people through the difficult time. Konica Minolta and its group companies are providing support to professionals working on the front lines to deal with COVID-19, giving top priority to health, safety, and security. At the same time, Konica Minolta will continue to provide support that contributes to larger society, now and in the future, while responding to the various instructions and directives that are rapidly advancing on global basis to prevent the spread of explosive infections and to ensure local healthcare systems.

Efforts in progress: Supporting Healthcare Professionals and Essential Workers Prepare for launch of PCR testing in the U.S. Ambry Genetics, part of Konica Minolta Precision Medicine, Inc. (KMPM), a known innovator in the laboratory testing industry has been approached by various organizations, including the state government of California, to provide COVID-19 testing for essential frontline employees and patients. In response to these important requests from the community, Ambry is quickly shifting their lab to be COVID-19 ready. “Our business is built on innovation and data science, enhanced through best-inclass Clinical and Pharmaceutical services delivered on a global network. Our 65,000 ft2 “superlab” testing facility and established

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RNA isolation workflows allow us to easily pivot to COVID-19 testing,” says Kiyotaka Fujii, President of Konica Minolta Global Healthcare and Chairman & CEO of KMPM. Through Ambry’s CARE Program (Comprehensive, Assessment, Risk, and Education), a unique software platform coupled with a virtual assistant screener, KMPM will be able to appropriately provide a population screening mechanism to assist employers and clinicians who wish to provide rapid and scalable testing. Ultimately, the system will protect individuals from unknowingly spreading the virus. KMPM’s FDA approved viral detection test will allow them to process several thousands of samples a week. Simultaneously, they are working with leading academic and corporate partners to evaluate technologies that can offer scalable antibody-based detection tests. Our mission at KMPM is to place people and safety first, and our COVID-19 testing provides a solution for many organizations to manage risk during these fast-changing times. We care about what happens to real people, their families, and the people they love. We remain dedicated to providing employers and clinicians with deeper knowledge and fresh insights, so together they can make informed healthcare decisions.

Support for clinical trials of therapeutic drugs by pharmaceutical companies The Boston, U.S.-based Invicro LLC (Invicro), which plays an important role with its drug discovery support business in KMPM, is to participate in a major pharmaceutical company’s clinical trial on COVID-19.

Konica Minolta’s Response to COVID-19 Konica Minolta, in Japan, while making more active use of stay-at-home working, defined jobs that need employees to work on site for business continuity and is narrowing down the number of employees who work in its facilities. Commuting off-peak hours and driving to and from work are helping the employees avoid busy transportation. In the company facilities in Japan, employees abide by the basic rules to prevent infection expansion in performing their duties on site, including avoiding close contact, closed space and gathering of a lot of people, as well as wearing masks and washing hands frequently. Further supporting employees working from home in Japan, the company has been providing detailed assistance in IT to maintain their good performance. The know-how earned from these employee support will be utilized in assisting customers of the Group.

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How Xerox is responding to COVID-19 Xerox issued a statement on how the company is responding to the COVID-19 crisis. “We are living through an extraordinary time with the fast spread of the coronavirus, identified as COVID-19. Our number one priority always is the health and safety of our employees, clients, partners and their families. We want to share some of the actions we have taken to keep the entire Xerox community safe while minimising impact to our operations and yours amid this public emergency,” it said. Last month, Xerox established a COVID-19 Response Team that meets regularly to monitor developments and closely follow the guidance and advisories from governments and public health organisations. Also collaborating with other global businesses, the company took actions, including but not limited to: • Educating all employees about the virus; • Encouraging employees to work from home if they can; • Sharing resources and guidance on how to contain the illness; • Increasing and expanding cleaning of facilities; • Restricting business travel and events; • Establishing a comprehensive visitor screening process;

•

Requiring employees exhibiting any symptoms to stay at home; and Enforcing a stringent return-to-work policy if an employee becomes ill.

“We also have activated our business continuity and pandemic preparedness plans. Our plans contain the latest standards from industry best practices and Xerox’s own experience to define requirements, such as assigning teams responsible for continuity activities and determining the appropriate resources needed to resume operations after an event,” the statement added.

locations. If local operations are impacted, it reaches out to customers.

At this time, COVID-19 has not impacted equipment, parts and supplies availability. Xerox has started to activate mitigation strategies as appropriate, including premium airfreight, alternate sourcing, asset recovery and reverse logistics.

“During this time, we understand you may not want visitors at your workplace, and we encourage you to use our remote support options,” it said. Customers can text or video chat with a live Digital Support Expert by visiting www.support.xerox.com or downloading Xerox Support Engage, a new mobile app now available in select regions.

It is providing support and service within impacted areas as national and local governments allow. Most technicians dispatch from their homes and are not dependent on local office and warehouse

“We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and will keep you informed of future updates. Thank you for your ongoing support as we work through this together,” it concluded.

Tai Nizawa is the new Managing Director of Konica Minolta India Konica Minolta India has further strengthened its leadership ranks by appointing Tai Nizawa as its Managing Director. An industry veteran with over 30 years of rich experience in the printing industry, Mr. Nizawa has been associated with Konica Minolta since 1987. Having moved to this role after working as the Managing Director at Konica Minolta Vietnam, Mr. Nizawa has also worked with the brand in Osaka, Germany, New Zealand, Tokyo, Netherlands, UAE, and the US. Speaking on his appointment, Tai Nizawa, Managing Director, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, said, “On the back of its robust and technologically superior value proposition, Konica Minolta has emerged as a frontrunner in the global printing industry. It is an honor to be working with this forwardlooking company for the past 3 decades.

I am now looking forward to bringing the expertise and knowledge garnered over the years to further strengthen the fast-growing business in India.” Throughout his prolific career, Mr. Nizawa has held several pivotal positions and has been instrumental in devising strategies that have led to the decided growth of Konica Minolta. In his current role as the Managing Director at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Pvt Ltd, Mr. Nizawa will be responsible for creating a strategic roadmap and leading day-to-day operations for the Indian business. He will be based out of the Gurgaon-Cybercity office. Konica Minolta India has a strong pan-India presence with 21 branch offices and 700+ employees. Since its inception in 2010, the company has consistently expanded its India

product portfolio and is currently among the market leaders in providing top-of-the-line products and printing solutions.

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Digital printing: from strength to strength in packaging Now really is the time for packaging to enter into the digital arena. The evolution of customer demand as well as improvements in quality and speed are accelerating printing production for packaging. The first entirely digital printing and converting lines for packaging production will be born in a few years. Over the last twenty years, digital printing of labels has emerged and expanded. Today every second press is equipped with electrophotographic motors or inkjet heads. This isn’t surprising because the advantages of today’s digital technologies are strong, for example, printing short runs at a viable cost is now a reality (compared with traditional processes such as flexo or offset), a success-factor that fully matches and supports the trend for the ever-shorter consumer product lifecycles. Now really is the time for packaging to enter into the digital arena. Of course, the number of digital presses sold in this new segment is still much lower than the number of presses sold for labels production, but everything suggests that it is only a matter of time.

The current industry equilibrium begins to be challenged as digital printing, for a long time confined to small printruns, evolves towards longer runs and everbigger print jobs.

Key Notes : > The advantages of today’s digital technologies are strong. > Thanks to digital packaging, products can be manufactured on-demand. > Impressive improvements in print quality and speed achieved in electrophotography or inkjet.

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Growing customer demand is influencing companies and leading them towards differentiation, individualisation and personalisation in their products. An example of this was seen early on by Coca-Cola, introducing Coke Light and Coke Zero. Their lines have now expanded significantly and now Coca-Cola can be purchased as sugar-free, caffeine- free or flavoured with raspberry, vanilla and sugar-free lemon. All these products are then sub-set into dozens of sizes and formats (33cl, 1l, 1.25l, 1.5l, in PET bottles, in glass, in cans). This is just one example of how a brand is utilising product proliferation to their advantage. Individual consumers are becoming more particular… They must be offered products that match their needs. “Share a Coke” has demonstrated the success of customisation and mass-versioning, after successfully tapping into the millennials mindset and reaching followers of the “me, myself and I” movement. “Share a Coke” is undoubtedly the most successful example however it isn’t hard to find a multitude of other brands already offering their products in a wide array of sub-articles sold in different countries in multiple formats or presentations. This packaging revolution has already begun and impacts not only large companies but also smaller producers of products such as jams,

“Individual consumers are becoming more particular… They must be offered products that match their needs. […] This packaging production revolution will require packaging converters to review their entire supply-chain system.” – Tiziano Polito – Emballages Magazine

energy drinks or skincare creams. Add to that the rise of e-commerce and with it the beginnings of production-on-demand. Krones, one of the leading bottling companies, presented “Bottling on Demand” at Drinktec in Munich (Germany) in September 2017, an on-demand production and packaging concept, enabling each individual consumer to order a personalised, flavoured beverage — orange, for example, in a 50cl glass bottle format, which is then shipped in a package of 1, 4 or 6 according to the consumer’s wishes. You can imagine yoghurt companies offering consumer lead online ordering, allowing them to create their own multipack, featuring only the flavours they like. Thousands of other products could one day be produced and sold in this way too, a method already used frequently in the automotive industry to reduce inventory costs. Thanks to digital packaging, products can be manufactured on-demand. Taking advantage of digital methods, brands and their print-suppliers will be able to test new products to the market, using flexible print-runs to limit excessive risks and costs. The second reason to believe that digital printing will soon develop across packaging is down to the technology. Over the last decade, enormous

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improvements to print quality have been achieved. Whether in electrophotography or inkjet, the results in terms of resolution are impressive: increasing from 600 to 1200 dpi. This is such a good quality that only a keen eye can distinguish an offset rendering from a digital rendering. Then there is the print- speed that has also really gained pace. HP Indigo paved the way in 2012 with digital presses such as the HP Indigo 20000 and 30000, respectively, dedicated to film and cardboard sheets. They can reach speeds of 34m/min in 4 colours (up to 45m/min in 3 colours emulation mode) with the 20000 and 3450 sheets/hr in 4 colours mode (up to 4600 sheets/hr in emulation mode) with the 30000. Lately, inkjet has reacted and caught up. Examples include the Fujifilm Jet Press 750S, launched in September 2018, capable of printing 3600 sheets/hr in 4 colours, claiming to be the fastest 4-colour digital press on the market in B2 format. In terms of coil-printing, Kodak prides itself on being the only one to reach a speed of 300 m/min, for a resolution of 600 dpi in wide, namely on 650 mm coils using Stream technology that it is developing with integrators like Uteco. The American company, which puts forward “very competitive” operational costs compared to electrophotography, has announced for the next drupa a resolution of 1200 dpi with Ultrastream technology. Above all, thanks to its print-speed it can directly compete against traditional processes. “We‘ve calculated that up to 20,000 square meters it is more beneficial to use inkjet, until flexo becomes more profitable,“ said Dan Denofsky, director of OEM partnerships for the digital division. To put this into context, until recently, the crossover for the digital/conventional curves did not exceed 10,000 m2. In sheet-tosheet technologies, which many players place today at 5,000 sheets, it could rise up to 10,000 sheets. The current industry equilibrium begins to be challenged as digital printing, for a long time confined to small print- runs, evolves towards longer runs and ever-bigger print jobs. This paradigm shift is also because the market is no longer the territory of specialists. Big traditional printer’s introduction to digital such as Koenig & Bauer, Heidelberg or Bobst diversifies the print-offer, increases competition and lowers prices. Above all, the arrival of these general manufacturers brings print know-how and the necessary control over medium and longer runs. Printing itself is not everything: to go

fast on a machine, you also must know how to hold and pull the sheet or the reel and the big press-manufacturers also know just how that’s done. The third reason we believe that digital will continue to develop is the process of embellishment and converting. When we talk about labels or packaging, the addition of gilding and embossing is often a customer requirement, an example of which would be the perfume and luxury goods market. This can also be seen in the mass market as demonstrated by certain beer labels or in the packaging of high-end confectionery products. Soon, holograms and invisible markings will be added as aesthetically as a means to fight against counterfeiting and to avoid parallel businesses. Some markets like pharmacy and tobacco are very demanding in relation to this. It may soon be necessary to print RFID antennas with metallic inks to enhance the packaging and brand experience, to make it more communicative than what’s currently offered with QR codes. It cannot be overlooked that packaging on offer today has already been enriched by a very interesting array of technologies from companies like Scodix and MGI, which are able to digitally enhance clients’ packaging with visual and tactile effects (embossing, metallization, 3D varnish) achieved with speeds from 4000 to 5000 sheets/ hr. In cutting and creasing, Highcon does the same with a process that reaches 5000 sheets/hr. Although this is not yet a reality, we can easily foresee in the short term the emergence

of complete lines where the material — film, paper, complex or corrugated cardboard sheet or coil — is successively printed, embellished then cut and all this implemented in the context of a 100% digital process. Crucially this will be economically viable on runs of 20.000 m2 or 20.000 sheets. Beyond that volume, it will continue to be more viable using flexo or offset technologies. This packaging production revolution, however, will require packaging converters to review their entire supply-chain system. With print-runs ever-more diversifying – whether small, medium or large – this will require the review of numerous flows, materials, consumables and finished products that are completely different than the current ones. Investments in IT and also in people (with new skillsets) will be required. This is changemanagement from “A to Z”, from within both the converters and their clients. In 2016, the drupa motto was “touch the future”. But in 2021 visitors should “embrace the future”. A visit to drupa in 2021 will be more interesting than ever, as the industry transformation is, like many things, happening faster than expected. The fair is giving impulses on how to successfully integrate important trends like digital management through keynotes, discussions, guided tours or visionary exhibitions — important impulses that each and every company should sooner or later incorporate. So yes, the first 100% completely digital printing and converting lines for packaging production will be born in a few years.

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The next level in Flexo Plate Making Flint Group unveils new Washer and Dryer/Light Finisher as part of its Catena system offering. Since Xeikon Pre-press joined the Flint Group family in 2015 both Flint Group Flexographic and Xeikon Pre-press 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 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.

Key Notes : > 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.

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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. Xeikon Pre-press R&D Director Bart Wattyn explains: “Right from the beginning our ThermoFlexX imaging systems were designed to help our customers through automation 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 solvent-wet 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, Site Manager at Miller-Graphics, a Brand Management, Repro and Flexo Plate

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Toppan launches Green Flat Food Packaging System for freshness preservation and lower environmental impact.

making company specializing in flexible 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 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. Overall we believe that ThermoFlexX has definitely brought a literally fresh and extremely valuable approach to our business.”

Toppan Printing has announced the launch of a new food packaging system called Green Flat, which addresses the need to reduce plastic packaging and can be used as an alternative to conventional skin packs.

from hooks for display. QR code can also be printed onto the tray to enhance customer engagement by providing information or running online or online/offline hybrid promotions.

Skin packs are becoming widely used in Europe, North America, and Asia because their complete sealing helps to maintain the freshness of food and extend shelf lives due to the reduction of drip from food during storage. Green Flat replaces the polystyrene or plastic tray often used in skin packs with a paper-based material incorporating Toppan’s proprietary GL FILM. This provides freshness retention and lowers environmental impact by reducing the use of plastic without sacrificing functionality. The tray can be made using paper from certified forests and, because it is flat, can also be used as a chopping board for preparing food.

The Green Flat system offered by Toppan will consist of the Green Flat tray, a skin pack filling system, skin pack film, and a consulting service for system implementation. Samples are being made available from February 2020, and full-scale sales are scheduled to begin in December. Comprehensive consulting services will be offered to enable customers to create appealing designs, implement effective promotions, and make the most of shop space.

In combination with the barrier film applied over the product, lamination of the tray with GL FILM, Toppan’s original transparent barrier film, means that food is protected from oxygen, moisture, and other external impacts, further enhancing content preservation. Green Flat is also available in a non-barrier type ideal for such items as cosmetics and toiletries. Green Flat also offers advantages in terms of attractive package design and eye-catching displays in stores. High-quality printing is possible on both surfaces of the tray and the prevention of drip made possible by the tight seal means that even packages for fresh foods can be stood up or suspended

“Today there is strong demand for packaging that maintains freshness but also reduces environmental impact by addressing such issues as marine plastic pollution and food waste,” said Shingo Wada, general manager of business strategy in Toppan’s western Japan division. “Toppan strives to meet this demand by leveraging extensive experience in paper-based packaging and developing a range of products incorporating its advanced GL BARRIER technology. As a new addition to our lineup, Green Flat provides outstanding freshness preservation, better environmental performance, and exciting possibilities for package designs and displays that create an impact in stores.”

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Customer support has priority Close exchange with print shops established through digital interfaces – from Heidelberg Assistant to Remote Service and online training.

Masterwork MK, partner and largest single shareholder in Heidelberg, founded MK healthy Co., Ltd. at the end of February, and has entered into the production of medical face masks.

Heidelberg has responded as quickly as possible to the difficult conditions caused by the global coronavirus crisis, and provides its customers in the area of commercial, packaging and label printing with support at all levels. “Especially in these challenging times, our digital interfaces to print shops worldwide are proving their worth in helping our customers in their daily operations,” explains Rainer Hundsdörfer, Chief Executive Officer of Heidelberg. The company generates around 85 percent of its sales abroad, and supports its customers in the best possible way locally with its globally based and proven service and sales network in the graphics industry. Customers in all major printing markets are served directly or via partners. “In these times of the coronavirus pandemic, our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and our customers. In terms of service, for example, we are relying even more heavily on our tried-and-tested and long-established Remote Service and the Heidelberg Assistant, taking care of everything we possibly can via digital telephony or video conferencing, and providing information via our customer databases,” continues Hundsdörfer. Only recently, for example, the first Speedmaster press was thus sold in Germany via a video

conference. A reliable supply of spare parts and consumables will also be ensured during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, all installations or necessary on-site technical services are provided with due regard to health precautions, as far as the current situation allows, and always in mutual agreement with the customer and the prevailing local conditions. The World Logistics Center at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site has around 100,000 parts in stock, which means that more than 96 percent of the parts ordered are available when the order is received. Customers benefit from digital business models, such as subscription. With the Prinect Production Manager, for example, only the actual TIFF consumption per square meter is billed, which means that fewer jobs also cost less. In individual cases, Heidelberg grants extended payment terms for maintenance agreements. “We greatly value our customers, and, as their partner, are convinced that we will master this time together,” emphasizes Hundsdörfer.

Production in China ramped up again In China, currently the largest single market for Heidelberg, the company runs its own production site in Shanghai. Having been the first market to be affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus

Key Notes : > Global sales and service network with global logistics center remains committed to ensuring reliable supplies to print shops during the coronavirus pandemic. > Production in China ramped up again. > Health of customers and Heidelberg employees has top priority – MK Masterwork produces disposable face masks.

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For Rainer Hundsdörfer, Chief Executive Officer of Heidelberg, providing support to the customers during the coronavirus pandemic has top priority.

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pandemic, the situation there seems to be gradually easing. Production is now back to pre-crisis level, and all employees are back at work. Since the end of February, all employees at the local sales company have also been back in action, providing support to customers, if possible in person, or otherwise by telephone.

Health and safety are paramount The top priority for Heidelberg is the health of its employees at all sites. Appropriate regulations on safety and hygiene are strictly observed. Masterwork MK, partner and largest single shareholder in Heidelberg, founded MK healthy Co., Ltd. at the end of February, and has entered into the production of disposable medical face masks, including the complete supply chain. To date, the MK Group has also provided 35,000 medical face masks for the Heidelberg Group, and another 40,000 will follow shortly, primarily for the use of service technicians on customer assignments.

Masterwork MK, partner and largest single shareholder in Heidelberg, founded MK healthy Co., Ltd. at the end of February, and has entered into the production of medical face masks.

C-P Flexible Packaging introduces Virtual Press Check Capabilities for critical infrastructure industries C-P Flexible Packaging is introducing virtual press check capabilities, allowing customers in critical infrastructure industries to conduct press checks and approve graphics remotely.

supply of shelf-stable foods and cleaning products intact. We all know that avoiding air travel and practicing social distancing is extremely critical right now. Since these important measures prevent our customers from conducting their usual on-site press

checks, we immediately developed a solution allowing them to run remote press checks. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, we’ll continue making investments to support these suppliers of essential products.”

The majority of C-P Flexible Packaging’s customers play a large role in our nation’s supply of shelf-stable foods as well as cleaning products. This virtual press check system was developed to allow manufacturers of these essential products to quickly conduct press checks remotely while complying with the guidelines of the CDC to slow the spread of COVID-19. Using sophisticated light booths, 4K webcam equipment and secure videoconferencing software, C-P Flexible Packaging’s virtual press check system eliminates the need for on-site press checks. According to Mike Hoffman, CEO of C-P Flexible Packaging, “In these unprecedented and challenging times, we are committed to doing our part to keep our nation’s

March-April 2020

Arca Sleeves, pioneers of the future Bringing the complete manufacturing solution under one roof, the company stands out for speed and design expertise. Presenting itself as a powerful marketing tool, in addition with a safe protective wrapping, “Shrink Sleeves” have been widely accepted by brands resulting in its steady growth in the last few years. Identifying this as a great opportunity, the 70 years old Arca Etichette Group has entered into supplying high quality, sustainable shrink sleeves via its newly formed subsidiary Arca Sleeves. “We offer our customers with highly customizable shrink sleeve solutions capable to adapt to any format or application with a key focus on design expertise, material know how, high quality printing and quick on time delivery!”

What is the vision of launching Arca Sleeves and what have been some key milestones in the journey so far?

Shrink Sleeve allows greater coverage of the product’s surface (bottles, jars, etc); has wider space available for texts and graphics, especially for irregular shapes and is a great tool for innovative marketing.

Key Notes : > Arca Sleeves can bring to customers’ desks a fully finished industrial samples just in a matter of a few days.

Arca Sleeves was launched in 2015 coming out of our successfully established Arca Group which has been in the market since 1948. The vision of the company is to offer “shrink sleeves” labels to the market in addition to our current offering of self-adhesive labels, multipage and labelling systems which we have a strong reputation of serving the market for over 70 years! In the early days, printing of shrink material, was done in Arca Etichette facilities while post press operations such as tubing, cutting and packaging was done by Arca Sleeves. Since then the company, Arca Sleeves, backed by excellent response from the market,

has quickly risen to become an independent, well established specialized supplier of shrink sleeves labels in the market! It was this early success that led to our decision to install the first state of the art, OMET X6 430 printing press in 2017 and bring the complete manufacturing solution under one company, allowing us to supply materials with better efficiency and effectiveness to our prestigious list of clients.

What was the key motivator which led to the decision of bringing “All operations under one roof”? Was it driven by strategy or economic reasons? Our strategy for growth was to supply our customers with the topmost quality shrink sleeve labels in the quickest possible time, which required a direct control of all production phases. It was this strategic choice which led us to bring all operations of pre-press, press and post press operations under one roof. Even though we are a completely independent unit now, we count on the “support” of the parent company for any exceptional request of our customers or when we are full in capacity due to peak demand.

The success of your company largely depends on the growing demand for shrink sleeve labels. What are the reasons for this growth in demand? The shrink sleeve labels have the following advantages • Allows greater coverage of the product’s surface (bottles, jars, etc) • Has wider space available for texts and graphics, especially for irregular shapes • They are a great marketing tool or innovative marketing activities!

> Reducing the time to market for any new product idea or innovation.

In addition to the above, the shrink sleeve also provides an added security features, that of a seal. Whether the sleeves are printed or neutral, covering the whole product or just the cap, shrink sleeves always guarantee the originality of the content from tampering and hence raises the safety image of the product.

> The short lead-time for deliveries is another competitive advantage of Arca.

Shrink Sleeves are now used by all major brands for their products. What do you think is the key factor of success

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for this once “Niche Product”? Let’s say that, like all innovations in the packaging sector, even the shrink sleeve needed ‘someone’ who believed in developing and spreading this solution. The manufacturing companies, their marketing, the market in general, did the rest, bringing the sleeve from a “niche product” to mass consumption.

However, sleeves are offered by many competitors, how has Arca Sleeves established itself as a unique player? Assuming that, by now, quality is for every customer is a ‘sine qua non’ condition in an increasingly demanding market, we entrust our growth to “specialization”. Our focus, and the core business of Arca Sleeve is the exclusive production of shrink sleeves. We manage hundreds of new projects every year and we stand out for the speed and the expertise in the design phase, which is the most important phase for the success of any industrial supply of ‘sleeves’. In a matter of a few days, we can bring to our customers’ desks a fully finished industrial samples, printed in digital, hence reducing the time to market for any new product idea or innovation. Another competitive advantage for us is the short lead-time for deliveries, thanks to the great expertise and flexibility of our team, composed by people who believe in our company, because of whom, all these exceptional results are possible.

Which product is most requested by your customers and why? Let’s just say that shrink sleeve is our “specific product”! We offer our customers with the flexibility to select any kind of graphic and finishing available on the market. Customers can choose from a variety of options such as metallized inks, screen inks, colored foils, thick, opaque or iridescent paints, etc., which could either be used individually or in combination as desired by the objectives of the customer.

In terms of production, what are your main production equipment? In terms of capacity, our group, Arca Etichette has more than 4 “traditional” printing machines and 2 “digital” printing. Having said that, For Arca Sleeves we wanted to purchase the next generation highly automated printing press and hence in August 2019, we purchased the 10 color OMET XFLEX X6 UV-LED press. As confirmed by OMET, Arca Sleeves was the first company in Italy to invest in ink drying technology with “LED” in the shrink sleeves sector and this makes us proud, proving our commitment towards “sustainability” and the environment. In addition to the OMET press, we will also be installing the second tubing line in the coming months, which too is the state of the art technology equipment available today amongst the manufacturers of such types of machines.

Are you satisfied with your choice of OMET machines in terms of performances and service? Our evaluation and choice of the machine has been very thoughtful considering a lot of key parameters such as machine innovations, wastage parameters, build quality and most important supplier reliability. We have already seen improvements both in terms of production and waste reduction, since the time we have installed the new OMET machine.

What growth prospects do you see with OMET machines in the coming years? Growth has always been the focus area of Arca Sleeves. It’s for this reason we have recently invested heavily on doubling our factory floor space, added new technical and commercial resources and also new management system. We plan to maximize the return on these investments in 2020 and 2021. However we are keen to invest

in another machine, probably with a larger width within our expansion plan of 20212022.

What market developments do you foresee in the near future? How are your investments oriented? We can say that today Arca Sleeves excellence lies in the “Wine & Beverage” sector and hence in the future we wish to develop the Cosmetic, Chemical and Detergency/Hygiene sectors. After a long series of important investments in equipment and structure, we have initiated an interal project aimed at implementing training and specialization of our staff to enable us to grow in this direction.

Sustainability and environment are considered as one of the most important trends in the packaging industry now. Are you willing to follow them? Obviously yes, as previously mentioned and demonstrated, we are already moving in this direction and will continue to invest further to enhance our solutions which are innovative and sustainable for the environment. It’s for this reason we regularly collaborate with our main suppliers and assist them in testing and evaluating new raw materials.

How are you positioned on the Italian market and what growth prospects do you see in the short term? The Italian market currently consists of 99% of our target customers. While it’s difficult to assess our market share, we can surely say if the customer is looking for a “100% specialized” supplier of shrink sleeves, exclusively working in sleeves sector and is capable to handle the complete workflow from design to production, with a large production capacity and fast delivery, we are one of the very few ones with such capabilities.

March-April 2020

Sappi to kick off Virtual Trade Show Live sessions and product news presented at Sappi’s virtual interpack trade show; the starting signal to sound on 6 May. The globally active paper manufacturer will kick off its virtual trade show with six different live sessions on product news, innovation and sustainability, as well as relevant corporate topics. On the first two days of the fair, www.sappi-interpack.com will also be offering an opportunity to chat live with a number of Sappi experts. Just how many opportunities a crisis offers is becoming evident all over the world. Sappi, as the market leader in the field of ecological packaging papers, also opted not to wait for the next face-toface event and will soon be launching a virtual trade show. To date, more than 700 participants have already registered via the www.sappi-interpack.com website.

Personal contact via live sessions and chats

The trade show is scheduled to begin on 6 and 7 May with six moderated live sessions covering the entire portfolio of sustainable packaging solutions.

Key Notes : > Product news and relevant information straight to your screen. > Six live sessions in English and chats in many different languages. > Virtual exhibition stand online until 31 May 2020.

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The trade show is scheduled to begin on 6 and 7 May with six moderated live sessions covering the entire portfolio of sustainable packaging solutions. In 30-minute sessions, the experts will present product innovations from the areas of Flexible Packaging Papers, Functional Paper Packaging, Paperboard and many more. General information on the company and on the unique “Pro Planet Paper Packaging” system as well as on innovation and sustainability will round off the program on the first two days. The three

morning sessions will begin at 10 am (CET). They will be repeated evenings from 5 pm (CET) onwards. This will enable Sappi to welcome all trade show visitors worldwide.

A visit to the virtual trade show is possible until 31 May During these two days of the fair, various experts from Sappi will also be available to answer questions from customers and interested parties directly, and to chat with them. “Our virtual interpack trade show is of tremendous importance in these challenging times,” highlights Thomas Kratochwill, Vice President Sales & Marketing Packaging and Speciality Papers of Sappi Europe. “This year again, we will be able to get in touch with customers and partners all over the world and give them an opportunity to discover our innovative new products for 2020 and our sustainable behaviour. We are very much looking forward to this event and to exchanging ideas.” In addition to the highlights available on the first two days of the event, the virtual fair stand will also offer a wealth of information on new and established products on the market, on wide-ranging topics such as innovation and sustainability, as well as an opportunity to download fact sheets and to order brochures. The Sappi virtual trade show will remain online until 31 May.

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DuPont response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and control Tyvek manufacturing operations running 24 hours a day and the nine global manufacturing facilities that produce garments are also working overtime to increase capacity. DuPont is closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as it continues to spread across the world, and taking steps to keep its employees, customers and communities in which it operates informed. The DuPont Safety business is working tirelessly to help those directly impacted by the virus, including first responders on the front lines. Thousands of DuPont employees are working around the clock in all parts of the world to increase capacity of protective garments during this time of high demand. DuPont’s Tyvek manufacturing operations run 24 hours a day and the nine global manufacturing facilities that produce garments are also working overtime to increase capacity. With its experienced global manufacturing network that is fully activated it is prioritizing the needs of frontline response personnel in the most impacted regions combatting the Coronavirus. DuPont’s focused and capable teams continue to address this global health crisis.

Employee Safety The health and safety of its employees is DuPont’s highest priority. It has corporate, regional and local crisis management teams in place actively monitoring, preparing and managing the COVID-19 response around the clock. It is implementing its safety plans and protocols based on World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers

for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and recommendations to help prevent the spread of the virus.

pandemic: Tyvek hazmat suits, which offer medical personnel the best protection from contracting the virus themselves.

“As cases expand globally, we’ve updated travel restrictions, and are providing new guidance to ensure we continue to serve our customers’ needs while practicing safe and healthy measures to contain and mitigate the spread of infection at our sites and offices,” said the company in a statement. In that regard, DuPont has taken several strong actions, including: • Suspending international travel and restricting all other travel to business critical only. • Mandatory self-quarantine measures for employees at risk of exposure. • Limiting access to all sites. • Conducting enhanced and more frequent cleaning services at all facilities. • Encouraging employees to practice social distancing, proper handwashing and hygiene practices. • Canceling participation at all large meetings, both internally and externally. • Requiring employees to work from home where possible.

Since the pandemic first made its way to the U.S., personal protective gear for practitioners treating the virus, like surgical masks and gloves, has been in dangerously short supply. Physicians have indicated the pressing need for hats, gloves and masks along with protective suits made from materials similar to the time tested Tyvek. Such equipment are very potent safeguard against the spread of a virus most likely spreading through stagnant hospital air.

Expediting production of Tyvek hazmat suits

Many medical personnel are seeking help through social media. There have been reports of medical workers seeking alternative materials as substitute for standard protective suits. Many medical staff and frontline workers have fallen ill themselves in absence of proper protective equipment.

DuPont is expediting production and delivery of a product critical to protecting doctors and nurses during the coronavirus

In contrast to standard hospital smocks, Tyvek jumpsuits are made of polyethylene fibers to provide full body coverage and repel aerosols and fluids. The suits have been widely used by medical personnel in China, where they are more easily accessible to health care workers because, unlike in the U.S., they are registered medical devices. The suit covers a person from head to toe. With the rapid rise in demand for such suits, which are in short supplies, people, especially doctors have been looking for ways to get them from wherever possible.

David Domnisch, global business director for DuPont personal protection, has said the company had created a brand new, expedited supply chain to meet demand. The process involves flying the suits back to the U.S. from manufacturing subcontractors in Southeast Asia, instead of shipping them. Over 350,000 suits have been planned to reach the U.S. national stockpile in the first lot and continue till they are required. Domnisch said the company’s plants in Richmond, Virginia, and Luxembourg are doing what they can to produce more fabric.

March-April 2020

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Abbey Labels doubles die-cutting speed with MPS and AB Graphics technologies The innovation, a world first, is part of Abbey Labels’ ambitious operation optimization program. Abbey Labels recently installed an automated MPS EFS 340 flexo press, equipped with an integrated AB Graphics Fast Track semirotary die cutting system. Abbey Labels, located in Suffolk, UK, supplies labels to the food, beverage, cosmetics, industrial, security and pharmaceutical industries. By partnering with Dutch press manufacturer MPS Systems and finishing company AB Graphics, the three companies together developed this integrated, high-speed die-cutting solution. Tom Allum, Abbey Labels Chairman said: “I firmly believe that this press with this particular option is a real game-changer not only for us, but for the flexo industry.”

Nick Tyrer, Sales Director MPS UK with Tom Allum and Barry Pettit from Abbey Labels, and Niels van Groenendaal – MPS Regional Sales Director

Die-cutting speed doubles Traditionally, die-cutting can become a bottleneck as it slows down the speed of the press depending on the size of the die repeat, but with two anvils in operation on the Fast Track, this is no longer the case. It is also much quicker to change the die as the magnetic cylinder stays in place at all times. With a top speed of 150m/min and a repeat of up to 508mm, the new semi-rotary die-cutting module enables the speed of cutting to be more than doubled compared to conventional single-anvil semi-rotary systems. Abbey Labels is now capable of doing much faster changeovers with the MPS EFS, which comes with many automation features, and the new die-cutting unit can use existing cutters. Instead of investing in new tooling, Abbey Labels can therefore use the same flexible dies across its equipment. The MPS EFS automated multi-substrate press has a maximum print speed of up to 200 m/ min, printing on a variety of substrates. “The benefits in time savings should be immense. We’re a short to medium run printer and we’re constantly changing size, so if you’re saving 20 minutes every time you do that, we’re looking at a huge improvement,” said Tom Allum. Abbey Labels had already fostered a successful partnership with MPS when

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investing in its two most recent flexo presses, so it was a natural choice to approach the Dutch manufacturer with the idea. Fast forward three years and a new MPS EFS 340 flexo press with a Fast Track Die module has been installed at the company’s facility to bring savings in downtime and thereby costs. “When Abbey Labels first introduced the idea of us combining the ABG Fast Track Die with our EF platform, we had a few reservations in terms of integration and what it would involve,” added MPS UK’s sales director Nick Tyrer. However, our past collaborations with ABG, integrating the Big Foot flatbed hot foil system had gone very well, so we decided to give the customer exactly what they wanted.” Tyrer: “The whole project was a very exciting concept. Apart from being a world first, it was also going to be a very challenging technical integration that would offer web transport, tension and register questions that we had not encountered previously. Thankfully the engineering departments of both ABG and MPS were able to overcome these challenges and give Abbey Labels a machine that really challenges the conventional model when converting labels.” Abbey Labels Chairman Tom Allum: “Without MPS Systems and MPS UK working with ABG, we wouldn’t have got to where we are with this exciting new opportunity.”

The new press is part of a major investment and reorganization program undertaken by Abbey Labels, expanding its flexo department and then extending the facility in order to optimize the workflow throughout the whole operation. Tracing its roots back to 1982, Abbey Labels is East Anglia’s leading label supplier. The company works closely with businesses across the United Kingdom, from global brand owners to small artisan producers, delivering high-quality, full-colour labels printed on its fleet of flexo and digital label presses. Due to continual investments in best-in-class machinery, it has the capacity to fulfil orders of unlimited size, in high quality, with an extremely quick turnaround. Abbey Labels is committed to providing the best possible service while at the same time remaining conscious of its environmental impact.

Barry Pettit and Tom Allum with their world-first solution

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PackPlus South & PrintFair 2020 postponed to December

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the organizers of PackPlus South & PrintFair 2020 have postponed the events to December 18th to 20th. The co-located exhibitions which will take place at Hitex Exhibition Center, Hyderabad were earlier scheduled for March.

“We at PackPlus South and PrintFair want to express our concern for everyone impacted by coronavirus. Like all of you, we have carefully monitored the global health crisis related to COVID-19 coronavirus. Our top priority is the health and safety of everyone involved in PackPlus South2020 and PrintFair 2020; employees, customers and exhibitors,” states the official statement. “Due to the uncertainty in the region and around the world, and after consultation with all our stakeholders, the venue management, supporting associations, and in alignment with the advice from the Indian public health authorities regarding travel to and from impacted countries, we have taken the decision to postpone our event which was due to take place on 20-22 March in Hyderabad,” it further states. Leading up to the December event, the

organizers will serve the PackPlus and PrintFair community with customized services to the participants. They will closely monitor the situation and remain in close contact with all PackPlus South and PrintFair stakeholders in the coming weeks. The events are organized by Reed Exhibitions, a part of RELX Group, global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries.

YesGo inaugurates Bangalore Branch Expands reach with the latest Bangalore branch near industry and aspiring students of the region. Amidst Gathering of top veterans of Print & Packaging industry, YesGo, the institute for complete practical packaging premedia & prepress training with Esko software inaugurated its second branch in Bangalore on 14th March. The Bangalore branch will provide Training Sessions similar to YesGo’s already successful Noida branch. The event was graced by the presence of industry stalwarts like Gururaj Ballarwad, President, ALPS; Chetan Kothari, Director, Mangalam Creations; Vineeth Bhandari, Managing Director, Divya Impex; Raja, Managing Partner, Magnum Label; Jai Chandra, Managing Director, VeePee Graphic Solutions; Jai Prakash, Managing Director, VeePee Art Studios; and Smt Leela Peethambaram, M/o Jai Chandra & Jai Prakash, VeePee Group. Equipping the industry with essential skills through training, YesGo has marked its presence in the industry within a short span of two years. With the latest Bangalore branch, they have expanded their reach near industry and aspiring students of the region.

YesGo inaugurated its 1st Branch in Noida on 22nd February 2020 followed by inauguration of Bangalore on 14th March 2020. Like YesGo Noida, YesGo Bangalore will facilitate one-to-one training and placement requirements for Bangalore Zone. YesGo will soon be launching its next branch at Pondicherry. YesGo is a brainchild of its founder Mr. Nizam Appas, whose accolades include the latest Leadership Game Changer Award by MSME CCI – 3 February 2020. Nizam Appas is a Chennai based Gold Medallist printing technologist with more than

20 years of Global exposure and experience in Printing and Packaging Industry. The Training curriculum consists of three different levels covering entire latest packaging and prepress softwares, tools and techniques to provide highly advanced learning zone to the students. It keeps organizing seminars and workshops as well as special career guidance programmes to provide the students exposure to latest industry trends and insights to seek better future in the industry.

March-April 2020

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CPI improves food packaging production with BOBST tech Indonesian leading food company takes its flexible packaging production in-house with BOBST CI Flexo technology. What do you do when the quality of your product packaging differs from converter to converter, impacting consistency and potentially brand perception? Charoen Pokphand Indonesia (CPI), an expanding and forward-thinking food producing company, decided to open a new plant for flexible packaging to internally control the quality of the food packaging production. Bucking the trend for gravure printing in the food industry, the company has purchased a BOBST 20SEVEN CI flexo press with smartGPS and BOBSTCL 850D Laminator to help it achieve its goal. Traditionally, gravure printing technology has been widely used in the food industry for flexible packaging formats such as stand up pouches and quad seal bags and flat bottom bags. But the high print quality of CI flexo printing and developments in modern technology have meant that flexographic presses can now compete against gravure machines in this field. BOBST 20SEVEN CI – just like its close

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relation BOBST EXPERT CI – is a stateof-the-art flexo press, maximizing CI flexo process consistency. The machine delivers stable and controlled printing results and exceptional productivity with both solvent and water-based inks. The press includes a smartGPS system for registration and impression setting, meaning minimum waste of substrate and consumables at start-up and job changes. The logic is simple: if there is no need to print when setting up impression and register, there is no waste in substrate, ink, solvent, energy or machine time. In addition, since the whole process is fully automatic and not influenced by variables such as operator skill level, ink variations or the interval between repeat orders, users get the same print results every time. Charoen Pokphand Indonesia has also purchased a BOBST CL 850D Laminator, which with its ergonomic design and advanced automation features, make for very fast job make-ready and changeovers, and

optimal operational efficiency. The CL 850D can operate at high production speeds - up to 450 meters per minute - using a wide spectrum of flexible substrates, with different physical properties and different thicknesses, to produce very high quality laminates with minimal waste. “To achieve continuous growth in this expanding food industry, we think BOBST is aligned with our vision to produce an improved and environment friendly packaging,” said Junny Kumala. The machines have been installed and the local BOBST team has provided training to help users get underway and start seeing the benefits of printing in-house with a CI flexo press.

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Miraclon announces return of Global Flexo Innovation Awards Industry expert, Christopher Horton, confirmed as independent judging panel chairman.

Miraclon, home of KODAK FLEXCEL Solutions, has announced the return of the Global Flexo Innovation Awards to honour companies that are at the forefront of the transformation of the flexo industry. Christopher Horton, former senior vice president of SGS, will chair the independent international judging panel that will comprise a rich selection of flexo industry influencers, technical experts and CPGs. The inaugural Global Flexo Innovation awards, launched in 2018, received over 200 entries spanning across 26 countries. With high quality considered a pre-condition, the ‘one of a kind’ program looks beyond the print sample and recognizes innovations that deliver value across the print production value chain. Entries had to demonstrate how flexographic printing, KODAK FLEXCEL NX Technology and their own innovative approach resulted in outstanding achievements in the use of creative design, production workflow improvements, greater use of the flexo print process and commitment to sustainability.

Emma Schlotthauer, Chief Marketing Officer at Miraclon, comments: “The transformation and growth of the flexo industry is dependent on companies that grow their businesses through innovation that impacts the whole supply chain while driving an efficient, consistent and sustainable manufacturing process. The first iteration of the Global Flexo Innovation Awards proved that there are a great number of these businesses that have motivating stories to tell. The Global Flexo Innovation Awards not only celebrates these companies, it also helps bring like-minded individuals together and creates a valuable global network in pursuit of the same goals. The next round of the Awards program will further strengthen that network.”

As an Entrepreneur, Innovator, and Executive, Christopher spent the last 30 years of his working career driving exponential gains in company value for the organizations he worked with. He entered the Graphic Services space by founding Advance Printing Products, Inc. (APP) in 1988, and grew the business value to several million dollars before merging the company with Southern Graphic Systems, Inc. (SGS) in early 2001. With SGS, Christopher was instrumental in the company’s growth into a Global Graphic Services powerhouse before he retired from SGS in 2015. He remained active in Graphic Services – today providing business optimization and exit planning consulting services.

Christopher Horton, who was also on the previous Global Flexo Awards judging panel, is excited to again be part of the judging process: “It’s great to see what companies around the globe are accomplishing with flexo to differentiate themselves from competitors and bring additional value to their customers. While other awards typically focuses on quality print, the Global Flexo Innovation Awards allows the industry to showcase how they are using flexo technology to be more efficient, reduce waste and leverage environmental benefits, and execute work to a higher level to meet brand and financial needs. It is the perfect platform to showcase the transformation of flexo and the future of the flexo industry.”

The rest of the judging panel will see experts representing the complete flexo and packaging value chain. Entries for the 2021 Global Flexo Innovation Awards will open in June 2020.

March-April 2020

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Successful Label Summit Latin America 2020 concludes The 17th edition of Label Summit Latin America closed on a high note in Santiago recently. Taking place in the Chilean capital for only the second time, the two-day conference brought together 499 senior stakeholders from 21 countries, eager to share ideas and shape the future direction of the region’s label and package printing industry. The conference, hosted at Espacio Riesco Convention Center from 10-11 March, was chaired by Labels & Labeling magazine editor James Quirk, with 11 inspired conference discussions and in-depth expertled presentations taking place over the two days. The focus was firmly on printing, branding, design and wine, and sustainability was a recurrent theme. Tasha Ventimiglia, Label Summit Latin America 2020 event director, commented: “Once again, we’re delighted to bring the industry together during the latest Label Summit Latin America. Despite an ambiguous period, we were able to host a lively and extremely well-received conference, with truly inspiring speakers and fantastic educational sessions covering the most topical converter, design and sustainability issues facing the region’s label and package printing industry.” Opening the conference on day one was a presentation on climate change and its impact on the export-driven Chilean economy, given by Mariana Soto Urzúa, general manager, CENEM Chile. This led perfectly into the next session, from Javier Ibero Arimany, LATAM manager at Spanish printer EADEC Chile SA, on sustainability and the circular economy. The well-received keynote presentation was given by Askold Zimmermann, business development manager for gold sponsor GlobalQuality. space, who focused on workflow automation and transforming a converter’s operational functions. A further day one highlight was the afternoon’s Southern Cone converter panel discussion featuring a strong line-up from Germán Calvi, director, Etiketten SA; Ignacio Cortiñas, sales and operations manager, EADEC Chile SA; Jorge Garrido, director, Garino Hnos SA; and Ignacio Ramos, commercial director at converter R&R Impresores. Topics covered included digital

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printing, recruiting press operators, and staying ahead of the competition. Day two of the conference began with a session led by James Quirk, who provided an analysis of global label and packaging industry trends. Luis Arevalo, packaging engineering director, Kellogg Company, then focused on how big CPG brands can build an emotional connection with consumers through personalized design. A further highlight from day two included a session led by Hernán Braberman, partner and executive design director for Tridimage, whose “design

playlist” presentation highlighted visual elements appealing to each generation and how companies can take advantage of this. The conference closed with a second panel discussion focusing on wine label design, which highlighted sustainability and taking advantage of globalization as key to this. Leading brands represented on the panel included JVD Estudio creative director, María Jesús Vial Valdés; ValueBranding Inc director, Eduardo Wexman; CCL Labels Chile commercial director and Viña Aresti executive director, José Mingo; and Armaria

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Arquitectura y Diseño SpA designer, Carolina Lucero Requesens. Delegates also took advantage of the exclusive accompanying exposition showcasing the latest technology driving the region’s industry, with 57 exhibiting companies taking part, including ABG. Sebastián Rosero, its sales representative in Latin America, said: “The Summit was a key show for ABG, allowing us to engage with visitors on the scale of new developments in our finishing equipment and the opportunities available, particularly in increased automation and faster workflows. We had some constructive discussions with the packaging group, All4Labels Argentina, and barcode and RFID technology specialists, SATO, also based in Argentina, both of which should result in new business.”

Echoing this, Hernán Braberman said: “The latest Label Summit Latin America which took place in Chile confirmed once again that it is the main event in the region for the label and packaging industry. There I had the chance to talk with converters, suppliers of software and machinery and design agencies about future for the label and packaging industry in

Ventimiglia added: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone for taking part in Label Summit Latin America 2020. The insight shared at this event will be invaluable as our thoughts turn towards putting together our very first three-day Labelexpo in Latin America, in Mexico for next year, which replaces Label Summit Latin America 2021.

Latin America.”

We look forward to working with Label Summit speakers and exhibitors, and the wider industry, on the show.”

Flint Group’s global update on COVID-19 Given the continuing challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, Flint Group assured of the significant steps it has taken to ensure all their sites, products and services are safe. The company took following measures to protect its employees and maintain security of supply of its products. Preventive actions to protect employees – In line with its core values, Flint Group ensured that their workers have the ability to operate effectively and safely during this period of uncertainty. It implemented: • pre-entry temperature screening at major manufacturing sites; • on site hygienic work norms such as regular hand washing, use of alcoholbased hand sanitizer, health checks, increased cleaning and disinfecting measures and social distance rules; • remote work whenever possible; • most meetings have been replaced with conference calls or video conferences; and • all but essential travel has been cancelled. Preventive actions with respect to external parties (incl. visitors, truck drivers, etc.) include: • large scale events have been cancelled;

• •

only essential visitors and external parties are allowed on site; and specific safety protocols are in place for truck / goods deliveries.

Supply Chain – All teams currently remain accessible to customers and measures have been taken to maintain business continuity and ensure customers continue to receive the highest quality service without disruption. “At present, we are not experiencing any direct impacts on our material supply. The

current situation is, however, both complex and dynamic and we remain in frequent communication with our direct suppliers located in China, Europe and in other parts of the world to ensure delivery of materials as planned,” said the company in a statement. “Our global procurement team is reviewing material status daily for every region of the world and we have a weekly coronavirus global task force meeting. We will continue to work with urgent focus to gain more clarity as this situation develops.”

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Temporary activity decrease of several Bobst production sites worldwide Given the acceleration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, recent decisions of local authorities, and to support our customers and employees, Bobst Group has taken additional measures. The decision is to focus on what matters most: respect of the safety recommendations in all countries, global employees’ health prevention, and business continuity for all customers support. As a consequence, Bobst Group will put some factories at their lowest machine production level to focus on parts and services without compromising the security of our employees. The site of Bobst Lyon in France moved into its minimum production level as of 19 March. The sites of Bobst Mex and Bobst Grenchen in Switzerland entered into their minimum production levels, 20 March end of day. This measure will be valid for a minimum period of two weeks. The site of Bobst India will close until 31 March, based on government decisions. China is recovering and expected to be back to normal by mid-April. Bobst is closely monitoring its Technical Service Centers country by country to ensure the business continuity of their customers to the highest level possible. Bobst Group has stated that it has taken the necessary measures to manage this crisis and to ensure its liquidity.

LMAI postpones Digital Printing event of Mumbai In view of the epidemic Corona Virus, LMAI has decided to postpone the 2nd edition of its “DIGITAL PRINTING IN LABELS – THE WAY FORWARD”. The event was to be held in Mumbai on the 16th of March 2020. The way Corona Virus is spreading LMAI is compelled to react with compassion to their member’s concerns about health, well being and safety. The next date fixed for the event at the same venue (ITC Maratha Mumbai ) is 3rd July 2020.

Globally recognized leaders in the field of digital label printing presses will be making presentations on different technologies offered by them.

Primarily, the event is meant for the benefit of Ordinary Members of LMAI i.e. printer members only. The first edition of this highly successful program was held at ITC Welcome Hotel Chennai in December 2019.

The program is open, on first come first basis, to attend free of charge by printer members of LMAI to impart to them knowledge of different digital printing technologies largely available.

Emmanuel Bareaud appointed President Flint Group Narrow Web Flint Group announced the appointment of Emmanuel Bareaud to President Narrow Web effective 30 March 2020. This appointment will ensure strategic consistency as the organisation continues on its journey to fully commercialise their innovative and market leading offering to print and packaging converters worldwide. Emmanuel joins us with extensive adjacent industry experience having worked at AkzoNobel (and formerly ICI). Emmanuel was Director EMEA for Packaging Coatings with P&L accountability for a €280m business, employing 450 people across 5 manufacturing sites and latterly as Director NW Europe and European Key Accounts for Metal Coatings a €300m revenue business with 6 sites and 450 people. In both these roles Emmanuel demonstrated strategic clarity and commercial drive to lead a team which organically grew the business and expanded margins. In his new role, Emmanuel will succeed Guillaume Clement who will leave the business by the end of April 2020 to take a position as CEO of a private equity owned business in another industry.

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Antoine Fady, CEO of Flint Group, said: “I would like to thank Guillaume for his important contribution to our Company over the last seven years. He has developed a strong strategy, a great product range manufactured in a world-class mother plant in Trelleborg, and a team ready to meet the challenges and win in the market place. Additionally, Guillaume led the step-change in Flint Group growth with International Key Accounts and cross-divisional solutions for customers. We thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future.” Speaking about the appointment Steve Dryden COO, Flint Group, commented: “I am delighted we have secured a successor for Guillaume of the quality and experience that Emmanuel represents. Flint Narrow Web is an incredibly strong business and I look forward to working with Emmanuel and the Narrow Web team to continue the successful development of this business.”

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HP Inc. and Partners mobilize 3D Printing solutions to battle COVID‐19 Many 3D design files to be made freely available to accelerate critical parts production. HP Inc. and its global digital manufacturing community are mobilizing their 3D printing teams, technology, experience, and production capacity to help deliver critical parts in the effort to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 1000 3D printed parts have already been delivered to local hospitals. HP’s 3D R&D centers in Barcelona, Spain; Corvallis, Oregon; San Diego, California; and Vancouver, Washington are collaborating with partners around the world in a coordinated effort to increase production to meet the most urgent needs. Initial applications being validated and finalized for industrial production include face masks, face shields, mask adjusters, nasal swabs, hands-free door openers, and respirator parts. HP is also coordinating with government, health, and industry agencies in numerous countries to ensure a synchronized and effective approach. “HP and our digital manufacturing partners are working non-stop in the battle against this unprecedented virus. We are collaborating across borders and industries to identify the parts most in need, validate the designs, and begin 3D printing them,” said Enrique Lores, President and CEO, HP Inc. “Our deepest appreciation goes to our employees, partners, customers, and members of our community for their tireless efforts to support the medical professionals making a difference on the front lines.”

Hands-Free Door Opener: Door handles are among the most germ-infested objects in houses, hospitals, factories, and elderly homes. This adapter allows for easy and more sanitary opening with an elbow. This hands-free door opener has been designed by HP’s Digital Manufacturing Network partner Materialise. Mask Adjuster: Many hospital staff are required to wear masks for long periods of time. This clasp is designed to improve comfort and alleviate associated ear pain. Face Shields: Face shields are one of the highest-need personal protection items. Brackets to hold the shield and comfortably fit the wearer are a critical component. Many more applications are in the testing and validation phase and are expected to begin production soon, including:

Field Ventilator: 3D printed parts for a mechanical bag valve mask (BVM) that is designed for use as a short-term emergency ventilation of COVID-19 patients. This simplified design enables a robust and less-complex device, facilitating its rapid production and assembly. FFP3 Face Masks: Effective protective gear is needed for medical providers to treat the volume of expected COVID-19 patients. HP is validating several hospital-grade face masks and expects them to be available

shortly. One example of face mask that HP is working on has been developed by the Research Institute CIIRC CVUT in the Czech Republic.

Making many Part Designs available HP and its partners will be making the validated design files for many of the parts that do not require complex assembly freely available at its website for download. 3D designers and innovators who wish to join the battle against COVID-19 can contribute new applications and ideas at this website.

Get Parts 3D Printed Now Those who need support with application development or would like to order parts can submit their request with the company. HP’s powerful and global 3D Printing Network of Digital Manufacturing and Production Partners are stepping up to fulfill these orders and support the world’s health community.

3D Printing parts to help contain COVID-19 HP’s global network of manufacturing partners is working to ensure that the 3D printed parts are available in any region around the world. Some of the first applications being validated and produced include:

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signage printing

Massivit 3D contributes to battling the COVID-19 pandemic Massivit 3D’s unique, high-speed additive manufacturing technology allows for the supply of hundreds of face shields off each machine, every day. Massivit 3D Printing Technologies, provider of large format 3D printing solutions, has contributed to the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic by dedicating its resources and mobilizing its network to produce high quality, ergonomic PPE Face Shields. Utilizing its network of over 100 customers and distributors worldwide the equipment have been conceived and produced to address the urgent demand by medical teams caring for the victims of the pandemic. Massivit 3D’s unique, high-speed additive manufacturing technology allows for the supply of hundreds of face shields off each machine, every day. In addition to devoting all of its manufacturing resources to producing and donating thousands of face shields to medical teams at local hospitals with a less than one-day turnaround, the company has also made available to all, the optimized 3D print files of the newly developed face shields. The Massivit 3D global network of customers and distributors are also making their own Massivit 3D printers available for this effort, supplying face shields to health workers in their countries. Customers who participate in this initiative have been guaranteed a donation of printing gel by Massivit 3D.

3D printed PPE face shields now available from Massivit 3D and the company’s global network of customers and distributors.

Key Notes : > Producing high quality 3D printed PPE in record time. > Donating thousands of face shields to medical teams with a less than one-day turnaround. > Massivit 1800 3D printers have the capability to produce 200 face shields per 8 hour shift.

March-April 2020

The 3D print files (based on an original design by Art Nzo’s Twan Kerckhofs ) as well as the screen cutting file, and instructions are available for download from the Massivit 3D website at: https://massivit3d.com/

markets/massivit-3d-personal-protective-equipment/ and can be 3D printed locally on any Massivit 3D printer. Massivit 1800 3D printers have the capability to produce 200 face shields per 8 hour shift. “We became aware of the dire shortage of personal protective equipment worldwide and the urgent need to help medical teams protect themselves,” said Massivit 3D’s CEO, Erez Zimerman. “Our team is proud to be able to offer significant help during this difficult period. All our efforts are now dedicated to this cause. We are mobilizing all our resources towards the new PPE Face Shields so that our

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network of customers can help battle the COVID-19 pandemic as a united global force. We encourage and support the development of any initiative that can help eradicate this scourge with the use of Massivit 3D unique additive manufacturing technology.” In Italy, one of the countries that has so far suffered most from the Coronavirus outbreak, Massivit 3D customer, Sismaitalia, was grateful for the opportunity to take action. Managing Director, Federica Tisato, said: “Thanks to our fruitful collaboration with Massivit 3D, we are now able to produce 3D printed face shields using our Massivit 1800 and to significantly contribute to protecting

the health of our devoted health workers and fighting against the Coronavirus.” Dr. Dan Hadas of Assaf Harofeh Medical Center – one of the hospitals that has already received several batches of the face shields – expressed: “Senior doctors, interns, nurses, and intensive care staff don’t know how to adequately thank you.” Many of Massivit 3D’s customers reacted rapidly to the company’s initiative and have already started producing the face shields for their local health workers in Italy, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, the USA, Canada, Belgium, Thailand, and Australia.

Evandro Matteucci joins EFI Industry veteran Matteucci joins as VP/GM for Building Materials and Packaging. Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has named printing technology executive Evandro Matteucci vice president and general manager, Building Materials and Packaging. Matteucci, a long-time senior leader at Kodak who is starting in his new position, replaces former VP/GM José Luis Ramón Moreno, leaving to pursue other career opportunities. Matteucci has responsibility for the Almassora (Castellón), Spain-based EFI Building Materials and Packaging business, which manufactures a portfolio of award-winning solutions, including the single-pass inkjet corrugated board and ceramic products – the EFI Nozomi C18000 direct-to-board printer and EFI Cretaprint tile decoration printers. Matteucci’s role also includes directing operations for EFI’s new, award-winning Cubik line of single-pass printers for wood, concrete and polymer materials. In addition, he will manage the Almassora facility’s development and commercialization of highquality single-pass inkjet solutions in new and adjacent markets. “I would like to thank José Luis for his dedication and contributions to EFI and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said EFI Chairman and CEO Jeff Jacobson. “I am also very pleased to welcome Evandro into his new role, where he will deliver sound, customer-focused management advantages that reflect his extensive print

technology expertise. I know he will make a significant impact as we continue to bring more productivity, value and innovation to the markets we serve.” Matteucci’s international career spans more than 25 years in the printing industry in sales, marketing and general management roles. Most recently, he was global VP for Marketing, Business Development and Product Management in the Kodak Print Systems Division. Matteucci, who first joined Kodak in 2005, has also served as Kodak Print Systems’ regional VP and GM for the Asia Pacific, Middle East/Africa and Latin America regions. Prior to that, he was Kodak’s APAC regional VP and GM for prepress solutions and workflow software. He has also served as Kodak’s EMEA-region VP of Marketing as well as regional VP and GM for Kodak’s prepress operations in EMEA. Prior to working for Kodak, Matteucci held a regional leadership position with Kodak Polychrome Graphics, a joint venture between Kodak and Sun Chemical. Throughout these positions, he has gained significant expertise in digital print hardware, software and workflow, with keen insights on successful tech development and real-world implementations that help users profitably grow their businesses. Matteucci’s path in print began in his native Brazil at SENAI-SP Theobaldo de Nigris, where he obtained a Graphics Arts

Technician degree. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Marketing and an MBA in Brazil as well. Matteucci also holds an Advanced Management Program degree from IPADE in Mexico City and, most recently, completed Harvard Business School’s General Management Program. “EFI is in a very exciting phase right now, and I am pleased to participate in the groundbreaking work taking place to make it an even more innovative company,” said Matteucci. “EFI’s Nozomi and Cretaprint solutions have had unparalleled impact driving the analog-to-digital transformation, and I am dedicated to continuing that momentum by helping customers capture new opportunities.”

March-April 2020

signage printing

Mimaki introduces high-quality signs and graphics printer UJV100-160 The new 3DGD-1800 3D printer connects the company’s 2D printing expertise and 3D technology innovations. Mimaki Engineering recently released its new UJV100-160 roll-to-roll UV-curable inkjet printer available to sign makers in countries outside of the EU. This latest addition is designed for high quality printing and maximum productivity and features two newly developed printheads and the new DAS (Dot Adjustment System). DAS automates conventional dot placement (dot position and feeding correction) for maximum image quality, saving operators time and reducing manual errors.

Mimaki recently announced the launch of its 3DGD-1800 3D printer, facilitating large-scale production up to three times faster than with conventional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) type 3D printers.

Key Notes : > New roll-to-roll UVcurable inkjet printer developed for and available in non-EU countries. > Mimaki holds ‘Virtual Print Festival’ in the stead of postponed FESPA 2020. > Mimaki expands portfolio with largescale 3D Printer.

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Printing at a maximum of 23m2/h, the highspeed UJV100-160 also utilises VOC (Volatile Organic Chemicals)-free UV-curable ink for even greater productivity. Not only is this ink a more environmentally conscious choice for the production floor, it is cured instantly after printing, eliminating the drying time that water-based or solvent ink requires. Post-processing and sign application are therefore possible immediately after printing, reducing production time and enabling printers to deliver products to short deadlines. In addition, UV-curable ink supports a wide range of commercially available media, including PVC, tarpaulin and paper with no acceptance layer, PET film, and fabric, contributing to associated substrate cost efficiencies and an increased variety of application possibilities. High value products such as two-layer print, in which white ink is used for transparent PET film, and varnish print using clear ink, can also be handled with the UJV100-160, further increasing the variety of creative applications achievable with this system. Other features that ensure the UJV100-160 meets the same high-standards for print quality and reliability, which Mimaki’s solutions are known for, are the NCU (Nozzle Check Unit) for missing nozzle detection and auto cleaning and NRS (Nozzle Recovery System) – a function that automatically replaces defective nozzles, or if there is a problem left unsolved by the

nozzle cleaning – ensuring uninterrupted printing and stable image quality. MAPS4 (Mimaki Advanced Pass System) prints pass boundaries in gradation to reduce banding, uneven colour, and glossy streaks. “Printers asking themselves how they can diversify their product offering or enter new markets with a wider variety of applications will find the answer to these questions in the UJV100-160,” explains Ronald van den Broek, General Manager Sales EMEA, Mimaki Europe. “The applications achievable with this technology include posters, POP, soft signage, stickers, window decoration, to name a few, and the array of substrates this solution can handle does not compromise the quality of the printed output or the system’s high productivity. It’s truly a versatile solution that will enable users to grow their businesses and increase their profitability.”

Innovative virtual event to inspire, inform and engage with customers and prospects Mimaki hosted an interactive, online event, dubbed The Mimaki Virtual Print Festival, designed to provide customers and prospects with a unique combination of information, product demonstrations, competitions and networking opportunities. The event comprised a series of group webinars and individual virtual meetings, starting the 24th March 2020, the same date that FESPA 2020 was originally scheduled to open its doors, with Mimaki revealing new features and content every week until the end of April. Replicating its original FESPA 2020 line-up, Mimaki provided the participants with a virtual experience that had as many of the benefits of the original event as possible. To achieve this, the company offered customers, partners and prospects the opportunity to participate in product demonstrations, virtual FESPA 2020 stand tours, individual meetings to discuss specific business requirements and technology

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questions and live, knowledge-sharing sessions with FESPA executives. Everything from signage, graphics, textiles, direct-toshape, 3D print and more was discussed, with Mimaki encouraging an open dialogue with its industry peers from all market sectors. Danna Drion, Senior Marketing Manager EMEA, Mimaki Europe, comments: “Mimaki is fully supportive of FESPA’s considered decision to postpone its event and we look forward to participating in the rescheduled event once new dates are confirmed. While we cannot recreate the full experience of attending a FESPA event, we want to ensure that our customers and prospects still have access to as much of the latest product information and educational resources that we intended to share at FESPA 2020 as possible. The Virtual Print Festival allows us to offer the industry exactly that, enabling a host of different virtual interactions designed to inspire, engage and excite our customers and prospects as they see the range of applications and business opportunities enabled by Mimaki’s latest solutions.” Mimaki and FESPA collaborated to present webinars on the current trends, address market challenges and present the latest business opportunities within the print industry. Short video demonstrations, showcasing the full benefits and capabilities of Mimaki’s latest technologies were scheduled regularly throughout the event. Headlining the video series was the versatile Tx300P-1800 MkII, which offers both directto-textile and transfer printing. Mimaki provided participants an opportunity for 1:1 meeting during the event to speak with an experienced Mimaki representative to gain a more thorough, tailored insight into Mimaki technologies or discuss individual business needs. For those who had a oneoff question or were unable to attend a full briefing, Mimaki experts from every field were available to speak over a live chat during the first week of the event (24th March to 27th March). Earlier FESPA had decided to postpone FESPA Global Print Expo 2020, European Sign Expo 2020 and Sportswear Pro 2020 in light of the rapidly evolving situation regarding COVID-19 in mainland Europe.

Offering total 2D and 3D printing solution for Sign market New Mimaki 3DGD-1800 3D printer boasts ground-breaking production speeds and transforms production of large-sized objects, opening up a wide range of new possible applications across industries from sign and display to manufacturing. Mimaki recently announced the launch of its 3DGD-1800 3D printer, facilitating large-scale production up to three times faster than with conventional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) type 3D printers. The Mimaki 3DGD1800 3D printer connects the company’s 2D printing expertise and 3D technology innovations, providing customers with a cost-effective, total solution for 3D sign and display applications. Capable of producing objects up to 1.8 metres tall in just seven hours – with its assembly-based design allowing for the creation of even larger designs – the innovative 3D printing system boasts a number of clever time- and cost- saving features, including dual-head configuration to enable the simultaneous output of two structures. The Mimaki 3DGD-1800 also facilitates the production of support-free hollowed structures, further streamlining production whilst allowing for increased portability and the possible addition of interior illuminations. The technology will open up a diverse range of potential applications, from signage, events and creative art through to interior design. Customers can utilise Mimaki’s extensive portfolio of 2D print solutions to cost-effectively decorate these applications, opening doors to a range of new products that combine creativity and innovation with Mimaki’s tried and tested vibrant, high-quality results. “Part of what makes our approach unique here at Mimaki is our dedication to being a Total Solutions Provider, and as such we have ensured that even beyond the 3D printing stage, our Mimaki inkjet printers can then be utilised to add colour and décor, making created objects even more impressive and immensely versatile,” comments Bert Benckhuysen, Senior Product Manager at Mimaki Europe. “With our unique vision, wealth of experience from across the print industry and unwavering commitment to innovation, we intend to lead the sign graphics industry in both two- and threedimensional signages – and the introduction

of the new Mimaki 3DGD-1800 is a fantastic step forward in achieving this goal.” Commercially available from April 1, 2020, the new Mimaki 3DGD-1800 is set to revolutionise the way in which large-sized objects are created, enabling a switch from costly and time-consuming conventional handcrafting methods which require significant expertise, to effortless, high-speed production utilising 3D data. Whereas large objects have traditionally been produced by manually sculpting foam materials, Mimaki’s new 3D printing system transforms this process right through from concept to manufacture – meaning that designs can be visualised as a finished product just based on the 3D data, and then produced in various sizes from a single data set. Contrary to other 3D printing methods involving hot-melt lamination, the 3DGD-1800 employs Gel Dispensing Printing technology, extruding gel-type UV curable resin lineally and utilising LED UV light to instantly cure the resin, enabling lamination speeds of up to 350mm in height per hour. The 3DGD-1800 3D printer is expected to present sign makers with new opportunities across a number of diverse sectors, with the potential to easily create life-sized displays, event decorations, movie props, large product mock-ups and more – as well as quickly and efficiently producing industrial production parts such as moulds for vacuum forming, helping manufacturers to reduce their lead times. “We are very excited to be able to bring such a transformative product to market,” continues Benckhuysen. “With unprecedented modelling speeds and the possibility to create enormous objects even beyond the sizeable formation area, the 3DGD-1800 represents a real transformation in large-sized production. Combined with the superior quality that we have become known for here at Mimaki, the potential impact of this new 3D printer is tremendous – particularly for the sign and display market but also far beyond that. The opportunities are boundless.”

March-April 2020

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Screen Print India 2020 Mumbai edition postponed In view of restrictions on international travel due to visa suspensions, limitation in movement and the blanket ban issued on events by local authorities to curb the spread of Covid-19, the Indian subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt has taken a pre- emptive decision of postponing the 15th edition of Screen Print India 2020 scheduled to be held from 24-26 April 2020. With a large international contingent slated to participate at the upcoming fair in April, the travel restrictions put in place by governments and local authorities across the world make it difficult for the exhibition to take place as normal. The postponement decision has been welcomed by exhibitors given the current market volatility and travel curbs which will affect regular business.

Delhi edition which will be co-located with Gartex Texprocess, is schedule to be held

from 21 - 23 August 2020 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

The new dates will be announced in the coming weeks, after assessing the global scenario and consultations with the fairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international and local supporting associations. The launch edition of Screen Print India -

Events Calendar Due to COVID-19 crisis, major events have been put off with either no immediate dates announced or are subject to change. drupa 2020 will now take place in April 2021. We shall keep you informed duly.

March-April 2020

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