Show Preview - Labelexpo Americas 2014

Labelexpo Americas 2014

Labelexpo Americas, Northand South America's major label and narrow web printing and converting show, opens its doors at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Chicago, on 9-11 September 2014

Marking its 25 anniversary with an enlarged focus on package printing and the brand-owner, Labelexpo Americas, the largest label and narrow web converting industry show serving the North and South American markets, will cover more than 194,000ft2 - up from 185,000ft2 in 2012. The show will host more than 400 exhibitors including 62 attending for the first time.

In addition to the conference programme, the event will also include several new feature areas. The Package Printing Workshop will show label printers how to diversify into folding cartons and flexible packaging, while the Inkjet Trail will put some of the available inkjet technologies under the spotlight and compare their results when producing identical label designs on the same labelstocks. Other new initiatives include Smart Mart, where the latest smart and interactive label technology will be displayed, and the brand-owners' master class, with industry experts Mike Fairley and Mike Ferrari.

Among the new products from AB Graphic International (booth 3226) the Digicon 3 will be unveiled, with features including flat-bed hotfoiling, flexo printing, overlaminating and a newly designed flat-bed UV screen printing unit capable of delivering outstanding production speeds. The new machine is available in a versatile left to right or right to left format. The maximum web width has been increased to 350mm, as well as the maximum unwind and rewind rolls to 800mm diameter. One major design change has been to integrate all of the electrical controls and components, negating the need for an external cabinet and greatly reducing the footprint to free up space on the factory floor. Also new for the US market is the Digilase laser label cutting system equipped with unwind, self-wound/carrier rewind, rewind web advance, barcode job changes for I-Score and auto-slit for non-stop production capability. The new Omega SRI label inspection rewinder will also be introduced.

Avery Dennison will showcase more than 15 innovations, including: CleanFlake, an expansion in the range of material designed to advance the recycling of PET containers - which now includes Roll-Fed Sleeve constructions that provide excellent clarity, on-bottle coverage and better yields of PET materials at recyclers. Select Solutions Collection, a comprehensive offering of 17 application-specific portfolios offering 300 possible Mix & Match constructions, all suited to meet "the most unique labelling needs". This collection currently includes 427 products, with lead times of four days or less and low minimum order quantities. Technical Solutions Leaders are available to help converters understand and solve their customers' needs, with the quick and easy Engineered Solutions process. ClearCut S7450, a premium adhesive for labels of wine and spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, offers a wet-out performance that allows for effective bonding between the film and the bottle's surface, even with a high degree of surface imperfections. Paired with MDO film for enhanced conformability ClearCut technology is said to reduce adhesive ooze significantly and increase productivity. Booth 119.

Davis-Standard's Liquid Coating Group exhibit (booth 1041) includes a new curtain slide coater, 5-roll silicone coater and the dsX Flex-Pack extrusion coating line. The new curtain slide coater applies a single layer coating at up to 2,800ft/min with expansion capabilities up to two additional layers. The new 5-roll silicone coater also offers impressive rates, capable of applying 100% silicone at 2,400ft/min. It is constructed of stainless steel for ease of cleanup and includes a state-of-the-art mist removal system. For cost-sensitive flexible packaging applications, Davis-Standard recently introduced the dsX Flex-Pack extrusion coating line. This pre-configured line is engineered with proven components and an adaptable machine configuration, making it ideal for converters, printing companies, multinational companies and startups.

In booth 3523, Delta Industrial Services will feature its recently released embossing and hotfoil stamping module. This system enables the converter to diecut and emboss and/or hotfoil stamp in one pass of the machine, saving time and materials. Delta offers engineering expertise in developing and building manufacturing solutions for labels, tags, RFID, security and a variety of complex medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. At Labelexpo Americas, the company will demonstrate finishing coating, semi-rotary cutting, slitting, hot stamping, embossing and laser die cutting. Delta will also participate in the Package Printing Workshop, where it will demonstrate a medical converting and heatseal packaging solution. This custom designed system is a testament to Delta's modular designs and integration capabilities. The process demonstration will showcase servo driven registration and re-registration technology.

Significant new enhancements to FFEI's Graphium hybrid digital UV inkjet press will be demonstrated with partner company Fujifilm in booth, 5621. The Graphium's new over white capability is set to further extend the different applications a digital UV inkjet press can be used for. Adding an over white print capability increases the overall flexibility of what can be produced and "dramatically increases" the potential opacity when used with the Graphium under white. This new capability provides converters with a host of additional ways to enhance the overall look and feel of their labels. In addition to the over white, FFEI enhancements include the capability to now support substrates of 40-600 micron, allowing the thinnest liners to heavy duty vinyl to be used. Furthermore, to ensure clients' quality expectations can be easily defined and their colour requirements met regardless of when the job is reprinted, the Graphium is said to be capable of printing to an ISO 12647-2:2204 standard. The complete system will include pre and postdigital flexo stations, a coldfoiling station and diecutter.

In booth 1824, Goss International will illustrate how its Sunday Vpak press technology can deliver a compelling proposition for high quality label and flexible packaging applications. Goss International director of product management for packaging presses, Peter Walczak, explains: "Our web offset solution can turn marginal short run jobs into sustainable, profitable ones, with the advantage of plate and imaging costs that are a fraction of those associated with flexo and gravure. Web offset also ensures far greater flexibility and control, and allows converters to offer their customers later artwork deadlines." Precision Press (USA) installed the first Vpak 500 press system for label and flexible packaging applications last year and Goss has since shipped the wider format Vpak 3000 press to an undisclosed customer for board printing. Vpak 500 and Vpak 3000 web offset press models for folding carton, flexible packaging, preprint and label applications are available in web widths from 520-1,905mm and print at speeds of up to 457m/min.
GSE Dispensing presents its latest, automated, lean ink management solution for small ink batches in booth 558. The Colorsat Switch is said to ensure fast, precise and waste-free dispensing spot colour on demand. The Colorsat Switch is engineered to dispense water based, UV-curing or solvent-based ink batches into 1.3 gallon buckets with a typical four-component recipe of 11 lb produced in less than four minutes and to 0.01 lb accuracy. It has a modular design that has a capacity of 20 base inks of 55 lb, or can optionally be connected to 55 or 275gal totes. Benefits include easy exchange of buckets with base components and fast dispensing of exact quantities of ink for each individual job, eliminating operator error and ink overproduction or shortfalls. GSE also offers gravimetric dispensing units for quantities up to 1,300lb and a maximum of 32 different components.

In booth 1437, linerless labelling specialist Ravenwood Packaging will demonstrate its coating and application machines. An audio-visual 'expo-wall' will run 'live' big screen footage of the Comac 500 coating machines in action at speeds of up to 95m/min, taking printed master reels and making them ready for use on the company's Nobac applicators - two of which will also be featured at the show. The Nobac 125 applicator is said to be bringing linerless labelling to the mass market; and the Nobac 500 Sleever applies sleeves in five formats, varying from C-wrap and full wrap, to packs for chilled foods and convenience meals at up to 180 packs/min. Ravenwood recently launched two 'slideable' linerless labels made from thicker materials up to 300g/m2. Applied automatically by Nobac 500 applicators, unlike conventional linerless labels they slide on the pack so that consumers can view the product inside. The 'slideable' labels offer the advantages of lightweighting and automation. Also new is 'skin pack' labelling that can also be produced by Nobac labellers.

In booth 530, SPGPrints is to showcase its DSI digital UV inkjet technology, new low migration inks, computer-to-plate and computer-to-screen imaging, and rotary screen printing technology for labels and packaging. The modular DSI digital UV inkjet printer offers a productive solution for short run, variable data and personalised labels "thanks to its high specification, low ownership cost and high definition reproduction". Offering production speeds of up to 700m²/hour and available in widths from 135-530mm, the system is a competitive alternative to flexo for production runs of up to 5,000 linear metres "and sometimes beyond". The printing platform, with CMYK as standard, can be built or latterly extended with up to six more printheads. Options are orange and violet to make 90% of the colour gamut achievable, digital white with 'screen-look' opacity and digital primer to maximise substrate compatibility, while minimising waste. An ink innovation highlight is a new range of low migration inks, about which more will be revealed in the run-up to the show.

www.labelexpo-americas.com
www.abgint.com
www.averydennison.com.
www.davis-standard.com
www.deltamodtech.com
www.ffei.co.uk.
www.goosinternational.com
www.ravenwood.co.uk
www.spgprints.com

ENDS