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  • Mark Andy reports global success with the new 2200
    Mark Andy has reported success with its redesigned model 2200 press, which features servo technology. The company states that it has sold more than 25 of the redesigned presses since the product launch in late 2007. Five have been sold in Europe, the others in Asia and the Americas.

    Each section of the 2200 press is independently servo driven: infeed, print and converting stations, and rewind. The company reports that with fewer gears involved, both vibration and noise are reduced, as is general wear and tear. Also, reduced material waste and lower maintenance costs provide a rapid return on investment, the company says.

    Optional features of the redesigned 2200 include fully automatic register control for higher print quality, and remote diagnostics allowing for direct access to Mark Andy technical support, thereby reducing downtime.

    “The 2200 offers customers improved quality and increased productivity across a variety of applications and further enhances our extensive and unique range of flexo presses,” said Jeff Feltz, director of product development, “The positive response from converters has been overwhelming.”

    The updated 2200 series is available with 254mm (10”), 330mm (13”), or 532mm (17”) web widths, and has a top speed of 230 m/min (750 fpm).



  • Standard Register reports first quarter 2008 financial results
    Standard Register (NYSE: SR) has reported its financial results for the first quarter ending March 30, 2008.

    The company’s net income for the first quarter was US$2.5 million or US$0.09 per share, compared to a net loss of $0.8 million or $0.03 per share in the prior year. First quarter revenue was $207.2 million versus $227.4 million in 2007.

    “Despite the lower revenue, our operating earnings improved in the quarter and we had very strong cash flow,” said Dennis Rediker, president and CEO of Standard Register.

    Operating income before pension loss amortization, restructuring, and impairment was $10.4 million for the quarter, up 10.6 percent compared to the $9.4 million result a year earlier.

    Net cash flow was a positive $9.7 million in the quarter, after funding $5.0 million in pension contributions, $3.2 million in capital expenditures, and $6.7 million in dividends. Net debt ended the quarter at $41.6 million, representing just 26.5 percent of total capital. The company has generated $9.3 million in positive net cash flow over the trailing four quarters.

    Standard Register reported that about a third of the revenue decline was from a single customer, who ended purchases after the first quarter of 2007. The balance of the business was off 6.0 percent. “The economy definitely played a role in our manufacturing market, where we saw decreased units. The impetus for our customers to continue to aggressively pursue cost reductions was to some degree also likely reinforced by economic conditions,” said Rediker.

    The company’s mid-year 2007 cost reduction plan contributed significantly to the improved operating performance. This was evident in the percentage gross margin, which remained nearly identical to last year despite the lower revenue. In addition, SG&A expenses were $8.0 million lower in the quarter, excluding the pension loss amortization.

    The company also announced a benefit freeze to its pension plan participants, which comprise about one-third of its employees. Affected employees will become eligible for enhanced 401K benefits in line with other employees that do not participate in the traditional pension plan.



  • Clemson receives peristaltic ink pumps from Graymills
    To continue its support of education in the field of flexography, Graymills Corporation, Chicago, IL, USA, a manufacturer of flexo and gravure ink pumping, filtering, and conditioning systems for converters and press builders, has donated six of its “Quick Change” peristaltic ink pumps to Clemson University’s flexography program.

    Jay Sperry, of the Sonoco Institute at Clemson University, commented on the pumps’ performance, saying “The pumps worked extremely well, and greatly assisted ink maintenance and changeover speed.”



  • STA Industries implements green manufacturing processes
    Sekisui TA Industries, Brea, CA, USA, a manufacturer of overlamination and acrylic pressure sensitive products, has released information and descriptions of its ongoing activities that have been implemented in order to achieve sustainability.

    The company reports a 66 percent reduction in landfill waste in 2007 when compared to the previous year. Also, STA states that it ensures low volatile organic compounds in its manufacturing processes.

    Additionally, STA reports its promotion of a variety of recycling processes throughout all phases of operation. The company says its recycled materials include water, batteries, plastic, metals, inks, pallets, and packaging materials.

    Sekisui TA Industries, a subsidiary of Sekisui Chemical Company of Japan, is an ISO 14001:2004 certified company.



  • GIDUE donates flexo press to the Graphic School of Verona
    Cooperation between GIDUE, of Turate, Italy, and the Graphic School of “San Zeno” in Verona, has successfully begun with GIDUE’s donation of a brand new flexo press.

    Federico d’Annunzio, president of GIDUE, and Tiziano Zanotti, director of the Graphic School in Verona, have signed an agreement aimed at supporting the project development and the educational activities of the school. The first phase of the new partnership was successfully completed with the donation and installation of a new narrow web flexo printing machine by GIDUE. The unit, a Quadra, 370mm width, was installed in the printing department of the school for the production of self-adhesive labels with UV inks.

    The four-color press is equipped with a UV curing system by IST.

    The agreement between the parties includes other activities to be performed in the following months, including training by the GIDUE technical and printing team, which will be focused on the technical and technological aspects of offset, gravure and flexo printing processes; the selection of two students to support GIDUE technicians during the live demonstrations to take place at Drupa 2008; and the selection of two new graduates who will be offered a 6-month stage with the company in Turate, during which they will support the company as printing technicians. In addition, the printing department of the school will act as a demo center for GIDUE customers.





  • Sun Chemical president to keynote Radius Solutions’ North America Users Confe...
    Radius Solutions announced that Richard Pettifor, president of Sun Chemical’s North America Packaging Ink division will keynote at its 2008 North America Users Conference, to be held June 11-13 at Hotel Sax in downtown Chicago, IL, USA.

    This year’s conference will follow last year’s format of featuring an executive track on day one. This track will include a keynote presentation from Pettifor addressing globalization in packaging and a general session from the CEO of Radius Solutions providing a company update. A consulting expert will address how to apply Lean principles to front and back office operations, and Radius Solutions will present the latest information on PECAS Vision plans, as well as Services and Support updates.  

    New to the agenda this year will be round table sessions on the first day. These sessions will cover key functional areas of the PECAS Vision application. Also added are extra networking opportunities for PECAS Vision users to connect with one another.

    The second day of the conference will feature client led sessions and Radius Solutions’ consultant led technical and operational breakout sessions. These sessions will provide opportunities for education and sharing best practices for the PECAS Vision application and its underlying technology. Areas such as Business Intelligence, Shop Floor Data Collection and Forecasting will be covered in detail. The final day of the conference will be in depth Master Training classes led by Radius Solutions experts covering Scheduling, Estimating, Outsource Manager and some of the new modules of the PECAS Vision application.

    The North America Users Conference is specifically designed to help clients maximize the value of their investment in Radius Solutions. “We had excellent feedback about the very high quality event we held last year for our customers, and we expect this year’s event to be even better. We will have more attendees, more sessions and more networking opportunities for sharing important information”, said David Taylor, President and CEO of Radius Solutions.
     



  • Ashland adhesive science solves ‘latex blushing’ problem
    Advancements in adhesive technology from Ashland Specialty Polymers and Adhesives, a business group of Ashland Performance Materials, Dublin, OH, USA, a division of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), led to a discovery that solved a problem called latex blushing. This whitening effect, associated with clear labels, results from minute water pockets that form in the gaps left between the adhesive particles that are used to adhere the label. Once in the ice, trapped water refracts light, causing the area behind the label to look milky.
          
    Ashland scientists recognized that by reducing the adhesive particle size the gaps also would be reduced. By making the pockets smaller and utilizing an agent that reduces water sensitivity, latex with good blush resistance was developed. The new adhesive eliminates the whitening effect of latex when exposed to water because light is no longer refracted at a visible frequency.

    “Ashland's advances in water blush resistance provided a step toward chemistry with a more favorable environmental profile to be used in place of traditional solvent-based products, which tend to release volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere,” says Scott Harvey, a research fellow for Ashland Performance Materials. “By using a water based adhesive we are reducing the potential for negative impact on the environment.”

    A research paper entitled, “Aspects of Latex Particle Size Control for Improved Water Blush Resistance,” was presented and written by Harvey and co-authored by Gary Carlson, principal development chemist for Ashland Performance Materials, at The Philadelphia Society Symposium on May 6, in Horsham, PA, USA. The paper was one of 12 technical papers presented during the symposium.      
     
     



  • Omet’s X-Flex wins FTA Technical Innovation Award
    The X-Flex narrow web press manufactured by Omet was recognized this week by the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), which presented the Italian company with its coveted Technical Innovation Award. The prize was announced at the annual FTA Forum, held this year in Dallas, TX, USA.

    “The X-Flex represents new levels of automation and waste reduction,” said the FTA in announcing the award. “It’s touted as having one of the most stable print platforms; as well as superior changeover times, and unsurpassed user friendliness. This is achieved by combining components and functions. Perhaps its most easily noted feature is the web path. With only 5.5ft. of web per print station, the X-Flex boasts the shortest web path of any flexo press on the market today.”

    Angelo Bartesaghi, president of Omet, expressed his pride upon learning of the award. “We appreciate this award. Because this is a technical award, with points given solely for technological achievement, it is that much more of an honor, and I want to thank my collaborators for their efforts. Together we have attained our goal.”

    According to Steve Leiben of Matik North America, which represents Omet, “One key feature of the press is a uniquely engineered print station that combines the impression cylinder and the chill roll. This is the core source of the abbreviated web path. It’s also a critical factor in the press’s ability to average only 98 feet of startup waste on an eight-station machine.”

    The FTA also named Howard B. Vreeland Jr., chief operating officer of Anderson & Vreeland Inc., to its Hall of Fame. Vreeland is the 46th inductee since the association began 50 years ago.

    Vreeland oversees operations at an 112,000 square foot design, engineering and manufacturing facility in Bryan, OH, USA, where he and the team offer customers a “systems approach” to flexo platemaking, with plate processors, materials and electronic prepress equipment.

  • Rotoworx spins off as separate converting equipment firm
    Rotoworx Systems Inc., a manufacturer of converting equipment, has been spun off from its former parent company, PAT Technology Systems. Both firms are based in Montreal, ON, Canada. President of the company is Sylvain Lafreniere; Andre Beaudoin is the national sales manager.

    Rotoworx is a manufacturer of modular converting equipment – semi-rotary re-registration diecutting, RFID diecutters, diecutters for the expanded content label market, and more.

    “We are providing narrow web label converters with cutting edge, lean technology in semi-rotary re-registration diecutting and converting at an extremely competitive price mark,” says Beaudoin. “Rotoworx equipment is totally modular: If you acquire the machine to perform one function and you wish to add functions later, you can buy and install additional modules necessary to perform other tasks. Your original investment never goes away; it is enhanced.”

    Beaudoin adds that each Rotoworx machine contains a patented tensioning system called Isotension. “Isotension is incorporated into every module, so that tension is either tweaked or maintained as a constant throughout the entire run. It gives the operator total control over tension, without inhibiting performance,” he says. The equipment also incudes remote diagnostics, allowing the manufacturer to examine and operate the machine without a service call.

    Rotoworx has a US sales office in New Milford, CT. For more information, contact Andre Beaudoin at 860-355-2010 or abeaudoin@rotoworx.com.

  • Packaging industry report cites record activities for 2007
    “The packaging M&A market had a record year in 2007 despite the market challenges in the latter part of the year,” says Doug Lawson, managing director and head of BMO Capital Markets’ packaging practice. BMO Capital Markets, the investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group, has released its latest report: Mergers & Acquisitions in the Packaging Industry: Annual Deal Review.

    The report provides a comprehensive review of M&A activity in the global packaging industry in 2007. It examines M&A activity by packaging sector, by strategic and financial acquirers, by geography and transaction valuations.

    “For much of 2007, there existed very favorable conditions for M&A, including a strong economy and favorable credit markets,” Lawson says. ‘These factors, combined with healthy balance sheets, significant availability of private equity capital and a strong rationale for continued consolidation, drove the record M&A levels in the packaging sector.”

    Lawson adds that deal flow slowed in the latter part of 2007 and is down in the first two months of 2008 versus the prior year. “There continues to be interest in the sector, however, and a strong rationale for continued consolidation remains.”

    Highlights of the report include:

    • The number of transactions in the packaging industry continued to increase to 386 deals, representing a 10 percent increase year-over-year from 351 deals in 2006. The number of deals had not been as high since 2000, when there where 385 transactions.

    • Aggregate packaging value reached US$32.6 billion for the 137 transactions with reported values.

    • The median reported packaging transaction value was US$35.3 million in 2007. This represents a significant increase over the median value in 2006 of $21 million. In addition, nine of the 10 largest reported deals exceeded US$1 billion in Enterprise Value versus only two of the 10 largest reported deals in 2006.

    • Strategic and private equity acquirers (including their portfolio companies) were all active in the packaging industry in 2007, accounting for 66 per cent and 34 per cent of transactions, respectively. Overall, public companies account for the greatest proportion (34 per cent) of packaging acquisitions.

    • In 2007, strategic acquirers increasingly looked outside of the US and Europe for acquisitions as only 64 percent of target companies were located in North America or Europe in 2007, versus 74 percent in 2006.

    • In 2007, the number of deals in the packaging industry was relatively evenly dispersed between the rigid packaging sector (27 percent), flexible packaging (26 percent), and paperboard packaging (22 percent). The remainder of activity was split between the label, machinery, and other packaging sectors.

  • GSI wins printed electronics award
    GSI Technologies, Burr Ridge, IL, USA, a producer of industrial graphics products and printed electronics components, has been honored with the Best Commercialization Award from IDTechEX Printed Electronics Europe.

    More than 600 delegates from 28 countries were present at the IDTechEX event recently in Dresden, Germany. The Printed Electronics Awards were established to recognize excellence in business achievement, innovation and success. The judges were looking for companies that had created a successful business selling printed electronics products.

    GSI Technologies is a manufacturer of a variety of functional printed products, including medical devices, smart card inlays, printed displays, EL lamps and antennae. Its largest printed electronic product line is a biomedical sensor with a production volume greater than 1 billion units per year and a percentage yield of >99.5 percent, monitored with real-time SPC and 100 percent automated visual inspection.

    Adam Laubach, CTO and GM of the Functional Printing division, accepted the award on behalf of GSI. “I am proud to accept this award on behalf of our customers who brought us the opportunities and entrusted us to deliver their development and production needs; our engineers and production personnel; and our investors who supported the vision. This success is an example of our ‘Lab to Fab’ model that GSI has been practicing in functional printing for the last 10 years.”

    Jack Kraemer, President and CFO stated, “We are proud of our collective manufacturing results to date and continue to focus our company resources in the exciting printed electronics market.”

    GSI Technologies was founded in 1985 as Graphic Solutions International by siblings Suzanne and Bob Zaccone. Through the years, it expanded into printing pressure sensitive labels, aluminum nameplates, polycarbonate panels, and conductive printed products for the medical market.

    Later, it began producing RFID antennas, medical electrodes, smart cards, RFID systems, and electroluminescent lamps and printed displays.  Since 2005, it has been a part of Thrall Enterprises, a family owned holding company with corporate offices in Chicago.


  • Penmar adds recyclable labels to product line
    Penmar Industries, a label converter based in Norwalk, CT, USA, has added a full line of FSC certified, 100 percent Post Consumer Recyclable labels to its array of specialty adhesive label and tape product solutions. The Recylabel brand is designed for laser and inkjet printers, copiers and digital offset printing.

     “This new product can have a tremendous impact on the green initiatives of corporations and manufacturers and their customers,” says Tony Soegaard, Penmar’s president.  “Reducing your carbon footprint, whether as an individual or a company, is an environmental goal that all of us should be pursuing.”

    Recylabels are made from 100 percent recyclable face stock and 100 percent recyclable adhesive. They are made from Clean Edge Technology, manufactured using a process that eliminates the adhesive around the edge of the label sheet. This means no adhesive bleed that can contaminate a laser printer, eliminating adhesive mess and waste.

  • Harpers named to technical hall of fame
    Ron and Katherine Harper, founders of anilox supplier Harper Corporation of America, have been inducted into the National Technical Honor Society Hall of Fame for Educational Excellence. The induction is concurrent with the couple’s winning of the Silver Star Award, which is presented jointly by the American Technical Education Association (ATEA) and the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS), and recognizes exceptional support and commitment to advancing postsecondary technical education.

    “The sheer volume of what Ron and Katherine Harper have done to further technical education is astonishing,” said Betty Krump, executive director of the American Technical Education Association. “Their foresight is amazing, and their philanthropy in talent and funding is incredibly generous.”
  • Phoenix Challenge competition crowns 2008 winners
    Two and a half days of competition culminated in victories for the Canadian competitors at the 11th Annual International Phoenix Challenge Flexo Skills Competition, when the team of Hannah Plavnick and Jyoti Brar of Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School in Mississauga, ON, Canada, won first place.

    The pair of high school students each received a $1,000 scholarship and the Phoenix Challenge Gold medallion. They were also presented with the Harper Flexo Cup to display at their school. It is the third time in four years that Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School has the honor of displaying the cup, signifying the home of the current Phoenix Challenge champions.

    In addition, Gordon Graydon students Ian Zakovorotny and Daxal Desai placed second in the overall flexo competition and each received the $500 Graymills Corporation Second Place Scholarship.
    Gordon Graydon’s flexography instructor, Peter Belanger, said, “These students gave it their all, determined in their pursuit of the top honors in the competition. This year’s awards show that their resolve, skills and hard work have all been worth it. They were competing with North America’s top high school flexographers. I am really proud of them.”

    Bettylyn Krafft, chairman of the Phoenix Challenge Foundation, commented, “My sincerest congratulations to all the Gordon Graydon students and to their persistent instructor, Peter Belanger, for their amazing work this year. Their enthusiasm, combined with determination, paid off wonderfully. They can be proud to be at top of some very, very tough competition. The point spread in the top six schools was only 39 points. It could have gone any way this year.”
    She added, “We are celebrating our 11th anniversary in 2008, and indeed this has been a wonderful year for the International Phoenix Challenge Flexo Competition. We had a record number of 24 eager and highly trained student teams competing, and we are looking forward to 2009, projecting participation by more than 60 students! What these kids achieve here each year is amazing!”

    Utilizing two Mark Andy and two Comco flexographic presses at the Harper National Flexographic Center at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC, USA, 48 participants competed this year in the flexo industry’s only international training competition. The competition took place at the Harper National Flexographic Center at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, April 2-4.

    Founded in 1998, the Phoenix Challenge Foundation is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization of industry professionals dedicated to the recruitment and development of the future workforce for flexography To date, $27,000 in scholarships have been awarded to encourage students to pursue further education and a career in flexography.



  • Aquaflex adds a 16” web width to its ELS Servo line
    Aquaflex announces the introduction of the new ELS Servo press with a 16” web width. Originally available in 10” x 13” web widths, the new 16” ELS Servo is even more capable and offers a greater product range including larger flexible packaging, the company says.

    Mac Rosenbaum, vice president for F. L. Smithe, said, “The first ELS 16” was built as a custom adaptation for one of our customers. It required new engineering to extend the web width and optimize overall performance. The new ELS 16” performed superbly so we decided to add the 16” to our standard ELS Servo line.”

    The company says the ELS Servo, with its precise registration and superior reproduction at speeds of up to 750 fpm, offers servo performance at a price comparable to mechanically driven presses in its class. In addition to traditional label stocks, the ELS Servo handles a wide range of unsupported films.

    Rosenbaum continued, “The ELS Servo is a very flexible platform—its core design is very adaptable to special applications. With the addition of the 16” model, this popular platform is right-sized to become an industry top performer.” 




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