Business - Events

 

The fast-emerging industrial digital printing market defined the USA’s IMI Suppliers Showcase this month and Integration Technology Ltd (ITL) was on hand with an extensive programme of brand new UV LED curing solutions anticipating its needs.

While end users from diverse digital markets attended the event in Baltimore, MD it was clear industrial digital printing had arrived in full force, reported ITL North America General Manager, Jennifer Heathcote.

“While the wide format commercial graphics market continues to thrive, the general view taken at IMI was that the industrial sector could be larger by a factor of at least forty,” said Jennifer.

“We picked up a lot of attention at this event because we had evidently anticipated demand from this new sector.”

Industrial printing covers a diversity of application - decorative, functional, or both – including those for printed electronics, man/machine interface, solar cell/energy, RFID, building/home décor, equipment markings, displays and optics, packaging, smart cards, life sciences and 3D prototyping.

A key sub-sector within the market, printing is starting to replace traditional electronics manufacturing content and open the door to a significant amount of new product development. A $US1.6 billion market in 2009, printed electronics is expected to worth alone some $US330 billion by 2027.

ITL reports fast-growing interest in applications for its LED Zero series products in many applications such as decorating, product packaging, printed electronics, and photovoltaics as well as wide format digital printing, where the company already has significant market share.

Seven new air cooled UV LED’s plus a further three new water cooled versions to complement the existing Pincure and Solidcure products formed ITL’s core offer at IMI, where visitors were the first to see new brands Hi-Cure and VTwin.

Jennifer added: “All of our new UV LED products were very well received at this show.  Everyone knows LEDs are the future and these new systems made an impact.”

 

 

 

• CretaPrint, Kerajet, Projecta, Intesa and TecnoFerrari show latest inkjet printers featuring Xaar 1001 printheads
• Ferro, Itaca, Chimigraf and Colorobbia present Xaar-approved inks for ceramic tiles
• Xaar sponsors first Tecnargilla Design Award

 

Several leading manufacturers show innovative inkjet printers using Xaar printheads at Tecnargilla, Rimini, Italy (27th September – 1st October 2010). Xaar’s OEMs: CretaPrint, Kerajet, Projecta, Intesa and TecnoFerrari are all demonstrating the quality, flexibility and creative potential of their latest inkjet printers at the event. In addition Xaar’s ink partners, including Ferro, Esmalglass-Itaca, Chimigraf and Colorobbia, all present their range of inks certified for use with the Xaar 1001 printhead.

At Tecnargilla, Xaar’s OEM partners show the unique advantages of inkjet printed tiles and how the process significantly enhances creativity in tile design with the ability to produce life-like patterns across the whole surface, even the edges. Inkjet printing allows users to print smooth, uneven and textured tiles and borders, with the facility to print large images that eliminate any obvious repeat patterns in the final display. In addition, printers gain the freedom to produce variable and personalised images. As a non-contact process, inkjet printing also enables large and thin tiles to be printed without risk of breakage. Because the digital process has no set up time small batches can be printed quickly on request, time after time, with the confidence that the images will match. This allows companies to reduce their stocks and produce what they need, when they need it.

“The ceramics tile industry is experiencing a digital revolution,” says Mark Alexander, Director of Marketing at Xaar. “Ceramic tile producers are adopting innovative digital inkjet technology from Xaar to provide considerable benefits to their customers. Not only does the digital process open up new creative design opportunities, it also brings substantial commercial benefits in being able to produce small volumes of bespoke tiles, cost-effectively.”

The unique patented design of re-circulating ink through the printhead allows the Xaar 1001 to jet a variety of fluids. It can handle both traditional pigmented and ‘nanoparticle’ inks and, because the fluid is in constant movement sedimentation and build up of particles are eliminated. Designed for high-speed, single pass applications, the Xaar 1001 delivers excellent drop formation and drop placement accuracy with outstanding operational durability.

The Xaar 1001’s innovative XaarDOT™ features allow variable dots to be produced to give users the ability to select drop size depending upon the application. Fine drops give smooth tones, contrasting shades and sharp lines, while larger drops ensure good ink coverage at maximum print speed. The result is a stunning replication of natural materials such as stone and marble.

 

 

 

FESPA has announced its first ever FESPA European Congress.  Due to be held in Brussels on Friday 19th November, the event is specifically targeted towards the Belgian, Dutch, English, French, German and Swiss markets.

The one day event, inclusive of lunch and networking drinks reception, will be conducted in English with top speakers from Europe and the US. The Congress will deliver an inspirational and informative programme providing participants with:

 

• Innovation
• Best practice
• Marketing
• Green issues
• Latest digital machinery and ink technology
• Panel discussion
• Drinks reception with extensive networking opportunities.

 

Places are limited to 80 and an early bird special offer is available before 5th November 2010. For more information, go to: www.fespa.com

 

 

 

FESPA has published its FESPA 2010 post show report, providing members of the community with an invaluable snapshot of the flagship show which took place from 22-26 June at Messe Munich, Germany.

Compiled by FESPA sales and marketing director Marcus Timson, the report includes comprehensive visitor attendance data, with breakdowns by region and deci sion maker status, as well as offering observations on the key trends which manifested themselves at the show. Readers will also find a valuable summary of the findings of FESPA’s Economy Survey 3, a stakeholder survey conducted with InfoTrends immediately after the show.

The report provides an exhaustive list of the 600+ exhibitors at the show, with testimonial statements from many of them, and a useful overview of the key tactics deployed in FESPA’s most comprehensive integrated marketing campaign to date.

The document also summarises the various interactive visitor features that comprised the FESPA Innovate! programme and includes an array of images summing up the buzz, colour and vibrancy of the world’s foremost wide format imaging show.

Demonstrating an increase in visitors interested in digital technologies, and in the seniority of visitors, the report reveals that FESPA 2010 outperformed other industry events despite the global economic situation. With figures showing an exceptional volume of new visitors, the results of the report confirm that FESPA is an event of strategic importance within its marketplace.

The 17-page printed report will be mailed to all FESPA 2010 exhibitors in September 2010, and is also available as a downloadable PDF document from the FESPA website at www.fespa.com.

 

 

Prism – formerly the Digital and Screen Printing Association – announced that it will be hosting a Round Table Debate for large format screen and digital printers at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, London on Thursday 14th October between 10.30am and 3.30pm.

The subject of the Round Table is ‘Emerge from Recession into Recovery Ahead of the Pack’ and attendance will be limited to 20 places.  It is targeted at organisations that are concerned with how the current climate is affecting the digital printing arena and what the future holds.

For more information, visit http://www.prismuk.org/

About Prism

The UK association of print specialists and manufacturers, prism represents a total market in the UK of £2.1bn.

It represents not only producers of printed products used in point of sale media, industrial applications, garments and textiles, but also those companies who supply products and services to these imaging specialists.

The association provides many guidance and training benefits such as running seminars, workshops and conferences, as well as industry awards and many other networking opportunities alongside corporate services which include Insurance through the PrintProtect scheme, Croners guidance (legal), industry communications and market information searches support.

 

 

 

 

The Winning the War on Waste conference, taking place on 22 November at the Lancaster London Hotel, will tell print and packaging businesses how they can best cut costs and improve their environmental performance with the aid of lean techniques.

Vision in Print's 7th Annual conference will have 3 key themes:

 

• New Technology – How the latest technology offers great productivity improvements
• Green Issues – Getting the real benefits from Environmental Management
• Lean Activities – How cutting waste offers rapid savings and aids the environment.

 

The speakers will demonstrate best practice in each of these key areas, whilst delegates will hear how effective application of the key techniques described can raise competitiveness and productivity – providing you gain the active engagement of the whole staff.

Conference delegates will be provided with case study examples from ten respected industry speakers, from companies both large and small across all sectors of the industry including, commercial, packaging and newspapers. Speakers are from Howitts, A1 Print, ESP Colour, Kingfisher, Nampak, GI Solutions, Label Apeel, Dobson & Crowther, Newsprinters Broxbourne and Liberty Services.

They include three printers who have benefited from determined application of the latest technology incl. software, practical tips on how to apply rapid savings from cutting waste and a printer who has used environmental management systems to drive major savings.

The case studies will provide delegates with practical ideas in terms of improving cashflow and profit, and how to achieve a more motivated workforce by putting these techniques into practice.

The guest keynote speaker is Lord Heseltine, who is in the unique position of not only being a well-respected owner of a global publishing company and therefore transcending the world of print and publishing, but he also remains an active politician supporting the Coalition Government and is chairing the board to decide how regional funding will be distributed.

Winning the War on Waste will commence at 10.15am on 22 November, and finish at 5pm. The cost for BPIF members is £150+Vat for the first delegate, and £95+Vat for additional delegates. For non-members the fee is £195+Vat and £145+Vat for additional delegates.