Business

Agfa Graphics to acquire assets of Gandi Innovations Holdings LLC., a leader in large format inkjet printing systems

• Acquisition enables Agfa Graphics to significantly increase its presence in large format inkjet printing
• Gandi’s portfolio of mid-range large format printers is completely complementary to Agfa Graphics' inkjet business
• The proposed transaction will allow Agfa Graphics to serve a large installed base.

 

Agfa Graphics announces that it has reached an agreement to acquire most of the assets of Gandi Innovations Holdings LLC’s North American operations and the shares of its principal foreign subsidiaries.
Gandi Innovations is a global leader in large format inkjet systems.
Since May 2009, it has been operating under CCAA protection in Canada and Chapter 15 in the USA.
The acquisition is subject to regulatory and court approval and the successful closing of the transaction. The price of the transaction is not being disclosed at this point of time, but it will have no major impact on Agfa's financial debt.

Over the period 2001-2009, Gandi Innovations has created a large installed base of inkjet printing engines, reaching a sales peak of 127 million USD in 2008. Sales in 2009 have strongly suffered from the economic crisis (affecting in particular investment goods) and the uncertainty surrounding the company. Gandi Innovations' long established team has a wealth of pioneering expertise and engineering excellence in large format printing technology. Gandi Innovations' customers include many of the world's leading Point of Purchase and large format printing companies. Over the years, they have come to rely on the company's vision, reliability and cutting-edge technology.

Gandi Innovations was founded in 2001 and has its headquarters and its production facilities in Mississauga (Canada). The Group employs 256 highly skilled staff and operates worldwide through sales offices and distributors.

Combined with recent announcements on Agfa Graphics' :M-Press Tiger industrial flatbed inkjet press and the launch of new printing engines in the :Anapurna large format range, the acquisition of the assets of Gandi Innovations strengthens Agfa Graphics' leadership in large format inkjet printing systems.

"The combination of Gandi Innovations' products and Agfa Graphics' products will result in substantial growth for our inkjet business based on an even more complete system portfolio," said Richard Barham, Agfa Graphics' Vice President Inkjet. "This is an important step in implementing our Inkjet growth strategy. As our own portfolio consists of entry-level and high-end inkjet systems, Gandi Innovations' mid-range systems are a 100% complementary fit with our existing inkjet technology."

Gandi Innovations' CEO and co-founder Hary Gandy added: "Joining Agfa Graphics offers Gandi Innovations' staff and customers tremendous opportunities for the future. The combined capabilities and coverage in customer service and research and development will accelerate the launch of new products, deliver new business opportunities and further expand our service to our customers."

 

Paul French has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Robert Horne Group.  Paul has been in the visual communication market for over 15 years having started his career at Xerox. In addition to his specialist knowledge he has gained extensive general management experience in a variety of Senior Management roles. In 2001 Paul became Managing Director of Spandex UK, a Sign and Digital specialist Company, part of the International Gerber Technologies.  For the last three years he has been Divisional Director of Robert Horne's Sign & Display division.

Paul comments "This is a really exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to leading this business as we navigate our way through the current trading conditions into what I believe is a period of growth and stability for this business. We have the potential to further enhance our products and services by fully developing the width and depth of our service to customers.  Robert Horne is in a unique position in terms of our offer to market from paper, board, plastics, press room consumables and packaging through to wide format machinery, environmental consultancy and waste management."

Electronics For Imaging, Inc., a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, and its superwide format printer unit VUTEk today announced total victory in patent litigation with Leggett & Platt (L&P) involving EFI's ultra-violet (UV) ink curing technology.

After a string of successful summary judgment motions, one of which was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, EFI has reached a non-confidential settlement with L&P that does not require any payment from EFI to L&P. L&P dismissed all of its claims against EFI and promised not to sue EFI or any of its customers based on a claim that EFI products infringe any of the patents-in-suit or any related patent.

L&P first filed the lawsuit in May 2005 against VUTEk during EFI's acquisition of the innovative superwide format printer business. L&P claimed that its patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,755,518) covered VUTEk's technology. From the outset EFI maintained that VUTEk invented and patented the technologies first (U.S. Patent Nos. 6,457,823 and 6,616,355). The US District Court in St. Louis agreed with EFI, invalidating all of L&P's asserted patent claims and ordering L&P to pay EFI's costs to defend the lawsuit. The US Federal Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that conclusion in its entirety. In July 2009, the US District Court held that a second L&P patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,290,874) is also invalid in light of EFI's patents and printer design technology.

On April 21, 2009, L&P sued EFI again, alleging infringement of a third L&P patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,520,602). As with the two other patents, EFI moved for summary judgment to invalidate this third patent using the same prior art previously relied upon by the court. Faced with the very real possibility of losing a third patent, L&P approached EFI to settle the dispute. Under the settlement, EFI will pay nothing, agreeing to dismiss its claims that the '602 patent is invalid and to not oppose L&P's motion to vacate the July 2009 decision invalidating the '874 patent. L&P dismissed all claims against EFI and promised not to sue EFI or its customers under these patents or any related patent.

"We are very pleased with this result. A settlement like this-with a patent plaintiff walking away with no payment whatsoever-is rare in modern patent litigation," said EFI's General Counsel Bryan Ko. "This settlement establishes conclusively what we've maintained all along: that EFI invented and patented this technology first."

It seems odd posting news about ourselves, but Ho Hum, it is news, and it offers all Sign & Digital UK 2010 exhibitors an opportunity to put themselves in our shop window for free, so here goes...

 

Large Format Review are delighted to announce our partnership with the UK’s premier sign making and digital printing event, Sign & Digital UK 2010.

As an official Show Supporter, LFR will be working together for the first time with the Sign & Digital UK team to actively promote the features, benefits and attractions available to visitors to the show.

There is a genuine belief here at LFR that the Sign & Digital UK 2010 event could be busier than ever this year, with visitors there to close deals, do business and take advantage of the various offers and incentives that the show is now renowned for.

In terms of such promotional activity, LFR would also like to encourage all of the shows exhibitors to take advantage of the LFR News Portal by sending us, along with the show team, any news of developments, product launches and offers that you will be rolling out in the run up to the show.

To take full advantage of this facility, all you need do is send your news to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , and if the news is of relevance to our readership, it will be showcased on the LFR website, and indeed be included in our weekly news bulletin that is now distributed by email to over 16,000 sign and display print professionals.

Large Format Review will also be exhibiting at the show themselves (Stand M24), and we are very much looking forward to welcoming our website users onto our stand for live demonstrations of some of the new site features and content that is being developed in time for launch at the show.

With exhibitors taking over 55,000m2 of floorspace and pre-registration fast reaching 6,000, Ipex 2010 is set to become a highlight in the international graphic arts event calendar next year.

All major suppliers have agreed location of their stands and some exhibitors have even increased the size of their stands. In particular, Konica Minolta has increased its footprint by 400%; Océ by 110%; Canon by 91%; Pitney Bowes by 64%; Fuji by 53%; HP by 40% and Ultrachem by 16%.

Over half (55%) of the exhibitors will come from overseas, notably from Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, France, India, USA and China. The show will also see a significant number of first-time exhibitors; over a quarter of companies have never participated at the event thus reflecting the status of Ipex as an international launch pad to the graphic arts industry. For example, printing solutions provider Ricoh will be a prime stand holder for the first time, occupying an impressive 1,400sqm stand.

40% of floorspace will be dedicated to pre-press and digital solutions suppliers, whilst press manufacturers and post-press companies will occupy 34% and 26% of the exhibition respectively.

Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Event Director, says: “We’re absolutely delighted with the number of companies we’ve secured so far. Economic times may be uncertain but the global print industry is once again demonstrating its commitment to Ipex. This truly international event will feature around 1,000 exhibitors from over 40 countries representing all aspects of the graphic arts process including pre-press, press manufacture, post-press, converting and consumables, truly reflecting our vibrant industry.

“Ipex has ongoing partnerships with the industry’s supplier base and a proven capability to deliver a unique community of printers and publishers drawn from all across the world. Visitors can expect to see major technology advances and signposts to future developments with exhibiting companies committed to demonstrating working machinery on the showfloor.”

The wave of pre-registrations received also signposts towards a successful Ipex 2010. Compared to the same point in the run-up to Ipex 2006, this number has risen by over 1,045% for the 2010 show. Visitors from over 100 countries have pre-registered to date, with 75% from Europe, 12% from Asia, and 10% from Middle East and Africa.

Pre-registration for all those wishing to attend Ipex 2010 is now available via www.ipex.org/register and will result in a £30 saving off the entrance fee, access to exclusive pre-show news and highlights as well as free fast-track entry to the show.

When it comes to the environment, Neschen AG and HP work together. As a certifi-cated development partner of HP, coating specialist from Bückeburg Neschen AG has collaborated with the inkjet manufacturer to develope digitally printable media which are ideal for HP’s latex inks and printers.

In terms of quality and versatility, the water-based HP latex inks are similar to solvent-based inks. On Neschen media, they have maximum brilliance – a deep black with glossy, intense colours. The pictures are pin-sharp and are radiant on the materials. But as far as the environment and health and safety are concerned, they are significantly less polluting. Digital prints produced with HP latex inks have no odour and release extremely low levels of volatile organic compounds.

During printing, they produce no ozone and are free of any other hazardous air pollutants. Special ventilation is not neces-sary and there are no requirements for emissions. Neither are they flammable or combustible, and they are not classified as hazardous wastes.

“Neschen AG traditionally relies on environmentally friendly products and processes” said Frank Seemann who is in charge of Marketing and Communication at Neschen AG in Bückeburg. “This now includes the eco-friendly digital print using latex inks. We worked in close collaboration with HP to develop the print media to suit. Thus, high quality is ensured.”

Used together with the HP Designjet L65500, printing services are now able to cover a wide variety of different applications. These range from POP, street and building advertising to exhi-bition design and vehicle signing as well as a huge variety of signs for events and functions. For these applications, latex print technology provides durable, odourless prints. They also offer a high level of versatility and productivity so that printing services are able to increase their capacities while minimising their impact on the environment.

“Resource and energy-saving production is increasingly impor-tant these days” continued Frank Seemann. “New concepts are required as a result of stricter environmental controls and the greater consumer awareness of green issues. As one of the leading suppliers in the book protection and graphics industries, Neschen AG recognised this trend some time ago and consis-tently relies on green production processes and materials. A current example of this is the print media for latex inks.”

Neschen AG also offers a high level of production security with a comprehensive service including advice on all its products and applications. The consistent high quality and wide choice of media for commonly used ink systems goes without saying. Neschen customers enjoy a special free service – download-able ICC profiles and the Neschen Colour Concept.