Flexible Packaging articles from June 2008

Flexible Packaging archives from June 2008

'Quasi' rigid offers new opportunities.(EDITOR'S FORUM)
June 1, 2008... If you can't beat 'em, at least meet them half way. The flexible packaging industry has been fighting (with much success!) rigid packaging opponents for decades. One tactic, discussed at the 2008 Global Pouch Forum, suggests opportunities might...

Offshore digital pre-media graphic services cut costs.(NEWSBRIEFS)(Express KCS Packaging has launched its offshore digital pre-media graphic services)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Express KCS Packaging has launched its offshore digital pre-media graphic services for the global packaging industry. According to CEO Mike Kirk, brand owners who are looking for ways to improve speed-to-market, while reducing costs, should...

Cereplast opens European headquarters.(NEWSBRIEFS)(Cereplast Inc. )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Cereplast Inc. opened its European headquarters in France on April 14 to help meet the demand for sustainable plastics throughout Europe. The office will serve as headquarters for sales representatives and support staff to assist existing...

Amcor sells two flexible packaging plants in Europe.(NEWSBRIEFS)
June 1, 2008... Amcor has agreed to sell its flexible packaging plants located at Lund in Sweden and Somerset in the United Kingdom to a Swedish private equity group, Accent Equity 2008. The plants are primarily involved in the production of unprinted films...

Clarifoil earns home compostability certification.(NEWSBRIEFS)
June 1, 2008... Clarifoil, the cellulose acetate film for carton windows, print lamination and labels, has gained the OK Compost certificate as a home-compostable material. The certification follows comprehensive testing of standard thickness transparent...

Bobst Group completes buyout of Fischer & Krecke Group.(NEWSBRIEFS)
June 1, 2008... Following a diligence process and approval by the German Federal Cartel Office, Bobst Group has completed the Office, Bobst Group has completed the acquisition of the Fischer & Krecke Group & Krecke Group in Germany. This acquisition is in line...

Kiefel expands territory in Canada and United States.(NEWSBRIEFS)(Kiefel Inc.)
June 1, 2008... Kiefel Inc. has appointed a new sales representative in Quebec and Eastern Canada, and expanded the territory of one of its current representatives in the Midwestern United States. Auxiplast Inc., of Ste. Julie, Quebec, will now represent...

Pamco Label drives profits with new HP press.(NEWSBRIEFS)
June 1, 2008... Pamco Label Co. is driving new profit opportunities with an HP Indigo press ws4500. Because of the production capabilities possible with the press, the company has added a number of clients in the health and beauty, food and beverage, vitamin...

Shiner expands anti-counterfeit film business.(NEWS BRIEFS)
June 1, 2008... Shiner International Inc. has signed contracts to supply 565 tons of anti-counterfeiting film, or $4 million in revenue, to six new China-based customers. Shiner reported total anti-counterfeit film revenue of $3.5 million for the full year...

Fujifilm announces new plate line at Tilburg.(NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Due to demand for Fujifilm's Brillia high-definition (HD) computer-to-press (CTP) plates, Fujifilm has announced that it will expand its plate manufacturing facility in Tilburg, The Netherlands. The company will invest approximately $154.5...

DuPont and Sun Chemical collaborate on environmentally smart flexo printing methods.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
June 1, 2008... DuPont Packaging Graphics and Sun Chemical have joined forces to make the flexographic printing process better for the environment, using Sun Chemical's WetFlex wet-on-wet flexographic printing process, with its UniQure electron-beam cured...

UV flexo for food packaging project offers cost-efficient, solvent-free flexible film packaging.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
June 1, 2008... Gidue, IST Metz, Air Liquide, Softal and Sun Chemical have joined forces to present a new concept for ultraviolet [UV] flexo printed food packaging at drupa 2008. The concept, known as UV flexo for food packaging, represents the first turnkey...

Market for conductive silver inks to expand rapidly in the next eight years.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
June 1, 2008... According to a new report from NanoMarkets, the market for silver conductive inks will almost triple over the next eight years to reach $2.4 billion by 2015. Key findings from the report include: * While demand for silver inks from...

Mile stones.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
June 1, 2008... Kiefel Inc. has made the following personnel changes: Scott Ryan has been appointed to the new position of technical sales manager. Jamie Nelson has been promoted to the position of service manager. Mark Smith has been appointed to the position...

Wal-Mart packaging Expo well done.(FPA UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... Recently, I attended Wal-Mart's 3rd annual Sustainable Packaging Exposition and Packaging Sustainable Value Network meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas. The audience for the Sustainable Packaging Expo included Wal-Mart buyers and consumer product...

Quarterly FPA Environmental & Safety Committee meeting.(FPA UPDATE)(United States. Environmental Protection Agency)
June 1, 2008... Recently, FPA's Environmental & Safety Committee met at FPA headquarters in Linthicum, Maryland. The meeting serves as a primary forum for interaction, open discussion and networking among flexible packaging environmental and safety...

Association activities update: 2008 Academic Scholarship & Summer Internship Program.(FPA UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... Through its 2008 Academic Scholarship and Summer Internship Program, FPA has placed several packaging and printing school students in summer internships with flexible packaging companies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This summer, Jonathan...

FPA collects financial benchmarking surveys.(FPA UPDATE)
June 1, 2008... FPA is currently compiling the survey results for several industry financial benchmarking reports including the Fourth Quarter 2007 Earnings Report and the first Quarter 2008 Pulse of the Industry Report. The association is also finalizing the...

FPA events calendar.(FPA UPDATE)(Flexible Packaging Association )(Brief article)(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... Mark your calendar for these upcoming FPA events! FPA Environmental Committee Meeting July 15-16, 2008 Alcan Packaging Chicago, IL FPA Safety Committee Meeting July 16, 2008 Alcan Packaging Chicago, IL 2008 FPA Fall...

See the whole board: competitive analysis and benchmarking energize the strategies and implementation plans of leading flexible packaging converters.(TOP 25 KINGS OF CONVERTING)
June 1, 2008... What moves do you make? Should you buy out your most vexxing competitor? Invest in R&D like never before? Expand in developing nations? Or should you hunker down and trim expenses? Consider a merger to strengthen your position in the market?...

#1 Bemis flexible packaging: at the top ... and still rising.(TOP 25 KINGS OF CONVERTING)(Company overview)
June 1, 2008... This year marks 150 years in business for the Bemis Co. The company, which is now one of Northeastern Wisconsin's largest employers, was founded in St. Louis, Mo., in 1858. Bemis is often credited as popularizing burlap "gunny sacks," which...

Sealed Air Corp.: food safety and sustainability propel Cryovac forward.(TOP 25 KINGS OF CONVERTING)
June 1, 2008... #2 It stands to reason that the company that conceived a product as iconic and useful as Bubble Wrap, would find its way to the top tier of Flexible Packaging's Top 25 Converters list. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sealed Air Corp.,...

Reynolds Flexible Packaging: dual focus on productivity and innovation.(TOP 25 KINGS OF CONVERTING)
June 1, 2008... #3 One sign of a strong company is how well it survives a buyout. Well, after two major acquisitions, Reynolds is standing taller than ever. With flexible packaging sales of more than $2.5 billion in 2007, it ranks No. 3 on our Top 25...

Alcan Packaging: award-winning materials and designs.(Top 25 KINGS OF CONVERTING)
June 1, 2008... #4 If our rankings were based solely on the number of packaging awards a company has won in the past year, Alcan Packaging, a business unit of Rio Tinto Alcan, would probably be even higher on our list. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Printpack Inc.: all in the family.(TOP 25 KINGS OF CONVERTING)
June 1, 2008... #5 The term "family business" usually conjures images of mom-and-pop operations, nestled in a small town, with employees who are on a firstname basis with all of their customers. And while flexible manufacturing giant Printpack may have...

A flexible alternative: flexible packaging talked to Donald Geiger and Andy Featherman at Muller Martini about its variable size web offset press, the Alprinta V.(UP CLOSE)(Interview)
June 1, 2008... Up to now, the printing of flexible packaging has been limited to the established processes of flexographic and rotogravure. More recently, new possibilities offered by infinitely variable size web offset printing-such as that offered by Muller...

A die to die for: advancements in extrusion dies now allow film manufacturers to handle more materials and produce more layers than ever before.(TECH REPORT)
June 1, 2008... Extrusion dies are a critical component in film manufacturing, which is the first step in the flexible packaging cycle. Continuing advancements are helping to simplify the process while, at the same time, expand the capabilities. ...

Servo-driven press accommodates 16-inch web widths.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Aquaflex has introduced new ELS Servo press )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The new ELS Servo press features a 16-inch web width. Originally available in 10 x 13-inch web widths, the new 16-inch ELS Servo offers a greater product range for larger flexible packaging. The ELS Servo, with its precise registration and...

Near-neutral calibration tool allows different output devices to calibrate to a common visual appearance.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Heidelberg USA unveiled its near-neutral calibration tool, scheduled for release later this year, at the 2008 IPA Technical Conference in Chicago, which was held April 22-24. The new functionality, based on open ICC standards, will enable...

New roll mover designed for large soft-material rolls.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Appleton Manufacturing has developed Big Wheel RollMover )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The new Big Wheel RollMover is specifically designed to safely move large rolls of soft nonwoven materials without damaging outer layers. The battery-powered Big Wheel roll mover eliminates the need for cumbersome and hazardous air hoses used...

New solventless laminating adhesive optimizes process speeds.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The new flexible packaging laminating adhesive, Solventless Mor-Free L75-164, was designed to meet regulated food packaging requirements in an environmentally responsible way. The product is recommended for general and medium-performance...

Matador speeds production of flat and satchel bags.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... At drupa, the Windmoeller & Hoelscher subsidiary Garant Maschinenhandel GmbH presented the Matador NG, which allows bag and satchel manufacturers to produce short fast-food carry-out bags, standard bags for baked goods (suchas bread rolls) or...

New machine standardizes monitoring and QC for printers and converters.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The FlexiProof 100 and FlexiProof UV can be used by ink, resin, pigment producers, paper, film, foil and other substrate producers, flexo component producers (such as plates and anilox rollers), and by any organization that either supplies or...

On/off temperature and limit controllers now RoHS compliant.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Watlow's on/off temperature and limit controllers are now compliant with the European Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. Watlow's on/off line of products include the series CV, LV, CF, LF and TM controllers. The RoHS ban...

Laser alignment tool provides precise measurements.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Microgage 2D Laser alignment tool )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Microgage 2D Laser alignment tool provides precision measuring, machinery alignment, calibration and other demanding industrial applications. Roll and web lines, extrusion systems and other production equipment are all checked and aligned...

Redesigned press with servo technology runs unsupported films.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Mark Andy Inc. has sold more than 25 of its redesigned model 2200 presses with servo technology since the product debuted in late 2007. Each section of the press is independently servo driven (shaftless) from infeed to rewind, including print...

Isoten vacuum rolls available in a variety of surface coverings.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Webex Inc. (Neenah, Wisconsin) has introduced Isoten vacuum rolls )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Isoten vacuum rolls are available with a variety of surface coverings to provide tension isolation and web control--including super-tough steel screen. The new line of Isoten vacuum rolls features a durable steel screen that evenly distributes...

Plate control solutions reduce downtime costs, production waste.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Designed to improve on-press productivity and reduce downtime costs and production waste, X-Rite's plate control solutions offer the highest level of accuracy, repeatability and imaging range, including extreme highlights and shadows. Featuring...

Digital computer-to-plate equipment and quick changeover printing presses quickens turnaround time.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... In response to the need for quick turnaround printing and packaging solutions, Cortegra introduces Cortegra XPress, a suite of programs and services designed to execute customers' printing projects with speed and precision. This program can...

Selector guide outlines rubber-based pressure-sensitive adhesives.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... This selector guide features high- performance Duro-Tak acrylic and rubber-based pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs). Designed to meet the in-use and environmental demands required for tapes, graphics and film labels, Duro-Tak rubber-based PSAs...

Print modules for combo presses feature fast changeovers.(HOT PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Global leader in rotary screen technology Stork Prints has agreed to supply Italian press manufacturer OMET with dedicated Rotary Screen Integration (RSI) modules for the Varyflex 520 millimeters and 670-mm wide combination presses. Suited for...

Flexographic clear varnish produces pearl-effect coating.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... The Super Pearl WB, a flexographic clear varnish, produces a smooth, glossy and intense pearl-effect coating. Designed to run on both paper and film, this coating can be used as a standalone effect coating or overprinted on other inks to...

Flexo press caters to central impression applications.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... Miraflex C central impression (CI) flexographic printing press is designed specifically to fit the core segment of CI flexo printing applications in terms of repeat length, printing width and output. Ease of operation, extensive automation and...

Operations Execution software helps packaging makers follow best-practice processes.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... FlexNet for Packaging Manufacturers is an Operations Execution System (OES) with a set of preconfigured, best-practice business processes for manufacturers of flexible, folding, paper, plastic, metal and glass packaging. These manufacturers are...

Fast-cure solventless adhesive achieves lamination speeds up to 1,200 feet per minute.(HOT PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2008... New Mor-Free L75-164 fast-cure adhesive from Rohm and Haas can achieve line speeds up to 1,200 feet per minute for difficult polyester-to-polyester laminations, as proven during a recent demonstration (see photo) on a Super Simplex Laminator at...

New form-fill-seal applications increase shelf life.(EDITOR'S CHOICE)
June 1, 2008... Ampac Flexibles-Performance Films has introduced a new line of films that are suitable-for ambient or hot-fill vertical form-fill-seal applications. The Apex 9000 VF series offers a range of coextruded films that combine heat resistance,...

Fluoro-repellent products reduce environmental footprint.(EDITOR'S CHOICE)
June 1, 2008... DuPont Capstone products are a sustainable line of fluoro-repellent products that meet or exceed market performance requirements for the packaging industry, while delivering a step-change improvement in fluorine efficiency. They are used to...

Security solutions for tear tape packaging.(EDITOR'S CHOICE)
June 1, 2008... Security Essentials is a package of security features that can be integrated into tear tape to give brand owners another way of protecting their products against counterfeiting. The choice of security features found in Security Essentials...