Flexible Packaging articles from May 2007

Flexible Packaging archives from May 2007

Two titans join forces to form a Goliath.(EDITOR'S FORUM)
May 1, 2007... Next month, in our June issue, we will take our annual look at the Top 25 Converters in the flexible packaging industry. So, at this time of year it seems I've got our Top 25 on the brain. With large converters like Bemis, Alcoa, Sealed Air,...

Frost & Sullivan acknowledges Hitachi America's commitment to technology.(NEWSBRIEFS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Frost & Sullivan selected Hitachi America as the recipient of the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Award for Excellence in Technology & Product Value in the variable speed drives market. According to the awards, Hitachi America has an unmatched...

Alcoa offers to acquire Alcan.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... Alcoa Inc. announced in early May that it is making an offer to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Alcan Inc. for $58.60 in cash and 0.4108 of a share of Alcoa common stock for each outstanding common share of Alcan. The...

Webex acquires Isoten vacuum roll product line from CCR.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Coating and Converting Resources, Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Webex, Inc. announced the acquisition of the Isoten vacuum roll product line from Coating and Converting Resources, Inc. (CCR). Today the Isoten line includes vacuum tension rolls, vacuum chill rolls and vacuum belts. The Webex acquisition...

Esko acquires Stonecube.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Esko-Graphics N.V.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Esko, a global system integrator for packaging pre-production, announces it has completed the acquisition of Stonecube Ltd., the leading developer of dynamic print visualization software, for an undisclosed amount. At the same time the two...

Wal-Mart cautions suppliers: deadline fast approaching.(FPA UPDATE)
May 1, 2007... The Wal-Mart Sustainable Packaging initiative is well underway, with deadlines fast approaching. I recently attended the Wal-Mart Sustainable Packaging Network meeting during which Amy Zettlemoyer, Wal-Mart's Director of Packaging, Sam's Club,...

Flexible packaging industry calendar of events.(FPA UPDATE)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... June 4-7: CMM International, Rosemont, Ill., (603) 891-9429; http://cmm07.events.pennet.com June 19: FPA Sustainable Packaging and Wal-Mart Scorecard Workshop, Chicago, Ill.; (410) 694-0800; www.flexpack.org October 3: 2007 Fall...

FPA publishes 'impact of globalization report'.(FPA UPDATE)
May 1, 2007... Recently, the Flexible Packaging Association published its market research report on The Impact on Globalization on the U.S. Flexible Packaging Industry. The report details the full results of FPA's 2006 market research on globalization, and...

FPA is helping you help your customers.(FPA UPDATE)
May 1, 2007... The deadline for flexible packaging end users to complete their Wal-Mart Packaging Scorecard is quickly approaching. The task of inputting data into the scorecard is both daunting and challenging. Many end users remain unfamiliar with the...

The ties that bind: lamination is a crucial, yet often overlooked aspect of the converting process. Flexible Packaging sat down with Antonio Cerciello, president of Nordmeccanica Spa, to get his thoughts on the state of the lamination market.(UP CLOSE)(Interview)
May 1, 2007... Q: What are a couple of the most-important things converters should know about lamination in order to maintain/improve efficiency and positively affect their bottom line? A: As you correctly stated lamination is sometimes mistakenly...

CMM International 2007 show preview.
May 1, 2007... CMM International has been THE event for converting and package printing professionals for years, and 2007 is no different. This year, the event will be held in Rosemont, Ill. June 4-7 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center where more than...

Convenience food packaging today and tomorrow: solutions and challenges; Convenience is king with respect to consumers' wants and needs from food packaging. Flexible packaging manufacturers have delivered, but today's consumers demand even more from the films and pouches found on store shelves.(SPECIAL REPORT)
May 1, 2007... Foods never before considered in the convenience category are now widely available because of advances in packaging materials. Tasty, wholesome, even exotic prepared meals that can be cooked in their own packages, especially ones that can be...

The evolution of prepress: prepress is taking a significantly larger role in the production of flexible packaging. The industry is evolving quickly, and prepress systems are on the cutting edge of design coordination and technology.(TECH REPORT)
May 1, 2007... Before the film is blown, before the package is printed, before the pouch is formed, all of the creative input, technical specs and design of the final flexible package must be finalized. That process is known as prepress, and requires the...

CI flexo presses.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... Retroflex now offers a family of central impression flexographic printing presses available with 2-10 colors. The K-Series line of CI presses is designed for narrow to mid (10-60 inches wide) webs. They can achieve speeds up to 1,200 fpm with a...

Exclusively at CMM--atmospheric plasma system eliminates backside treatment.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... Top application experts at booth 1445 will give CMM visitors a personal introduction to the new Plasma3 atmospheric plasma system offered by Enercon Industries. Because web handling is a fluid dynamic process, some films will be subject to...

Live demos of UV processor at CMM 2007.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... PRIME UV will be running a live demonstration of their new MiniScan 3C UV Processors at CMM International 2007. The Prime UV MiniScan 3C UV curing system is installed after each of the 4-color units to cure UV flexo inks on the Propheteer 1300...

Slot die coating station eliminates setup.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... Extrusion Dies Industries (EDI) will introduce its Modular Coating System at CMM International (booth 1615). The MCS rolls into place on nearly any commercial coating line, enabling operators of roll coating systems to switch readily between...

New 10-color press uses electromagnetic motors.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... Greater printing accuracy and improvements in production efficiency and economy are among the benefits of a new flexographic printing press installed at Garlock Printing & Converting. The company purchased an innovative 10-color press called...

New nucleating agent provides a range of benefits.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... A recently granted food contact notification (FCN) for Milliken's Hyperform[R] HPN-20E in polyolefins is opening up new options for customers in the polyethylene (PE) industry. The food contact notification covers Conditions A-H, allowing broad...

Adapter sleeve technology yields higher repeat shifts.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... Rotec's new Unifit adapter sleeve provides a sleeve-on-sleeve system, where adapter sleeves are used to realize higher repeat shifts. The development of the Unifit series is based on the long years of practical experience that rotec has been...

New films provide unique characteristics for personal care packaging.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... Product distinction on the retail shelf is a critical value component of retail packaging. A new family of films and printed packaging from Pliant Corp. provides the personal care product manufacturer with a unique way to emphasize the softness...

PDC neck bander.(HOT PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2007... PDC International Corp., a global manufacturer of precision packaging systems, has patented and commercialized its R-series, high-speed, tamper-evident neck banders ("shrinkbanders"). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PDC "R" Series Shrinkbanders...

Licorice brand stands apart with resealable technology.(EDITOR'S CHOICE)
May 1, 2007... How does a confectionery brand better capture consumer attention at point-of-sale? Betta Foods in Australia tackled the challenge by adding value to its licorice products with a resealable packaging feature. For the first time in its 50...

Karlville's shrink sleeve machine hits a home run for a fan favorite.(EDITOR'S CHOICE)
May 1, 2007... Presidente, the Dominicans most popular and most widely distributed beer, has teamed up with Karlville Development Group to celebrate the most popular sport in their country. This year's campaign is all about Hurrah Baseball! (Viva la...