LABELS&LABELING |103 Focus on Latin America JAMES QUIRK rounds up three recent developments in the region: GM opens an office in Chile; Mexican converters partner with the purchase of a Xeikon press; and a multiple unit installation for GEW GRAFISK MASKINFABRIK OPENS LATIN AMERICA OFFICE HOT OFF THE PRESS GRAFISK MASKINFABRIK (GM), a Denmark-based manufacturer of converting and finishing equipment, has opened an office in Santiago, Chile, to provide technical support to customers in Latin America. JOS KABOUW heads up GM’s Latin America office based in Santiago, Chile The office, which was founded in early 2012, is managed by Jos Kabouw – who has over 20 years’ experience in the Latin American graphic arts market, with particular expertise in industrial digital print systems from the likes of Xeikon and HP Indigo – and offers technical support that covers the region from Mexico down to Tierra del Fuego. According to Kabouw, the move was motivated by an increasing number of installations in the region, including digital converting systems for both label and folding carton applications in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. Sales to Argentina and Peru are expected in the near future. ‘We only had a few machines in the region until recently,’ he said, ‘but that has changed rapidly in the last few months with a series of installations and more due to be finalized shortly.’ The office in Chile allows GM to offer customers in the region far quicker technical support and spare parts service than was previously available from Denmark. ‘In this region, label converters often work 24/7. Our presence in Chile eliminates the problem of time difference between this region and Denmark, as well as overcoming language and cultural barriers. The GM Latin America team has over 20 years of experience in the graphic arts business – in digital printing solutions as well as finishing equipment.’ Kabouw is excited about the potential for GM’s lines of finishing equipment in the region: ‘The Latin America market offers good growth for GM with the increasing numbers of digital presses from HP Indigo, Xeikon and other brands being installed in the region. I am confident that GM will become an important player in the region and a good partner for our customers, because our team of brilliant engineers in Denmark create machines that offer the converter flexibility and the most costeffective, high quality performance for roll to roll or roll to sheet.’ As well as digital converting lines such as the DC 330 mini, DC330, DC330 laser die-cutting system and DC 500 and XP 500 converting/finishing machines, GM also offers ancillary equipment such as roll lifters, slitter rewinders, revision equipment, core cutters, laminators and more. ‘The DC 330 laser die-cut system was three years in the making, with our company working with a team of experts that manufacture high-tech industrial laser systems,’ said Kabouw. ‘They created a system that is unique in the market – capable of flexible, high speed, digital production. It can be made even faster with a dual laser head and is a complete, ready-to-use system with no need for additional elements.’ As an example of GM’s technical capabilities, Kabouw cites the development in partnership with the DTU Risø technical university in Denmark of a digital converting line that is used to produce state-of-the-art flexible solar cells printed roll to roll – a unique system that utilizes silkscreen and lamination. In addition to sales and service for GM installations with other digital press brands, Kabouw carries out technical support for GM’s industry partner Xeikon. SILVAFORM’S general director, Jaime Silva SILVAFORM INSTALLS GEW UV CURING SYSTEMS SilvaForm, a Mexico-based printer of labels and intelligent forms, has installed UV curing systems from GEW on all its flexo and rotary offset presses at its 8,000 sqm plant just outside Mexico City. According to general director Jaime Silva, adding the GEW curing systems will increase the quality of the labels manufactured by the company – at a time when its label production is showing strong growth. SilvaForm installed its first GEW systems in 1998. Two years ago, the company added GEW’s eBrick and film adaption technology. The low power, high intensity curing enabled the company to reduce the heat on the substrate, yet cure at high speeds. This, in combination with the integrated water-cooled roller, resulted in a substrate temperature rise of less than 1 deg C between unwind and rewind. Added to the higher print quality of UV, the GEW systems have helped SilvaForm launch new products and enter new markets. The success of the initial installations led the company to install an additional seven systems of the same specification earlier this year. SilvaForm’s core expertise is in intelligent forms – which often use specialty inks, high security holograms, and integrated labels with variable data and envelopes with security features. Seventy percent of SilvaForm’s production is dedicated to intelligent forms; 30 percent to labels. However, with the continuous forms sector in decline, Jaime Silva believes label production could reach 50 percent of the company’s output in the near future. It is here that he expects the GEW UV curing systems to be beneficial. ‘The new systems will give us more flexibility in the substrates we use and will help us to expand our market CONTINUED ON PAGE 105> JULY 2012 | L&L
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