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60 | L&L<br />
JETvarnish and JETcard<br />
products). The Alphajet prints<br />
at up to 3,000 sheets/hour<br />
in resolutions of up to 1,200<br />
x 1,200dpi. The press offers<br />
full variable data printing and<br />
handles carton board up to<br />
500gsm.<br />
Screen's Truepress JetSX<br />
folding carton press, developed<br />
from an existing print-ondemand<br />
model, uses multi-level<br />
grayscale printheads with<br />
water-based pigment inks<br />
to print standard offset and<br />
inkjet papers and boards up to<br />
0.6mm thick. The top speed of<br />
1,620 sheets/hour is equivalent<br />
to 108 A4 pages per minute.<br />
Files received online can be<br />
automatically preflighted, color<br />
managed, imposed and placed<br />
in the print queue. Screen's<br />
Equios front-end can interface<br />
with MIS to generate automatic<br />
billing if required.<br />
Konica Minolta IJ Technologies<br />
showed the KM-1, a prototype<br />
B2 format press jointly<br />
developed with Komori, the<br />
offset press manufacturer.<br />
Ostensibly aimed at the<br />
commercial printers, the press<br />
also has label and package<br />
print capabilities. The inkjet print<br />
engine is fitted with KM's latest<br />
printheads with UV LED curing.<br />
The KM-1's top speed is 3,300<br />
sph (simplex) and 1,650 sph<br />
(duplex) at a print resolution of<br />
1,200 x 1,200dpi.<br />
Generally speaking, any<br />
expectancy for high levels of<br />
quality and productivity must<br />
be backed by consistency<br />
of results, especially where<br />
packaging for global brands<br />
is concerned. This implies a<br />
wider use of color measurement<br />
systems and calibration tools,<br />
such as GMG's OpenColor.<br />
As a proofing tool it simulates<br />
the combined printing of spot<br />
and process colors. GMG also<br />
offers a cloud-based service<br />
for professional media and<br />
users, that promises to redefine<br />
how color management is<br />
used in the future. X-Rite<br />
with its Pantone subsidiary,<br />
has launched PantoneLive<br />
as another cloud-based<br />
service intended to achieve<br />
repeatable and accurate color<br />
for packaging across a variety<br />
of substrate types. PantoneLive<br />
applications range from brand<br />
owners and designers through<br />
to pressroom operators, and<br />
includes enhanced Pantone<br />
color libraries.<br />
Developments like these, plus<br />
the many strategic partnerships<br />
that have recently emerged,<br />
reinforce vendors' efforts to<br />
establish inkjet printing as a valid<br />
short-run process for labels and<br />
packaging. Of course, other<br />
digital technologies are keen<br />
to retain their strong market<br />
positions. In fact HP Indigo and<br />
Xeikon both introduced new<br />
generations of dedicated electrophotographic<br />
(EP) label and<br />
packaging presses. Xeikon has<br />
additionally introduced Trillium.<br />
Based on a new liquid image<br />
development system, it is said<br />
to combine EP's high quality<br />
with the higher speed and lower<br />
cost of inkjet. Also launched at<br />
Drupa was the highly significant<br />
nanographic printing technology<br />
from the Landa Corporation<br />
for short-run CMYK printing on<br />
either web or sheet-fed machines<br />
(as explained elsewhere).<br />
Strategic partnerships, currently<br />
involving Komori, manroland and<br />
Heidelberg, could well stir up<br />
the entire digital scene, not just<br />
inkjet printing, when it becomes<br />
commercially available in late<br />
2013. Significantly, the world's<br />
first user will be UK-based Reflex<br />
Labels.<br />
HOT OFF THE PRESS<br />
A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST GLOBAL LABEL<br />
STORIES<br />
UNILEVER REPORTS<br />
SUSTAINABILITY PLAN PROGRESS<br />
Unilever has published a report on the progress it is making<br />
towards meeting its Sustainable Living Plan targets. The plan,<br />
published in November 2010, committed the company to<br />
take responsibility for its impact right across the value chain,<br />
from the sourcing of raw materials all the way through to the<br />
consumer's use of its products to cook, clean and wash.<br />
As part of the update, Unilever announced that by the end of<br />
2012 it will reach its target of 100 percent certified sustainable<br />
palm oil covered by Green Palm Certificates, three years ahead<br />
of schedule. While this is strong progress, it said, the company<br />
recognizes that the Green Palm Scheme is only a step along the<br />
road towards sustainable palm oil, not ‘the end game’. Unilever<br />
has now set a new target of purchasing all its palm oil from<br />
certified traceable sources by 2020. This means it will be able to<br />
track all the certified oil it buys back to the plantation on which it<br />
was originally grown.<br />
To help achieve this goal, it announced that it is in advanced<br />
stages of discussions with the Indonesian government for<br />
investing in a large processing plant for palm oil derivatives in<br />
Sumatra. This plant will not only cut back on transport and save<br />
money but it will make it easier to trace the sources of the palm<br />
oil used.<br />
UPM RAFLATAC TO OPEN<br />
DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN MEXICO CITY<br />
UPM Raflatac is to open a new labelstock slitting and distribution<br />
terminal in Mexico City, Mexico, which will begin operations in<br />
the second quarter of 2012. The facility will stock a wide range<br />
of paper and film labelstocks, including trimless offerings, and<br />
is strategically located to strengthen UPM Raflatac’s service to<br />
customers in Mexico and Central America.<br />
‘The Mexican and Central American markets are extremely<br />
important to UPM Raflatac,’ said Jouko Lähepelto, senior vice<br />
president, Americas and Asia Pacific, UPM Raflatac. ‘For the<br />
past 10 years, we’ve been steadily expanding our presence in<br />
the Latin American region by making on-going investments in<br />
people, products and technology.’<br />
The company’s new terminal in Mexico will allow UPM<br />
Raflatac to further expand its service network and offer<br />
improved delivery times to customers located in Guadalajara<br />
and Mexico City. ‘We recognize that our customers require rapid<br />
access to a diverse range of labelstock products to conduct their<br />
businesses,’ said Jose Garcia, general manager, UPM Raflatac<br />
Mexico. ‘The new terminal will extend our reach, helping UPM<br />
Raflatac deliver on its promise of serving as a full product line<br />
supplier to customers.’<br />
STORK'S DSI 5330<br />
LABELS&LABELING