An eye on Ipex - online exclusive

Ipex 2014, which took place at the ExCeL exhibition center in London in late March, featured a number of suppliers and partners to the label and package printing markets presenting some of their latest technologies.

Amongst the biggest draws were those offering digital printing technology, and in particular Screen Europe and Fujifilm, who showed off the Truepress L350UV and Graphium respectively.

The Truepress Jet L350UV, launched last year, has a 13.7in (350mm) web width and produces full color print at 50m/min. A white option was added in January. To coincide with the opening of the show, Screen Europe had announced its first sale of a Truepress L350UV in Europe to the UK’s Springfield Solutions, who was present during Ipex in support of its latest investment. The Truepress L350UV, which is already installed at Springfield Solutions and producing work for its clients, has been specified with high-opacity white. ‘It is a significant endorsement of the Truepress Jet L350UV that such a leading digital label printing company has chosen it to drive the next phase of growth,’ said Brian Filler, president of Screen Europe.

Graphium is a digital UV inkjet development from FFEI for the production of labels, packaging and speciality print, with Fujifilm acting as the distributor in selected European territories and across North America. On the Fujifilm stand at Ipex 2014, the Graphium was printing a number of different jobs to showcase the versatility of the press. At the front-end FFEI’s RealPro Toolkit software was used to check and prepare jobs for print, including ink setting, trapping and pre-flighting. Across a 410mm web path, the Graphium was printing in five colors using a high-opacity white in addition to CMYK, with jobs finished in-line with Edale-designed flexo varnishing, die-cutting and slitting along with an AB Graphic Vectra multi-turret rewinder.

FFEI managing director Andy Cook said: ‘The demonstration showed the versatility of the Graphium and its ability to handle different jobs. This complements our efforts to help printers and converters ‘think outside the box’ and target new opportunities.’

Cook added: ‘We have already generated a lot of momentum in North America and so will definitely be presenting an as-yet undecided configuration of the Graphium at Labelexpo Americas 2014.’

Other digital printing technology being presented included Domino’s K600i and N600i, Epson’s SurePress L-4033AW, Afinia’s L-801 and the five-color CS5000 from Intec Printing Solutions. Also debuting was the CS4000, a four-color variant. Meanwhile the Impression Technology Europe stand had a number of label converting tools, like the Eclipse LF330, sold to Superfast Labels at the show, and the LF3 Digital label cutter and slitter machines.

Digital dry toner specialist Xeikon’s stand included a folding carton set-up centered around a 3500 series digital press. The sale of that unit to multi-page label specialist Denny Bros was announced at the show, while the first order for Trillium, its new liquid toner printing technology, was similarly confirmed during the course of Ipex.

Xeikon worked with digital cutting specialist Zünd to convert carton samples featuring various images designs printed on the 3500, many featuring Belgian toy manufacturer Clics, with a Zünd S3 M-800 turning the printed sheets into die-cut and creased blanks. The S3 M-800 on the show floor featured the requisite cutting and creasing tools, although it is of a modular design and can be equipped with tools for other processing a range of materials up to one-inch thick. The machine on show was fitted with an automatic sheet feeder.

Also presenting in the field of post-press equipment was Scodix, whose stand was a hive of activity as the company showcased the new Ultra, which is capable of processing up to B2+ size sheets (545 x 788mm/21.5 x 31in), as well as producing striking samples for attendees to take home. The company welcomed Gary Peeling of Precision Press on to its stand to mark the sale of its 100^th unit, before proclaiming further sales.

Representing the other end of the printing cycle were software and workflow specialists such as EFI, Tharstern and Bodoni Systems. Shuttleworth Business Systems launched the Mobile Stock App, which allows users to update stock transactions using a mobile device, and a barcode scanner can be attached if required. Further, Shuttleworth has created and tailored software to record print and finishing machine efficiencies. Using sensors, located on the machines, information is instantly fed back to the MIS allowing users to view performance, machine downtimes, run speeds, make ready and waste. A new dashboard displaying user-defined reports can now be integrated and viewed an iPhone or iPad also.

Hybrid Software used Ipex 2014 to officially launch its Cloudflow system. Cloudflow is a compact, modern and modular system for running automated graphics production workflows in a private computing cloud. All Cloudflow interfaces are developed in HTML5, so workflows can be controlled from any web browser or tablet computer. During a Cloudflow presentation, Hybrid Software solutions engineer Bert Van der Perre outlined the simplicity of the system and how it can be used to integrate various facets of a printing operation. ‘It’s not just about automating pre-press, it’s important that businesses look to automate their whole operations, so creating efficiency gains and allowing them to maximize their operations.’

Presstek debuted two new CtP plates, Zahara and GemPlate, at the show. Zahara is a new thermal offset plate engineered for waterless press platforms, with GemPlate an eco-friendly open platform thermal CtP plate. Both can be imaged on any 830nm platesetter.

Graphic Image Films made the most of its close partnership with material supplier Derprosa at the show, including its exclusive distribution rights for a range of lamination films and printable films. This includes Black Soft Touch and Metalised Soft Touch films, which are suitable for both litho and digital printing, and a range of anti-scuff lamination films and Digital Gloss, Digital Matt and Digital Soft Touch.

Other suppliers from across the package printing supply chain made their presence felt at Ipex 2014 too, with DG press MachineS continuing its work to prepare the ground for the introduction of its new Thallo web offset press, slated for full launch at Drupa 2016, and Goss International similarly using its presence to continue its work to ramp up the market penetration of its Sunday Vpak press series, alongside support for its established customer base in the commercial print market.