Label Forum highlights Japanese innovation

Label Forum Japan 2024, held at the Tokyo Big Sight venue from October 23-25, attracted a record number of exhibiting companies, many of which showcased Japanese technology innovations.

Organized by Label Shimbun, the event hosted 108 companies and attracted 8,813 visitors, including label, flexible packaging and folding carton converters, printers, brand owners and industry suppliers.

As the only and largest label industry event in Japan, Label Forum Japan has been held every two years since 2008. It has become a well-established event for Japanese label industry professionals.

Label Forum featured live demonstrations of digital presses exhibited for the first time in Asia and Japan, as well as compact flexographic presses and intermittent letterpress aimed at improving production efficiency. In addition, many Japanese manufacturers exhibited the latest materials and technology, including sustainable labelstocks and a new eBeam (EB) curing system.

“Japan is home to the highest number of digital print manufacturers in the global market. Many domestic manufacturers exhibited their equipment at Label Forum”

New exhibitors at the 2024 show accounted for 34 percent of the total. The percentage of companies showing equipment was 43 percent, one third of which was accounted for by international suppliers.

Digital

Japan is home to the highest number of digital print manufacturers worldwide. Many domestic manufacturers exhibited their equipment at Label Forum. Digital print made up 17 percent of all exhibitors.

Epson used the event to launch its new SurePress L-5034 water-based inkjet press, with a live demonstration that captured significant attention. Several Japanese label converters signed purchase contracts, and installations will begin later this year.

The new SurePress L-5034 water-based inkjet press uses a high-speed single-pass system instead of the multi-pass system of Epson’s existing water-based inkjet models, enabling approximately four times faster printing speed.

The press uses Epson’s newly designed 1,200 DPI print head. The AQ Optimizer and Hybrid Dryer, also newly developed, are designed to match offset print quality in a single pass.

More than 700 of Epson’s SurePresses, both water-based and UV, operate worldwide, with over 130 in Japan.

Canon recently announced its entry into the label market with the debut of the LabelStream LS2000 water-based inkjet press. The company also showed the press at drupa and Labelexpo Americas 2024. At Label Fourm, Canon displayed an 8-inch-wide label printer.

Konica Minolta exhibited the AccurioLabel 400 toner press, and Twocat, a design system that utilizes AI image generation.

Echo Denki demonstrated an upgraded UV-based inkjet press, the PJ-170A. Despite its compact size, the machine uses a center drum for web transport and showed off its stable printing quality on both adhesive papers and film-based materials.

Exhibiting through its Japanese-owned parent company Brother, Domino discussed its N730i UV-based inkjet press, print bars and label printers.

CTC Japan introduced the fully customizable UV inkjet module, the Stream Jet. This module specializes in single-color printing and handles variable information. Applications range from powering smaller label presses to adding digital capability to high-speed flexo presses.

Oki Electric Industry exhibited the PLAVI Pro1050, a toner-based full-color label printer, and the Pro330S, a compact model. With a resolution of 1,200 DPI, the company promoted its ability to handle small-lot labels. Kyoueishikou in Kyoto was the first label converter in Japan to install the PLAVI Pro1050 in 2019.

Mimaki Engineering demonstrated the UCJV300-75 print and cut UV-LED inkjet printer. The equipment combines the high productivity and high image quality of the flagship 330 Series with the company’s UV printing technology to significantly improve productivity and image quality compared to previous models.

Roland DG demonstrated a range of print systems including a desktop-sized compact model and the production of water transfer decals.

Star Marketing Japan exhibited a wide variety of label printers. The company said that demand in the food delivery industry is increasing.

Net & Print, a label converter, also offers the NAPPASS series of label printers for the industrial sector. The printers can produce labels that meet Section 3 of the BS5609 standard.

Durst’s distributor KK Iris demonstrated the TAU 340 RSC-E, which gained attention for its high-definition print samples featuring a 1,200 DPI resolution using UV inkjet technology. The TAU 340 RSC-E has a proven track record in various fields including security applications. ‘We are also aiming to increase the number of installations in the Japanese market,’ Durst says.

Screen GP Japan exhibited the Bizpress13R digital printing press from Valloy (Korea) in cooperation with Kanematsu. The company said it will focus on sales development in the Japanese market.

In addition, Xeikon and HP showed various label samples. Anytron (Bitek, Korea) and Zeiser (Germany, the Japanese distributor is Technowave) also exhibited.

Conventional and post press

“The event hosted 108 companies and attracted 8,813 visitors, including label, flexible packaging and folding carton converters, printers, brand owners and industry suppliers”

Taiyo Kikai unveiled its newly developed ultra-compact flexo press, the TCR-200F Tutti, and the compact TCR-200 Tutti rotary letterpress. The ultra-compact flexo machine has a total length of 5.15m (6-color).

Sanjo Machine Works demonstrated its JNAS intermittent letterpress along with the CMAS color monitoring and adjustment system.

Among the many post-press machines exhibited at the show, Iwasaki International unveiled its R330 compact die-cutting machine. This equipment is based on an entirely new concept that combines flat-bed and rotary processes. It is compact, affordable, and does not require skilled labor.

Sanki Machinery demonstrated its SL-Auto slitter rewinder with a twin axis turret winding mechanism.

Comnet showed the new Combat laser die-cutting machine from Italian manufacturer SEI for the first time in Japan. The compact machine measures 2.3m.

Materials

Exhibitors presented a variety of new environmentally friendly and specialist self-adhesive materials for label printing, attracting the attention of label converters and Japanese brand owners.

Lintec presented environmentally friendly self-adhesive products including its MMP (monomaterial polyester) that uses polyester resin, the same material used for PET containers, for the labels base material and adhesive. The company promoted the labels as perfect for recycling since they adhere securely to the container and can be removed easily, with the ink peeling off along with the label.

Oji Tack introduced its Metal Tone Tack metallization technology offering a high-intensity gloss and can be used in microwave ovens and metal detectors. The company also previewed paper-based thermal self-adhesive materials that are resistant to alcohol.

Label converters

Six label converters exhibited at the show, including Osaka Sealing Printing, Sato, Yukosha, Shinwa Label Printing, Net & Print and Toyo Label, showcasing their latest products to brand owners.

Osaka Sealing Printing exhibited advanced label products, including media for UV laser marking, heat-resistant thermal labels and flexible packaging printed using EB curing technology.

OSP Labelstock will exhibit self-adhesive materials for the first time at Labelexpo Europe 2025.

Sato displayed a wide variety of label samples. In addition to environmental initiatives such as the release liner recycling and linerless labels, the company displayed its electronic tags, giving visitors the chance to store information on NFC tags and read them using a smartphone.

Yukosha demonstrated its proprietary Steam Valve labeling system and received several inquiries from food packaging machinery manufacturers.

Shinwa Label Printing presented its ‘Sengan’ traceability service, which utilizes NFC labels. It showcased security labels on Japanese sake bottles, which attracted significant attention.

Toyo Label showed decorative transfer labels, which use a raised processing technology to create a tactile effect. This label is typically used on cosmetics, perfumes, liquor bottles, fishing tackle and machine nameplates. In recent years, overseas luxury perfume and champagne manufacturers have widely adopted it.

A ‘Label Pavilion’ was held alongside the main event in the label products area. It showcased new label products from 91 Japanese and international companies, drawing the attention of label users, brand owners, label converters and printers.

Label Shimbun is the company in the Japanese label market that has been publishing a trade newspaper since 1969. The company also releases a market research book on Japan’s label market every March.