Esko-Mark Andy Innovation Day showcases technology

The Esko-Mark Andy Innovation Day, held for European label printers and converters, took place at the Mark Andy Technology Center in Warsaw on March 5.

In addition to technology presentations from Esko, attendees had the opportunity to take part in live print demonstrations of Mark Andy presses. These included the flexo Evolution Series E5 and the UV inkjet hybrid, the Digital Series HD HighSpeed 1200. Labels printed on both presses utilized software created by Esko, including Equinox, a tool dedicated to label and packaging production.

'The event opened our series of meetings scheduled in the Warsaw-based Technology Center for this year. Some are organized in cooperation with our technology partners,' said Lena Chmielewska-Bontron, European marketing manager, Mark Andy. 'This time, we partnered with Esko, which offers a wide range of advanced hardware and software solutions used by our mutual customers. The meeting attracted many attendees from Poland, Turkey, Croatia, Czech Republic and other countries. For us, it was a great opportunity to showcase the new presses in Mark Andy's portfolio, including the fastest UV inkjet hybrid press on the market dedicated to label production, Digital Series HD HighSpeed 1200.'

Esko sales manager Mariusz Geras and Mark Andy European sales managers Lukasz Chruslinski and Antony Cotton welcomed the international guests.  

The first speaker was Jan De Roeck, marketing director at Esko, who highlighted the global changes and uncertainty affecting both businesses and consumers. He cited research results that outlined major business risks, the degree of preparedness for external crises and preventative strategies implemented by companies. He emphasized the importance of digital transformation in the label production market, addressing issues such as shorter print runs and faster delivery time pressures. He identified key trends and technologies, including automation, AI/machine ​​​​​learning and cloud computing, that will impact the label and packaging industries.  

De Roeck also illustrated the value chain specifically for packaging and label makers, pointing out the role of Esko.  As he underlined, Esko technology is used in the production process of nine out of 10 consumer packaging jobs. Some of these were presented in subsequent presentations and in context of their application in label production, as demonstrated on the Mark Andy presses.

Sam Coussens, application sales manager at Esko, gave a presentation called, 'Revolution in prepress with Esko: From concept to print'. He showed a complete workflow of a sample job file, from submission to final print, based on the Esko Automation Engine server. He covered successive stages of job processing: prepress, file approval, platemaking and printing. As he emphasized, over 3,000 licenses of the Esko Automation Engine are already being used worldwide, helping companies reduce errors by up to 80 percent, increasing efficiency and workflow, and achieving time and financial savings. Coussens talked ​​​​​​about selected workflow modules: Equinox, designed for job preflight; ArtPro+, dedicated to variable data printing; and quality control tools. He highlighted the importance of cloud-based job approval, remotely accessed by all process participants.

The final Esko presentation was given by Nils Otto, solution architect for Color & Print. He presented Esko technologies for flexo platemaking and screening processes. He showcased optimized workflow for file preparation process, designed to bring measurable financial and environmental benefits. He also highlighted Esko’s flexo platemaking systems from numerous implementations worldwide. Finally, he spoke about standardization and calibration processes using the Esko Print Color Wizard tool. When combined with the Equinox module, it creates a complete ​​​​​​process from press calibration to verification of final print. This offers cost savings while reducing the negative environmental impact of the print production process.

After the theory came the practical, with attendees taking part in a ‘live’ demonstration of two of the narrow-web printing presses installed at the Mark Andy Technology Center in Warsaw. The demonstrations were led by Lukasz Chrusliński and Antony Cotton, European sales managers at Mark Andy. 

The hybrid Digital Series HD HighSpeed 1200 press attracted interest from event’s guests, owing to its recent global debut. It operates at twice the speed of its predecessor, the Digital Series HD model. It addresses current market trends and customer requirements by reducing print run lengths, meeting the demand for versioning/VDP, and enabling updates or reprints of previous jobs after necessary modifications. 

'Moreover, our flagship models in this segment, the Digital Series HD and recently introduced Digital Series HD HighSpeed 1200, were developed entirely in-house. This means that our customers receive a complete end-to-end solution, including DFE software, from a single source. The package is assisted by a comprehensive Mark Andy 360 Support service care program,' said Cotton.

The second demo featured the well-proven Evolution Series E5 flexo press, offering production speeds of up to 230 m/min. It can be expanded and upgraded as user needs grow. Evolution Series E5 is available in 330mm and 430 mm web widths, and its application range includes labels, shrink sleeves and IML.  

'This highly versatile press aligns perfectly with current market trends and flexographic applications,' said Cotton. 'Its versatility is evidenced by the different types of work it produces, from specialized cosmetic tubes using unique technology to high-volume self-adhesive labels or shrink sleeves. Its range of applications can extend even further, depending on user specialization and target markets.'

The event concluded with a Q&A session featuring representatives from Esko and Mark Andy. The questions covered technical and general topics, including the current state of the market and the upcoming Labelexpo Europe trade fair, which will be held for the first time in Barcelona.