Gluing solutions provider Baumer hhs, Krefeld, Germany, has introduced its compact and intuitive Xact controller, whose range of functions is geared entirely to automated gluing. The controller incorporates the latest software and hardware technology, giving customers maximum flexibility. Customers can run all of their Baumer hhs hot melt and cold glue application heads on the Xact and implement both simple and complex gluing applications cost-efficiently. Short setup times and high reliability make the new controller the ideal solution for high-precision gluing in many areas of folding carton production, end-of-line packaging and print finishing.

Because automated gluing does not always need to be monitored for quality, Baumer hhs’s product range traditionally includes controllers for applications that dispense with this step. Xact represents the latest generation of controllers in this performance class, and sets new standards in the market in ease of operation and flexibility.

“Xact is the newest member of the Go product family from Baumer hhs. The systems in this line boast an excellent price/performance ratio, giving customers around the globe access to our product world. A lot of machine manufacturers prefer the Baumer hhs brand for adhesive application because it stands for exceptional reliability worldwide,” said Ralf Scharf, business development manager at Baumer hhs.

Xact follows the same intuitive operating philosophy as Baumer hhs’s high-end Xtend³ controller. In other words, Xact’s touchscreen operation and intuitive menu navigation also reliably guide machine operators through the targeted setup, no matter what the gluing application. In addition, its expanded functionality offers added options never before available with controllers designed exclusively for adhesive application. For example, with Xact, up to eight glue tracks per application head can be programmed individually and applied either as dots or lines. With this flexibility, customers can optimize glue consumption and reduce CO₂ emissions. Additional help is provided by Baumer hhs’s GlueCalc smartphone app: Customers can enter just a few parameters in its simple user interface to calculate optimum glue consumption for every single job.

Combined with Baumer hhs cold glue or hot melt heads, Xact maintains a consistent level of precision in applying glue across the entire working width at machines speeds of up to 300 m/min. Data for up to 99 sample orders can be stored in the controller and quickly retrieved via the menu for follow-up jobs. Setup time is further reduced to a minimum by how easy it is to program glue tracks, by having the pump pressure setting integrated in the controller and by the option of choosing between 30 different languages for controller operation—including for the plain-language and informative help texts and system messages.

Customers can flexibly update predecessor models from Baumer hhs to the new Xact controller and even continue using the same mounts. If the requirements they need to fulfill in glue application increase, the Xact controllers can in turn be replaced at any time with high-end Xtend³ controllers from Baumer hhs, which give customers virtually unlimited possibilities in automated gluing and the associated quality assurance.

For more information, visit www.baumerhhs.com.

The Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech), Reston, Virginia, and the George Mason University (Mason) School of Business, Fairfax, Virginia, are pleased to announce the launch of the LeadingPRINT: Advanced Leadership Program with its first online education offering – Managing Transformation in the Printing Industry.

A unique collaboration between industry experts at APTech and leadership from Mason’s School of Business, the LeadingPRINT: Advanced Leadership Program is designed to provide leaders in the printing industry with the knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully transform their companies and generate continued success in an industry being disrupted by radical change in technologies, markets, business and financial models.

“It’s critically important for ‘outside’ business leadership knowledge and experience to join with our printing industry expertise so we can offer printing industry professionals new and valuable business-growth insights,” said Thayer Long, president, APTech. “This exciting new professional development opportunity is consistent with APTech’s commitment to developing unique and relevant products and services for our members.”

The graduate-level curriculum will develop strategic frameworks for leaders to reinvent their organizations and develop new or revised business models based on an innovative vision for the future. The program consists of three modules that are essential for leading organizational transformation: Marketplace Disruption (Vision of the Market), Customer Principles (Vision of the Customer) and Implementation (Vision of the Process).

The nine-week program will run June 10-Aug. 30, 2020, be taught by Mason School of Business professors and will be delivered through the university’s Learning Management System. Those who complete the program will receive a Mason School of Business certificate of completion.

“Mason is committed to providing access to excellence and making an impact in the world. This partnership puts those principles into action as participants will collaborate with our world-class faculty experts to further develop and enhance their knowledge and abilities,” said Brett Josephson, assistant professor and director of executive development, George Mason University School of Business.

Registration is $1,995 for APTech Members. In order to encourage leadership-team participation, additional registrations from the same member company are priced at $1,200.

To learn more or to register, visit https://aptech.personifycloud.com/PersonifyEbusiness/Event-Registration/APTech-Events-Calendar/Meeting-Details/productId/496018.

For more information, visit www.PRINTtechnologies.org.

US States, such as Connecticut and Illinois, are setting up sites directing businesses that wish to donate PPE to healthcare workers and hospitals. These PPE supplies could include face shields, coveralls, gloves, masks and more. To find a donation location in your state, go to Google and search “donate PPE (my state).” Included here are links to some state resources:

Illinois: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/serve/Disaster/Pages/COVID-19-PPE-Donations.aspx
Minnesota: https://mn.gov/ppe/
Connecticut: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/Pages/Request-for-Personal-Protective-Equipment
Kentucky: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/TeamKentucky/PPE
Wisconsin: https://covid19supplies.wi.gov/Donations

Palo Alto, California-based PaperSpecs is offering people an alternative to bingeing another series on Netflix. If learning something constructive is on your to-do list during this time when many are working at home, PaperSpecs has chosen five of the company’s most popular members-only webinars and is making them available for free.

The five print topics are:

The Many Faces of Embossing
Presented by Sheila Donnelly, Precise Continental
Everybody loves the finger-pleasing, multidimensional effects that embossing and debossing have on print projects, but achieving the look you want on a budget can be extremely challenging. Here’s how to do it!

How to Price Your Design Work
Presented by Ilise Benun, Marketing Mentor
Whether you’re just starting out or have been in this field for decades, few people really know what to charge for their design work. Here are three easy steps for putting a price on your creativity today!

The Letterpress Revolution
Presented by Ben Levitz, Studio on Fire
Want to get the most out of this beloved printing technique? Take a wild ride through letterpress design in all its forms: from wood cuts and hand-set type to prints made by … steamrollers?

Creating the Perfect Pop-Up
Presented by Peter Dahmen, renowned paper artist
Discover how precise laser cutting, ingenious folds and thoughtful planning can transform even your most routine print piece into a 3D work of art.

How (& Why) to Get Started with Augmented Reality
Presented by Sarah Mannone, Trekk
Take a deep dive into what augmented reality is and how you can effectively work it into your design and marketing work right now!

To learn more or to register, visit https://www.paperspecs.com/top-5-print-design-webinars-2/.

Screen printing technology provider Sakurai has announced that its headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, will remain closed and staff will operate remotely to support customers until April 30, 2020, in compliance with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extended Stay at Home Executive Order.

“In spite of these challenging times, the Sakurai team is responding promptly to all sales and accounting inquiries, as well as requests for service and replacement parts shipments, particularly for our many customers designated as essential businesses,” said David Rose, vice president, Sakurai USA.

The Sakurai team can be reached remotely as follows:

Sales & Management
David Rose, vice president, 708.341.9493, david@sakurai.com

Accounting Issues
Diannah Perez, controller, diannah@sakurai.com

Parts & Service
John Wokurka, director of operations, 847.363.5672, johnw@sakurai.com

Johnny Horton, service technician, johnny@sakurai.com

Jovani Perez, parts coordinator, jovani@sakurai.com

Sakurai 24-hour parts and service hotline: 800.458.4720, ext. 203

“The entire Sakurai team extends our best wishes for the health and safety of our valued customers, dealers, suppliers, industry friends, colleagues and their families, during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rose added.

For more information, visit www.sakurai.com.

The 17th edition of Label Summit Latin America closed on a high note in Santiago in March. Taking place in the Chilean capital for only the second time, the two-day conference brought together 499 senior stakeholders from 21 countries, eager to share ideas and shape the future direction of the region’s label and package printing industry.

The conference, hosted at Espacio Riesco Convention Center from March 10-11, was chaired by Labels & Labeling magazine editor James Quirk, with 11 conference discussions and in-depth expert-led presentations taking place over the two days. The focus was on printing, branding, design and wine, and sustainability was a recurrent theme.

Tasha Ventimiglia, Label Summit Latin America 2020 event director, commented: “Once again, we’re delighted to bring the industry together during the latest Label Summit Latin America. Despite an ambiguous period, we were able to host a lively and extremely well-received conference, with truly inspiring speakers and fantastic educational sessions covering the most topical converter, design and sustainability issues facing the region’s label and package printing industry.”

Opening the conference on day one was a presentation on climate change and its impact on the export-driven Chilean economy, given by Mariana Soto Urzúa, general manager, CENEM Chile. This led into the next session, from Javier Ibero Arimany, LATAM manager at Spanish printer EADEC Chile SA, on sustainability and the circular economy. The well-received keynote presentation was given by Askold Zimmermann, business development manager for gold sponsor GlobalQuality.space, who focused on workflow automation and transforming a converter’s operational functions. A further day one highlight was the afternoon’s Southern Cone converter panel discussion featuring a strong line-up from Germán Calvi, director, Etiketten SA; Ignacio Cortiñas, sales and operations manager, EADEC Chile SA; Jorge Garrido, director, Garino Hnos SA; and Ignacio Ramos, commercial director at converter R&R Impresores. Topics covered included digital printing, recruiting press operators and staying ahead of the competition.

Day two of the conference began with a session led by James Quirk, who provided an analysis of global label and packaging industry trends. Luis Arevalo, packaging engineering director, Kellogg Company, then focused on how big CPG brands can build an emotional connection with consumers through personalized design. A further highlight from day two included a session led by Hernán Braberman, partner and executive design director for Tridimage, whose “design playlist” presentation highlighted visual elements appealing to each generation and how companies can take advantage of this.

The conference closed with a second panel discussion focusing on wine label design, which highlighted sustainability and taking advantage of globalization as key to this. Leading brands represented on the panel included JVD Estudio creative director, María Jesús Vial Valdés; ValueBranding Inc director, Eduardo Wexman; CCL Labels Chile commercial director and Viña Aresti executive director, José Mingo; and Armaria Arquitectura y Diseño SpA designer, Carolina Lucero Requesens.

Delegates also took advantage of the exclusive accompanying exposition showcasing the latest technology driving the region’s industry, with 57 exhibiting companies taking part, including ABG.

Sebastián Rosero, its sales representative in Latin America, said: “The Summit was a key show for ABG, allowing us to engage with visitors on the scale of new developments in our finishing equipment and the opportunities available, particularly in increased automation and faster workflows. We had some constructive discussions with the packaging group, All4Labels Argentina, and barcode and RFID technology specialists, SATO, also based in Argentina, both of which should result in new business.”

Echoing this, Hernán Braberman said: “The latest Label Summit Latin America which took place in Chile confirmed once again that it is the main event in the region for the label and packaging industry. There I had the chance to talk with converters, suppliers of software and machinery and design agencies about future for the label and packaging industry in Latin America.”

Ventimiglia added: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone for taking part in Label Summit Latin America 2020. The insight shared at this event will be invaluable as our thoughts turn towards putting together our very first three-day Labelexpo in Latin America, in Mexico for next year, which replaces Label Summit Latin America 2021. We look forward to working with Label Summit speakers and exhibitors, and the wider industry, on the show.”

To learn more, visit https://www.labelsummit.com/chile/.

The US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has announced the availability of $42.5 million in Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants to support the enrollment of in-school or out-of-school youth apprentices (ages 16-24) into new or existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs).

“These apprenticeship grants offer communities the opportunity to make targeted investments today that will fuel future economic growth, by enabling young people to earn a living while learning critical job skills at the same time,” said US Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia.

ETA intends to fund approximately 15 to 25 Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants, with awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million. The amount of grant funding an applicant can receive will depend on the proposed number of youth enrolled in RAPs.

“The importance of providing multiple pathways to career success cannot be overstated,” said John P. Pallasch, assistant secretary for employment and training. “For too long, higher education was seen as the only path, but we know that’s not the only or best choice for many young adults. This investment in youth apprenticeship is key to helping broaden understanding of career options, and to giving these young adults an on-ramp to apprenticeship.”

In June 2017, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on Expanding Apprenticeship in America, focusing on expanding apprenticeships to secondary and post-secondary institutions, and increasing youth participation. This grant program supports the president’s Executive Order and ETA’s goals to expand access to youth apprenticeships, to promote pre-apprenticeship programs and to develop a strong youth apprenticeship pipeline.

As a critical step toward advancing high-quality registered apprenticeship programs in the US, these funds will be awarded to the lead entity of a youth apprenticeship partnership that seeks to partner with business and industry to develop new RAPs or expand existing RAPs.

Through this grant program, the partnership will directly engage educational entities, including traditional, alternative and non-traditional schools, as well as programs that serve out-of-school youth, school boards, workforce boards, employers, workforce partners and other apprenticeship intermediaries, to develop comprehensive approaches to establishing new apprenticeship models for youth or expanding existing apprenticeship programs for youth. Specifically, the funds will support training for thousands of underrepresented youth for apprenticeships in new and nontraditional occupations or expanded apprenticeship programs.

Information on how eligible applicants can apply for funding can be found at www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=325965. Also, visit www.apprenticeship.gov to learn more about the department’s broader efforts to connect career seekers with apprenticeship opportunities and expand apprenticeship into new sectors and industries.

Aldus Tronics, Sydney, Australia, a supplier of Tronics labeling, Videojet coding, marking and graphics machines, has announced that Aldus Pty Limited has acquired the business of API Foils Europe (excluding its Dutch and Asian subsidiaries), creating a new company called API Foilmakers Limited.

The new company will be led by Will Oldham, who was managing director between 2012 and 2015, and key members of the existing senior management team.

Oldham commented: “I am delighted to be back leading the API’s European Foil business, which has been at the forefront of quality graphic stamping foils for many years. Joining the Aldus Group will give our team the financial strength and support to ensure that we can continue to deliver the highest quality product to our customers across Europe and the world. We are particularly pleased to be restarting the Scottish manufacturing facility and ensuring the continuing operation of our distribution hubs across Europe, delivering 160 jobs, including more than 100 in Scotland.”

Frank Floriano, Aldus CEO, added, “API has long been viewed as a market leader in high quality foils.”

For more information, visit www.aldustronics.com.au.