03/2015

Signature Folder and Leary to Present at Odyssey 2015

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American International Machinery, Inc., South Oak Creek, Wisconsin, announced its Signature Folder Gluer Team will partner with W.H. Leary, Tinley Park, Illinois, for a demonstration at the 2015 IADDFSEA Odyssey in Schaumburg, Illinois, May 13-15.

Chris Leary and Bernie Czerwinski will present “New Technologies to Improve Carton Quality and Decrease Rejects” during the technical workshop, May 13. Live demonstrations, shown on a Signature Elite 110 SLB, will provide an overview of the latest in quality control/inspection options that can help decrease overall rejects on a folding/gluing machine, as well as virtually eliminate human inspection process. Reservations are required.

For more information, visit www.odysseyexpo.org or www.aim-inc.net.

BIA Announces Annual Conference Plant Tour Stops

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The BIA, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in conjunction with Printing Industries of America, will offer optional plant tours as part of the 2015 BIA Annual Conference agenda. The conference will take place May 18-20 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The plant tours provide firsthand experience in innovative graphic finishing, binding and loose leaf methods. Three stops will be included in one tour. Attendees will visit Muscle Bound Bindery, Daily Printing, Inc. and 612Brew. Transportation will be provided, but space is limited.

For more information and to register, visit www.printing.org/biaconference.

Odyssey Early Bird Registration Deadline Nears

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Early bird pricing for the 2015 IADDFSEA Odyssey will soon expire. Register by April 1 to get $100 off VIP registration.

Odyssey is the converting industry’s premier event targeted specifically to the diemaking/diecutting, foil/specialty effects, folding carton, corrugated and specialty industries. It will take place May 13-15 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA.

Odyssey offers three days of industry-specific programming, equipment displays, show-and-tell clinics and more. Accommodations at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel are available at a special rate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Don’t miss Digital Day – Friday’s all-new programming specific to digital decorating and finishing.

For registration, exhibitor list, floor plan, Techshop™ equipment, hotel information, airline discount codes, program matrix and more, visit www.odysseyexpo.org.

Questions? Email [email protected] or call the International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD) at 800.828.IADD or the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) at 785.271.5816.

SEI, Matik Introduce PAPERONE

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The Matik Inc., – SEI PaperOne™ Laser System

SEI S.p.A. of Curno, Italy, and Matik, Inc., West Hartford, Connecticut, – SEIs North American distributor of converting machines – introduced the PAPERONE™ Laser System at DSCOOP earlier this month.

Equipped with dual-laser technology, PAPERONE performs diecutting of packaging, greeting cards, literature, posters, envelopes and more. For inline operation, PAPERONE can be integrated with any digital press, including the HP Indigo 10000 and 30000 digital presses. SEIs PAPERONE Laser System consistently diecuts, micro-perforates, pierces, engraves and marks paper, cardboard and adhesive-coated stocks, as well as PP, BOPP and PET.

For more information, visit www.matik.com.

TAGA Conference Set for March 22-25

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The Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) 67th Annual Technical Conference will take place in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 22-25. TAGA is the global professional technical association for the graphic arts industries exploring the latest technologies in the industry.

More than 30 technical papers on emerging technology and industry changes will be featured, as well as leading keynote speakers such as Chris Travis, director of technology, KBA; Michael Van Haren, manager of postal solutions sales, Quad/Graphics; Bruce Kahn, adjunct professor of graphic communications and printed electronics advisor, Clemson University; and Patrick Younk, directors fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory.

For more information or to register, visit tagaatc.printing.org.

Turning Problems into Positives

by Mark Porter, Dienamic MIS Software Inc.

As the old saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Software helps document and record problems and provides several benefits that actually can turn problems around to strengthen relationships with customers, vendors and employees, as well as improves operating procedures.

Providing employees easy entry of information – such as job number, customer, vendor, employee, department, problem type (paper, MR, etc.), quantity effected, problem description, problem solution, etc. – allows companies to sort and analyze problems that can provide many benefits such as:

Prevents Companies from Making the Same Mistake Twice
Becomes a Database of Problems and Solutions
Improves Relationships with Customers/Vendors/Employees
Minimizes Damage by Documenting Problems

1. Prevents Companies from Making the Same Mistake Twice
Another old saying goes: “You’re not stupid for making a mistake, just for making the same mistake twice.”

By recording problems against jobs, immediate notification of the issues incurred last time is available when re-quoting or rerunning a job. This is helpful at the estimate stage because it allows for quotes based on the previous information. Similarly, at the order entry, there now is the option to not proceed with the job if the customer is not willing to incur the extra costs this time around.

2. Becomes a Database of Problems and Solutions
Recording problems and solutions builds a knowledge base that can be accessed by employees in the future. Learn from previous mistakes by adding images and/or video of the problems/solutions to the database.

3. Improves Relationships with Customers/Vendors/Employees
Generate a list of problems that came up with good customers each quarter. Discuss those issues and offer solutions with the customer. Continually refining the working relationship between the company and customer allows for production of higher quality, better priced and better serviced products. This strengthens the bond with that customer, ensuring it takes a bigger mistake or price difference for them to take their business elsewhere.

The same logic applies to vendors and employees. Discussing issues helps strengthen the working relationships. Trends can be seen with employees and certain operations. Say an employee is always having problems with a certain product. Additional training can be provided. Trends with vendor materials continually causing problems can be identified and rectified.

4. Minimizes Damage by Documenting Problems
If nothing else, documenting problems can save money and relationships in the event of disputes. The more documentation available, the more a company can reinforce its position to the other party in a constructive and articulate way. This can reduce or eliminate liability and open the possibility to future business.

Reprinted with permission.

Mark Porter is the president of Dienamic MIS Software, Inc. Dienamic offers a wide variety of software products and services designed specifically for trade binderies and print finishers. For more information, call 800.461.8114 or visit www.dienamicmis.com.

YUPO Showcases New Swatchbook

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YUPOs newest swatchbook gives printers, production managers and designers a tool for selecting the ideal synthetic paper for all types of print applications.

Yupo Corporation America, Chesapeake, Virginia, has an updated paper sample swatchbook that features pages of new uses and perennial applications of YUPO® Original, YUPO Accel®, YUPOBlue® for HP Indigo®, YUPO Octopus®, YUPOJelly® and YUPOilluminate®. YUPOs newest swatchbook gives printers, production managers and designers a tool for selecting the ideal synthetic paper for all types of print applications.

The reference book showcases many different examples of print techniques and applications possible using the synthetic paper: spot gloss varnish, textured coating, spot UV grit, glow-in-the-dark, scratch n sniff, reticulating varnish and more. The new swatch book also features convenient at-a-glance comparison charts for easy identification and specifying appropriate YUPO papers. The latest version also includes a back pocket which holds samples and more detailed spec sheets.

For more information, visit www.yupousa.com.

Evolution of Flexo Printing Good for Industry

by Dave Miller, Anderson and Vreeland

Flexo printing continues to evolve, capitalizing on the mechanical advances in the presses themselves, improved materials and technological advantages.

Press manufacturers continue to improve in mechanical print quality and efficiencies. Makeready requires less time, there is less material waste and coming up to color is much quicker and more predictable. Quality is improving on every touch point to the press itself. We are just as excited to see these same attributes being applied to digital presses. These are all positive steps helping improve our industry as a whole.

We also see advances in plate materials, mounting tapes, sleeves, aniloxes, blades, curing, etc. Improved press performance allows plate manufacturers to refine plate attributes to specific applications. They’re getting really good at identifying raw materials that provide better print quality for different substrates. Increased line screens, higher count anilox cylinders, mounting tape technologies and curing techniques are all contributing to great consumer products. We have never been more focused helping our customers choose combinations that yield better results, faster turnaround and reduce operating costs.

Key technological advantages improving flexo include advances in the process of exposing plate material with flat top dot technologies, either in the exposure process or integrated into the plate material itself. There are new screening technologies for high definition/high resolution allowing for 4000 to 5080dpi that have doubled the resolution. This improves type, drop shadows, highlight and shadow details that now print cleaner. For line work, everything looks sharper, positively effecting nutritional panels, micro printing and corrugated markets. There are CTP devices using higher wattage lasers and advanced optics to ablate the carbon masked plates. In the same pass, an LED exposure head now makes the face exposure process. LEDs used in exposing and curing are eco-friendly and last for thousands of hours while expanding our choice of substrates.

Plate manufacturers are satisfying the demand for higher resolution/line screen counts while reducing dot gain. With a firm understanding of process control, the right plate material and supporting products, makeready and uptime are optimized impacting profitability, labor and capacity.

Dave Miller is creative director for Anderson & Vreeland, Inc. Anderson & Vreeland provides customers with a solutions-based approach to business by offering innovative material and technological solutions in the flexographic industry. For more information, call 866.282.7697 or visit www.andersonvreeland.com.

03/2015

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by Mark Porter, Dienamic MIS Software Inc.

Reprinted with permission.

Mark Porter is the president of Dienamic MIS Software, Inc. Dienamic offers a wide variety of software products and services designed specifically for trade binderies and print finishers. For more information, call 800.461.8114 or visit www.dienamicmis.com.

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by Dave Miller, Anderson and Vreeland

Reprinted with permission from Flexo Daily.