2020 Nov/Dec

Association News: November/December 2020

December 11, 2020

PostPress

FSEA Releases Repulpability Study in Response to Sustainability Concerns

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) has released a new study on the repulpability of paper decorated with foil, produced in conjunction with the Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute. The association has been proactive in working to separate the decorated products that FSEA members provide (produced via hot foil, cold foil and digital foil transfer processes, as well as transfer metallization of board or paper), from the use of foil laminated paper and board, which can be a more difficult product to recycle or repulp. Ten years ago, the association published a study on the Recyclability and Repulpability of Foil Decorated Paper/Board in partnership with Pira International, a third-party research firm located in the United Kingdom.

In 2020, as sustainability issues come to the forefront of the print decorating industry, the association commissioned a second study to be undertaken by the Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute. The study demonstrates that foil decorated paper and board do not create problems in the recyclability/repulpability of paper and/or board in a common repulping process. FSEA would like to thank Kurz Transfer Products for its efforts in coordinating the samples needed to conduct the full study. To receive a copy of the study, email jeff@fsea.com.

New FedEx Discounts Available to FSEA Members

FSEA, through its shipping program with PartnerShip, now is offering its members new discounts on FedEx packages. FSEA members now can save 45% on select FedEx Express^® services (overnight and second-day services) and 25% on select FedEx Ground^® and Home Delivery^® services. “The new discount rates for FSEA members are more significant than ever,” stated FSEA Executive Director Jeff Peterson. “Companies can save hundreds of dollars in shipping costs in a calendar year and more than pay for their FSEA membership.” There also are discounts with UPS Freight, YRC and others for LTL freight. To receive further information and to enroll in this special discount program, contact FSEA at brenda@fsea.com or call 785.271.5816.

FSEA Welcomes New Board Members

Stefan Congram, The Cartamundi Group, has joined the board of directors for the Foil & Specialty Effects Association. Congram is a dedicated print and packaging specialist with a keen eye for enhancing design, print and finishing. With nearly two decades of experience within the North American print market, he helps to identify trends and bring them to the marketplace through his work with brands and agencies. Congram’s passion lies with the cold foiling process and adapting new materials and technologies to achieve breakthroughs within the industry. He has led beta projects for Kurz Transfer Products, Flint Canada, Eagle Systems, Actega, Univacco and Sun Chemical.

In addition, Michael Aumann has resumed his associate position on the board of directors. Aumann has accepted a new role as senior vice president at LasX Industries in St. Paul, Minnesota.

FSEA Members: Update Your Company’s FinisherFinder Listing

The FSEA reminds its members that now is the time to check each company listing on FinisherFinder.com and update it for 2021. In addition to visibility on the website – which is accessible to printers, graphic designers, ad agencies and others searching for providers of specialty finished goods – the information on the FinisherFinder.com website also is used to create the FSEA Sourcebook, a printed membership directory that is distributed to members and at tradeshows and other events throughout the year. To update a listing, email gayla@fsea.com.

The Intersection of Volume and Profit

December 10, 2020

By David M. Fellman, consultant

Is it better to be bigger – in terms of sales volume – or more profitable? It’s a serious question. Sure, the most likely answer is both, but that’s not the normal state of affairs in the printing industry. Yes, there are large and highly profitable companies in every segment of the printing industry – from those that print on paper, those that print on fabric or those that print on board or any other substrate to those that print with ink or toner or add value with foil or other finishing techniques. But there also are less profitable and not-profitable companies in every segment of the industry, all of which either want or need to be moving in a more positive direction.

Now, obviously, there are many things to be considered on the cost side of the business, including payroll, cost of goods sold, technology, etc., but all of that is a topic for another day. Today is about volume and profit and the sales side of business.

Four categories

Typically, printing companies will fit into one of just four categories regarding the intersection of volume and profit. They are: (1) High Volume, High Profit; (2) High Volume, Low Profit; (3) Low Volume, High Profit; or (4) Low Volume, Low Profit.

Where exactly the border lies between high and low is unknown, but if a company wants or needs to increase sales volume, the rules for low volume apply. Similarly, if a company wants or needs to improve profitability, the rules for low profit apply. If they don’t want or need, they safely can play by the high rules – at least
for now.

What are these rules? If companies really are in the high volume, high profit category, they obviously want to maintain that position. That requires them to maintain good customer relationships, which in turn require a combination of customer service and customer contact. To put it simply, they can’t let their customers down in terms of quality or service, and if they do, they’d better identity and rectify any problems before their customers start talking more seriously with their competitors.

Customer contact is an important element in this equation. There’s a tendency to think that customers will let companies know if they have a problem. That theory has been disproven many times in the marketplace. The fact of the matter is that good customers aren’t usually lost over one huge failure. More often, it is the cumulative effect of two factors. The most obvious is a series of minor quality or service failures. The more dangerous is when a customer starts questioning whether a company truly values their business.

Give some thought to the nature of the contact between the company and its customers. How much of it is the salesperson looking for orders? How much of it is the back-and-forth directly connected to processing those orders and involving the customer, the salesperson and possibly the customer service/project management employees? How much of that contact involves some stress on one or both sides?

Now, how much of it is senior level contact reaching out to the customer to (a) assure the health of the relationship and (b) reinforce the value the company places on their business? Most customers like it when someone senior reaches out to them, especially when there’s been some stress in day-to-day interaction with lower-level people. Customers also like knowing – not just thinking or hoping – that the company is doing everything it needs to do to maintain those happy customer relationships. The best way to know is to be an active participant.

Please note, by the way, that customers are talking to the competitors. At the very least, they are hearing from them, and the most visible customers (i.e. big companies, well-known companies) are getting plenty of attention. As companies should know from their own prospecting, there can be a significant gap between talking to and buying from, but that gap diminishes if the level of satisfaction with the current supplier does the same.

Speaking of prospecting, even a high volume, high profit salesperson or company always should be prospecting for new business. Companies want to have people in the pipeline just in case something does damage a current customer relationship. And beyond that, there’s nothing wrong with higher volume, high profit, is there?

High volume, low profit

If a company is in the high volume, low profit category, it also should be prospecting, because universally, the biggest reason high-volume printing companies fail is that they have bad customers and don’t work hard enough to find better ones. They take all the business they can get from companies that won’t pay for value and that further drain profit by obstructing production schedules and impeding cash flow.

This leads directly to the cardinal rule of high volume, low profit situations: When companies have bad customers, do something about it.

Bad customers

It’s worth asking how to define a bad customer. As noted, they tend to be price buyers rather than value buyers; they tend to obstruct production schedules with unreasonable demands or expectations; and slow-pay customers seriously can impede cash flow. To sum all of that up: Bad customers can be defined simply as more trouble than they’re worth.

The good news is that companies usually have a chance to change bad customer behavior before one of these customers kills the company. Generally, companies can change bad behavior by talking it out with the customer. First, give some thought to exactly why they’re more trouble than they’re worth. This is not something companies should approach with just a vague feeling.

Then, reach out and see if a meeting can be set up. Success may hinge on another element, because there are only two reasons why someone might fall into that “more trouble than they’re worth” category. One is that they’re jerks, and there’s not much companies can do about that. The other is that they’re civilians, meaning they are people who don’t have professional knowledge of the industry. They simply don’t know how best to work with printers to reach their own goals. Civilians can be trained. Not always, perhaps, but it’s always worth a try.

Here are the rules for high volume, low profit: (1) Work at improving the trouble-to-worth ratio with the customers the company already has. (2) Work at finding new customers to replace any the company had to lose. (3) Don’t replace old bad customers with new bad customers.

Low volume, high profit

Imagine an client looking to sell their small company. They have been quite satisfied to earn a little under $100,000 on a little over $400,000 in sales. But the new owner has greater aspirations. This is a perfect example of a low volume, high profit situation. Any advice to the buyer would be pretty direct: Don’t take on any bad customers in order to inflate the top line.

The perfect strategy is to scale the business up using the previous owner’s model. Seek out a few new value-oriented customers. Give them – and charge them for – a premium level of service. Set a goal, such as $600,000 in sales and $150,000 in owner’s compensation. With the right focus, both of those are doable.

For what it’s worth, $800,000 in sales and $150,000 in owner’s compensation also is doable, but what’s the value of an additional $200,000 in sales that doesn’t produce any more profit? In some cases, it’s just 33.3% more work.

The coffin corner

Finally, what if a company is in the low volume, low profit category? The best advice is simply to do something. That may mean prospecting for new customers. It also might mean addressing the bad customers the company already has. In absolute fact, it probably means doing both of those things and starting immediately.

Albert Einstein is famous, among other things, for defining insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Every printer that has failed probably passed by a point where changes could have been made and a different result gained.

Here’s the bottom line for today: Look at where the company stands in relation to the intersection of volume and profit, and then do what needs to be done to put it on the right side of the road.

Dave Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, Raleigh, North Carolina, a sales and marketing consulting firm serving numerous segments of the graphic arts industry. For more information, visit www.davefellman.com or e-mail
dmf@davefellman.com.

UV Surface and Air Disinfection Devices: Let the Buyer Beware!

December 10, 2020

By Castine A. Bernardy, Nicola M. Elardo, Alexa M. Trautz, and James P. Malley, Jr., Ph.D., Environmental Engineers, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH

Worldwide concern over the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 has sparked widespread interest in using UV devices for air and surface disinfection. The purpose of this article is to provide tips to the consumers and users of UV devices intended to inactivate air and surface pathogens. That market contains thousands of different products, with over 50 million UV products sold to consumers since March 2020. Unfortunately, these products lack uniform validation protocols, manufacturing specification, or guidelines. Therefore, consumers need to be informed before purchasing or using UV devices.

There are three types of UV light commonly discussed in disinfection. UV-A and B wavelengths come from the sun and reach the Earth. UV-C wavelengths vary from 200 to 280 nm and are emitted from these purchased UV devices.

Generally, the lower the wavelength, the greater the photon energy of the light that is being emitted by the device. This is important to note when discussing disinfection due to the sun, as UV-A and UV-B have longer wavelengths. While disinfection from the sun may be possible, the time required to achieve adequate disinfection from the sun is excessive and often results in desiccation of the pathogen before it is inactivated by the UV ray.

What you should know

Often the information provided by advertisements and many very brief user manuals for UV devices simplifies operations to talking about time, instead of dose. Dose is the measurement that is recommended by all UV professionals because time is not the most important factor. The effectiveness of any UV device or application depends upon at least four key factors: a) the irradiance or fluence rate of the light source at specific wavelength(s) emitted (some refer to this as intensity or strength of light, but those are vague, non-technical terms), b) the optical geometry of the UV device, or how it is to be applied, c) the type of organisms to be targeted, including their action spectra and what percent removal (or log inactivation), is desired and d) contact time. Of these lamp characteristics, optical geometry and organism characteristics are far more important than time.

UV device geometry and optics matter when placing an object in it for disinfection, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 is a UV intensity “heat map” of a typical device disinfecting a KN95 mask (black). The heat map measures the sum of all optical factors that affect delivered UV dose, as confirmed by UV radiometer readings. The figure demonstrates that many regions of a typical UV device (blue) deliver a very low UV dose and will produce poor disinfection.

One way to determine if the UV device is effective at inactivating the pathogen of interest is by using UV dosimeter badges. UV dosimeter badges are reusable or single-use labels that change color as they receive UV radiation. When purchased, a pack of dosimeter badges will come with a color scale that matches each color to a UV dose. With this tool, the user visually can see if the required dose for disinfection has been achieved by matching their badge to the corresponding color on the scale after dosing. Thus, UV dosimeter badges offer consumers an easy way to confirm a UV device has done its job.

Safety concerns

Virtually all UV devices come with warnings about the potential electrical hazards and about the fact that UV light is known to cause harm to skin and eyes.

Dosing human and animal tissues with any forms of UV energy should not be done by the buyers and users of these UV devices. Special cases performed by experienced medical professionals under very tightly controlled conditions for very specific medical problems may be found in internet searches, but “do not do this at home” is the message for buyers and users of UV devices.

The current US and international guidelines set limits on maximum exposure to UV and highly recommend that living tissue should not be exposed to any forms of UV light unless it is prescribed and monitored by healthcare professionals.

Users must be vigilant to protect themselves from all direct, reflected or otherwise stray UV light when using any UV device, especially items such as UV wands.

In addition, ozone production is another potential hazard when operating enclosed UV devices. Normal use of UV devices for applying lower doses (0 to 100 mJ/cm²) to surfaces or air is being increased 10- to 20-fold (e.g., 2,000 mJ/cm²) to ensure PPE is adequately disinfected before reuse. The elevated doses may result in the unwanted generation of low levels of airborne ozone. Such ozone levels can cause minor irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as low-grade headaches if people use these devices for extended periods of time.

In addition, the effectiveness of using UV wands is doubtful. Normal human limitations and error make it unlikely that consumers will hold the wand an appropriate distance from a surface, use the correct sweeping motion to cover the whole surface or expose the pathogen to a high enough UV dose to cause adequate inactivation.

Finally, it is extremely important to verify that you have purchased a quality UV device. Generally, the better-quality devices are hundreds to thousands of dollars and come with independent third-party testing data. However, price is not the only determinant for UV device excellence, and it is crucial to confirm that the UV device delivers the specified dose from the lamp by use of dosimeter badges. Finally, UV devices cannot replace the multiple barriers recommended by health experts to prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19.

Castine A. Bernardy and Nicola M. Elardo are Graduate Research Assistants and Alexa M. Trautz is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the MalleyCATS group at the University of New Hampshire, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Durham, NH 03824. This article written under the supervision of Jim Malley, jim.malley@unh.edu. For more information on UV disinfection technologies, visit www.uvsolutionsmag.com.

Diecutters Go High-Tech

December 9, 2020

by Hallie Forcinio, writer, PostPress

Like virtually every other postpress operation, diecutting is becoming more automated and connected. Advanced features on flat platen diecutters reduce makeready time and ensure consistent running speed.

“We have identified connectivity, digitalization, automation and sustainability as the cornerstones of packaging production now and in the future,” explained Bodo Junge, product marketing director Folding Carton at BOBST North America Inc., Parsippany, New Jersey. “With these four cornerstones front of mind,” he said, “BOBST is aiming to create a seamless packaging supply chain where machines and tooling communicate with each other to deliver optimum quality and performance, while reducing errors, waste and costs at every point.”

Heidelberg_AGT_00003_Mastermatrix_F51_HG_weiss — A new MasterRake in the blank separator section of Heidelberg’s Mastermatrix 106 CSB diecutter simplifies positioning and fastening of individual rake rods and shortens the makeready process.

At BOBST, its MASTERCUT 106 PER autoplaten diecutter combines a high level of automation and ergonomics with its TooLink digital recipe management tool to deliver an entirely connected packaging production system that increases production flexibility, decreases job turnaround time and boosts machine productivity. Rated at up to 11,000 sheets of paper, paperboard or corrugated per hour, the machine can cut, strip and blank in one pass. Sheet sizes range from 13.78 x 15.74 inches to 29.37 x 41.73 inches.

The diecutter minimizes the need for operator intervention by automating functions and settings from feeder to delivery from a single point of control. A camera-based Matic Plus system completely automates stripping and blanking tool settings by measuring the position of tools and automatically aligning them in register to the printed sheet. The machine also features automated jam detection and setting and has a nonstop rack system in the delivery section. The new features shrink set-up time by 15 minutes.

The TooLink platform connects the diecutter with tooling to bring together the entire converting process. The unique digital ID of the diecutter enables instant recognition of tools. When the machine detects chip-equipped tools, the machine’s operator interface calls up a production-ready job recipe. This reduces waste, cuts changeover time and recalls jobs without any operator intervention.

“TooLink connects, digitalizes and automates converting,” said Alex Volery, head of Tooling Division at BOBST. “It creates a true converting ecosystem that addresses the key production concerns of efficiency, control, speed, quality and sustainability. With TooLink and its suite of IoT applications, packaging manufacturers have complete oversight of their dies, recipes and job histories and access to a higher level of production data and insight.”

The diecutter lineup from Heidelberg USA, Kennesaw, Georgia, addresses needs from entry-level to high-production blank-separating machines. “Combining the technology and productivity focus of Heidelberg with the engineering strengths of Masterwork, the diecutter range includes many features to help automate processes,” reported Chris Raney, vice president of Postpress/Packaging Product Management at Heidelberg.

High outputs depend on a continuous, reliable infeed. The Masterset optical registration system, available on Promatrix, Powermatrix and Mastermatrix diecutters, ensures sheets feed more consistently and are more precisely positioned because sheets are held by a vacuum plate and registered according to a printed mark, not to the sheet’s edge. “Conventional sheet registration using front and side guides is simple and relatively accurate but can be susceptible to stops due to misaligned sheets,” explained Raney.

In the cutting station, the use of a chase with quicklock saves considerable time – up to 15 minutes – when compared with the lock-up system used previously. It also is more precise and repeatable. The use of thin (1mm) cutting plates is widespread in the industry and allows the creasing matrix on an inexpensive plate to be saved for use when a job repeats. On Heidelberg’s latest model, the 9,000-sheet-per-hour Mastermatrix 106 CSB diecutter, the 1-mm plate can be locked into the machine without the use of any screws, further reducing changeover time.

In the stripping and blanking stations, makeready time has been cut by the implementation of fixed frames that can accept just the wooden tool. “In the past,” recalled Raney, “hours were spent setting up stripping pins in frames and creating blanking grids, etc. Today, thanks to . . . improvements . . . in the quality and accuracy of the tooling, the wooden stripping tools or the fabricated blanking grids quickly can be locked into the machine. Every frame in the machine offers a fine adjustment capability so that precise alignment of the tooling can be achieved once locked up in the machine.” As a result, on a 41-inch diecutter equipped for stripping or blanking, this makeready can be completed by one operator due to the light weight of the tooling and the simple lock-up.

MagicCarpet — The Magic Carpet blank interleaving device on Koenig & Bauer’s CutPRO Q 106 SB diecutter eliminates the use of traditional swords that require time and finesse to prepare for each job and cuts makeready time to zero.

Koenig & Bauer (US) Inc., DFW Airport, Texas, introduced its own diecutter in October 2020, the CutPRO Q 106 SB model. Under development for three years, it draws on engineering from the printing side of its business. The result is a machine with a unique blanking section that cuts costs and makeready time. “It’s fairly simple engineering, but different from anything that came before,” said Tom Fitzgerald, director, Post Press Products at Koenig & Bauer. Designed for higher performance and greater throughput of folding cartons, the CutPRO Q 106 SB diecutter features a zero makeready blank interleaving device called the Magic Carpet. This system eliminates the use of traditional swords that require time and finesse to prepare for each job. “Even with quick-lock or auto-locking sword systems, this process can take up to 10 minutes,” noted Fitzgerald.

KB-Cut2Print — The Cut2Print registration system on Koenig & Bauer’s CutPro Q 106 SB diecutter helps ensure high throughput and perfectly registered sheet handling with virtually any substrate.

Another new feature is the Cut2Print registration system, which was designed from the SIS platform on Koenig & Bauer’s Rapida printing presses. The Cut2Print system utilizes up to two cameras to read printed marks in the color bar or three cameras for sheet-edge reading. Capable of reading both the top and bottom of the sheet, the system is particularly well-suited for folding carton or litho laminate boxes. The CutPRO Q 106 SB diecutter also features a new driving device for the stripping and blanking frames and full memory recall for repeat jobs.

Diecutters from Young Shin USA Limited, Schaumburg, Illinois, the North American Division of Young Shin Industries – South Korea, also emphasize efficient set-up and shorter makeready times. Accommodating substrate sizes measuring from 40.9 x 29.1 inches to 98 x 67 inches, many Young Shin diecutters include non-stop feeders that facilitate rapid feeding and free the operator for other tasks. High-quality electronics support high output, ease of operation and low cost of ownership and generate higher production, superior accuracy and a rapid return on investment.

Young-Shinn-Revotec-106SB- — The flexible Young Shin REVOTEC 106SB (stripping and blanking) automatic flatbed diecutter offers on-pallet delivery when blanking or normal exit delivery when running as a standard diecutter.

Integrated pre-makeready tables expedite the preparation of the die for the upcoming job and also allow the operator to prepare the next job while the current job is running to maximize productivity. “The quicker an operator can get the next job up and running, the more rapid gains in profitability can be realized,” explained Phil Mack, vice president of Young Shin USA.

Other throughput-boosting features include automated set-up for feeder and stripping and delivery operations. In fact, some Young Shin diecutter models allow the operator to save up to 10,000 separate set-ups for later recall to substantially cut the time needed to begin the next job.

Dual touchscreens, one in the feed section and one in the delivery area, reduce the time needed to make adjustments. Most operators position themselves near the delivery area so if they wish to speed up the machine or make any adjustments, the second touchscreen allows changes to be made without walking to the front of the machine. “The placement of the two touchscreens, as well as other automation features . . . can save 10 to 15 minutes off each job’s normal set-up or makeready time,” said Mack.

2020 and 2021: No End to Chaos in Sight

December 9, 2020

By Chris Kuehl, managing director, Armada Corporate Intelligence

It has been pointed out for years that business hates uncertainty more than anything – even certainty over bad news and crisis is preferable to not knowing what is happening. Planning is the essence of business – setting strategies that can be executed and evaluated in terms of whether they are reaching set goals. How does one set strategy in these times? Not only is there a global pandemic that worsens by the day, but the politics in the US have never been so tense, with real doubt regarding whether half the country will accept the outcome. As of this writing, we still are in doubt as regards both of these issues. It would be nice to assume that we have reached a turning point that allows us to put 2020 in the rear view mirror and look ahead to 2021 with a return of life to some semblance of normal… but that seems highly unlikely.

We have had an election – and one that will rank as the angriest and most contentious in decades. Trump already has demonstrated a determination to declare himself the winner even before the race is decided and has stated that he will oppose efforts to count all the votes. It appears the Senate has not flipped, but that remains in some doubt as well, as many states still are undecided – and that will mean recounts and several weeks of uncertainty over which party will control Congress. The House of Representatives will remain in the hands of the Democrats. It appears there has not been anything close to a “blue wave” and, once again, the pollsters are revealed as completely out of touch with the voters. The state races are varied as well.

In a normal year, the election would be the focal point for the business community and society in general, but this has been anything but a normal year as the pandemic continues to rage and the reaction to this virus will continue to dominate every political and economic decision well into the coming year. The question that will confront the political leaders will be the same one that confronted them before. To see what lies ahead for the US, one only has to look at Europe right now.

The “winter wave” of the pandemic has arrived there (as it has started to in the US). The number of cases, hospitalizations and fatalities have surged, and this has provoked a return to the lockdown strategy. In country after country, there have been decisions to shutter public places, ban gatherings, shift schools to virtual platforms and, in some cases, prohibit people from leaving their homes. The impact on the economy has been devastating already, with predictions of a return to full-on recession in the fourth quarter. The estimate now is that Europe will be in recession for at least the first half of 2021. Unemployment will be back to double-digit numbers, tens of thousands of businesses will shut down and governments will break debt and deficit records. This is the fate that awaits the US as the confident assertions begin to fade.

The Conference Board was looking at two options for 2021 – an upside and a downside projection. The upside expected growth at the end of this year that carried into the first half of 2021 but then faded a little toward the end of the year. The downside saw anemic growth this year and into next but then expected an improvement as 2021 progressed. The good news was that both of these projections had the economy back to where it started 2020 by the end of 2021. The latest iteration of the analysis now has a third option, and it isn’t good. This is the real downside projection and is based on a renewed national lockdown that sends the economy back into a recession. That double dip means an economy that is worse off at the end of 2021 than it was in the second quarter of this year.

Economic priority #1: coronovirus

What can we expect as far as economic priorities? Obviously, the only thing that will matter in the next year will be dealing with the pandemic, and that will have profound economic implications. It is more likely there will be a national lockdown of some kind under a Democrat-led government, but it is not guaranteed. The best estimate is there will be an extension of the partial shutdown rather than the total approach taken last spring. The primary focus for the coming year will be rolling out the vaccine. Reports suggest that several versions already are in production and are waiting for the conclusion of the phase 3 trials. Thus far, these have been panning out as expected.

What happens after this crisis has been addressed? This election has focused very little on issues other than the pandemic, and that creates a certain amount of anxiety as campaigns make a lot of promises that are not intended to be kept. There appear to be three areas a Democratic administration will want to emphasize. The first of these is climate change. This came up repeatedly in the campaign, and it is something that both moderates and progressives seem to be able to agree on. This would likely involve promotion of alternate energy and efforts to reduce use of fossil fuel. The challenge is there is little room in the budget for incentives and promotion of alternatives, and there will be reluctance to return to the days when OPEC controlled the US energy destiny. Fracking is not popular, but it has been key to the US economic rejuvenation over the last several years. If the Republicans continue to hold the Senate, the chances for a shift in energy policy are minimal. Climate change has not been of interest to the GOP thus far, and there is powerful support for the fossil fuel industry in general.

Economic priority #2: tax reform

A second priority will be tax reform. There will be a desire to hike taxes on the wealthy on the part of the Democrats, but there also is recognition that the upper 25% of the consuming public spends the majority of its disposable income on services – and this is the very sector of the economy that will need the most help to recover from the recession. The easiest step will be to allow the tax cuts instituted at the start of the Trump years to expire. There has even been some GOP support for this move, given the number of fiscal conservatives in the party that are concerned about the size of the debt and deficit. There also will be talk of cuts in spending, but the reality is that over 65% of the budget is mandatory (social security, Medicare and Medicaid). Another 7% is interest paid to those that bought the government debt, and that leaves 28% as discretionary spending. Spending on defense accounts for over half of that 28%. That leaves about 15% for all other spending, and there is just not much that can be cut these days.

Economic priority #3: foreign policy and trade

A third priority is likely to be foreign policy and trade. Alliances with Europe and Latin America are in tatters, and the Biden camp would be far more hostile to Russia than Trump. Neither party is a fan of China, but the business community recognizes the country’s role in global trade. The fact is that foreign policy is the area a President was created to deal with by the founders. The US relies on trade for almost 20% of the GDP, and the last four years have been marked by reductions in export activity. Trump has pursued an isolationist and protectionist approach and Biden favors more traditional diplomacy, but every country in the world now will be favoring policies that benefit their own economies.

The election has revealed an incredibly divided and angry electorate. The Trump support has been overwhelming in the rural areas, and Biden’s support has been in the urban areas. There had been some faint hope of a moderate middle emerging from among centrist Democrats and Republicans, but that has evaporated and what is left is hard right and hard left in Congress. With the Senate in GOP hands and the House in Democratic hands, the next four years will feature the kind of gridlock and animosity the last four years have featured.

Chris Kuehl is managing director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. Founded by Keith Prather and Chris Kuehl in January 2001, Armada began as a competitive intelligence firm, grounded in the discipline of gathering, analyzing and disseminating intelligence. Today, Armada executives function as trusted strategic advisers to business executives, merging fundamental roots in corporate intelligence gathering, economic forecasting and strategy development. Armada focuses on the market forces bearing down on organizations. For more information, visit www.armada-intel.com.

Lifecycle Management: An Integral Part of Maintaining Bindery Equipment

December 9, 2020

By Dan Denue, vice president, operations, Muller Martini

Bindery equipment represents a significant capital investment. And, to ensure its long-term productivity, these assets must be continually nurtured and maintained, from installation to decommissioning. The most effective, results-driven approach is through lifecycle management (LCM).

Every machine has a lifecycle – a period of time where it produces at acceptable baseline levels. Properly managing bindery equipment’s lifespan begins with a dedicated commitment to a lifecycle management program, one that not only helps users achieve realistic performance expectations as the equipment ages, but also fosters a “no surprises” transition to newer assets.

The lifecycles of most machines can be pre-determined by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which can provide a comprehensive roadmap that details what needs doing and when. Since the OEM designed and engineered the machine, the OEM has the unique experience, ability and resources to forecast what to expect from the equipment – and how to realize those expectations even as the machine ages.

LCM keeps businesses apprised of what’s ahead

fit_for_services5 — Muller Martini’s Services offers a host of
after-market programs to keep equipment
performing throughout their life cycles.

Time impacts the performance of every functioning machine, even newest generations featuring leading-edge technology. Automation, driven by electronics and software, began appearing in bindery equipment in the mid-90s. That alone made obsolescence inevitable as technology and intelligence constantly is being innovated and improved. And, although binders built in the 80s and early 90s are predominately mechanical in nature, they too are susceptible to obsolescence. Yes, suppliers often can construct new mechanical parts, but, sooner or later, that becomes both cost and time prohibitive. Add to that technicians experienced in servicing legacy machines who become harder to find or in limited supply.

Effects of ignoring regular maintenance

In today’s evolving print landscape, there’s a tendency to utilize short-term approaches that are focused on immediate costs or whatever’s disposable. But taking a “run to failure” approach is both unrealistic and costly simply because it avoids the fact that certain functionality may be inoperable and unavailable in the future. Yes, binders can and do last decades. But unfavorable outcomes eventually will ensue, for instance:

Missed opportunities. Proper lifecycle management, particularly with older equipment, often uncovers opportunities that actually can increase a machine’s performance and/or productivity. By lowering expectations, companies can miss out on new opportunities to grow business.
Increased costs. Unplanned downtime more often than not results in emergency repairs and/or replacement. Oftentimes, those costs are higher than what would be paid when planned for through a proactive maintenance strategy.
Lack of parts and other components. As mentioned, obsolescence simply is a reality as equipment becomes more digitized, less mechanical.
Loss of secondary market value. Just because a company owns a legacy binder doesn’t mean it has little value on the open market. Quite the contrary. In an ever-changing economy, many facilities choose to upgrade their line with a reputable brand’s second-hand equipment. When that equipment has been maintained, its residual value increases significantly.
Employee dissatisfaction. It’s hard enough to attract experienced labor in today’s market. However, turnover rate can be lessened if companies actively demonstrate to their employees an ongoing commitment to keeping machines running and performing optimally.

Conversely, a dedicated LCM program offers the following advantages:

Ensures optimal machine performance even as the equipment – and its components – age. No one can stop the clock, but companies can employ strategies that help prolong the life span of their bindery fleet.
Better aligns equipment needs with business goals. Being able to plan for machine enhancements and upgrades creates a clear, pre-determined path that’s beneficial to the bottom line.
Forecasts the timing of equipment needs. A planned maintenance strategy takes advantage of seasonal shutdowns, thereby optimizing planned downtimes for both equipment and operators.
Assists in the planful and systematic acquisition of new bindery equipment and/or disposal/sale of legacy machines. Being able to assess what the machine’s lifespan is today enables facts-based budgeting for future equipment purchases.
Lessens employee angst. A reactive maintenance approach is sure to cause uncertainty and unnecessary stress to operators, technicians and financial staff. A dedicated LCM program eliminates the unknown and the anxiety it creates.

What to expect as finishing equipment ages

Machine lifecycle is fairly predictable and often is independent of the mechanical or computerized/electronic nature of the machine. Therefore, “staging” the equipment’s life offers clear expectations for the machine’s longevity, enabling companies to plan for its productivity, overhead and eventual replacement year by year. Typically, machine lifecycle stages are designated as:

Active. The equipment is all-new or still is being manufactured. That means that upgrades, components and comprehensive service readily are available.
Secure. In this stage, the equipment is no longer being manufactured. However, enhancements, upgrades, parts and support continue to readily be available.
Limited. Here the equipment is no longer being produced, so only select enhancements, upgrades, parts and support are available.
Obsolete. This final stage often encompasses equipment that was manufactured more than 20 years ago. Although best-effort support services are offered by the manufacturer, many enhancements and parts no longer are being produced.

An effective lifecycle management strategy does not just include planned maintenance but offers a variety of tools that contribute to a robust lifespan for bindery equipment.

The first step in effective lifecycle management? A strong partner

A successful lifecycle management program starts with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), particularly those with proven reputation and longevity. After all, like the binders, companies need to rely on the OEM’s expertise, support and recommendations long after machine installation. A company’s LCM partner is there to help its team – from maintenance to systems to finance – proactively plan next steps, whether it’s upgrading a machine, securing an obsolete part or migrating to newer technology.

Moreover, not only do OEMs have insider knowledge regarding how to optimize productivity, they also have developed seasoned relationships with third-party suppliers that often are vital to the machine’s continued performance.

Lifecycle management: The key to long-term performance

Rapid technological innovations have forever changed how machines are designed and engineered. And, although these innovations have led to exceptionally automated finishing solutions that reduce labor demands, every advancement is ultimately revolutionized, producing even greater performance and efficiencies. Machine lifecycle management helps companies prepare for the predictable, enabling smarter and timelier decisions so they can continue to compete for the long-haul.

With more than 30 years of industry experience, Dan Denue is responsible for Muller Martini’s extensive service and parts offerings that include operational improvement programs, machine maintenance and upgrades, spare parts and information technology management. For more information, visit www.mullermartini.com.

Crown Roll Leaf’s Holograms

December 9, 2020

By Lara Copeland, contributing writer, PostPress

Privately owned and founded in 1971, Crown Roll Leaf, Inc., Paterson, New Jersey, has a vertically integrated holographic division, Crown Holo-Grafx™, which provides fully integrated hologram design, origination and manufacturing. Crown has multiple in-house laser/computer pixellation labs where it produces custom and stock holograms.

Security holography has evolved in the last decade thanks to advancements in computer technology and digital printing. With counterfeiting as prevalent and sophisticated as ever, businesses are battling to maintain the integrity of their goods. According to Crown, the best way to fight counterfeiting is in a multi-level approach. Crown uses a preemptive strategy – a combination of holography, special coatings and substrates, as well as sophisticated printing techniques – to fight counterfeiters.

A typical custom hologram is produced through a number of steps. When a customer forwards their hologram specifications to the art department, spec/forensic sheets are created and sent back to the customer. If they are approved, digital artwork is prepared and sent to the hologram lab for origination.

When the digital art files are prepared for origination into the digital holographic machine in the hologram lab, the image is recorded onto a holographic photo-resist plate. Once this is finished, the plate is inspected and sent to electroforming. Here, the plate is silver sprayed and put into electroplating tanks. A nickel master is grown to make nickel shim copies for mechanical recombination. The 1-up holographic image is recombined into an acrylic plate according to the production specifications for the foil production master.

Next, the production acrylic plate goes through the electroplating process to create the nickel master for embossing. During the embossing process, a nickel shim is mounted onto rollers on the embossing machine where heat and pressure are used to transfer the holographic image into a coating on the roll of film. An even deposition of metal/HRI coating is applied to the entire roll of embossed film after it is placed into the metallizer, thus creating the end result: a foil product. The rolls of metallized foil are ready for the application of adhesive coating before going through inspection and slitting into the final specified rolls of holographic foil.

Several techniques are used in making a hologram. Surface diffraction images are line art images assembled from sections of “rainbow gratings.” These gratings are arrays of straight lines spaced closely together (20,000 per inch) and diffract light into a rainbow of colors. This means different colors are seen from different angles. Color images can be assembled by using various orientations of the rainbow grating in individual parts of the image. These images are 2D, colorful and bright, lending themselves to logos and decorative images, and they may be combined with other types of holograms.

Made from either flat art or photographs, 2D/3D holograms depict the subject arranged in two-dimensional layers separated in space. Typically, two or more layers are used; however, when only one layer is used, the hologram is called a 2D hologram and there is no effect of depth or space. With two or more layers, the hologram shows depth, and the special separation of layers is evident.

Crown states that the best and most secure hologram combines all of the above techniques in addition to overt and covert security features. Its facility houses a state-of-the-art holographic origination machine and is capable of producing such a secure hologram.

Overt features include flip images, animated effects, embossed or relief holographic effects, non-diffracting or white imagery, and fine line guilloche. The covert features that can be added to a hologram include hidden images, micro-text and nano-text.

PRINTING United Goes Virtual with New Online Platform

December 9, 2020

PostPress

Beginning Oct. 26 and running through Nov. 12, the PRINTING United Digital Experience hosted more than 40 product launches and 100 educational sessions throughout its 14-day run. Hosted by Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and Printing Industries of America (PIA), which officially merged in 2020 to become PRINTING United Alliance, the digital platform offered more than 100 sessions highlighting different market segments from commercial, digital textile, graphics/wide-format and industrial printing application technologies. Despite the continuing spread of COVID-19, PRINTING United allowed the market segments throughout the industry to remained united and moving forward during a year filled with unprecedented challenges.

Throughout the three-week event, industry experts presented on the latest trends, research and areas of growing opportunity – all offered at no cost to event attendees. Each day began with a special keynote address, followed by a detailed schedule of educational session and panels, product spotlights and unveilings. Some of the keynote presentations included Trends and Opportunities in Folding Carton and Corrugated, addressing rising opportunities in paperboard-based packaging segments thanks in part to growing demand for sustainable packaging options. Creating a Path Forward: Sustainable Strategies to Navigate the New Normal in the Printing Industry covered the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and how to navigate the new landscape. Building a Manufacturing Mindset spoke the rise in digital finishing equipment as well as workflow software that has led to a shifting mindset among graphics and wide-format printers.

Even with the new digital format, major OEMs and suppliers were able to launch new technology on a worldwide stage. Rollem International launched its new Insignia6H rotary diecutter, which features diecutting, kisscutting, scoring and embossing. The Insignia6H is designed for fast changeovers for folding cartons, labels and promotional products. Heidelberg USA showcased the New Generation Speedmaster XL106 for board, paper and label. Dedicated to smart manufacturing, the Speedmaster XL106 is integrated with artificial intelligence tied into the makeready process to streamline jobs throughout the process chain. Duplo USA highlighted several machines, including the UD-310 rotary diecutter which delivers packaging and print marketing applications in distinctive shapes and sizes. Konica Minolta displayed the AccurioPress C14000 (featuring increased options including a new long-sheet paper feed and options for creasing and perforation) and the Plockmatic PSQ160 bookletmaker.

On the bindery side, Muller Martini announced its new Prinova saddlestitchers, designed to produce short runs more efficiently. Capable of 9,000 cycles per hour, the Prinova offers an individual feeder that allows for quick changeover, making it efficient for short and medium runs. Standard Finishing Systems unveiled the Horizon BQ-500 perfect binder, designed to increase book-of-one productivity with increased automation and increased quality control. It can be run inline with Standard’s HT-300 three-sided trimmer. Also showcased were the Standard Horizon StitchLiner Mark III saddlestitchers which combine all processes from flat sheet collating, scoring, folding and saddlestitching through three-knife trimming into a single system.

“We built the PRINTING United Digital Experience as a way to keep the industry united and moving forward, as well as provide an elevated stage, as we traditionally do, for companies to debut the products they’ve worked so hard to bring to market this year,” says Mark J. Subers, president, Events and PRINTING United. “During a year when launching new products has been a real challenge, we are thrilled to learn about the new technology featured on the PRINTING United Digital Experience platform from companies around the world. “It is especially exciting that the Digital Experience is being used as a springboard for plans by many of our partners for our in-person Expo in 2021.”

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country and the world, the ability to host events like PRINTING United on a digital platform has become crucial for keeping those in the industry connected and informed of the latest technologies and advances. If there is a upside to moving the event online, it is that attendees can revisit each session multiple times as videos will remain available through Jan. 31, 2021.

PRINTING United 2021 is scheduled to take place Oct. 6-8, 2021, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. For more information, visit www.printingunited.com.

A Lifetime of Customers, Generations of Friends – FSEA Remembers Fred Isler

December 9, 2020

By Reneé Varella, Foil & Specialty Effects Association

Former FSEA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Fred Isler passed way July 12, 2020. Regarded in high esteem by his colleagues, he was an inventor who revolutionized the paper, packaging and printing industry. His stories and his vision of the world lifted and enlightened anyone who had the grand opportunity to converse with him. According to his son, Sebastian, Isler loved being a source of inspiration and being inspired to constantly challenge himself. He had the ability to bring out the best in people and to always try to see the world from as many different angles as possible. The following article was written in 2008 when Isler was honored by the FSEA.

When someone has been in the foil stamping and embossing industry for close to 50 years, you’d think taking it easy would be a top priority. Not for Alfred ‘Fred’ Isler, an industry veteran who passed the 45-year milestone at Bobst Group in 2005. Although Isler officially retired as vice president and general manager of Bobst Canada in the spring of 2006, he continued to handle one major account for Bobst – Ling Industry of Warwick, Quebec – and did so until that company’s general manager, Raymond Beaulieu, retired in 2009.

“We’ve known each other for 30 years, or more,” Isler said. “I’ve worked with Raymond on the training of his people, kept him informed of what was new in the industry and have given him the best service he could expect from any supplier in the industry. We had a personal agreement that I would continue to service his account until his retirement next year.”

For Isler, 20- , 30- and 40-year relationships in the industry are standard operating procedure. In fact, Isler has been such a fixture in the industry that the Foil Stamping & Embossing Association (FSEA) is proud to present him with its 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor recognizes Isler for his commitment to the growth of the foil stamping and embossing industry and for his leadership in introducing revolutionary technologies, especially in the areas of large-format stamping, embossing and diecutting

Beginnings at Bobst

Isler was born outside of Zurich, Switzerland, in the German-speaking part of the country. After high school, he attended a four-year technical school, then began to work for Bobst S.A. in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1960. Ninety years earlier, Joseph Bobst had opened a printing supplies shop in Lausanne, and in 1915 the company began producing its own printing machine equipment. Despite the threat of another World War, the company decided that the paperboard industry needed a complete line of machines, especially a press with an automatic platen, and began industrial-scale production in 1938 with its Prilly-Lausanne plant. Two years later, the company unveiled the first Autoplaten^® diecutter.

Bobst broke into the American market with its folder-gluers and diecutters prior to the 1960s. Initially, Thompson National Press in Franklin, Massachusetts, represented Bobst in the US; then in 1965, Bobst acquired the Champlain company in Roseland, New Jersey, a manufacturer of large-size rotogravure printing machines. That same year, Bobst was renamed Bobst Group USA Inc.

In 1966, Isler transferred to Bobst Group USA as a field service technician, based out of Ohio and Kansas. He soon spent a good deal of time in Topeka, Kansas, on a special assignment for Bobst at Hallmark Cards, Inc. Three years earlier the giant greeting card company, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, had expanded its manufacturing facilities in Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas. The company had been printing greeting cards 1-up on a small clamshell-style press, and Isler and other team members were tasked with implementing hot foil stamping technology, which also would enable the company to print 6 or 10 cards on a sheet.

The partnership between Hallmark and Bobst Switzerland to develop a 49″ hot foil stamping prototype, called SP 1260 BM, meant that Isler spent months traveling back and forth to Lausanne to work with technicians, who periodically worked on site at Hallmark. While living in Topeka, Isler took business administration courses at night at Washburn University, also polishing his English skills. In addition to English, Isler speaks French and German fluently. Bobst eventually delivered two of the hot foil stamping units to Hallmark – one to its plant in Kansas City and the other to Topeka. Isler was in charge of installing the machines, training Hallmark employees on how to use them and fine-tuning the units for production.

“Until then, most hot foil stamping had mainly been done by small, family-owned entrepreneurs with 6 to 10 employees, like Graphic Converting in Chicago or JC Stamping in Baltimore,” Isler said. “Hot foil stamping was done 1-up on a small press, which was rather expensive. Our selling point was to tell companies to do a larger sheet size and it would be more cost-effective.” Isler noted that Bobst began selling its 49” hot foil stampers to companies it knew well, such as to folding carton manufacturers that for years had purchased diecutters like the SP 1650, a behemoth weighing 40 tons.

Isler said he benefited from the knowledge and assistance of others in the industry in his early days, like Glenn Hutchison, who owned a hot foil manufacturing and stamping engraving company in Kansas City. “I worked with Glenn on the Hallmark installation,” Isler said. “He was extremely helpful in developing foil for high speed and large format. He also improved the quality of hot foil stamping dies.

A year after the Hallmark installation, Isler installed a Bobst 49″ hot foil stamping machine at Alford Packaging in New Jersey, a division of Revlon. “There was a great demand by Phillip Morris and Revlon for more sophisticated packaging,” Isler said. “Alford Packaging was the first company that produced cigarette and cosmetic packaging on a large-format machine.” With the Bobst SP 1260 BM, the company went from producing 1- or 2-up on cigarette packages to 30-up.

Realizing that Bobst had gone “from one extreme to the other” with its hefty hot foil machine, Isler said the company introduced a 40” press for smaller-sized companies 10 years later. Isler installed a 28″ x 40″ BMA at Apex Die Corp. in San Carlos, California – a machine that “put us into the ‘big time,’” said company founder Tom Cullen. “Up until then we were basically a ‘half-size’ shop.” Cullen relied on Isler for everything it took to get Apex Die capable of operating and maintaining the press, saying, “Freddy’s expertise greatly contributed to increased levels of craftsmanship in the industry in the United States.”

Other trends in the late ’60s and early ’70s included the use of hot foil stamping on expensive folders that companies used for their annual reports and new-product packaging like camera film and toothpaste boxes. “When Colgate introduced a new toothpaste, it would put hot foil stamping on the package for the first two or three years,” Isler said. “Folding carton manufacturers didn’t have hot foil stamping at the time, so they’d send out the work to small finishers.”

Building communication

Isler-Fred-2 — Isler’s passion opened the door to many opportunities.

Early in his career, Isler saw the need for strong communication between machine manufacturers, materials suppliers and end-users. “It was a big step for small companies, with 5 or 10 employees, to go to large-size presses, and planning was extremely important,” Isler said. He devoted himself to training individual operators on the new machines and helped to develop workshops that could reach 10 to 12 operators at a time.

“I also knew the importance of having an excellent relationship with the people who made the foils, embossing plates and dies,” Isler said. He worked with suppliers to develop the special foils required to run on faster and larger presses. “The FSEA developed because of the relationship between manufacturers, suppliers and end-users, and better communication was the end result,” he added. Isler also liked how FSEA events, such as the national conventions, gave him the chance to see friends and reach lots of customers over two or three days.

What’s more, such meetings allowed Isler to do what he does best: strengthen relationships that last for decades. At one meeting, Isler met the owner of a small-format finisher company in Montreal, Quebec, and stayed in contact with the man for 15 years before he sold him a machine. Isler remains patient with such pacing by comparing it to that of a “new married couple starting out, buying a small house; then when the kids start to come along, they buy a bigger house. It’s a slow process,” he said. “Communicating is the key to everything. When you’re in sales, it doesn’t matter what you’re selling, what matters is when the customer is ready to buy.”

Listening and learning

In 1973, Isler was promoted to Bobst’s technical staff and moved to company headquarters in Roseland, New Jersey, where he was instrumental in introducing Bobst folder-gluers in the North American market. Three years later, Isler was promoted again – this time to product manager of the Technical Services Department, overseeing special projects involving SP diecutters and folder-gluers. For the next 20 years Isler would be involved heavily in customer training, starting with the development of a training program for the North American industry in 1973.

“We’d do two- to three-day training seminars all over the country,” Isler said. “Bobst was unique in going to customers. We got excellent feedback from customers and developed excellent relationships with them. In three or five years, those operators would move into management and there was a lot of respect, both ways. We developed a certain camaraderie.”

In his interactions with numerous customers over the years, Isler perfected his ability to pay attention, picking up many skills and short-cuts from operators. “I’ve always been a good listener, interested to learn from customers how to improve our products so they will be better for them,” he said. Isler constantly shared customer feedback with Bobst’s engineering department and management to offer a better product. “We were continuously improving small things on our machines – in the machine industry, it’s an evolution, not revolution.”

Isler’s passion for communication has served him well – and opened the door to many possibilities. “Communication is about training, passing along knowledge, listening to the problems of customers and coming up with answers,” he said. One example of creative collaboration came out of discussions with a customer who wanted to save money by ‘rewinding’ a portion of foil after a specific application. Isler worked with the user and Bobst technicians to develop a foil rewinding unit.

Another collaboration involved American Bank Note Company, a customer interested in developing holograms as a security feature on currency. According to Isler, Bobst had been in the hologram game early on – and may have been ahead of its time. Although the demand for holographic technology never reached anticipated levels in the US, it did take off in Europe.

When asked for his insights on the future of the industry, Isler holds firm in his belief that good customer service will prevail. “Personally, I believe even more manufacturers will move from North America to India and China, but I’m a firm believer that small, entrepreneur-type companies in North America are going to grow much faster than they did 20 years ago,” Isler said. “I see great opportunities ahead. Because of my belief in giving quick service, we’ll go back to small companies, where good personal service is key.”

Transitioning to the top

Isler was named senior manager of Technical Services in 1983, overseeing technical matters for all product lines distributed by the Bobst division in the US. Three years later he was promoted to director of Technical Services and was responsible for mechanical and technical matters related to the diecutting, foil stamping, and folding and gluing product lines the Bobst and Bobst Champlain divisions sold and serviced in the US.

Isler recognized the value of a strong team and recruited shining stars, like Peter Witzig, who’d transferred from Switzerland in 1983 to join Bobst’s Field Service Group in North America. Three years later Isler convinced Witzig to join the company’s Technical Services Department in New Jersey. “The biggest influence Fred had on me was to listen and to respect customers – always thinking about how to improve the equipment,” Witzig said. “Reducing makeready time and improving net production was big on his mind. Discussing new ways to do the job and improve customers’ production was his goal.”

Witzig also credits Isler for influencing him to network with many people in the foil stamping area, noting how “instrumental” Isler was in developing the market. “Working directly for Fred gave me great experience,” Witzig said. “He was very demanding and, at the same time, a great mentor.” Witzig, who now is product line manager in Bobst’s Folding Carton Business Area, worked with Isler for six years, until Isler transitioned to Bobst Canada.

In 1992, Isler became director of Special Technical and Sales Support, responsible for all customer demonstrations and training courses for customers and Bobst Group USA technicians and sales staff. Isler also was in charge of special productivity improvement programs for SP diecutters and folder-gluers and the technical marketing aspects of tradeshows.

On Jan. 1, 1993, Isler became vice president and general manager of Bobst Canada, and settled in Quebec a few months later. “We were happy to move to Quebec because my wife is Canadian,” Isler said. He and his wife, Jeanne, met in Chicago, Illinois, and married in 1967. They have two grown children: a son who’s a musician in New York and a daughter who’s stationed with the United Nations’ World Food Programme in Rome, Italy.

Today Bobst is a worldwide supplier of equipment and services to packaging manufacturers in the folding carton, corrugated board and flexible material industries. With close to five decades in the industry, Isler has witnessed dramatic changes at Bobst and in the field. Some of the biggest changes include the shift to off-press makereadies to reduce set-up times and the pervasive use of computers in the design of machines, freeing operators from certain tasks.

When asked what part of his career means the most to Isler, he’s clear – and succinct: “The respect and friendship of my customers,” he said. Bobst colleague Peter Witzig sums up Isler’s contributions this way: “Fred is simply a great person and a friend to many in this industry.”

Elegant Packaging for “Breaking Bad” Remembrance

December 9, 2020

By Lara Copeland, contributing writer, PostPress

What do a motorcycle club and a premier print consultancy and production firm have in common? They were both founded by the talented and creative David Drucker. In addition to orchestrating motorcycle rides to honor veterans and POWs, and delivering two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center to the Marine Museum in Virginia, Drucker, CEO of high-resolution, located in New York, New York, also has been creating unique commercial productions since 1983. In doing the work other Manhattan printers couldn’t do, Drucker and his company earned a reputation for delivering high-profile, intricate and demanding productions.

As the hit crime drama “Breaking Bad” prepared for its final season, Drucker was contacted by AMCtv to create a special piece as a remembrance of the show. The idea behind the piece was to combine the show’s branding with design elements that reflect its premise. “We collaborated to produce a desk trophy for a very limited group of people,” he explained. Additionally, highresolution created unforgettable packaging to house the prize. “Each box was built by hand,” Drucker said. “We previously had worked with a particular manufacturer for very high-end, smaller boxes, and we knew he could give us the details we wanted regarding how this box opens, shuts and secures the product inside.”

The sturdy packaging highresolution designed to protect the ornament was a heavyweight turned-edge sleeve and box that was wrapped in Hollander’s Arrestox Bookcloth, from Cover Material Sales Inc., Hyannis, Massachusetts. This covering is green linen, matching the show’s brand color, with a water-based acrylic coating, providing increased resistance to blemishes like tears, scratches and stains. The top of the box featured the show’s “Breaking Bad” logo, foil stamped with a green metallic foil.

The material was wrapped over the edges before being glued to the inside as a hardcover book would be. “We used a nice, thick board on the inside so it would have a straight edge going around it,” Drucker added, “and I think that’s why it has lasted this amount of time.” To this day, years after it was first assembled, there is no fringing on the ends.

The black felt-covered inside of the sleeve holds a drawer that easily slides out, thanks to a green ribbon attached to its outside. In the drawer sits a fitted, two-inch-thick section of padding – a piece of foam covered in black flocking – containing four identical cutouts. Two of the cutouts hold a pair of two-inch acrylic cubes each with a glass vial – one with Bromine, one with Barium and both with screen printed acetate featuring the appropriate element’s chemical symbol and atomic number embedded into the acrylic.

In his mind, Drucker pictured the cubes not on a wooden or metal base where light would detract from the piece, but he imagined light coming through them. “I needed to figure out how to acquire that light,” he said, “so I built a custom-poured acrylic and branded the bottom – something I’d never done before.” This transparent, 5″ x 5″ x 1½” acrylic base sits under the padding and hand-polished cubes, allowing the chemical symbols that have been screen printed reverse image in green, white and black to be visible from nearly any angle. On the bottom of the base are silicone feet, “so somebody could lift it with their finger without it sliding and scratching their desk,” Drucker stated.

Clearly, a lot of thought was given to each aspect of how this entire piece was built – even to what lies beneath to cushion the trophy. Staying in theme with the show, underneath the base sits a pile of cash. Unfortunately, the $100 bills are shredded, but thankfully they help protect the printing on the bottom side of the acrylic.

Drucker takes considerable pride in understanding each one of his projects inside and out before he ever writes it up as a job order. “For me, the key is information and quality,” he said. So, it should be no surprise that he knows each hiccup or hardship that comes with a project. For example, in their research, the design team discovered a German company with the two relevant elements encapsulated in acrylic squares, but the company didn’t have enough of either for this particular project. After checking pharmaceutical companies in the US, Drucker said that his client found some in England. “This was the missing link in producing this piece,” he exclaimed. However, during the heating process, one of the capsules began to leak during a test run. “We ended up having to get a new round, and when we ran that test we were able to successfully encapsulate them,” he added.

“The creative process is what they called me in for,” Drucker noted, adding that his client was quite pleased with the finished product, a blend of old world and modern technology. Starting with the desired end result in mind, Drucker worked backwards – considering substrates, the vehicle for shipping and protecting, and all of the major and minor details to make this a one-of-a-kind treasure.