We’ve just returned from the 40th edition of the International Packaging Exhibition (Emballage) in Paris and it proved to be quite a show.

The event attracts all the major players operating in the packaging industry. There was no shortage of innovative solutions on show, addressing the needs of all areas of the packaging chain – from raw materials to finished products, as well as related machinery and services, such as marking-coding, labels and printing systems.

Around 1,500 exhibitors took part in the show, which ran from 19 to 22 November. As always, it proved the ideal backdrop to deliver presentations, participate in forums, buy equipment and sign strategic partnership deals.

When it comes to the main trends shaping the packaging industry, many exhibitors identified a definite increase in shorter print runs and turnaround times. They also reported greater demand for personalization, an increasing need for finishing solutions to stand out from the crowd, and a growing requirement for eco-friendly packaging solutions.

Among the communication innovations of the 2012 edition,  we applaud the live TV studio organized by GM Consulting and the live web TV organised of French online publication Graphiline, but also many conferences dedicated to the future of packaging highlighting this year’s themes on safety, functionality, packaging, ergonomics and cost control.

No less than five duomedia customers presented their latest innovations at the show and we were there to set up stand interviews between the press and the company representatives. Four duomedia ladies attended the show to make sure every ran smoothly for the customers. Luckily we also had some time for pictures and checking out what the customers were bringing to the show.

Atlantic Zeiser presented its latest solutions on product tracing, combating counterfeiting and grey market protection. A panel of experts from Esko and Kodak discussed the theme « Packaging printing : new technologies for integrated workflow and improved quality » on the Emballage Web TV channel. (you can click here and see the whole debate). Videojet previewed two CIJ printers and focused on the availability of machines allowing manufacturers to produce uninterruptedly while ensuring the integrity of coding. Finally, X-Rite displayed its spectrophotometer range including the new eXact, an instrument for measuring rapidly color accurately.

All in all another Emballage success story! See you in 2014 in Paris!

Annie Garçon

Duomedia’s Rosa Arza has been going down the halls for duomedia and provides you with a short update on the key news per customer. In Spanish of course!

Today’s special on printing.

Atlantic Zeiser - Pabellón 11, stand C56

Atlantic Zeiser muestra en su stand los equipos DIGILINE Web 300 con impresoras digitales inkjet de alta velocidad DELTA 105i y OMEGA 36i integradas para producir etiquetas de sellos fiscales y de seguridad. También está presente el DIGILINE Sheet 300 con impresora digital inkjet OMEGA 36i integrada y sistema ecológico de secado UV LED refrigerado por aire SMARTCURE AIR para codificar y serializar de forma individual cartones plegados. PERSOLINE con tratamiento previo de plasma, impresora digital inkjet 4C-GAMMA y módulo de barnizado UV para imprimir a cuatro colores y personalizar tarjetas de plástico de gran calidad. Además, junto con Koenig & Bauer AG, la empresa presenta un innovador sistema híbrido de impresión y codificación de hojas.

Kodak - Pabellón 5, stand F09-1

Kodak presenta 10 nuevas soluciones digitales entre las que destaca el nuevo sistema de impresión KODAK PROSPER 6000XL de 305 mpm, con volúmenes de impresión mensual (MPV) de hasta 160 millones de páginas A4; el KODAK PROSPER S30 de 915 mpm, que puede presumir de la velocidad más alta del sector para aplicaciones de impresión híbrida. Y el sistema de impresión TIMSONS T-Press para la impresión totalmente digital de libros. También es novedad el sistema KODAK FLEXCEL Direct, que presenta un innovador grabado directo con láser para producción de camisas de caucho flexográficas, así como el nuevo CTP KODAK ACHIEVE. Imprescindible la visita al escenario Zona K donde se ofrecen presentaciones en vivo todos los días de la feria.

Mimaki - Pabellón 9, stand C21

Mimaki da a conocer en drupa su nueva impresora plana UV-LED. En su stand se pueden ver la impresora látex JV400-160LX de alta velocidad y calidad, que emplea tinta látex sostenible con tinta látex blanca, y el modelo JV400-130SUV, que aúna la flexibilidad de la impresión con tintas de base solvente y la durabilidad de las tintas de curado UV. Ambos sistemas emplean el RIP de Mimaki, RasterLink6, que permite aplicar tres capas de tinta en una sola pasada con tinta blanca y de color. La impresora plana de sobremesa UJF-3042HG también ocupa un lugar destacado en la Drupa. Otras impresoras planas UV que Mimaki expone son el modelo UJF-3042FX y la gama de impresoras planas de gran formato, la serie Mimaki JFX.

Ricoh - Pabellón 08a, stand B46-1 y B46-3

Ricoh presenta en drupa la gama TotalFlow, la Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition, los equipos digitales en color de hojas cortada Pro C751 y la máquina rotativa InfoPrint VP 5000. RICOH también presenta el nuevo Programa de Compensación de la Huella de Carbono, la última actualización del Business Driver Programme™ y una nueva impresora en color de gran formato. El stand de RICOH muestra la última incorporación a su gama de impresoras de color por inyección de tinta de gran formato: la RICOH Aficio CW 2200SP, diseñada para atender las necesidades de un sector emergente como es el del diseño asistido por ordenador (CAD).

Xeikon - Pabellón 8A, stand B44

Xeikon presenta la nueva serie 8000 de equipos de impresión digital, controlados por el flujo de trabajo de Xeikon que utiliza una nueva interfaz de usuario, mypress. También se muestra la nueva gama de suites centradas en aplicaciones para los mercados de etiquetas y envases. Además, Xeikon lanza una nueva tecnología de impresión llamada Quantum que evita el compromiso actual entre calidad y velocidad, y combina alta calidad para el mercado de la impresión de documentos. Xeikon también presenta su nueva gama de soluciones ctp fiables y de alta calidad Thermoflexx para los mercados de la flexografía y tipografía. Los usuarios de máquinas de impresión convencionales pueden conocer la nueva generación de soluciones ctp UV basysprint VLF, de 4 páginas y 8 páginas para la exposición digital de planchas offset UV.

Labelexpo celebrated its 20th anniversary in impressive style. The event broke all records in terms of visitors, exhibitors and equipment sales, making it the largest and most successful label event to date. Visitor numbers were up 19% on 2009’s figure, with delegates from 118 countries making the trip to see what the 550 exhibitors had to offer. 

And as ever, Duomedia clients were there in force. The Kodak stand was a hotbed of activity, showcasing a complete portfolio of packaging solutions, including the latest in flexo and plate developments like the new Spotless Flexographic Solution that helps accurately predict spot colors on the press. Design2Launch Brand Manager, Kodak’s centralized digital workflow and brand-asset management solution  and the Traceless Ad System for Antidiversion, part of Kodak’s Security Solutions  also drew huge interest. Furthermore Kodak staged several K-zone presentations and expert panel discussions with Kodak spokespeople, industry influencers and customers as a source of inspiration and education.

PRATI enjoyed a very successful show after selling a raft of print systems. Sustainable production clearly remains high on printers’ agenda, as evidenced by delegates’ interest in PRATI’s eco-friendly SATURN Linerless system. Sales aside, Labelexpo proved a great backdrop for the company to meet existing customers and forge new relationships with prospects. No doubt all those leads will translate into sales in the coming months.

FINAT launched its Release Liner Recycling Programme to help member companies explore common recycling solutions. The organization also staged Operators’ Day, an initiative dedicated to developing print room operators’ skills and giving them hands-on experience of new technologies. Operators’ Day was organised in co-operation with national label associations across Europe, and attracted 155 participants from companies in Germany, Switzerland, Poland and France.

Making its debut appearance at Labelexpo was Basysprint. The company focused on multi-functional units for ‘cross applications’, which help customers to develop new business opportunities. The solutions on show were all about helping print providers to boost profits by enabling them to provide more services in-house – things like spot varnishes, hot-foil stamping and embossing, as well as processes like die-cutting and screen printing. 

At EskoArtwork’s stand, the company’s latest advances in digital flexo technologies took center stage, with delegates keen to find out what the HD Flexo and the Digital Flexo Suite could do. And there was much interest in their prepress and workflow solutions. All in all a very good event for the Labelexpo regulars – the company recorded impressive sales and generated plenty of promising leads.

Meanwhile Xeikon took the opportunity to launch VariLane, its new software plug-in that lets users create imposition schemes for label print runs with different references and different-sized labels. Visitors were won over by being able to optimize the amount of material used and maximize print time. The company also unveiled its new solution for heat transfer apps, which offers brands higher-quality decoration and versioning capabilities than traditional decoration techniques.

And Atlantic Zeiser focused on its versatile drop-on-demand UV-inkjet printing technology for security and commercial label printing. The company reported strong interest in its flexible solutions for printing and coding labels. Atlantic Zeiser also showed visitors how to meet growing demand for fast turnaround times in variable data printing, on different substrates and formats. 

We can’t wait for the next Labelexpo – if it’s anything like this year’s show, it’s going to be a cracker.