Shanghai Electric gives its full support to the move

The press supplier, Goss International Corporation ("Goss") has announced a restructuring of its management team with the appointment of Mr. Richard Nichols as CEO of the Company, effective immediately, replacing Mr. Jochen Meissner.

Goss logoIn a statement, the board of the company said it expects that the Goss management team, headed by Mr. Nichols, will now undertake active and effective measures to stabilize and expand the Goss position in the industry. The company said that it had the full support of Shanghai Electric, Goss’s parent company, which would allow Goss to increase resources to enhance innovation and responsiveness to customers and market demands. The new management team has been set the goal of propelling the company to a new level of performance, to meet and exceed the strategic goals of the board.

Shanghai Electric added that it believes that the impact of the current financial crisis will subside and the development of the world economy will bring new opportunities. It furthermore said it has confidence in Goss and the printing industry and expects Goss to be an even stronger industry leader in the future.

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Goss International Corporation, Shanghai Electric, Richard Nichols, printing industry

Company continues to streamline operations

Caribbean printer COT Holdings Limited of Barbados has announced it is using EFI Monarch and EFI PrintFlow to streamline operations and reduce costs. The company is also using PrinterSite Internal and is currently installing Digital StoreFront and Auto-Count to increase efficiency in its operations.

Nigel Worme, CEO and managing director of COT HoldingsCOT Holdings provides full-service design, printing and marketing services to English-speaking customers in the Caribbean. The company has been steadily growing, in particular in packaging and wide-format printing. Up to recently COT Holdings was a Prism user and has now decided to make the switch to EFI Monarch.

Nigel Worme, CEO and managing director of COT Holdings said:

“EFI Monarch is a very powerful and extraordinarily robust system. We’re seeing huge gains in efficiencies, especially on the scheduling front, with the integration to EFI PrintFlow. It gives us a clear picture of the shop floor workflow, without the need to print and post schedules, which used to take up a lot of production management’s time each day.”

COT Holdings has also said that PrinterSite Internal is providing it with more accurate pricing and an improvement in the time it takes to give estimates to customers, in turn increasing their satisfaction. The company has now begun to install the Digital StoreFront web-to-print platform and Auto-Count direct machine interface as the next step in their operational improvement plan.

“Digital StoreFront will allow us to maximize our digital equipment investments,” commented Worme. “It will reduce our estimating requirements and ensure consistent pricing for customers, while Auto-Count will further streamline our shop floor workflow. We look forward to getting the systems up and running soon.”

www.efi.com

http://www.cot.com.bb/

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Digital cutting and creasing capacity increased at leading European packaging company

Chesapeake, a leading European packaging company, has announced an expansion of its digital capability through its investment in a Highcon Euclid digital cutting and creasing machine. It signed the agreement at the recent drupa 2012 show in Düsseldorf where Highcon was showcasing the Euclid to the public for the first time.

The Highcon Euclid for fully digital creasing and cuttingDougie Potter, Technical Services Director of Chesapeake commented on the investment.

"We have been following the progress of the Highcon technology for some time now and were delighted to see it perform live at the show”, he said. “We believe the addition of this unique digital solution can complement our existing equipment and offer more flexibility to better serve the needs of our customers."

Nigel Tracey, Sales Director at Highcon added:

"We have been delighted with the response the Euclid has received at the show" he said. "Converters from all over the world came to see this revolutionary product, including the leading suppliers in the industry. With shipments starting at the end of the year, we are ramping up to meet this very welcome demand."

The Highcon Euclid is the world's first completely digital production cutting and creasing machine. It uses new polymer and laser technologies to carry out the creasing and cutting instead of using a die. The result is that setup time is reduced to minutes and Highcon say that will allow converters to be far more responsive to their customer demands.

http://www.chesapeakecorp.com

http://highcon.net/

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In order to cater to increasing demands from display producers, photo labs and sign makers requiring higher image quality capabilities at production level speeds, EFI has launched a new hybrid printer. The EFI VUTEk® QS2 Pro UV is a two-metre printer, driven by the Orion OS platform, combining greyscale print quality with VUTEk production-level speeds for customers looking to take on more colour critical and higher-premium jobs.

EFI-VUTEk®-QS2-ProFine art and POP image quality are delivered through accurate variable drop greyscale technology, six colours plus white and multi-layer print capability. According to EFI, greyscale technology delivers high image quality at production speeds while maximising ink yield for a lower cost per print and low total cost of ownership.

"Customers who visited the EFI stand at drupa have commented that the image quality, speed and overall performance of the new QS2 Pro were impressive," stated Ken Hanulec, vice president of marketing for EFI inkjet solutions.

Flexible EFI UV inks offer a wide colour gamut designed for greater PMS colour matching and consistency, and ensure the maximum reliability and performance of the printer. EFI say their new machine was constructed for extended operation and has an optional roll-to-roll feature for increased throughput.

The VUTEk QS2 Pro is supplied with the Fiery XF preserver. It comes with an expanded set of Fiery RIP options, a high-performance hardware platform, JDF integration to EFI Web-to-Print and MIS/ERP solutions, and a 13-month support and maintenance plan.

EFI™ www.efi.com

www.youtube/EFIDigitalPrintTech

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EFI, Vutek QS2 Pro, Hybrid printer, UV inks, Ken Hanulec, POP, multi-layer print

Mimaki JV400-LXMimaki’s JV400 Series is proving a hit with printers across the world, according to the company which also claims that global sales have surpassed 200 since its launch at Fespa in February 2012.

It also said the printer had earned the respect of print industry experts by recently walking away with a coveted European Digital Press (EDP) Association Award, after being named Best Environmental Printing Solution. The judging panel contended that: “With the new piezo head, the viscosity of the ink is higher, meaning less drying time. Combined with the white ink option and lower energy consumption, the Mimaki JV400LX is a worthy winner.”

Mike Horsten, marketing manager, Mimaki Europe, said: “The Mimaki JV400 was incredibly well received when it was launched at Fespa. Since then its popularity has continued to grow about what this machine can deliver."

The JV400-130/160LX is an inkjet printer featuring newly developed environmentally friendly latex ink. The system supports six colours plus white. Mimaki says it is the world’s first latex printer to feature white latex ink which is used for a wide range of printing requirements and substrates such as transparent PET, window decoration, shatterproof window film and more.

Moreover the JV400 Series is also earning a reputation for high quality print output due to its minimum dot size of 4 picolitres and the ability to use variable-sized ink dots for smooth gradation without a grainy appearance. The system operates at an impressive speed of up to 18 m2/h.

Mimaki’s complete range of wide format solutions is exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Hybrid Services whose national sales manager, John de la Roche, has seen similar levels of interest in both countries: “Our specialist latex resellers enjoyed an excellent exhibition at Sign + Digital UK and forward orders have been very strong.”

More information on the Mimaki JV400 latex inkjet printers can be found at www.hybridservices.co.uk/latex

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Judging was conducted by an international team of experts

HP has announced the winners of the HP Print Excellence Awards, a competition to recognise the best examples of creativity and print quality produced across HP's digital portfolio.

The competition recognises print excellence in 21 categories across Commercial Print, Sign and Display, and Labels and Packaging applications. Submissions were open to users of HP Indigo, Inkjet Web Press, Scitex and Designjet systems. The competition attracted entries from 364 customers from 47 countries.

Judging was conducted by an international team of experts: Yolanda Simonsis, editorial director PFFC-online, USA; Jean Poncet, editor in chief, Etiq & Pack, France; Eric Pierre, creative director, BBDO Paris, France; Stan Kilpin, publisher, Cygnet Publications Pty Ltd, Australia; Boaz Rossano, CEO Video Dubber, Israel; David L Zwang, president, Zwang & Co., USA; Stephen Sonnenfeld, VP advertising & brand integration, Thomson Reuters, USA; Nir Navot, art director, Amdocs Israel, and Sophie Matthews-Paul, independent consultant, UK.

"It was exciting to see the way print service providers and their customers were able to push the envelope with the HP print technologies, especially the Indigo," said judge David Zwang. "Offset print has always been the benchmark that people use to set their expectation for quality print. There is no doubt in my mind that the Indigo print entries we saw not only met that level, but exceeded it."

Yolanda Simonsis, another judge said: "I believe the 'tipping point' for digital in the label and packaging industries will arrive sooner than others anticipated. Digital easily executes complex designs with perfectly registered type so fine you need a loupe to read it, vignettes so subtle and skin tones so lifelike it now certainly surpasses analogue technologies that struggle to replicate effectively without waste."

Judge Sophie Matthews-Paul added: "The HP Print Excellent Awards concentrate on innovation. However, they also look at environmentally responsible printing. We considered how entrants demonstrated creativity and skill. Seeing how the criteria were interpreted in the submissions from different parts of the world was very interesting."

Awards were categorised by device category and by application type. The judges said that after lengthy discussions, the decisions on all winners were unanimous.

François Martin, worldwide marketing director, Graphic Solutions Business, HP said that the response to this competition exceeded HP’s expectations.

“The quality of the submissions reflected how creative agencies and enterprises benefit from a wide range of applications that PSPs are producing on HP digital presses and printers. Receiving submissions from nearly 50 countries demonstrates the spread of digital printing around the world as well as confidence in our technologies and innovations."

HP will present the awards to winners at a celebratory evening in their honour in Düsseldorf on the 3rd of May. First place winners are listed below.

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DERPROSA logoThe Spanish company, Derprosa, which manufactures lamination films for the graphic arts and printing industry, will be exhibiting its new films at drupa 2012 (www.drupa.com).

The new range will include SoFT TOUcH METALIZED, GSP, SILVER, SoFT TOUcH BLACK and metalized coloured films; all of which, the company believe, are exclusive innovations in the market. They hope that the new films will offer impressive finishes for products such as books, magazines, catalogues or any other type of printed advertising. At drupa, the multinational company will target professionals within the fields of printing, graphic arts, publishing and packaging in general.

The company commented that every four years, drupa predicts and highlights the forthcoming tendencies within the graphic arts and printing sector. The future, it believes, lay in innovation. A spokesperson for Derprosa commented that higher quality and more differentiated products are required, ones that are able to make an impact on the public. Derprosa’s new range is strategically important for any specialist in the industry, given that it meets these needs.

Some of the products on display include:

- SoFT TOUcH METALIZED: a printable film which offers the broadest range of colours with a metalized effect, without the need to use metallic inks.

- GSP: the first BOPP film that is gluable, stampable and printable which Derprosa maintains is the best alternative to acetate, high gloss or acrylic BOPET.

- SILVER: this has a strong visual impact due to its mirror effect and excellent printability.

- SoFT TOUcH BLACK: the black version which now joins the accredited SoFT TOUcH family of Derprosa products.

- New coloured films (blue and red) with matt finishes.

For more information about these products, visit the Derprosa booth in hall 6, booth 6C36.

www.derprosa.es

Copyright © 2012, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved

By Martin O'Driscoll 

Durst-LogoDurst, a leading manufacturer of industrial digital printing equipment, launches the Tau 330 at the upcoming drupa 2012 (Hall 6, Booth C60) where the press will be showcased for the first time. This follows the successful initial launch of the UV inkjet based label press Tau 150 8C at Labelexpo 2010 in Chicago.

The new Tau 330 features a print width of 330 mm and a maximum printing speed of 48 linear meters per minute which delivers an hourly production capacity of 950 m². Its standard colour configuration CMYK can be complemented with an optional white and two optional process colours orange and violet (availability late 2012). Durst maintains these are essential for label applications requiring precise pantone colour matching. Furthermore, the standard configuration also includes software with built-in substrate management and colour management.

Tau 330 is available in two print widths: Tau 330 with print width up to 330 mm and the more economic version Tau 330/200 – up to 200 mm.

Durst says a best-in-class image quality is achieved thanks to its proprietary single pass UV Inkjet Technology, featuring Xaar 1001 print heads which deliver a physical printing resolution of 720x360 dpi with drop on demand, variable drop size and greyscale technology resulting in an apparent image resolution of over 1,000 dpi.

Also on display at drupa will be the high-speed Tau 330 Variable Data Print option with “insetter” functionality so users can print on pre-die-cut or pre-printed labels. This allows full label-to-label variability as well as “late stage versioning” applications at the highest printing speeds of the Tau press.

Durst highlighted another important feature: its highly durable UV inks, especially important for label converters who often need to supply product identification labels as UL / cUL recognised components for labelling of consumer electronic equipment, where in all cases the label identification system must be durable for the lifetime of the product.  The Durst Tau UV inks and 3M media combinations jointly carry PGJI2 recognition simplifying the UL recognition for converters who currently need to maintain their own ink registrations with UL for many of the traditional press ink applications. An in-line Corona Unit is available for on-board surface treatment of substrates to optimise print quality and ink adhesion.

Dr Richard Piock, chief executive, Durst, said: “Beside our well recognised white ink with very high opacity and the two additional process colours for high pantone colour coverage, the new Tau 330 with its greatly expanded print width offers very high size flexibility and at the same time an industry-leading production capacity, two additional and important features which will be source of competitive advantage for our future customers”.

For more information please visit www.durst-online.com

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Nigel Tracey

Highcon Systems’ latest recruit, Nigel Tracey, joins as international sales director to lead the recruitment and appointment of new Channel Partners internationally. In addition he will expand the customer base for the Israeli firm's Highcon ™Euclid, billed as the world’s first entirely digital cutting and creasing production machine for folded cartons.

Tracey has over 25 years' experience in printing and packaging, particularly in the folding carton and corrugated board industries. He has held various senior sales and marketing positions, most recently heading up the sheet-fed business unit at Bobst Group, where he was responsible for its global sales network and sales operations.

Tracey, based in Switzerland, said: “The demands on converters are changing fast and they now require more flexible and responsive solutions to meet their customers’ requirements. The team at Highcon has impressed me with its grasp of the future of digital finishing and the Euclid digital cutting and creasing solution is a huge step forward and I am delighted to be part of this revolution.”

As reported recently by DPNlive (January 27^th), the Highcon ™Euclid uses precision laser optics and polymer technologies to transform cutting and creasing from an analogue to a digital workflow, dramatically streamlining the finishing process. Turnaround times are cut considerably while run lengths up to 10,000 sheets become attractive and profitable for the converter.

Chris Baker, sales and business development vice president, Highcon, added: “Nigel brings to the team a wealth of knowledge and experience which we know will enable us to build our channels faster and help ensure we deliver exactly what the customers require. We are delighted he has chosen to join this dynamic company.”

The Highcon Euclid will be formally launched and demonstrated on the Highcon stand at drupa 2012, Hall 4 Stand B28, Düsseldorf, Germany.

www.highcon.net

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