Bringing together thought leaders and experts from across the label and package printing sector, the two-day conference and table-top exhibition provides the perfect platform to share ideas, best practice tactics and lessons learned for optimising a label converting business.

Apart from a mix of 13 technical presentations, panel discussions and customer case studies, there are ample networking opportunities with a private dinner and reception at Grand Café & Beach in Granger Bay.

Label Summit Africa 2014 also features 20-plus market-leading exhibitors including Flint Group, HP, MPS, New Africa Inks, Nilpeter, Nuova Gidue, Omet, Paragon Inks, Prati and Xeikon.

Day one of the conference programme focuses on market trends and new technologies. Confirmed speakers include Tom McGinley former MD of Self Adhering Products. Looking back at the printing industry’s involvement with the historic 1994 general election, Tom talks about the company’s role in producing millions of IFP stickers that were affixed to the bottom of each ballot paper just in time for the final campaigning and voting stages. Rian Moore of Collotype Labels/Multi-Color Corporation discusses the effect that mergers and acquisitions have on a business and how to take advantage of being a global player in a local market.

The afternoon consists of presentations on harnessing new technologies and innovating for the future. Codimag’s Pascal Duchene is joined by Jean-Michel Fouquet of CGP-Etiqroll in presenting a short-run wine label printing case study and discussing digital workflow on a conventional press. Day one also features an African converter panel discussion with panelists including Leon Witbooi of SA Litho, Uwe Bögl of Rako Labels Cape Town, Litho-Chrome’s George Pryde and Peter Frost of Associated Printers. They will explore emerging technology trends and consider applications for future investment as well as give an overview of regional variations by their respective countries.

The second day highlights opportunities in brand development, product design and positioning. Bill Marshall of Syndicate Graphics and Gill Loubser of PACKAGiNG & Print Media will co-examine the changing landscape of package printing, analysing the different types of packaging and likely future demand from brand owners and consumers.

Mark Anley of Indigo Brands discusses innovative and iconic packaging. Looking at the cosmetics market in general, Mark considers short-run printing and personalisation, and explores multiple packaging application requirements. Day two also takes a fresh look at the retailer’s perspective with a panel discussion focusing on the rise of the private label versus branded products and what can be done to reduce retail theft, counterfeiting and tampering. Confirmed panelists already include Mark Anley and Clicks’ Susane Exsteen.

Comments Lisa Milburn, Labelexpo MD: ‘We’re delighted to be returning to Cape Town for the second edition of Label Summit Africa. Delegates will get to the heart of how the African label and package printing industry is developing with practical and effective first-hand advice. The Summit is designed for all label and package converting professionals looking to leverage their businesses with the latest technologies, applications and processes and to gain fuller understanding of market trends and conditions. Delegates should leave the Summit equipped with smarter, more cost-effective and sustainable ways of running their businesses and responding to customers’ needs.’

Delegates can register by visiting www.labelsummit.com. One day passes are available from R1 835, while two-day passes are available at the early bird rate of R2 360 until February 28.

The growth of digital

Xeikon’s director of segment marketing and business development, Filip Weymans, is a keynote speaker at Label Summit.

For more than 12 years, Filip has been involved with digital label printing and Xeikon technology, and his exposure to changing technology over this period has given him vital insights into the sector’s growth in terms of competence, print quality and industry acceptance.

Xeikon has seen exceptional growth in the adoption of its continuous imaging systems using toner-based technology. This technology has grown from a basic 300dpi capability into a class-leading 1 200 x 1 200 4-bit imaging system that, Filip insists, now has few equals in terms of throughput, productivity and substrate range.

Label Summit Africa marks the introduction to South Africa of Xeikon’s latest breakthrough in toner imaging technology, the ICE toner upgrade unveiled at last year’s Labelexpo Europe.

Developed in Xeikon’s plant in Belgium, ICE toner extends the range of printable substrates that can be processed on Xeikon’s digital label presses to include polyethylene-based materials.

This development launches Xeikon into the IML arena, allowing IML printers to produce short runs and totally changing the landscape for brand owners and retailers. Print runs can go from as little as 100 metres of material to several thousand metres, across a multitude of SKUs, without incurring the make-ready costs associated with conventional printing methods.

Going from a PDF-file to a printed image becomes a simple three-minute process with the Xeikon press, and delivers huge reductions in prepress, platemaking and start-up costs. This heralds a new era for brand owners who want to scale their label purchases to suit product range variations.

Filip will use the Label Summit to explore the growth of digital label printing around the world, giving an insight into the strong move away from traditional label production methods as run sizes continue to shrink, and as marketers expand their product ranges, generating more variations but smaller run volumes per variation.

An added benefit is the ability of digital label presses to add variable data or QR-codes, or to change design and label content based on database demographics.

However, digital print doesn’t only apply to label printing. Increasingly, other packaging converters are implementing digital technology.

Xeikon has been successful in addressing an ever-widening band of packaging applications. Its heat transfer printing capability, for example, has proven useful and cost-effective for plastics decoration (see page 47).

New markets are appearing all the time, as manufacturers and printers explore new horizons with digital technology tools. Today, personalised packaging with variable text, graphics, half-tones and full colour images is becoming a new business sector that appeals to consumers in new ways all the time – a good example is the Share a Coke campaign (see page 18).

It’s clear that labelling and packaging converters are beginning to view digital printing a complementary technology – not a competing technology – capable of expanding their capabilities and horizons. It’s unlikely that digital printing will entirely replace conventional technology but it will change the way printers plan and use the production lines of the future.

In today’s tough economic climate, for instance, digital systems are cheaper to acquire and more cost-effective to run than conventional web presses. This lower capex requirement has led to the establishment of a flood of new-generation print shops; and most of these new digital press users have never been in printing before!

Filip will address recent events in South Africa from a digital perspective, and review where the digital press fits today, and where it will fit in the future. With his background and experience, his vision of the future should prove enlightening.

Combining the best of digital, offset and flexo

Codimag is taking part in the Label Summit Africa to introduce its Aniflo technology, an innovative anilox inking system designed for short-run high-quality label work.

By eliminating variables, Aniflo makes offset printing simple, stable and predictable. According to Codimag’s export sales manager, Pierre Panel, eliminating variables is the best way to reduce make-ready time and material start-up waste. ‘It also allows implementation of a colour management system in four-colour process work, and even in extended colour gamut,’ he adds.

Codimag’s Aniflo technology is offered in South Africa through Beswick Machinery. And, as Ian Beswick points out, it really does combine most of the best features of digital and offset without incurring the disadvantages of either. ‘It’s truly “digital offset”,’ he contends.

On the visit to Cape Town for Label Summit Africa, Codimag’s Pierre Panel is accompanied by Codimag CEO Pascal Duchene and a French converter, Jean-Michel Foucquet, CEO of CGP Etiqroll. The latter is bringing his personal testimony regarding his experience with Aniflo, mainly for printing wine labels.

Already equipped with digital and flexo presses, CGP Etiqroll’s latest investment in a Codimag Viva 340 Aniflo fills the gap between the two technologies. It’s equipped with two flexo units, a screen-printing unit, hot-foil stamping and embossing units, all inline. At Label Summit, Michel Foucquet will explain how easy it has been to implement and maintain a stable colour management system on the Viva 340 Aniflo press.

Update package boosts cost-efficiency

Among exhibitors at Label Summit Africa is Gallus, providing delegates with details of the Gallus ECS 340 ‘Plus’ update package.

This press – launched at the end of 2009 – has become a global best-seller (nearly 200 machines have been installed so far), and is now benefitting from a new, cost-efficient ‘Plus’ update package.

This package consists of six productivity-boosting innovations: a screen printing unit; powerful UV curing; a secondary rail system; new unwinding and rewinding equipment and a foil kit for monofoil substrates; a software update with a higher maximum machine speed; and a new touchscreen user interface.

These substantial developments – the result of close co-operation between Gallus and label printers – allow printers to provide a better customer service, extend their range of applications and significantly boost cost-efficiency.

The Gallus ECS 340 ensures top productivity and exceptional ease of use. Thanks to the new ‘Plus’ update package, it delivers even higher performance levels and can be used for even more applications.

Reliable detection

At last year’s Labelexpo Europe, Nyquist and BST International joined forces to present the TubeScan defect detection system, and this is among the products being promoted at Label Summit Africa by Sarel Oosthuizen and the team from Sareltech.

TubeScan is the first digital strobe for label printing control. Using a combination of imaging technology and the stroboscopic principle, TubeScan allows simple and safe quality control during label assembly.

Using a modular PC system and a high-quality digital image recording unit, TubeScan offers convenient monitoring that reliably detects defects such as missing labels, grid residues and missing ink – even on reflective and metallised surfaces.

It covers working widths of 330mm, 450mm, 650mm and 850mm and is available in three versions.

Labelexpo also saw the launch of a new upgradable software module that checks print and colour with high accuracy.

According to Sarel Oosthuizen, several of these TubeScan systems are already in operation among South Africa’s label printers and are performing well.

On the Sareltech stand, visitors can be sure of receiving comprehensive advice on quality assurance for narrow-web applications and find an optimum solution for their requirements.

Non-metallic doctor blades for Africa

A global leader in non-metallic doctor blades, US-based Flexo Concepts, continues its commitment to making printers more profitable with its latest innovation, the TruPoint Orange doctor blade.

The company is excited to be participating in Label Summit Africa and looks forward to helping educate the local market on the benefits of using Orange doctor blades in label and package printing applications.

Orange was introduced to the international market at last year’s Labelexpo Europe and generated considerable interest as a replacement for steel blades in narrow-web applications. The blade was featured on ten presses at the show, as well as in a collaboration piece with multiple co-suppliers demonstrating the latest advancements in flexography. Several major narrow-web press OEMs are now shipping their new presses with TruPoint Orange.

Recent advancements in polymers and machining capabilities have led to a breakthrough in blade tip design. With its proprietary MicroTip and exceptional metering ability, TruPoint Orange gives printers an alternative to steel doctor blades, achieving equivalent print quality while offering pressroom benefits. The material makes the blades safer to handle and will not cause anilox roll scoring. Thanks to its advanced properties, this next-generation blade has also been shown to cure UV ink spitting. By offering a product with lower replacement costs, improved safety and other benefits that increase press up-time, Flexo Concepts is redefining what printers expect from doctor blades.

Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the company also operates a manufacturing facility, Flexo Concepts maintains distribution outlets around the world.

For more information or to request a sample, visit the stand at Label Summit Africa.

Paragon’s low-migration inks on show

Scotland-based Paragon Inks is taking part in this second Label Summit Africa, through its local subsidiary. As usual, the company’s UK and international sales manager, Amanda Jones, is in South Africa to support the local narrow-web sector.

‘On our stand,’ she reports, ‘we’ll showcase our ULM range of inks and coatings to the African market. These products have been accredited by four global brand owners and EuPIA as meeting the 10ppb migration limits and GMP.’

According to Amanda, the ULM range is the ideal system for unsupported packaging for the food, pharmaceutical and beverage markets. It delivers press speed performances of over 200m/min in conjunction with low odour and taint, high colour strength, heat stability, optimum dot gain and adhesion to a wide variety of synthetics and fibrous stocks.

‘The ULM range complements our core LM range of inks and coatings and our dedicated Altus range for high shrink rate shrink sleeve material, meeting the global migration limits of 60ppm,’ she adds.

‘Alongside ULM products, we’ll show our ink, downtime and cost-reduction programmes, with real examples from existing global customers. These bespoke programmes can save printers as much as 25% of their annual ink spend, allowing them to put money back into their businesses.’

To find out more, visit the Paragon Inks stand and put your questions directly to Amanda.

Omet celebrates another Cape Town sale

Italian company, Omet, is taking advantage of Label Summit to promote its label presses.

In conjunction with local agent, Presstec, Omet has recently announced the sale of one of its XFlex X2 presses to a Cape Town customer (more news of this in the March issue!).

It’s destined for a wholesale label printer whose priorities are flexibility and rapidity of delivery to label distributors. The choice of an Omet XFlex X2 press was linked to its solidity, print quality and accuracy.

All the usual equipment is complemented by Omet’s innovations, such as short web path, cross printing registration adjustment, a quick ink change system and chilled drums as standard.

According to Omet, these features facilitate a change of direction towards film printing, allowing label printers to enter the unsupported film market and so expand their range of products.

Exhibitors at Label Summit Africa

AB Graphics
Accraply
Alphasonics
Brancher Kingswood
Codimag
Erhardt & Leimer
Evonik Industries
Ferrostaal Equipment Solutions
Flexo Concepts
Flint Group
Gallus Group
GEW
HP Indigo
MPS Systems
New Africa Inks
Nuova Gidue
Nilpeter
Omet
Paragon Inks South Africa
Prati
Presstec
SA Power
Sareltech/BST
Sekisui TA Industries
SMAG
Stork
Xeikon
Zeller + Gmelin