In a progress update on the packaging sector, the Cambridge-based manufacturer highlighted the first public demonstrations of direct-to-shape digital print systems by four of its OEM partners at last month’s Drinktec exhibition in Munich. Xaar declined to comment on the identity of the OEM partners, although based on an analysis of the recent direct-to-shape technology announcements, KHS, Krones, Sacmi and Till are the most likely candidates. Ian Dinwoodie, chief executive of Xaar, pointed to the ability to print to irregular shaped bottles as an example of the disruptive potential of the technology. “One of the partners is looking at this so that they can actually change the shape of the blown bottle and when they change the shape of the blown bottle to quite an irregular shape then fundamentally you can’t stick a label on the thing,” he said. “That’s a completely different driver in their space – there’re a number of interesting drivers, we don’t expect this is going to change overnight but it’s another interesting step forward in the evolution of the technology.” With the first OEM machines just going into a field trial period, Dinwoodie said commercial installs could be anything from one to five years away, although he said that beyond that it was likely that the direct-to-shape market would begin to impact on the digital labels market. “Clearly it’s a subset of labels so our overall view at the moment is that the digital print of labels using stock will progress quite nicely over the next few years and then this may well be a process that accelerates the digitisation of packaging a couple of years further out from now,” he said. “We don’t see this direct-to-shape technology cannibalising any of the stuff we’re doing over the next couple of years, but you put yourself five years out and we may see an acceleration in that conversion.” Dinwoodie described the firm’s latest generation 1001 printheads, which are used by its direct-to-shape OEM partners, as “an enabling technology” adding that Xaar was dependent on its OEM partners’ success for its own success – in the same manner Intel is in the computer market. “The key in any of these applications is [that] the end market conversion is predominantly up to our OEMs and the fluid suppliers and we enable that to happen,” he said. “The first digital presses based on our technology showed up at Drupa 08 so that shows you the time that some of this stuff takes, but it does appear to be gaining some momentum in the end marketplace and packaging looks like the next important step for us.” While Xaar’s involvement with its OEM partners typically dwindles as the products get...

SPS specified its new XL75-5+L with Heidelberg’s Inpress Control and Autoplate XL technology, giving a marked reduction in makereadies versus the older press, which is only equipped with Axis Control. Paul Clifton, co-owner of SPS with business partner Karl Nicholson, explained that the addition of the inline Inpress Control on the new model, versus Axis Control on the older press, was the biggest improvement. “With Axis Control you have to run a hundred or so sheets, take one out, scan it, make the adjustments, while with Inpress, because it’s constantly monitoring inside the press so you’re hitting your targets virtually straight away, whereas with the old press it’s taking a little while longer,” he said. “Having Autoplate as well, so the operator just needs to put the plates in the rack and then the press runs through its cycle and all the plates change simultaneously, means we’ve cut the makereadies on section work to minutes.” Clifton’s business partner Karl Nicholson said: “Technology has moved on. Makereadies on the first XL take about 15 minutes but on this latest press it’s reduced to three to five minutes and every job we throw at it runs at the full 15,000sph.” Clifton added: “We do a lot of small run stuff – the average run on the new XL75 is probably around 5,000 to 10,000 – and makereadies are the biggest time waster. That’s also why we took a 15,000sph machine; we didn’t think the 18,000sph with the short runs we have was worth the extra money – we just wanted to cut down on the makereadies and get the extra automation.” The Leicester-based print business, which employs 28 staff and has a turnover of around £2.8m, installed the new press over the summer, replacing a six-colour Heidelberg SM 74, which has since been sold via a secondhand dealer to a buyer in China. Clifton said it was not a conscious decision to sell the press overseas, adding that there was a good market for non-perfecting presses in Asia. “They don’t like long perfectors, they like straight sixes on the Asian market,” he said. “They don’t want that level of automation and the old 74s have fewer breakdowns without perfectors.” Meanwhile, the added automation on the new XL75 means that the older machine is now running on a single night shift, while the new press is running round the clock. Both presses run with one operator and a shared assistant per shift, which has allowed SPS to reduce its headcount by four. SPS also specified Heidelberg’s FilterStar technology on the new XL 75, which Clifton prolonged the life of the fount solution by up to 50% from four to six weeks, and...

SPS specified its new XL75-5+L with Heidelberg’s Inpress Control and Autoplate XL technology, giving a marked reduction in makereadies versus the older press, which is only equipped with Axis Control. Paul Clifton, co-owner of SPS with business partner Karl Nicholson, explained that the addition of the inline Inpress Control on the new model, versus Axis Control on the older press, was the biggest improvement. “With Axis Control you have to run a hundred or so sheets, take one out, scan it, make the adjustments, while with Inpress, because it’s constantly monitoring inside the press so you’re hitting your targets virtually straight away, whereas with the old press it’s taking a little while longer,” he said. “Having Autoplate as well, so the operator just needs to put the plates in the rack and then the press runs through its cycle and all the plates change simultaneously, means we’ve cut the makereadies on section work to minutes.” Clifton’s business partner Karl Nicholson said: “Technology has moved on. Makereadies on the first XL take about 15 minutes but on this latest press it’s reduced to three to five minutes and every job we throw at it runs at the full 15,000sph.” Clifton added: “We do a lot of small run stuff – the average run on the new XL75 is probably around 5,000 to 10,000 – and makereadies are the biggest time waster. That’s also why we took a 15,000sph machine; we didn’t think the 18,000sph with the short runs we have was worth the extra money – we just wanted to cut down on the makereadies and get the extra automation.” The Leicester-based print business, which employs 28 staff and has a turnover of around £2.8m, installed the new press over the summer, replacing a six-colour Heidelberg SM 74, which has since been sold via a secondhand dealer to a buyer in China. Clifton said it was not a conscious decision to sell the press overseas, adding that there was a good market for non-perfecting presses in Asia. “They don’t like long perfectors, they like straight sixes on the Asian market,” he said. “They don’t want that level of automation and the old 74s have fewer breakdowns without perfectors.” Meanwhile, the added automation on the new XL75 means that the older machine is now running on a single night shift, while the new press is running round the clock. Both presses run with one operator and a shared assistant per shift, which has allowed SPS to reduce its headcount by four. SPS also specified Heidelberg’s FilterStar technology on the new XL 75, which Clifton prolonged the life of the fount solution by up to 50% from four to six weeks, and...

Carroll, a former laminating machine operator at Mac Print Finishing in Peterborough where he worked for 12 years, strangled his wife of 23 years on the morning of 24 May 2012 at their home in Peterborough. When Mac Print Finishing senior partner Vernon MacFarlane called to find out why he wasn’t at work, Carroll said he thought he had killed his wife. Carroll, who claimed to have snapped due to financial concerns over a £75,000 mortgage debt, denied the murder charge and pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The jury at the original trial earlier this year failed to reach a verdict; however, the jury at last month’s retrial found Carroll guilty of murder by majority verdict. Detective Inspector Richard Wall said: “Michael Carroll was under a lot of stress due to financial difficulties at the time, however nothing can excuse his actions in killing his loving wife, Elisabeth. “She had overcome cancer and should have been looking forward to enjoying her retirement. This has been an extremely difficult time for Elisabeth’s family and I am pleased they now have justice.” Carroll will be sentenced at a later date....

Carroll, a former laminating machine operator at Mac Print Finishing in Peterborough where he worked for 12 years, strangled his wife of 23 years on the morning of 24 May 2012 at their home in Peterborough. When Mac Print Finishing senior partner Vernon MacFarlane called to find out why he wasn’t at work, Carroll said he thought he had killed his wife. Carroll, who claimed to have snapped due to financial concerns over a £75,000 mortgage debt, denied the murder charge and pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The jury at the original trial earlier this year failed to reach a verdict; however, the jury at last month’s retrial found Carroll guilty of murder by majority verdict. Detective Inspector Richard Wall said: “Michael Carroll was under a lot of stress due to financial difficulties at the time, however nothing can excuse his actions in killing his loving wife, Elisabeth. “She had overcome cancer and should have been looking forward to enjoying her retirement. This has been an extremely difficult time for Elisabeth’s family and I am pleased they now have justice.” Carroll will be sentenced at a later date....