Caravelle trebles throughput with Mimaki JV33
The 1.6m-wide JV33-160, which was supplied by inkjet specialist I-Sub Digital at the end of June, cost around £15,000 and replaced an older Mimaki machine, a JV3-160. According to Caravelle Creative managing director Ian Daniels, the company made the investment to improve productivity and quality. “We held on to our old equipment for longer than we ought to have done, and with the new machine, the difference is really noticeable,” he said. “Our output has gone up by about 300%.” Caravelle Creative, which employs around eight staff, is using the machine to produce exhibition graphics for both indoor and outdoor applications for clients across a broad range of sectors. “People often ask for those jobs to be done by the next day, and we can do that now,” said Daniels. “It’s the modern age. People expect things to be turned around that much quicker today.” He added that the new machine had enabled the company to take on more wide-format jobs: “Because we can trust it to run overnight we have been able to take on more of this sort of work.” The JV33-160 is being used with Mimaki’s SS21 solvent inks, which I-Sub said are a more environmentally friendly than those used in the JV3. They are suitable for a range of substrate types and are designed to be fast drying, high density and highly scratch resistant and to offer a wide colour gamut. I-Sub Digital director Andy Spreag added: “This is a great example of how investing in new, faster, better quality and environmentally friendlier technology can take a business forward and bring new work into a business that wasn’t possible with the old machine.”...
read moreScreentec invests in second Océ Arizona
The new device, which was installed around five weeks ago, complements an existing Océ Arizona 350 GT at the company’s 930sqm facility in Ferndale, South Wales. “This was an absolutely natural step for us. We’ve been so impressed by the first investment and in particular Canon’s service offering,” said sales director Harry Palmer. “Good technical back-up and service are absolutely fundamental to a business and it’s enabled us to have the confidence to never say no to our customers.” Traditionally a trade screen printer, which produces a broad range of products, the 33-staff company expanded into wide-format digital printing around six years ago with a Roland roll-to-roll printer and Palmer said with growth of around 40% in the last year, the company will continue to build on this revenue stream. “Digital wide-format printing has galvanised our business, increasing the speed and range of applications we can offer to our customers,” he said. The Arizona 480 GT, which can print at speeds of up to 32.8sqm per hour, features eight independent ink channels including varnish, double opacity white and two additional cyan and magenta channels, and will enable the firm to produce a range of creative effects and to print on coloured and clear substrates. “This is going to help us meet a growing demand for shorter runs, with high-quality applications more cost-effectively – all delivered quickly thanks to the high throughput and batch-printing mode.” He added that the company hoped to boost its POS work and industrial print output while also being able to produce specialist applications, such as window graphics. “We expect growth to slow to a steady 15%-25% a year now, and I think we will consider another Océ Arizona 480 GT at some point down the line,” he said. Duncan Smith, wide-format printing group director for Canon UK, said: “We’re delighted that Screentec has decided to continue its journey with us. It is an example of a company that recognises both the vast potential of the wide-format market and how digital printing technology can drive success.”...
read morePrinters owed in latest CSDM collapse
Herefordshire-based CSDM Fundraising (CSDMF), a charity direct marketing agency, emerged in June 2010 under the directorship of Chris Stoddard, on the same day his previous company CSDM collapsed owing £1.4m. It is the third company, associated to Stoddard, to collapse in as many years. According to the administrator’s report produced by MB Insolvency, CSDMF owed unsecured creditors £739,172, at the time of its collapse this summer, with the largest creditors being SPI Direct Entry* and Affinion International, which were owed £173,699 and £126,800 respectively. Other unsecured print and mailing operators included Apex Direct Mail, TFW Printers, The Envelope Works, The Colourhouse, Impact Mail and Print & Mail Solutions UK. It is not anticipated that there will be any available funds for unsecured creditors, the report states. According to the document, Stoddard claims his company was forced to enter administration because a subcontracted postal supplier failed to deliver its post, costing CSDMF around £300,000. In a statment Stoddard said despite the amount owed to unsecured creditors being documented by the administrator as £739,172, the amount that would ultimately be due to third parties would be “comparatively small”. He said: “[The figure] actually includes inter-company claims amounting to some £160,000 and £204,000 of creditor claims that are totally disputed but excludes the £600,000 of claims that CSDM Fundraising has against two creditors for breach of contract.” “Relatively few creditors remain on the CSDM Fundraising’s purchase ledger. “Our principal aim has been to ensure that clients of the firm, all small charities, do not suffer as a result of the company’s closure. “None of the company’s clients has suffered any financial loss as a result of the administration. “No members of staff have lost their jobs and we continue to have the support of our clients – who value our approach and the resources and expertise we bring. Neither have we – nor do we intend to – put other companies into administration.” Meanwhile another firm, CS Fundraising, also owned by Stoddard, has acquired the assets of CSDMF, including clients, contracts and obligations. However, according to the administrator’s report “there was uncertainty regarding the extent of assets included in the sale”, resulting in ongoing investigations by MB Insolvency. Stoddard confirmed that all staff had transferred to CS Fundraising. The business continues to operate from CSDMFs Ross-on-Wye base. *Edit note: the CSDMF creditors’ list filed by the administrator shows an amount of £173,699 owed to ‘Swiss Post’. Swiss Post International UK Ltd has asked us to clarify that this sum is actually owed to SPI Direct Entry Ltd based in Stockley Park, a separate company that has a strategic partnership with Swiss Post....
read moreUpdate: Kodak exits Chapter 11
The once-mighty photographic and imaging giant went into Chapter 11 in January 2012. After a complex process it has now completed all the necessary steps for emergence, including exit refinancing and the ratification of the sell-off of its personalised imaging and document imaging business to the Kodak UK Pension Plan. The ‘new’ Kodak is focused on commercial imaging, with a large part of its operations made up of its commercial printing, digital printing and packaging operations. In a statement, Perez said: “We have been revitalised by our transformation and restructured to become a formidable competitor – leaner, with a strong capital structure a healthy balance sheet and the industry’s best technology.” Perez will remain in post for up to a year, or until the fresh Kodak board appoints a successor. According to filings made as part of the emergence process, the firm is optimistic about its future performance, and estimates it will make EBITDA of $200m on sales of $2.6bn next year. In a press briefing earlier today (4 September) Perez said the new Kodak was “stronger financially, and stronger technically as well”, ready to grow free of its legacy costs. He highlighted four key technologies that he described as being “fundamental for our new portfolio”: Stream inkjet, SquareSpot imaging, ColorFlow colour management and its Unified Workflow solutions, with Kodak planning to expand the uses into “key adjacencies”. The Stream high-speed continuous inkjet technology is to be expanded into packaging applications and also into wider formats. Perez said Kodak has already made a 49-inch (124.5cm) print bar and is working on 60-inch version. “Nothing else is even close to the capability of this technology,” Perez stated. “It will change the world of printing and the world of deposition forever.” Kodak is poised to announce an OEM deal in the packaging space that harnesses its technology with another manufacturer’s press and industry specific know-how, similar to the OEM deal it currently has with Timsons in the book printing market. However, president of digital printing and enterprise Doug Edwards also stated that toner-based products, including NexPress, remained “key” for the business. “These are mature, cash- and earnings-generating businesses for us, and will continue to be so,” he said. Referring to the shift from analogue to digital processes, Perez described printing as a “hybrid industry” and said it would continue to be so for many years to come. In line with the proposals that preceded its emergence, Kodak again highlighted the three key markets it planned to focus its growth efforts on: the $247bn packaging market, the $455bn graphic communications market, and the $28bn functional printing market – with only a fraction of each market currently being addressed by the company. Perez said that 80% of revenues now came from the sale of annuities such as ink, media, plates and services. “We have been cautious in our projections but we feel pretty confident about this,” he stated. Unusually, it revealed some of its own market statistics to illustrate the scale of its current operations. These included: 60,000 Prinergy ‘seats’ worldwide, more than 16,000 CTP systems, an installed base of over 12,000 commercial digital printing devices, 300 Flexcel NX systems and 40bn-plus pages printed using Kodak Prosper inkjet systems. Kodak now employs 8,500 staff worldwide. Its HQ will remain in the USA, in...
read morePrint offers solution to skyscraper’s solar rays problem
The 37-storey building at 20 Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, hit the headlines this week after it emerged that a car had been badly-damaged by the concentrated beam created as the sun reflects off its curved surface. Business owners in the area have also reported damage to their properties and even small fires. Developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf are proposing to erect a scaffolding screen at street level as a quick fix, however printing industry experts have suggested a print-based option would be the ideal long-term solution for the problem. Nick Kapp, business development manager at Reading-based large-format graphics specialist VGL said: “There’s quite an easy solution to this, put a giant graphic on it and change it regularly!” Kapp added that it would be possible to create a subtle effect: “By using a Contra Vision product people inside would still be able to see out. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be an advert, even if you just printed it grey it would work – it could be a printed colour or texture.” Adam Mcmonagle, technical operations and marketing specialist at Macro Art in St Neots suggested the application of a low-reflective vinyl film, or even a mesh. “They could use a mesh screen, perhaps a little bit offset from the building, at that particular point.” Roland Hill, managing director at specialist see-through graphics technology developer Contra Vision, which holds a number of patents for the technique, added: “This could have been avoided by using Contra Vision in the first place. Because Contra Vision is made with ink, the reflection is diffused – it’s multi-directional. “It’s going to depend on the specific nature of the problem, and will require careful appraisal of the angles involved to find the right long-term solution,” Hill said. The skyscraper had been nicknamed the ‘Walkie-Talkie’ because of its shape, and has now been dubbed the ‘Walkie-Scorchie’ instead....
read morePrint offers solution to skyscraper’s solar rays problem
The 37-storey building at 20 Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, hit the headlines this week after it emerged that a car had been badly-damaged by the concentrated beam created as the sun reflects off its curved surface. Business owners in the area have also reported damage to their properties and even small fires. Developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf are proposing to erect a scaffolding screen at street level as a quick fix, however printing industry experts have suggested a print-based option would be the ideal long-term solution for the problem. Nick Kapp, business development manager at Reading-based large-format graphics specialist VGL said: “There’s quite an easy solution to this, put a giant graphic on it and change it regularly!” Kapp added that it would be possible to create a subtle effect: “By using a Contra Vision product people inside would still be able to see out. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be an advert, even if you just printed it grey it would work – it could be a printed colour or texture.” Adam Mcmonagle, technical operations and marketing specialist at Macro Art in St Neots suggested the application of a low-reflective vinyl film, or even a mesh. “They could use a mesh screen, perhaps a little bit offset from the building, at that particular point.” Roland Hill, managing director at specialist see-through graphics technology developer Contra Vision, which holds a number of patents for the technique, added: “This could have been avoided by using Contra Vision in the first place. Because Contra Vision is made with ink, the reflection is diffused – it’s multi-directional. “It’s going to depend on the specific nature of the problem, and will require careful appraisal of the angles involved to find the right long-term solution,” Hill said. The skyscraper had been nicknamed the ‘Walkie-Talkie’ because of its shape, and has now been dubbed the ‘Walkie-Scorchie’ instead....
read moreXeikon to unveil Thermoflexx 80 at Labelexpo
The large-format imager for high-volume flexo platemaking exposes plates of up to 1.3x2m (50x80in), and is suitable for wide-web applications, such as flexible and cardboard packaging. The Thermoflexx 80 is the largest in the range, which also comprises the 18, 20, 30, 48 and 60 models. The device offers a range of a resolutions including 2,400, 2,540, 4,000, 4,800 and 5,080dpi. At maximum resolution it can image 3.75sqm/hr, although the manufacturer added that upgrades, available from the beginning of 2014, will enable the platesetter to image significantly faster. Other key features, designed to reduce plate manipulation, include a new automatic plate clamping system to simplify plate loading and unloading, meanwhile plates can either be held in place by vacuum or magnetically. The need to cut plates to fit a dedicated vacuum zone has been eliminated because the Thermoflexx 80 is built with a vacuum slider to provide greater flexibility of plate width. Xeikon’s prepress director of sales and marketing Christophe Lievens said the device offered unique quality. “With this device and the option of 5,080dpi, we are offering a very high quality for the flexo printing industry. If high resolution is required, it is possible to switch between two resolutions at any time. “The flexo printing industry is, just like the entire printing industry, a very competitive business and printers need to differentiate in order to be better. This is what we put a lot of focus on; we produce equipment which helps our customers to become more competitive. The new features we are introducing on our Thermoflexx equipment offer our customer flexibility, quality, productivity and cost efficiency,” he added. Lievens said that price would be dependent on configuration and commercial availablity was expected from December. The Thermoflexx 80 will be demonstrated for the first time at Labelexpo on 24-27 September, where visitors will also be able to see the results of Xeikon’s recently launched dry ICE toner for digital label presses. Also currently in development is Xeikon’s Trillium liquid toner, which was first announced at Drupa 2012. In an update in July, the manufacturer said development was on schedule and that the first beta sites would be up and running from spring 2014, with commercial availability expected in the US around six months later....
read moreXeikon to unveil Thermoflexx 80 at Labelexpo
The large-format imager for high-volume flexo platemaking exposes plates of up to 1.3x2m (50x80in), and is suitable for wide-web applications, such as flexible and cardboard packaging. The Thermoflexx 80 is the largest in the range, which also comprises the 18, 20, 30, 48 and 60 models. The device offers a range of a resolutions including 2,400, 2,540, 4,000, 4,800 and 5,080dpi. At maximum resolution it can image 3.75sqm/hr, although the manufacturer added that upgrades, available from the beginning of 2014, will enable the platesetter to image significantly faster. Other key features, designed to reduce plate manipulation, include a new automatic plate clamping system to simplify plate loading and unloading, meanwhile plates can either be held in place by vacuum or magnetically. The need to cut plates to fit a dedicated vacuum zone has been eliminated because the Thermoflexx 80 is built with a vacuum slider to provide greater flexibility of plate width. Xeikon’s prepress director of sales and marketing Christophe Lievens said the device offered unique quality. “With this device and the option of 5,080dpi, we are offering a very high quality for the flexo printing industry. If high resolution is required, it is possible to switch between two resolutions at any time. “The flexo printing industry is, just like the entire printing industry, a very competitive business and printers need to differentiate in order to be better. This is what we put a lot of focus on; we produce equipment which helps our customers to become more competitive. The new features we are introducing on our Thermoflexx equipment offer our customer flexibility, quality, productivity and cost efficiency,” he added. Lievens said that price would be dependent on configuration and commercial availablity was expected from December. The Thermoflexx 80 will be demonstrated for the first time at Labelexpo on 24-27 September, where visitors will also be able to see the results of Xeikon’s recently launched dry ICE toner for digital label presses. Also currently in development is Xeikon’s Trillium liquid toner, which was first announced at Drupa 2012. In an update in July, the manufacturer said development was on schedule and that the first beta sites would be up and running from spring 2014, with commercial availability expected in the US around six months later....
read moreWhat You Need to Know about the New Hazard Communication Requirements, Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet
Not only is it a smart idea to make sure every employee is informed of chemical hazards in the workplace, it’s also the law! Many of us in the printing industry work with chemicals and materials on a daily basis, and under the Hazard Communication Standard, OSHA requires printing companies to identify hazardous chemicals and provide training to ensure that employees are working with these chemicals in a safe manner. OSHA has made significant revisions to the Hazard Communication Standard, including replacing the Material Safety Data Sheet with the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). In response, we are making available to all members “need to know” information to stay in compliance with the new requirements and free tools to implement a Hazard Communication program to meet them. If you’re familiar with the Safety—Know It, Live It poster series,you know these popular resources function as straightforward visual references to guides for employees providing critical safety information while they work. We’ve just added two new posters to the series, “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” and “Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS) Pictograms Quick Reference.” Let’s dive deeper into the details of the new Safety Data Sheet (SDS) represented in the “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” poster. The “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” poster provides employees with a reference for what information can be found on an SDS and where to look for it. Let’s look at some important facts about the revised Standard and new SDSs: Safety Data Sheets are replacing Material Safety Data Sheets, and now have a mandatory uniform 16-section format. Manufacturers and suppliers of chemicals are required to determine what hazards could be presented by their product, and they must inform you about those hazards on labels and SDSs. Employers are required obtain an SDS for every hazardous chemical employees work with and to maintain them so they can be accessed. On the SDS, you can find information on a variety of topics about the product, including physical and chemical properties, personal protection, handling, storage procedures, first aid procedures, and health effects in the event of exposure. The safety posters are designed to be displayed in employee break rooms or in other common areas to reinforce key safety messages. Posters can also be placed near equipment, along production lines, or at entrances to production areas. There are also new labeling procedures in the revised Standard which require that all labels must include a Product Identifier, Signal Word (such as DANGER), Hazard Statement, Pictogram, Precautionary Statement, and manufacturer contact information. Employees must receive initial training on the new SDS and labeling requirements by December 1, 2013. For more information on the new Hazard Communication Standard and requirements, visit our Hazard Communication Guidance for Printing Operations webpage at www.printing.org/hazcom. Finally, remember that you have a right to a safe work environment, and everyone has a role in keeping the workplace free of hazards. More information is available to you on the EHS Regulatory Compliance webpage. Remember, that the first employee training deadline for the revised requirements was December 1, 2013, and look for the free Guide to Hazard Communication for Printing Operations and other training materials. To learn more, download our Safety—Know It, Live It posters today. Member login is required for the free download....
read moreWhat You Need to Know about the New Hazard Communication Requirements, Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet
Not only is it a smart idea to make sure every employee is informed of chemical hazards in the workplace, it’s also the law! Many of us in the printing industry work with chemicals and materials on a daily basis, and under the Hazard Communication Standard, OSHA requires printing companies to identify hazardous chemicals and provide training to ensure that employees are working with these chemicals in a safe manner. OSHA has made significant revisions to the Hazard Communication Standard, including replacing the Material Safety Data Sheet with the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). In response, we are making available to all members “need to know” information to stay in compliance with the new requirements and free tools to implement a Hazard Communication program to meet them. If you’re familiar with the Safety—Know It, Live It poster series,you know these popular resources function as straightforward visual references to guides for employees providing critical safety information while they work. We’ve just added two new posters to the series, “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” and “Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS) Pictograms Quick Reference.” Let’s dive deeper into the details of the new Safety Data Sheet (SDS) represented in the “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” poster. The “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” poster provides employees with a reference for what information can be found on an SDS and where to look for it. Let’s look at some important facts about the revised Standard and new SDSs: Safety Data Sheets are replacing Material Safety Data Sheets, and now have a mandatory uniform 16-section format. Manufacturers and suppliers of chemicals are required to determine what hazards could be presented by their product, and they must inform you about those hazards on labels and SDSs. Employers are required obtain an SDS for every hazardous chemical employees work with and to maintain them so they can be accessed. On the SDS, you can find information on a variety of topics about the product, including physical and chemical properties, personal protection, handling, storage procedures, first aid procedures, and health effects in the event of exposure. The safety posters are designed to be displayed in employee break rooms or in other common areas to reinforce key safety messages. Posters can also be placed near equipment, along production lines, or at entrances to production areas. There are also new labeling procedures in the revised Standard which require that all labels must include a Product Identifier, Signal Word (such as DANGER), Hazard Statement, Pictogram, Precautionary Statement, and manufacturer contact information. Employees must receive initial training on the new SDS and labeling requirements by December 1, 2013. For more information on the new Hazard Communication Standard and requirements, visit our Hazard Communication Guidance for Printing Operations webpage at www.printing.org/hazcom. Finally, remember that you have a right to a safe work environment, and everyone has a role in keeping the workplace free of hazards. More information is available to you on the EHS Regulatory Compliance webpage. Remember, that the first employee training deadline for the revised requirements was December 1, 2013, and look for the free Guide to Hazard Communication for Printing Operations and other training materials. To learn more, download our Safety—Know It, Live It posters today. Member login is required for the free download....
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