Winter 2005                    return to newsletter contents page

FPPA Member News

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Bobst Group USA Enters into Agreement with Advanced Die Supplies

Bobst Group USA Inc. has recently entered into a distributor agreement with Advanced Die Supplies who will now serve as a primary supplier for diecutting and die making components for Bobst equipment.

Speaking on behalf of Bobst Group, Alex Gigon, Director of Customer Service and Support Operations, commented: “We view this new process and service partnership as a reinforcement of our support for all Bobst customers. The goal of both of our companies is to provide the highest possible levels of service and support while striving to deliver cost-competitive solutions,” continued Gigon. “It’s a ‘win-win-win’ situation for our customers, for Advanced Die and for Bobst.”

Advanced Die Supplies has two offices, Los Angeles, California and Atlanta, Georgia. For information about Advanced Die Supplies and the products it offers, contact Michael Barkin, President of Advanced Die Supplies at mikeb@advanceddiesupplies.com, visit their website at: www.advanceddiesupplies.com, write or call them at:

Advanced Die Supplies, Pacific

10717 Norwalk Boulevard

Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

Phone (800) 600-0181

Advanced Die Supplies, Eastern

1070 Culpepper Drive, Suite 600

Conyers, GA 30094

Phone (866) 343-7757

Open House at Bobst: Showcasing New Products for Corrugated Board

The BOBST manufacturing plant at Mex (Lausanne-Switzerland) has just been host to visitors from all over Europe who came to discover the last innovations in machines for corrugated board. Centre-piece of these presentations was the company’s new POLYJOINER unit which, in-line with a PACIFIC or ALPINA folder-gluer, allows the superimposition or joining of blanks to produce oversize boxes or to create point-of-sale display units. The unit also allows the insertion of elements to create partitions within the finished box. The POLYJOINER module handles even the most sophisticated work and can glue perpendicular to the direction of box travel, opening up unlimited prospects to box designers. Visitors to the open house also had the opportunity to see a FLEXO 160 VISION

line (complete with five print units) printing work of high quality onto coated liner, along with an SPO 160-A matic Power Register which, as always, was impressive in the precision of its die-cutting.

Clemson to Host Flexographic Process Printing Symposium

Clemson University is proud to announce the next Flexographic Process Printing symposium, March 9–11, 2005. Since 1992, the Department of Graphic Communications has offered this outstanding 2.5–day program on color reproduction focused on the flexographic printing industry. The symposium offers an in-depth examination of the production techniques that produce predictable, repeatable color for top-quality print. The symposium will focus on press characterization, the fundamentals of color measurement, and the application of process color in the production environment.

This symposium is a unique opportunity for your personnel to learn directly from some of the top color professionals and educators in the flexographic printing industry. Instruction is provided through presentations, demonstrations and a number of interactive, hands-on breakout sessions. In addition, participants have many opportunities to speak one-on-one with the presenters at meals and social hours that extend into the evening about their color reproduction issues. There is ample opportunity for questions and answers from a variety of consultants and industry suppliers.    

 CUGC is proud to be recognized as a world-wide leader in Graphic Communications education. Through the generous support of its industry partners, the CUGC labs are fully functional printing facilities in which students learn first-hand all phases of production for flexography, offset lithography, screen printing, gravure and digital print applications. Boasting an enrollment of over 400 students, CUGC is the one of the premier educational facilities for the printing industry.

For a full schedule of speakers and topics for the Flexographic Process Printing symposium, visit the CUGC website at http://graphics.clemson.edu or contact Liam O’Hara at lohara@clemson.edu, 864-656-6897.

NEWS FROM CREO, INC.

Veris Proofer

Processless Plate

Creo and DuPont Imaging Technologies to Offer New Version of Veris Proofer

Creo Inc. and DuPont Imaging Technologies recently announced that they are initiating new joint development and sales activities in color proofing. DuPont Imaging Technologies will deploy its well-recognized DuPont™ CromaNet™ color management, together with DuPont™ Cromalin^® ink and media, on the Creo Veris™ proofer. Work is underway to complete development of this Cromalin^® Veris proofing solution, which will be available through DuPont sales channels.

“The Creo Multi-Drop Array™ imaging technology used on the Veris proofer delivers precise control of its 3 pL ink drops to produce superior-quality inkjet printing,” explained Paolo A. Barbieri, global business director, DuPont Color Communication. “This innovation creates a premiere level of image quality and color accuracy that, when associated with the finest Cromalin^® color management and media, will offer a unique, high-level contract proofing solution. We are pleased to offer this solution to our customers.”

“This work builds on the strong relationship we have established with DuPont Imaging Technologies in the provision of thermal digital halftone proofing systems and consumables and the development of color filter manufacturing systems for the flat panel display industry,” said Amos Michelson, Creo chief executive officer. ”Both Creo and DuPont Imaging Technologies have a strong history of leveraging one another’s technical excellence to deliver superior quality and value to our customers.”

The Veris proofer produces a controlled stream of precisely-formed and placed drops at 1500 x 1500 dpi, for high-quality, repeatable proofs that are accurate predictors of the final printed job. Creo will continue to sell Veris proofing solutions, complete with Creo ink and media and direct connectivity to Creo Prinergy^® and Brisque^® prepress workflows, through Creo sales channels.

DuPont Imaging Technologies and Creo are also starting evaluation of a new version of the DuPont™ Cromalin^® b2 drop-on-demand inkjet proofer that will be integrated with Creo workflow, color management and consumables.

 Images available for download at www.creo.com/imagebank.

Creo Adds Processless Plate for Direct Imaging Presses to Portfolio of Digital Media

Creo Inc. recently announced that the Clarus™ WL waterless polyester plate for direct imaging (DI) presses is now available commercially, following the successful completion of vigorous field-testing by customers around the world. The Clarus WL is the latest printing plate – and the first chemistry-free plate – to be released as part of Creo’s rapidly expanding digital plate portfolio. Creo is the fourth largest digital plate vendor worldwide.

With the introduction of the Clarus WL plate, Creo has presented customers with a welcome choice of plates in a market previously dominated by one supplier. “I switched to Clarus WL waterless plates from Creo because they are more scratch-resistant and deliver excellent quality print results,” said Jerry Haapanen, owner of Haapanen Burkett, Inc. in Gurnee, IL. “High-quality printing is critical to our large client base in the pharmaceutical industry. Clarus WL plates also save my company time as they are easier to clean,” he added. “It was simple for us to make the switch, as they are a drop-in solution that required no changes to our existing press configuration. Better plates, less money – what’s not to like?” 

The Clarus WL waterless polyester plate is an affordable, easy-to-use, chemistry-free plate suitable for use on direct imaging presses such as the Heidelberg Quickmaster DI, the Ryobi 3404 DI, and the KBA 46 Karat. It is drop-in-compatible, meaning that customers can start using it without having to change their existing press settings. Suitable for run lengths from 100 up to 30,000 impressions, the Clarus WL plate yields consistently high-quality results. These higher sensitivity plates also reduce overall energy consumption by allowing lower power output from the laser imaging unit.

Customers interested in the Clarus WL product are encouraged to call Leigh-Anne Cook at Creo +1.877.387.2736 ext. 2731 to discuss the benefits of Creo waterless plates.

Creo launched its digital plate business in September 2003 and, after only one year, has a broad and highly competitive plate portfolio for commercial, newspaper, book, insert, and packaging printers in nearly every region of the world. These plates include the Creo Positive Thermal Plate for commercial printers, the Fortis™ PN for newspaper, book and insert printers, and Mirus™ PN for the commercial and packaging printers, as well as the new Clarus WL waterless plate. The company currently has 18 million m² in wholly-owned capacity in its two plate manufacturing facilities – one in South Africa, the other in West Virginia – as well as contracted capacity in Europe and Asia. Creo recently announced expansion plans for its West Virginia facility and the construction of a new plate-manufacturing plant in Europe in order to meet the rapidly increasing demand for Creo plates. 

Dynamic Dies Creates High Graphics Promotional Piece/Resource CD

Dynamic Dies has produced a unique promotional piece to showcase their ability to effectively predict color through color management. The majority of pre-press work for corrugated converting has be dominated by solid print jobs with basic screens. Dynamic Dies, Inc. is currently promoting a unique coaster set that was created for SuperCorr 2004. The die cut, printed design exemplifies the broad capabilities of Dynamic Dies, Inc.

From structural design to die engineering on through graphic presentation, this color managed project satisfied the team’s objective, to present a piece that was not only marketable but highly productive. The key element Dynamic Dies, Inc. offers is a genuine understanding of converting equipment and limitations. This knowledge puts DDI ahead of the curve for providing great products that actually perform better for the box maker.

The box was color managed as a duotone of pantone 2738 and Process Black, while the individual coasters are CMYK. The converting equipment was fingerprinted, the results analyzed and profiles were created to achieve our film separations and contract proof. Our objective was to have a color match between the monitor, proof, and press sheet. The images used on the 25 piece coaster set are personal photographs taken by Dallas Pace, High Graphics Color Specialist.

The piece also includes a Customer Resource CD-Rom which contains their 2005 cutting die and printing plate materials catalog. The CD also contains links to their online store, web site and more.

Dynamic Dies, Inc. is a privately owned company that was started in Holland Ohio in 1971. For over thirty years DDI has provided corrugated converting companies the cutting dies to cut boxes and the flexo printing plates to print them. The company now operates four facilities. Dynamic Dies, Incorporated provides Pre-Press Engineering and High Performance Tooling. Products include Flexographic Plates and Steel Rule Cutting Dies. Through creativity Dynamic Dies Incorporated has also introduced several patented innovations to the industry. Special value is offered through technical field support and customized learning programs.