Labelexpo kicks off in two weeks’ time at the Brussels exhibition centre with sustainability dominating discussions across the halls, while the first demonstration of HP Indigo’s V12 narrow web press at a major exhibition seems sure to be the biggest visitor draw.
The press lines up six Indigo engines in sequence to accelerate production of digital labels and to push digital printing into flexo press territory. The press will be connected to an AB Graphics finishing line to run non stop at both unwind and rewind.
HP will also give the Indigo 200K its show debut for flexible packaging applications. Pouch production will be another of the themes for the event.
HP is not the only company planning press launches. While most will be inkjet machines of some kind, there are new flexo presses from Mark Andy and Nilpeter plus Xeikon is to debut the Cheetah 3.0 and to give an exhibition debut to the Titon toner for flexible packaging. Konica Minolta will launch the AL400, its most productive label press to date having previewed the machine last year.
Xeikon will also introduce an eco toner for its Cheetah CX300 and CX500 machines. This has a 60% content from recycled PET, is suited for indirect food content and is qualified for vegan products.
Nilpeter has teamed up with Screen to create the SAI S7L350C, a hybrid press combining conventional flexo units with Screen’s inkjet technology. Screen will introduce a priming unit for its L350 UV label press to expand the range of substrates it can print on.
The Gallus One is about removing the cost barriers to reel to reel inkjet printing says Heidelberg. An extended version adds inline finishing and conventional print units.
There will also be new inkjet presses from Epson, Dante and Durst. Durst will make use of machine vision and artificial intelligence in Hawkeye, intended to improve colour consistency and reduce start up waste. Others will introduce machines using Memjet technology while Domino’s new N730i is using Brother Bitstar printheads
Sustainability is covered by advances in technology to reduce waste levels and by developments in materials. These take two main directions. First is to reuse silicon release backing papers, or to eliminate backing papers by extending the applications suited to lintless labels. Second is to use new adhesives that wash away together with the label from glass bottles being processed for recycling. Fedrigoni has a foot in both camps. The Re-Play scheme recovers the backing from self adhesive labels for processing for reuse, and it is introducing a wash off materials range for bottles. Likewise Avery Dennison is teaming up with Bobst to create a recovery and reuse scheme for labels liner, closing the loop on this aspect of label production and in line with producer responsibility legislation that is being rolled out across the globe.
The show runs from 11-14 September in Brussels. The event will move to Barcelona for the next iteration due in 2025.
