Bringing offset value to labels

PrintWeek India (PWI): What is your star product at the Labelexpo Europe 2015? Can you explain what’s new and how will it benefit the customers?

Frank Termeulen (FT): The Thallo, which was launched a few months ago. This offset printing press is especially targeted on the market of flexible packaging. Offset has some unique benefits compared to the other conventional printing techniques, which are mostly used to print on film. The Thallo can print high-quality flexible packaging, with a very short time to market, therefore the lower costs of usage and without making use of any solvents.

 

PWI: Why do you think offset is a consideration?

FT: Offset provides an alternative to the costly flexo machines, and there are the environmental

benefit too. The Thallo has many game-changing innovations and some never-seen-before features will make this new generation web offset press a perfect option for printing on films and labels.

 

PWI: How has been the previous two years, since the last Labelexpo Europe 2015 been for your company? And how was your growth?

FT: The DG press has shown continuous growth since the company’s establishment in 2009. During its five-plus years of existence, DG press grew to a company with a yearly turnover of six plus million euro which has been shown over the last years.  

 

PWI: How does label printing sector looked like in 2015? What are you hearing from your customers, who have been using your products in the last two years?

FT: The DG press is servicing over 400 customers worldwide, around 15 of which are in India. These customers have Drent Goebel printing presses, these printing presses are used for many kinds of applications. From flexible packaging to business forms and labels, our customers print it all. We see the most growth in the segment of flexible packaging, and the interest in business forms and these kinds of products are declining. The sector of label printing is an attractive market because labels are keeping its market share. Labels are not endangered by the digitalization, and the food industry is a growing industry.

 

PWI: In terms of functionality, has the role of labels enhanced or it still is a piece of decoration?

FT: The role of labels is attracting customers and providing information about the product. It is not only a piece of decoration, it is functional too.

 

PWI: New guidelines for product security and ingredients disclosures are being introduced on a regular basis. Do you see labels donning a bigger role here?

FT: The migration of ink is always an issue for food products. Printers and manufacturers are always searching for the best solutions. Labels could be a safe solution on this part.

  

PWI: Short-run work and just-in-time delivery are fast becoming the norm. And to remain a competitive supplier and meet these changing demands, what should the Indian label printers do to improve their production methods? How does your products help in this?

FT: Offset is the solution to meet these demands. Offset is beneficial for order sizes between 1.000 and 100.000 m². Offset fills up the gap between digital and flexographic/ gravure printing. The DG press offers much quicker job changes and a better time-to-market than flexo or gravure with its new Thallo web offset printing press.

 

PWI: Substrates and consumables are a big part of the label producing cost. Reducing them would mean increasing margins. What are the ways in which label printers can minimise waste and become more cost-effective to meet today’s fast-evolving production requirements and deliver greater commercial advantage? Can you give an example?

FT: For sure. With the development of the Thallo, DG press has focused on sustainable solutions. The company tried to bring production waste to a minimum. The Thallo web offset press can move its web backwards through the machine. Therefore, the printing press can use its material wasted by stopping the machine as start-up waste when bringing the printing press again at production.  

 

PWI: New technologies in pre-press and press, finishing kit and inks, are enhancing the functionality of labels. In future, what improvements can we expect from offset machine manufacturers?

FT: Waterless offset for example, and also many possibilities in combining different printing techniques in a printing press, to use all unique benefits of each technique. These hybrid printing presses are very popular.