Quarterly Round-up of Label News: The Noel D'cunha Sunday Column

Labels, hence, are expected to be attractive and create a distinctive advantage to the brand. In anticipation label equipment manufacturers are getting more creative.A lot is happening in the label segment. Two days ago, we heard the news of Mark Andy being bought over by PJ Desai, the company’s former CEO. There’s Gallus’ full acquisition by Heidelberg.  Two months ago, Gidue unveiled the Revo technology and the Gidue digital automation. Come September, Gallus will unveil a new digital label press system to the global public. There’s news of expansion and installations at Zircon, Red Packaging,Ankit Graphics, and more.

Take a look at the news captured by PrintWeek India in the last quarter.

Zircon invests in latest inspection system from Rotoflex
Dehradun-based Zircon Technologies brought in a Rotoflex VSI 330 inspection /rewind machine as  the label printing firm felt the need of a system to provide 100% accuracy to their clients and help them to gain a competitive edge.

Durst’s Tau introduces the upgraded Tau 330 digital UV inkjet print system
At Interpack 2014, Durst, Durst, the industrial inkjet specialist, showed two changes to the Tau 330, its digital UV inkjet print system for the food industry and industrial production, after September 2013. The upgraded  330 now comes with a newly built-in inert-gas system which reduced the typical odour of the UV inkjet inks, and a high-definition print mode with resolution of up to 1260dpi, up from the previous 360dpi.

MPS demonstrates two new label presses; flaunts affordability
In the presence of 60 label press owners from different countries, Netherlands-based MPS hosted a demonstration of two new label presses, the EB 370 and EF 430, launched at Labelexpo Brussels, during a three-day open house at its Didam factory from 14-16 May, 2014. The EF is a high-end press while the EB 370 is an affordable press with many feature from the high-end EF, targeted at markets like India.

Atlantic Zieser boasts eight installations in India
Germany-based Atlantic Zeiser, printing solutions provider for marking and coding cosmetic and pharmaceutical packaging, as well as for web-fed or credit cards and other narrow-format applications has achieved eight installations of Cardline Versa model in India in 2013-14.

Ahmedabad's Ankit Graphics adds India's first Screen Platerite flexo CTP system
Two-decade old Ankit Graphics has stepped into the digital arena, bringing in a new Screen PlateriteFX1524 digital flexo CTP system.The flexo pre-press bureau processed flexo plate using the conventional method before the digital move. In the first two weeks of operation, the company says it has added five new clients to its portfolio.

Gidue unveils Revo for 440 visitors in Italy
Gidue hosted the official unveiling of Revo technology from 10-12 June, 2014. The  technology is a product of Revo digital flexo revolution,  a project taken up by seven companies in label and narrow web flexographic printing field – Nuova Gidue, PM Raflatac, Adare, Esko, Flint Group, Dupont and Apex Group of Companies, aimed to create history by developing a totally new way for flexo to compete in the market.

Monotech achieves 13 installations with Jetsci
Monotech Systems has installed 13 Jetsci industrial inkjet systems for variable data printing across India with customised configuration and multiple printhead set-ups. Applications currently being printed with these systems include courier bills, redemption tickets, tags, labels, OMR sheets with lithocode and barcodes, certificates and cheque personalisation among others

Second edition of Flexo Gurukul at Pragati Maidan
After a successful debut in Mumbai, Fasco Printech’s second technical seminar-based trainingprogramme,Flexo Gurukul will be held in New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, days before Labelexpo India.

QuadTech and Gallus join hands for automated colour control
QuadTech has teamed up with the Gallus Group to provide a closed-loop colour control and colour measurement system,SpectalCam, that will enable Gallus press owners to reduce waste, increase productivity and achieve rapid return on investment.

Heidelberg to have complete ownership over Gallus
In 1999, Heidelberg acquired a 30% stake in the family-owned Gallus. The deal included the option of eventually buying out rest of the company. Heidelberg exercised that right. In June, Gallus owner Ferdinand Rüesch agreed it will swap its 70% stake in Gallus for new shares in Heidelberg, taking a 9% stake in the press manufacturer as a result.

Gallus to unveil its new digital label press system at Gallus Innovation Days 2014
Gallus will unveil its new digital label press system to the global public during Gallus Innovation Day 2014 on 23-25 September in the exhibition halls at St Gallen, Switzerland. This machine system was developed in a joint project with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG and the company’s technology partner for inkjet printing, Fujifilm.