Labelexpo Europe 2013, set to be the largest in the show’s 33-year history, returns to Belgium on 24–27 September with new features including an Inkjet Trail, a face-to-face showdown of rival technologies.
This year’s Package Printing Workshop, in partnership with Xeikon and Nuova GIDUE, will also give insights into using digital and conventional printing for folding carton, lid laminate and standup pouch decoration.
While the 2011 edition of the expo had a show floor covering 29,670sqm, this year’s event will occupy seven halls at Brussels Expo with a total of 31,500sqm, of which 30,142sqm is already sold.
Big name exhibitors are also increasing their presence at the event, said the organisers. AB Graphic, Avery Dennison, Codimag, Domino, Durst, EFI, Gallus, HP Indigo, Mark Andy, MPS, Nilpeter, Nuova GIDUE, Omet, Prati, Stork Prints, UPM Raflatac and Xeikon are some of the industry’s leading companies that will be showcasing their latest innovations and solutions, said show staff.
The Inkjet Trail
Debuting at this year’s show, the Inkjet Trail will put inkjet technologies under the spotlight by comparing their results when producing identical label designs on the same label stocks.
The standoff will feature six of the industry’s leading inkjet press manufacturers: Domino Printing Sciences, Durst Phototechnik, EFI Jetrion, Epson Europe, Heidelberg Linoprint and Stork Prints.
Each will produce a selection of food, pharmaceutical and industrial labels using the same sets of origination, on the same range of substrates. Origination, colour and die-cutter files for the different jobs will be prepared by Esko, while UPM Raflatac, FLEXcon and Herma will provide common paper, film and foil substrates for the range of printed labels being produced.
To enable a comparison with toner technologies, Xeikon will also be producing the same label designs.
With no separate entry registration or entry fee, this exclusive opportunity will allow show visitors to compare each of the manufacturers’ outputs at the same time in the same place. Visitors can simply follow a trail around the exhibition floor throughout the event’s duration. Brochures including full technical details will be available for collection on entry to the show, while samples of all the sessions’ printed products will be available from each of the participants’ stands.
A full timetable of when each participant will be running their live demonstration can be found here
Lisa Milburn, managing director of the Labelexpo Global Series, said the Inkjet Trail will give show visitors a valuable opportunity to contrast the various presses being demonstrated and compare each one’s final results for print quality and ink migration.
“As with previous show features, the live demonstrations are expected to be busy and very informative,” she said.
Package printing workshop
Diversifying into package printing will be a key topic at Labelexpo Europe 2013 and the focus of a Package Printing Workshop in hall 12 run in partnership with Xeikon and Nuova GIDUE.
The workshop will demonstrate how both digital and conventional printing can be used in folding carton, lid laminate and standup pouch decoration. Xeikon will showcase digital printing of carton packaging using a 3500 model, while Nuova GIDUE will demonstrate a Combat M3 Digital Flexo press producing flexible packaging.
Xeikon will look at the “most compact Roll2carton solution”, as a part of its folding carton suite, said Labelexpo’s organisers. The Xeikon team will be printing a label to be applied to a glass jar and a carton carry pack that holds three jars.
The Xeikon 3500 digital press will be equipped with a digital varnish print station applying Xekon’s Durable Clear toner and an inline die-cutting and stripping unit built by Switzerland’s Bograma. Printed in CMYK in one pass, along with Durable Clear to provide extra protection to the print in a single process, the web will then be sheeted, using a full rotary process with a variable repeat length to reduce waste. It will then be fed into a rotary die-cutting station with magnetic plates, with waste stripped and the printed cartons stacked.
Nuova GIDUE will be printing a lid laminate for a ‘My Moment’ honey pot and ‘Hey Pesto’ stand up pouch. The Nuova GIDUE Combat M3 Digital Flexo press has been upgraded to include the company’s digital flexo technology for a wide range of supported and unsupported substrates.
Digital flexo is a system developed to transform many of the press setup and configuration operations from a manual to an automated process, meaning printers no longer need carry out certain prepress operations and register adjustments.
With no separate entry registration or entry fee, the workshop will provide label printers with valuable technical demonstrations that should help them diversify their business into short- and medium-run package printing.
Sessions will run for 30 minutes at 11am and 3pm on the first three days and at 11am on the last day. Sample folders will be available for collection on entry to the show with job description sheets and printed samples of all the sessions’ printed products available in hall 12.
“The Package Printing Workshop sessions should be a really beneficial addition for label converters and printers looking to move into package printing,” said Lisa Millburn.
“By showcasing the capabilities of both a digital and conventional narrow web press, we hope to demonstrate how straightforward and uncomplicated it can be to service packaging production jobs which, like labels, require short runs, personalisation and multiple variations.”
Participation in Labelexpo
Labelexpo’s team have gathered endorsements of the upcoming event from leading industry figures.
Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager of Indigo Division, HP, said the show provideds “an excellent showcase for our technologies” as well as a global forum to engage leading companies in the market on the opportunities presented by digital print.
“We look forward to Labelexpo Europe 2013, where we will be showing a full product line, including the latest B2 packaging presses, and working with our customers to bring in the end brand and demonstrate how HP Indigo and its partners are enabling a revolution in packaging in a digital world,” he said.
Judy Abelman, vice president of communications for Avery Dennison Materials Group, said her company has had great success at Labelexpo Europe over many years of participating.
“It is a significant investment for us but well worth it as it provides a valuable and effective opportunity to introduce new products, network and build relationships with existing and new customers,” she said. “Visitors are always from a wide geographic spread and of a high quality and we expect Labelexpo Europe 2013 to be another fantastic show.”
Lisa Milburn said strong stand sales include more than 90 new exhibitors at this year’s exhibition.
“Labelexpo Europe is firmly established as a must-attend event for exhibitors and visitors alike,” she said.
“As the label industry’s largest dedicated tradeshow, there is nowhere better to see the latest product launches, compare technologies, network and do business. Even though we’re a mature show, we continue to experience strong growth year on year which is a firm indicator of how buoyant the label and package printing industry is and how much innovation is going on in the marketplace.”