Specialist Printing Worldwide

1

GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY IN FOCUS

SPECIALISTPRINTING

ISSUE ONE

SPRING /SUMMER

2007

SPONSOREDBY ESMA

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PRECISION INCLUDED.

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SPECIALIST PRINTING : ISSUE ONE : SPRING / SUMMER 2007www.specialistprinting.com

CONTENTS : WELCOME

1

WelcomeBenvenutiBienvenueWillkommenBienvenido

A MESSAGE FROM ESMA’SGENERAL SECRETARY

The members of ESMA are delighted tobe in a position to sponsor this newmagazine. It is likely to be highlyinnovative, with a clear focus ontechnological matters relating to screenand wide format digital printing.

ESMA and its members produce alot of high level technical informationwhich can be invaluable to the users ofspecialist printing processes, and see anobvious advantage in having access to amagazine distributed worldwide topublish this information.

ESMA is the European association of manufacturers of machinery andconsumables used in the specialistprinting processes across industrial,graphic and textile printing. Part of itsobjectives is to make as muchinformation available as possible for theadvancement of the specialist printingprocesses versus competitive processessuch as off-set litho and gravure printing.This objective will be advanced with thesupport of Specialist Printing magazine,together with training and informationseminars sponsored by ESMA.

ESMA wishes Specialist Printingevery success.

Bryan CollingsESMA General Secretary

FOCUS ON ESMA4 Think ESMA for print6 An interview with Daniele De Rosa8 The new EU chemicals policy

TECHNOLOGY10 Science for survival

PRE PRESS12 Computer-to-screen screen printing

technology14 Investing in new techniques pays off15 CTS today

ON PRESS16 The hexachrome trial18 Built to compete20 Cylinder press perspectives22 Decorating optical discs

DIGITAL23 Colour management basics

IN BRIEF26 A round-up of new technology

COMPANY FOCUS29 Screening success

EVENTS32 SGIA ’07 preview33 FESPA 2007 preview

FOCUS ON ESMA34 A-Z of ESMA members36 ESMA CTS seminar review, GlassPrint

2007 preview and Future Events

12

16

23

29 36

20

2 www.specialistprinting.comSPECIALIST PRINTING : ISSUE ONE : SPRING / SUMMER 2007

CONTENTS

DEUTSCHLAND4: ESMA Bedeutet

Drucktechnologie6: ESMA im Blickpunkt: Interview

mit Daniele De Rosa8: Gesundheit, Sicherheit und die

Umwelt – Neue EUChemikalien - Politik

10:Technologie: Wiessenschaftzum Überleben

12:Druckvorbereitung: WelcheFolgen hat dis CTSTechnologie in Zukunft fürSiebdrucker

14:Druckvorbereitung:Siebtechnologie – Investitionenin neue Techniken xahlen sich aus

15:Druckvorbereitung: CTS Heute– Eine Übersicht

16:Druck: Hexachrome-Versuch18:Druck: Modern

Siebdruckmaschinen steigerndie Wettbewerbsfähigkeit desSiebdrucks auf – 3D-Artikeln

20:Druck: Walzendruck –Perspekitven

22:Druck: Eine glänzende undschöne zukunft – Dekorationmit siebdruck

23:Farb – Handhabung26:Neuifkeiten und

Entwicklungen in Kürze29:Im Brennpunkt SaatiPrint32:Ausstellungen-und messe-

Vorschau34:ESMA Mitflieder von A-Z36:Im Fokus: CTS Forum

GlassPrint 2007

FRANCE4: Pour imprimer, pensez ESMA6: Regard sur l’ESMA – entretien

avec Daniele de Rosa8: Santé, sécurité et

environnement – nouvellepolitique de l’EU en matièrede chimie

10:Technologie: la science de lasurvie

12:Pré-presse: comment latechnologie CTS influenceral’avenir des sérigraphistes

14:Écran de la pré-presse : il estrentable d’investir dans lesnouvelles techniques

15:Pré-presse: CTS aujourd’hui –un aperçu

16:Sous presse: essaid’hexachrome

18:Sous-presse: les équipementsmodernes d’impressionsérigraphique accroissent lacompétitivité de la sérigraphiedirecte sur les articles en 3-D

20:Sous presse: perspectives dela presse à cylindre

22:Un avenir radieux etmagnifique pour la sérigraphiedans la décoration sur disqueoptique

23:Gestion des couleurs26:Nouvelles brèves29:Regard sur SaatiPrint32:Les manifestations

commerciales en avant-première

34:Les membres de l’ESMA de A à Z

36:Regard sur le forum CTS et GlassPrint 2007

ITALIA4: Se pensate stampa, pensate

ESMA6: L'obiettivo su ESMA: Intervista

con Daniele De Rosa8: Salute, sicurezza, ambiente.

Le nuove politiche europeerelative ai prodotti chimici

10:Tecnologia: La scienza per lasopravvivenza

12:Prestampa: gli effetti delletecnologie CTS sulle aziendedi stampa serigrafica nelfuturo

14:Prestampa in serigrafia: Gli investimenti in nuovetecnologie danno risultati

15:Prestampa: CTS oggi – unosguardo d'insieme

16:In macchina: Prova esacromia18:In macchina: Le nuove

macchine per la stampaserigrafica migliorano lacompetitività della stampadiretta su oggettitridimensionali

20:In macchina: Prospettive della macchina a cilindro.

22:Il futuro della serigrafia per la decorazione dei dischi ottici è brillante

23:La gestione del colore26:Notizie e sviluppi in breve29:Obiettivo su SaatiPrint32:Anteprima eventi34:Elenco soci ESMA36:Obiettivo su CTS Forum

e GlassPrint 2007

ESPAÑA4: Piensa en ESMA para la

Impresión6: Focus sobre ESMA: entrevista

a Daniele de Rosa8: Salud, Seguridad y Medio

Ambiente- Nuevas Directricessobre Productos Químicos dela Unión Europea

10:Tecnología: Ciencia para laSupervivencia

12:Pre-impresión: Como latecnología CTS afectará a losserígrafos en el futuro

14:Pantallas de Pre-impresión:Invertir en nuevas técnicas depago

15:Pre-Impresión: CTS en laactualidad- una perspectivageneral

16:Sobre Impresión: ProcesoHexachrome

18:Sobre Impresión: Lasmáquinas de serigrafíamodernas aumentan lacompetitividad de la serigrafíadirecta sobre artículos en 3D

20:Sobre Impresión: Perspectivasde Impresión Cilíndrica

22:Un futuro brillante ymaravilloso para la serigrafíaen la decoración de discosópticos

23:Gestión del color26:Resumen de noticias y

desarrollos 29:Focus sobre SaatiPrint32:Avance de eventos del sector34:Miembros de ESMA de la

A a la Z36:Focus sobre el Foro CTS y

GlassPrint 2007

PBSS

4 ESMA6 ESMA Daniele De Rosa81012 14151618 3-D

2022232629 SaatiPrint3234 ESMA A-Z36 GlassPrint 2007

PBSS

4 ESMA6 ESMA Daniele De Rosa81012 14151618 3-D

2022232629 SaatiPrint3234 ESMA A-Z36 GlassPrint 2007 PBSS

4: ESMA – , . 6: ESMA: . 8: , : . 10: : . 12: : CTS . 14: : . 15: : CTS – . 16: : Hexachrome. 18: :

. 20: : . 22: . 23: . 26: . 29: SaatiPrint. 32: . 34: ESMA. 36: CTS GlassPrint 2007.

PBSS

4: ESMA – , . 6: ESMA: . 8: , : . 10: : . 12: : CTS . 14: : . 15: : CTS – . 16: : Hexachrome. 18: :

. 20: : . 22: . 23: . 26: . 29: SaatiPrint. 32: . 34: ESMA. 36: CTS GlassPrint 2007.

www.specialistprinting.com

Specialist Printing (ISSN 1754-6230) is published by:

Chameleon Business Media LimitedFelcourt Farm Business Park, Felcourt Road,East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 2RR, UKwww.cbm-ltd.com

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT:Bryan [email protected]

EDITOR:Jess White for Tick [email protected]

DESIGNER:Alison Smith for Blue Daze Design [email protected]

PUBLISHERS:

Dave Fordham+44 (0)1342 [email protected]

Debbie Drewery+44 (0)1342 [email protected]

Frazer Campbell+44 (0)1342 [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS:The next issue of Specialist Printing will be the Autumn/Winter 2007 issue. To receive a free copy, please complete and return the form on page 11 or email [email protected]

SPONSORED BY:

www.esma.com

JOINT ORGANISERS OF:

www.glassprint.org

All content, including covers, is copyright © Chameleon Business Media 2007. The reproduction, publication or storage ofany material in this publication is expresslyforbidden anywhere in the world without thepublisher’s prior written consent.

Printed by Reflex Litho, UK(www.reflex-litho.co.uk)

FOCUS ON ESMA

www.specialistprinting.com

ESMA IS AN ASSOCIATION OF EUROPEANMANUFACTURERS OF MACHINERY ANDCONSUMABLES FOR THE SPECIALISTPRINTING INDUSTRY, INCLUDING SCREEN,DIGITAL AND PAD PRINTING PROCESSES.IT IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION,FUNDED BY MANUFACTURERS, FORMANUFACTURERS AND TO THE ULTIMATEBENEFIT OF THEIR CUSTOMERS.

People using specialist printingtechnology looking for a supplier ofmachinery, equipment or consumables cando no better than logging onto the ESMAwebsite (www.esma.com) where a full list ofESMA members may be found with asummary of their products and a link to theirown corporate website, where full informationwill be available.

ESMA insists on its members meetingtheir legal obligations with respect to labelling,packaging and the provision of productinformation. If you trade with an ESMAmember you have a guarantee that they haveimplemented this policy and can buy withcomplete peace of mind.

ESMA OBJECTIVES: 1) Promoting screen printing, digital

imaging, pad printing and otherassociated processes

2) Obtaining greater standardisation in allprocesses

3) Improving user training and knowledgevia technical articles and seminars

4) Stimulating the worldwide exchange oftechnical information

5) Lobbying at Brussels for reasonableregulations and legislation, relevant to allprocesses, particularly in health, safetyand environmental issues

6) Identifying and supporting majorexhibitions relevant to all processes.

These objectives are managed through fourworking committees staffed voluntarily byESMA members.

The Health, Safety and EnvironmentalProtection Committee studies all present andproposed European Union and some nationallegislation to determine its effect on membersand their customers’ activities. This meansthat members’ customers can have theconfidence of having the best advice onhealth, safety and environmental issues whenbuying from an ESMA member.

The Technical Development andStandardisation Committee works to producestandards on various aspects of specialistprinting. By joining ESMA and working on thatcommittee, companies can have an influenceon the standards which are set. The increasednetworking amongst technical professionalsleads to more focused innovations.

The Applications Committee arranges wellsupported seminars and magazine inserts toinform existing and potential customers of thepossibilities of using specialist printing in theirindustry. This is continuously expanding themarket for specialist printing and has recentlybeen particularly successful in the glassindustry, where decoration by specialistprinting is growing rapidly.

The Exhibitions, Promotions and PublicityCommittee not only promotes ESMA and itsmembers to the printing marketplace, butalso arranges special terms for members withexhibition organisers. A recent initiative hasbeen to arrange for statistics on the marketplace to be collected by a third partyorganisation to be collated and fed back toparticipating members. This is providingvaluable benchmarks for members tocompare their own market-relatedperformance against.

By using the ESMA website to announceproduct information, members generate new business leads. There is a link from theESMA website to each member’s ownwebsite. They also have access on the privatearea of the website which includes databasesfor magazines on a worldwide basis and afully detailed list of relevant worldwideexhibitions. Each member has the possibilityof advertising its own training facilities toprinters on the ESMA website.

Meeting and talking with fellowprofessionals is an important part ofmembership whether one is a producer ofmachinery, substrates, inks, mesh or othersupplies. Gaining new business is a priorityfor all companies and ESMA provides a fertileenvironment for contacts to be made andpartnerships to flourish. This is a two wayprocess and ESMA members often turn to their colleagues when sourcingsupplies.

Membership of ESMA provides a uniqueopportunity to interact with colleagues fromother companies who share the same goals.Through activity in the organisation, membersinterface with executives from all areas of thespecialist printing manufacturing suppliers.The working groups within ESMA which helpshape the direction of the association and theindustry it serves are open to all membersand provide opportunities for excellentnetworking.

ESMA truly is an organisation whichprovides not only benefits to its members, butalso develops and improves the specialistprinting community in its entirety.

Think ESMA for print

Further information:web: www.esma.com

GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY IN FOCUS

SPECIALISTPRINTING

FOCUS ON ESMA

SPECIALIST PRINTING : ISSUE ONE : SPRING / SUMMER 20076 www.specialistprinting.com

ESMA, THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OFMANUFACTURERS OF SPECIALISTPRINTING COMPONENTS, RECENTLYNAMED PETER BUTTIENS AS ITS NEWGENERAL MANAGER, MAKING THE POSTFULL-TIME TO REFLECT THE GROWTH INTHE NUMBER OF ITS MEMBERS ANDACTIVITIES. CONSEQUENTLY ESMA’SADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE WILL TRANSFERFROM THE UK TO BELGIUM. PETERBUTTIENS WILL TAKE OVER ESMA’SMANAGERIAL ROLE FROM BRYANCOLLINGS, WHO IS THE EDITORIALCONSULTANT FOR THIS MAGAZINE.

On making the announcement, DanieleDe Rosa, Chairman of the ESMA Board,commented that the appointment “shouldbring the association to a higher level”,reflecting ESMA’s changing priorities as theorganisation continues to grow and adapt tothe industry it serves. Specialist Printingspoke with him about this exciting future.

What will a major change mean for ESMA?Moving to Brussels is one of the first steps wehave taken to refocus ESMA. The main goalof ESMA is not just to provide a meetingplace for members, but to deliver service andsupport to each member. So we decided tohave a full-time working manager with veryhigh marketing experience.

The first step is to interview each one ofthe members of ESMA to understand betterwhat benefits they expect to be deliveredfrom this association. Peter Buttiens has

An interview withDANIELE DE ROSASpecialist Printing speaks with the ESMA Chairman about the future role and direction of the organisation

started to visit each member of ESMA andfrom the results, we will understand where weshould position ESMA in the future. Allopinions from ESMA members are valid andwe will find our future path from thoseopinions.

In the future, only suppliers that are ableto reshape in time will survive. We have to beflexible and we have to adapt, becausechanges will be more radical than in the past.I do believe that screen printing will survive ina well-balanced manner with digital, pad andeven off-set printing. ESMA needs torepresent speciality printing, not onetechnique, because one technique is notenough to meet the needs of our printers.

Will the structure of ESMA change?Possibly, yes. The first possibility is thatPeter’s appointment may bring about theredefinition of the existing EPP committee. Itmight be that the EPP may disappear in time.Peter will not complete his research beforethe end of this year, so we can assume thatsuch a complex and articulate organisation asESMA will not be able to completely redefineits strategy before this time.

The Industrial Applications committeehas become the Applications Committee, andwe also discussed possibly launching a newMachine Committee that will highlight aspectsof health and safety related to the equipmentmanufacturers to satisfy the needs of themembers involved in equipment production.

We already have in mind in the future to

have several continental associations, such asESMA and NASMA, joining altogether underthe roof of a global association. Many ESMAmembers have a subsidiary or other companyin the USA which is a member of NASMA, sowe have to move together to represent a bigportion of the global industry. ESMA prioritiesremain in Europe and NASMA priorities are inAmerica, but we all have a reason to workinternationally. We have already formed goodrelations in China and India.

We hear ESMA is financially strong. Howwill this benefit members and theircustomers?ESMA is a not-for-profit organisation but wedo end every year with surplus cash. With themoney generated by technical forums and anincrease in membership, the economics ofESMA are becoming stronger every year. Oureconomic strength enabled us to make thedecision to hire a full-time general managerand this appointment demonstrates ESMA’sfinancial position.

Is ESMA growing? We have 45 members, which is the highestnumber of members ESMA has ever had andother companies will become members verysoon. In recent years the membershipnumbers have been increasing, which showswe are on the right track.

What is ESMA’s primary objective in havinga stand at FESPA Berlin?ESMA is an association of members who dealin specific industries, so we have to tellvisitors what we can provide in terms oftechnological support. We will give exposureto the most updated techniques for printing,digital, pad, screen. ESMA members havecustomers from all over the world and FESPA2007 is a great place to present to them allthat is new.

Show organisers like FESPA and DRUPAare companies that act as marketingsuppliers to manufacturers. Manufacturers

Daniele De Rosa Peter Buttiens Bryan Collings


FOCUS ON ESMA

7

need a booth space for visibility and to exhibittheir technology. On every occasion whereESMA members buy an exhibition service,ESMA should be present.

We are in talks to have a Screen-City areaat DRUPA to help ESMA members achievefocus with the visitors. This will happen atother events in the future. ESMA made afriendship agreement with CISPA that theywould, in some ways, be the sister associationin China and support exhibitions there. ESMAhad a booth offered at Print China andScreen Printing India last year, becauseESMA is working with the local association(the SGAI) and helped them to organise theirshow by supporting them.

What is ESMA’s relationship with showorganisers and national associations?ESMA is growing better relations with nationalassociations directly. Our technology isavailable to help improve nationalassociations. FESPA has designed for itself acommercial role to organise shows, and werespect this because they are doing it verywell, so we are not in competition with them.Better relations between ESMA and FESPAcan only be good for the industry in general.

We are trying to strengthen our relationswith any show organiser. FESPA as a showorganiser is one of the best that is available inthe market, so we recommend FESPA as a

quality show that is very well organised andwe recognise that since the last show, therehave been tremendous improvements in thequality of that organisation. We understandthat FESPA is doing a great job and we aremore than happy to strengthen ourrelationship with them, as we are alreadydoing with other show organisers.

We notice that ESMA is running moreforums and seminars. Is this allied to thetraining role of ESMA members?Our focus has to be to support technicaldevelopment to improve market knowledge.The success of GlassPrint 2005 convincedmembers of this. With the CTS Forum, we hada major consensus from members that thiswas a success and I am sure that with thehelp of Chameleon Business Media,GlassPrint 2007 will be a success. In the nextyear, we are planning to have three technicalconferences to spread technology amongstmembers and major players all over the world.

ESMA is throwing its substantial weightbehind Specialist Printing magazine. Whatare its objectives for doing this?ESMA as an association can spread technicalknow-how through forums, but even the mostsuccessful ones are normally only attended by100 people. Magazines offer maybe lessimmediate communication, but are able to hit

many more people. So we have a tremendousopportunity for ESMA and its members tospread the value of what we do in a dedicatedspecialist printing magazine focussing ontechnical issues. The objective of ESMA is toincrease the technical knowledge of ourcustomers; Specialist Printing offers us a greatopportunity to do it better.

Business relations between ESMA andthe publishers of Specialist Printing startedmany years ago and we found thatChameleon Business Media is the bestavailable to represent ESMA and itsmembers. As Peter Buttiens becomes morefamiliar with the industry and the association,he will work with Chameleon Business Mediato help serve the interests of all members.Bryan Collings (Specialist Printing’s editorialconsultant and outgoing General Secretary ofESMA) is a great guy and it is very good thathe has a crossover period with Peter.

What are the benefits of Bryan Collingsbeing involved with Specialist Printing?It is absolutely perfect because Bryan is agreat man and his industry experience is agreat asset to the venture. The partnershipwill be of great value to the industry – we see it as an excellent combination. Bryan’srole with SpecialistPrinting will befruitful for ESMA.

HEALTH : SAFETY : ENVIRONMENT


GET TO KNOW THE ACRONYM REACH – IT STANDS FOR THE REGISTRATION,EVALUATION AND AUTHORISATION OFCHEMICALS. IT IS THE NEW EUROPEANPOLICY FOR CONTROLLING CHEMICALSAND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS; IT COMESINTO FORCE FROM JUNE 2007 AND IN SOME WAY OR OTHER IT IS LIKELY TO AFFECT THE LIVES OF ALL EUROPEAN CITIZENS.

REACh sets out to protect human healthand the environment from potentially harmfulproperties of chemicals being used in allwalks of life. It is regarded as the mostcomplex, expensive and far-reachinglegislation ever to emerge from the EuropeanCommission. It was initiated back in 1998amidst howls of protests from Europeanmanufacturers, to ensure all chemicals usedwithin Europe (above 1 tonne per annum) areregistered with a detailed portfolio oftoxicological and ecotoxicological properties,and that their use is then the subject of adetailed Chemical Safety Report controllingthe risks of exposure to any potential hazards.

Many of the chemicals on the existingEuropean Chemicals Inventory (EINECS) arethere by virtue of already being on the marketwhen the inventory was created in 1985, andat that time no requirements for additionaltox/ecotox data existed. Although this hasdeveloped through ELINCS for newsubstances introduced since then, there arestill many substances around of uncertaintoxicology.

REGISTRATIONNow, anyone along the chemicals supplychain will have to ensure that the chemicalsthey use have been (or are going to be)registered with the newly-formed EuropeanChemicals Agency (ECA) to be reassured thatthe chemical has a portfolio of definedtoxicological and ecotoxicological propertiesor that work is underway (initiated by theECA) to acquire this information. Moreover,the chemical must be registered for the typeof application being considered, since thathas a bearing on the likelihood of exposure topotential hazards. For example, a chemical

Dr Sem Seabornediscusses the newEuropean Unionchemicals policy,which, he tells us,affects us all

used in a gravure ink would have a differentexposure scenario from the same chemicalused in a screen cleaner.

Since everything we use in modern lifestarts off with chemicals as the buildingblocks, it is not difficult to see that many ofthe products we encounter as ‘downstreamusers’ will be affected by the security of theregistration process and the ‘upstream’communication with the chemicalmanufacturers who are responsible forregistering with the ECA. If a business imports the chemical from outside the EU, then they alone must complete theregistration process.

The cost of doing all this is high and avariety of numbers have been thrown around.The fact is that it is impossible to be preciseabout cost until we learn about whatchemicals may disappear as part of theREACh process. Cost estimates vary from €2 billion to €11 billion. The cost of settingup the ECA alone, with a staff of hundreds inHelsinki, is estimated at €1.189 billion over15 years. The cost of just one of thescreening tests (for carcinogenicity,mutagenicity and reprotoxicity) is about€90,000 and involves tests on live animals.

AUTHORISATIONIf a chemical displays properties likecarcinogenicity, mutagenicity andreprotoxicity, environmental toxicity orenvironmental persistence, the ECA will needto issue an Authorisation for its use and willrequire a substitution programme. Ifsubstitution is technically not possible andcontinued use is justified on socio-economicgrounds, a very strong submission will berequired to guarantee public protection. TheREACh process therefore offers anopportunity for chemical manufacturers to‘rationalise’ their product range so thatexpensive administrative work is not wastedon unprofitable chemicals or those with anuncertain future.

Already ESMA member companies areaware of chemical suppliers pruning theirrange of chemicals available. In other caseswhere companies have speciality chemicalsmade solely for their unique products, theywill probably become responsible for sharingthe registration cost with their supplier. Thebills will run to thousands of Euros for smalland medium-sized companies. Looking atreformulation of products will equally run toenormous bills and divert technical effortsaway from innovation and creating newproducts. Some ESMA members aremanaging over 40,000 different formulations.

Do our competitors in the USA or Chinaface such costs? Certainly not. Will there beimport controls on products (articles)manufactured outside the EU more cheaply?Certainly not, unless it can be demonstratedthat a chemical exists within an article andexposure is a possibility.

PRE-REGISTRATIONNeedless to say, chemical manufacturers arenot keen to get drawn into this costly processif there are not satisfactory returns on theiroutlay. The REACh process commences withpre-registration of all chemicals from June-November 2008. This will help the ECAidentify the existing state of knowledge for allchemicals sold/used in Europe. The list willbe published in January 2009 when allbusinesses must check to see if thechemicals they use have been registered for their application.

Full registration for chemicals >1000 tpawill take 31/2 years, ending in December2010. This will also include chemicals sold insmaller volumes (>1 tpa) if they displaycarcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, and>100 tpa if they exhibit ecotoxic orecopersistence properties. Registration for allchemicals >100 tpa ends in May 2013 and >1 tpa ends in May 2018. The mistaken ideathat small quantity producers can afford towait until 2017 before they do anything willnot be acceptable. All chemicals must bepre-registered by January 2009 to determinewhat gaps in the technical portfolio need tobe filled.

Supporters of REACh insist that theRegulations represent an opportunity todevelop new low health risk, eco-friendlychemicals that will ultimately give the EUchemical industry a global advantage.Financial benefits are also predicted to derivefrom better health standards across Europe.In the distant future that may be true, butthere is the painful next 11 years to survive inthe meantime. For any company working inthe printing industry, it is highly likely that weshall be facing a round of price increases forproducts containing affected chemicals andperhaps even more importantly, someproducts will actually cease to be made aschemicals producers cut low volumechemicals from their ranges due to the highcost of certification.

Dr Sem Seaborne is ESMA’s Health Safety& Environmental Protection CommitteeChairman

THE NEW EU CHEMICALS POLICY– it’s here and it affects us all!

TECHNOLOGY


I’VE SPENT THE LAST FEW YEARS LIVINGON THE EDGE. I’VE BEEN WORKING INOUR LAB AND WITH CUSTOMERSAROUND THE WORLD TO SEE HOW FARWE CAN PUSH SCREEN PRINTING TOGIVE RELIABLE (I.E. PROFITABLE) HIGH-TECH (E.G. NARROW LINE WIDTH)PRINTS.

What I’ve found has depressed me. Inthe USA and in Europe I’ve found awidespread misunderstanding of how screenprinting actually works. Therefore a lot oftime, energy and money is being wasted intrying to achieve better results by treating thesymptoms and not the root cause.

In Asia the scientific understanding mayalso not be very high, but through thecontinuous exploration of what really works,many Asian printers have discovered forthemselves what the science has been sayingfor some years. Printers there are routinelyproducing jobs that are believed to beimpossible in the rest of the world.

The reason that I used the word“depressed” is simple. The recipes for goodprinting are very straightforward. A modestconcerted effort with mesh, ink, stencil andpress would allow European and US printersto do just as good a job as the best in Asia.But time and again the science is rejectedbecause it is believed that screen printing isan art, rather than a science.

In this article I will quote some specificexamples from my own experience. I willdisguise some of the details but every badexample is from the real world.

FAT MESH MEETS FINE LINEI was asked for my opinion on a projectwhere high quality 100µm lines wererequired. As I regard 100µm as rather easy todo (and it is seen as crude in parts of Asia), Isaid they simply needed to get hold of astainless mesh 120/20 (or in stainlessterminology 65/20) or better and use a stencilthat gave a low Rz and low EOM on this veryopen mesh.

Unfortunately, they used a polyester150/31, used an excellent stencil and wereastonished to find that the line edges wereunsatisfactory, with alternating smooth regionsand jagged regions. They had all sorts ofexplanations about the jaggedness, includingthe bizarre idea that the EOM of the stencil(3µm) was too low.

It takes only a moment’s thought to seethat a 31µm thread diameter must poseproblems for the print under certain

conditions. When the thread is fully in theopen then of course it’s not a problem, andwhen it’s fully covered by the stencil it’s alsonot a problem. It’s when the stencil edge isclose to the fibre edge that problems arise.With a 31µm thread (in reality it’s flattened tomore like 34µm when it’s woven andstretched), there’s a very high probability ofsuch a clash. With a 20µm thread theprobability is very much reduced and theedge quality is better. By going to a 16µmmesh (relatively rare but still useable) or a13µm mesh (I’m told they exist in Asia buthave never seen one), the problem of printinga 100µm high quality line disappears.

SCIENCE FOR SURVIVALSteven Abbott has a warning for European and US printers if they don’traise the quality standards of their technical screen printing

A thick mesh with lots of interference

A thin mesh with much less interference A thick stencil (high EOM) gives a thick edge to the line …

… or else gives negative sawtoothing when the squeegeecan’t push enough ink through to reach the substrate

Eventually the printer got hold of astainless mesh with a 23 micron thread andthe prints were more than good enough forhis application. If he’d done the right thingfirst he would have saved a lot of time andmoney.

THE PROBLEM OF SPARKLEThere is, of course, a downside to stainless.When you expose the stencil you get a lot ofreflected light that reduces the resolution ofthe stencil. It’s obvious that the stainlessmesh should be provided with a blackened,anti-halation surface. In Asia thiselementary fact has been known for yearsand high-resolution printing with stainless isroutine. Despite my best efforts I have notbeen able to source any fine, blackenedstainless in Europe or the USA. I have noidea why the whole fine-line industry hasnot been making it clear to the stainlessmesh suppliers that this is as basic anecessity as yellow mesh is to normalgraphics printers. Until we get anti-halationstainless as a matter of routine, our lives areguaranteed to be a lot tougher than theyneed to be.

THE EVILS OF THICK STENCILSIt’s five years since William Shorter atMacDermid Autotype published his work oncontrolling fine-line printing. He showedthat a high Rz (rough) stencil is obviouslyuseless when they want superb edgequality. Controversially though, he alsoshowed that a high EOM (thick) stencilcauses unnecessary problems as well – itgave much too large a variation in linewidth and edge quality when the orientationof the line changed with respect to thesqueegee stroke, and also gave too muchvariation when print parameters changed.The results were no surprise to us as thescience of screen printing had predictedthe results in advance. One of the worstproblems with a thick stencil is ‘negativesawtoothing’, where the upstream edge(with respect to the squeegee stroke) failsto print cleanly. You also (for thicker linesand solid blocks) get a large edge effectand much more slump.


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A high-tech customer showed me some ofhis prints in some distress that he was gettingtoo much process variability. I asked him whathis EOM was. He had no idea. The thoughtthat any high-tech printer did not routinelymeasure the EOM of his stencil was shockingenough to me, but one look at his prints wassufficient to see that he must have been usinga high EOM stencil and, sure enough, this wasconfirmed when I measured it with a simpleIsoscope that most of us use regularly. Butwhat distressed me the most was the reasonhe’d chosen such a thick stencil.

He was convinced that a thick stencil“gave a better gasket”. This is one of thosehalf-truths that infest our industry. Of coursea thick emulsion “gives a better gasket”compared to a thin emulsion because, otherthings being equal, the extra coatings willhave reduced the Rz. But there is plenty ofevidence that thin, smooth stencils giveexcellent gaskets and none of the nasty sideeffects of a thick stencil. You can get thin andsmooth either via a lot of hard work withemulsions or via one of the more moderncapillary films. This printer was working onthe basis of a half-truth with no actualknowledge of his EOM or his Rz, the two mostimportant stencil variables in the process!

SLUMPING TO FAILUREOne of the most difficult problems to solve isthe issue of the spreading of the printed lineimmediately after printing – so-called ‘slump’.This issue is easily understood with somestandard physics. As ever, the issues getclouded when printers use the wrong stencilsand the wrong inks and there are erroneousnotions that slump depends on gravity (itdoesn’t).

In brief, a layer of ink that starts off with acontact angle of θ expands sideways with avelocity proportional to θ3 and inverselyproportional to the viscosity of the ink. It is, ofcourse, helpful to have a higher viscosity ink,

but given a parameter that varies as the thirdpower, it’s obvious that that’s the keyparameter on which to focus. To simplify evenfurther, θ essentially depends on the initialthickness of the ink. Halve the thickness ofthe ink and the rate of expansion willdecrease by more than a factor of two, soyour line width will stay under much bettercontrol. And the recipe for a thinner inkdeposit? Of course it’s a thin fibre (16µm isgood) and a low EOM stencil (3µm seemsfine). Get those things right and you’re off to agood start.

And then we discover a virtuous circle.By having a thin fibre and a thin stencil it’svery easy to print even a high viscosity ink –it’s easier to squeegee through the meshopenings and there is less resistance as themesh comes out of the ink during the printing.By using a higher viscosity, you get a lowerslump. By using the right stencil, the inkdoesn’t have to compensate for theinadequacies of the mesh/stencil combination,so the ink designer can concentrate on gettingits other properties right.

The single most important property to helpreduce slump is not so much high viscosity asa rapid return to a very high viscosityimmediately after the shearing processesduring the printing. The classic particle-filledcermet inks have a wonderfully fast recovery tohigh viscosity and give narrow lines. Classicpolymer inks have a very slow recovery andgive wider lines. I’m sure that clever inkdesigners, focussing on the rapid recovery (forexample, by using associative thickeners) willbe able to provide superior polymer inks.

A big ink deposit has a high contact angle and therefore alarge slump

Further information:MacDermid Autotype Ltd, Wantage, UKtel: +44 1235 771111fax: +44 1235 771196email: [email protected]: www.macdermidautotype.com

SUBSCRIBE TO FUTURE COPIES OF SPECIALIST PRINTINGThe next issue of Specialist Printing will be the Autumn/Winter 2007 issue, which will present global users of screen and wide format digital printing systems with the latest information on techniques and products.

To receive a FREE copy, please complete and return the order form below and you will be posted your own personal issue:

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Please email the information to [email protected] or fax back to +44 1342 871225 / 871211

NO MOIRÉ MAGICMost industrial printers don’t have to worryabout moiré, but I include this short sectionbecause high-end colour printers waste lotsof time and money fighting it with irrationaltools. I’ve written a little book (available freeof charge) explaining all the moiréphenomena in our industry and providingstraightforward cures. There is not a screenprinting moiré that I can’t explain, becausemoiré is only maths and I have a computerthat can do the sums for me.

IT’S NOT MAGICThe process is complex but it is not magic,or a black art. I have met one really goodexample of an industrial printer in the Westthat fully understands the science. Theyclaim, and I believe them, that they neverhave difficult problems on their presses.Their ‘zero-magic’ operation means that they don’t have to waste precious hours onthe press tweaking this and that to treat the symptoms because they are alreadytreating the cause. Their business isflourishing as a result.

If you were to have a long hard look atyour screen making and screen printingprocesses, do you have any areas whereproblems come and then go as if by magic,or are you in total control of the sciencebehind the process?

It is time to take the science seriouslybefore your competitors do!

Prof Steven Abbott is Research & TechnicalDirector for MacDermid Autotype

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THOSE IN THE SCREEN PRINTING FIELDWHO CONTEMPLATE THE FUTURE AREWELL-ADVISED TO EXAMINE NOT ONLYTHE FUTURE MARKET POSSIBILITIES,BUT ALSO CLOSELY INTERCONNECTEDAND MORE EFFICIENT PRODUCTIONMETHODS WHICH HELP PRINTERS TOSTAY AHEAD OF THEIR COMPETITION.

In the digital age, where we areconfronted with the challenge of old and newprinting technologies, XXL offset printing or

COMPUTER-TO-SCREEN SCREEN PRINTING TECHNOLOGYRudi Röller describes how computer-to-screen technology will have aneffect on screen printers in the future

digital printing, it is of vital importance toclearly highlight the strengths of screenprinting, as well as recognising andintroducing all the technological advantageswhich the other technologies have already putinto practice. It is not just a question ofstressing the quality advantages of screenprinting, but also to use technologicaladvantages in order to reduce productioncosts, be more profitable and competitive.

Here we are specifically talking aboutrationalisation and savings in the pre-pressphase, where offset printing has proved over

the last 10 years that not only can you dowithout lithographic film, but at the same timeexploit the potential of work-flow advantages.

THE CTP MARKETIn offset circles, the question is no longerwhether to convert to CtP (computer-to-plate),but when and which technology to best fitindividual requirements. This usually meansthermo plates, the new violet laser diodetechnology or analogue plates with UV setter exposure.

The CtP market is on the rise and will

Rudi Röller, Member of the Board, Marketing & Sales

The workflow advantages of using digital direct exposure

A CTS system preparing for exposure

An operator using computer-to-screen technology Direct UV exposure on a CTS system


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continue to grow. Today the majority of medium-sized offset printers, aswell as the larger ones, use computer-to-plate systems. Even small offsetprinters are now ordering CtP printing plates from service providers.

What consequences does this have for screen printing? Thelithographic film market has changed because of the switch-over intechnology, and the availability of traditional lithographic film will beginto be restricted in the medium-term. Lithographic film will play a lessimportant role and prices will disproportionately increase. Certain filmtypes will not be available in the long term for the screen printer.

THE GOOD NEWS IS CTSThe best thing that a screen printer can do is to adapt to CTStechnology as quickly as possible! The first positive examples havealready been seen in large-format printing, where screen printers useinkjet or wax technology for computer-to screen in application fields forindustrial glass (automotive and architectural glass), textiles (bannerand flag printing), as well as poster printing.

The primary motivation for these printers was to save on the highcosts of lithographic film and replace it with more economicalalternatives. This is an on-going search to find ways to make evenmore savings by, for instance, reducing the relatively high costs of waxor ink or even eliminating such products entirely.

With DMD (digital mirror device) technology primarily used inbeamers and large picture projection, a technical solution is available.This technology has been used as a UV exposer for offset printingsince the mid-Nineties and for screenprinting since 2000.

The development of CTS laser systems is in its early stages and isdependent on the use of special and highly sensitive photo-emulsions.The laser systems currently being supplied do not operate within thespectral light sensitivity normally found in screen printing pre-presssystems. DMD technology has the significant advantage that conventionalphoto-emulsions and capillary films can continue to be used and thus thescreen printer does not have to make any changes.

EXPANDING CTS USEEven today, computer-to-screen is still not widely used by the majorityof screen printers as the need has not been recognised and thenumber of suppliers is low, thus restricting competition. There arecurrently around ten suppliers or manufacturers of CTS systems – thisnumber will surely grow. As competition is vital for business, futureusers will be made more aware of the opportunities offered by CTS.

The direction of technical development tends to lie in the fields ofDMD and in laser technology, which is restricted due to the spectrallight sensitivity. Resolution of 1500 dpi is state of the art today withDMD technology, which is equivalent to the quality of lithographic filmwith 2400 dpi. CTS for high-end users is already available. However,the majority of screen printers are still using lithographic film but, toremain competitive, companies should seriously think about investingin this new technology.

The CTS systems available today have their advantages anddisadvantages. There are already a considerable number of suppliersof different systems, so competition is guaranteed. Every customershould analyse which CTS scenario is the right one for them. DMDtechnology has to be taken into serious consideration during thedecision-making process because it represents a good, technologicallyadvanced, reliable and economic CTS solution.

Rudi Röller is Member of the Board, Marketing & Sales at Kissel + Wolf

Further information:KIWO / Kissel + Wolf GmbH, Wiesloch, Germanytel: + 49 6222 578 0fax: + 49 6222 578 100email: [email protected]: www.kiwo.de

PRE PRESS


Further information:Sign-Tronic AG, Widnau, Switzerlandtel: +41 71 727 1900fax: +41 71 727 1909email: [email protected]: www.sign-tronic.ch

WITH NEW SYSTEMS IN PREPARATIONTECHNIQUES, SCREEN PRINTERS AREWELL PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE ANDWILL IMPROVE THEIR POSITIONSTOWARDS THEIR COMPETITORS, BOTH INTHEIR OWN FIELD OF TECHNIQUES ANDIN OTHER FIELDS. FAR-REACHINGAUTOMATION IN PRE-PRESS IS EXACTLYTHE REASON WHY SCREEN PRINTINGCOMPANIES ARE ON SOLID GROUND ANDWHY THEY CAN OPERATE FASTER, LESSEXPENSIVELY AND MORE EFFICIENTLY.

Those who claim that the screen printingtechnique will become superfluous in thelong run apparently do not know enoughabout the possibilities of this technique in thefirst place, and moreover, they are badlyinformed about the latest developments.

For quite some time, the screen printingtechnique has been a very efficient andfunctional process; we have been dealingwith advanced printing machines for a longtime now and preparation times are gettingshorter and shorter because of new orimproved techniques. The screen printer isable to compete with colleagues who haveother techniques at their disposal, both interms of price and quality of printing.

ONGOING DEVELOPMENTSFor some time we have worked with directprojection cameras, which were importantmoney-savers for large format screen printersin particular, because of the enormoussavings on film costs. With this system, filmsof smaller formats are blown up to therequired format during exposure.

After that we had machines that sprayedthe image on the coated screen print mesh,with a black wax-like (inkjet) ink directlycontrolled by the computer. This meant thatthe lithographer or the film exposure unit hadbecome completely redundant.

The latest development is one that makesthe spraying wax redundant as well. Now it ispossible to ‘write’ directly onto the sensitisedmesh by exposing it to light, which meansthat the frame is exposed immediately as welland that it only has to be rinsed, which takesless time than spraying ink on the mesh.Again, that will be one operation less.

MORE EFFICIENT SCREEN PRINTINGProducing a ready-made screen printing frameis becoming faster and faster – coating,exposing, rinsing, drying and printing is all thatis required. It used to be necessary to producea positive (whether or not in actual size) beforethe coating, exposing, rinsing and drying.When things were against you, you alsoneeded to retouch in detail, because the edgesof the film and dust were exposed as well.

Nowadays the process is more efficientand much less time-consuming; for instance,the Sign-Tronic Stencil Master is one suchmachine that can make a lot of worksuperfluous. The offset printer uses thesystem to expose its plates. Combinedversions of the machines are also possible,that is, systems that can process both screenprinting frames and offset plates.

The system uses the Digital MicromirrorDevice (DMD). These chips containthousands of microscopic aluminium mirrors

that can be controlled individually and insuch a way that the UV-light is reflectedtowards the frame that is to be exposed, or isdeflected and made ‘harmless’, because themirrors are tipped over by about 12 degrees.

DETAILED PRECISION DRAWINGThe large amount of reflecting surfaces matchthe pixels (Fm) that have to be projected. Thismeans that it is possible to draw with light ingreat detail and with precision. The chip withthe mirrors is directed across the frame andprojects the image in stripes and the result isa high-precision and smooth image of dots,text or pattern.

The system is available for maximumframe sizes of 4600x2600, 3400x2600,2700x1800 and 1800x1400 mm. Smallersizes are available, so screen printingbusinesses that only print smaller formats ofprinting but still have to produce aconsiderable amount of frames per day canalso be served in the future.

Ad Versteeg is an author and freelancewriter/publicist who has been working in thescreen printing industry since 1968

INVESTING IN NEWTECHNIQUES PAYS OFFAd Versteeg details why pre-press automationenables faster and more efficient screen printing

The Stencil Master offers fast exposure on standardemulsions at 1270 dpi

Sign-Tronic's production hall in Switzerland


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Thomas G Wübbers analysesdifferent types of CTS systems

CTS TODAY

Further information:Werner Kammann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co KG, Buende, Germanytel: +49 5223 181 471fax: +49 5223 181 130email: [email protected]: www.kammann.de

FOR SOME TIME NOW THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL DIFFERENTCOMPUTER-TO-SCREEN SYSTEMS ON THE MARKET, THEDIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM BEING THE DIRECT AND THEINDIRECT KIND OF SYSTEMS. INDIRECT SYSTEMS INK JET ANOPAQUE TINT OR WAX ONTO THE STENCIL AND UV EXPOSUREIS DONE VIA A CONVENTIONAL METAL HALIDE UV LAMP.

The true direct computer-to-screen (CTS) system will image thecomplete stencil pixel by pixel. Resolutions of up to 2540 dpi arerealistic and the quality, compared to the standard film method, iscomparable. The exposure/image times are comparable to thestandard system.

There are two different methods of the direct imaging systemwhich compete with each other. One system generates UV emission bya conventional UV lamp; the UV beam is controlled by a micro mirrordevice to generate the image. The micro mirror device is a chip withmultiple single controllable mirrors, which travels slowly over thecomplete area of the stencil and does the imaging.

The other system uses laser technology. The laser sends a pulsedbeam of a specified wavelength which is reflected by a mirror anddirected onto the stencil, which moves underneath the laser. Thissystem requires less consumables and personnel.

REDUCING SET-UP TIMEStandardised working procedures, which have been established withoffset printing for years, are very hard to establish in the screen printingindustry. These standards and working methods have a lot ofadvantages for the complete manufacturing process. The requirements,therefore, are high quality screen frames, ideally with fitting holes forpre-press, and for the adaptation of the screen frames in the printer.

When using straight and right-angled stretched fabric,moiré/interferences can be avoided. The use of one or possibly twodifferent angles of the stretched mesh helps to limit the storage ofstencils and keeps manufacturing costs to a minimum. Emulsionthicknesses and a small RZ-value are also very important forrepeatable and high quality stencils.

The use of unmodified inks without additives and thestandardisation of squeegee pressure, squeegee angle and the use ofdefined squeegee rubber will also reduce the set-up time and will leadto a repeatable high print quality.

POTENTIAL FOR OPTIMISATIONOf course all of this requires that the print heads of the correspondingscreen printers must have state-of-the-art screen adapting systems,quick change capabilities, scaled adjustments and home-positionadjustment. These features will help the goal of shorter set-up times.

Digital imaging of screens and the use of standards for themultiple variable parameters can make the screen print method more effective in all ranges. There is a lot of potential for optimisationin areas such as pre-press, screen making and design of screenprinting equipment.

Thomas G Wübbers is Sales Director-Optical Disc for Kammann

ON PRESS


CONSTANTIN IS A COMPANY, BASED IN BARBEZIEUX NEAR BORDEAUX INFRANCE, WHICH SPECIALISES IN THEPRINTING AND THE TREATING OFPLASTICS AND CORRUGATEDCARDBOARD. LAST YEAR THE COMPANYINSTIGATED AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT INSCREEN PRINTING: IT INVESTED IN ATHIEME 5000 XL SIX-COLOUR SCREENPRINTING LINE WITH A PRINTINGFORMAT OF 1600X2100 MM. THISINVESTMENT ENABLED THE COMPANY TOINCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND OFFERCUSTOMERS ‘HEXACHROMY’ – PRINTINGA SIX COLOUR PROCESS DURING ONESINGLE OPERATION STEP.

In order to highlight the advantages of thistechnology compared with quadrichromy (thefour colour process), Constantin organised two‘Open House’ days in March at its workshopswith its partners Thieme and VFP Ink

Technologies / Tripette and Renaud. Duringthis event, large format substrates were screenprinted in six colour process on a Thiemeautomatic 6-colour line under real productionconditions. A number of leading screenprinting companies attended this event, whichwas a technical and social success.

NEW INK SERIESVFP Ink Technologies used the occasion to present its new Multipop UV ink series,specially designed for printing on various POP media types (paper, board, PVC,corrugated PP, styrene etc.). The 1400x1800and 1400x2050 mm prints were done with a 72 lines/cm image, using screen stretchedby Tripette and Renaud with NBC L screen mesh.

During this event, Thieme also presentedthe technical features of its new generation of5000XL multi-colour screen printing lines,such as fine adjustments, printing regularity,smooth running of the machine and set-uptimes of under five minutes per print station.

SIX-COLOUR SCREEN PRINTINGThe Thieme 5000 XL is the latest evolution inthe Thieme 5000 series. This machine is ableto print large sheets up to 2000x3030 mm ata speed of up to 3000 m2/h. It is equippedwith a number of technological features suchas a fully programmable squeegee unit, agripper system capable of transporting thickersubstrates up to 10 mm, its ‘Speed Set Up’ensuring fine adjustment and quickpositioning of the screen, and the UVintermediate dryer with AEM (AdvancedEnergy Management), allowing substantialpower savings.

With this new generation of machines,Thieme has placed the emphasis on a simpleand user-friendly operating concept that issimilar to offset printing. The machine iscompletely set up by entering the format, thethickness and the weight of the substrate onthe touch screen.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTSThe event highlighted several advantages,such as the efficiency of chocks betweendifferent prints (as only one kind of ink wasnecessary to print the various media); the highquality of the new ink was also appreciated byprinting operators and visitors. The opticaldensity of the VFP Multipop UV ink, perfectstability of the dots, quality of the registrationand colour gamut possibilities were alsohighlighted, as was the absence of moiré.

This event also highlighted the increasedcolour possibilities of six colour processprinting. Chromatic details are morecontrasted and spot colours are more precise.The difference in quality between twoidentical images printed with 4 and 6 colourprocess techniques impressed the manyscreen printers present. The new VFP ink isavailable in 4 and 6 colour process.

IN CONCLUSIONThis open house event proved that screenprinting, often wrongly considered as the‘Cinderella’ technique of printing, is a nobleand innovative technology. Thanks toautomation and the important technologicalevolution of UV inks, screen printing isbecoming a fully industrial technology.

Marc Doligé is General Manager, VFP-Tripette and Renaud

THE HEXACHROME TRIALMarc Doligé recounts the success of an ‘Open Day’ event last year whichdemonstrated how screen printing can be an innovative technology

Further information:VFP Tripette & Renaud Group, Villeneuve laGarenne, Francetel: +33 1 41 47 50 59 fax: +33 1 47 99 51 52email: [email protected]: www.vfp-ink.com

Thieme GmbH & Co KG, Teningen, Germanytel: +49 76 41 / 5 83-0fax: +49 76 41 / 5 83-110email: [email protected]: www.thieme-products.com

CHINA BRANCH OFFICE VFP Ink Technologies has opened a newChinese branch office in Scenzhen. Thisoffice will be for technical and marketingsupport to VFP's distributors, as well astechnical support for VFP ink end users.The telephone number of the new office is +86 755 834 79324 and its fax numberis +86 755 834 79424.

Constantin's printing operators prepare the 6 ink colours

The Thieme 5000XL six colour machine showing 4 and 6colour process printing

Many screen printing companies attended the event

(From left to right:) Christian Borel (Européenned’Impression), Denis Constantin (Constantin), Marc Doligéand Daniel Degueurce (both VFP Ink Technologies) checkthe 6 colour process printing results

SPECIALIST PRINTING : ISSUE ONE : SPRING / SUMMER 2007www.specialistprinting.com 17

ON PRESS


THE COMPETITIVENESS OF DIRECTSCREEN PRINTING ONTO PLASTICTUBES, CARTRIDGES AND GLASS ORPLASTIC CONTAINERS/BOTTLES HASINCREASED THROUGH ADVANCES IN THEDESIGN AND MANUFACTURING OF FULLY-AUTOMATIC, MULTI-COLOUR SCREENPRINTING MACHINES; THESE MACHINESARE OPTIMISED FOR EITHER PRINTINGAT VERY HIGH PRODUCTION SPEEDS ORHANDLING A WIDE RANGE OF COMPLEX-SHAPED ITEMS.

Advances made in mesh material, screencoating, squeegee materials, UV inks, UVdrying systems and surface treatmentsystems have improved overall processreliability; screen printers can reduce staffinglevels and benefit from improved machinecapabilities that make printing of intricateimages at high speeds possible.

BUILT TO COMPETEHarald Gavin explains how modern screen printingmachines can increase the competitiveness ofdirect screen printing onto 3-D items

HIGH PRODUCTION THROUGHPUTDesigners of screen printing machines usemechanical drives for achieving very highproduction speeds; these drives can bedesigned to have the rigidity required forhigh-quality printing at high speeds. 1-upmachines can consistently achieve aproduction throughput of 100 items/minute,while 2-up machines can achieve aproduction throughput of 180 items/minute.Six or eight colours can be printed withaccurate colour to colour registration, and themechanical drive elements will maintain theiraccuracy during years of 24/7 production.

Mechanically driven screen printingmachines have quick changeover features;for example, in a machine with a rotaryindexing table, a single adjustment (see figure1) of an excenter drive for screen carriagesand fixtures sets screen speed and itemrotation for printing onto cylindrical items thathave a specific diameter.

Mechanical drive elements are limited inthe variety of shapes that they can handle. Forexample, changing the drive set-up of theprinting stations for printing onto flat areas,such as the sides of square bottles, is possible,but a set-up for printing wrap-arounds ontooval bottles or containers is not possible.

PRINTING ONTO COMPLEX-SHAPED ITEMSWhen printing onto complex shapes, servo-based screen printing machines do not havethe same limitations as machines withmechanical drives, and production speeds ofthe servo-based machines can be as high as80 items/minute. A servo system can accepta set of parameters that is electronically sentfrom a machine control system. Theseparameters are used to either make servomotors follow electronic cam profiles, or tosimulate gear boxes.

When each print head, each screen,each squeegee and each fixture is driven byits own individual servo motor, and a motioncontroller controls all print movements, thenone-pass multi-colour printing onto complex-shaped bottles and containers is possible.

The simultaneous movements of screen,squeegee and fixture during printing dependon the shape of an item:• a cylindrical item is rotated, the screen

moves horizontally, the squeegee isstationary

• a square item with flat printing area is

held stationary, the screen is stationary,the squeegee moves horizontally

• an oval item is rotated when a wrap-around is printed, the screen moveshorizontally, the print head with screencarriage and squeegee moves vertically,the squeegee moves horizontally.The print movements for printing a wrap-

around on an oval container are illustrated infigure 2; the centre diagram shows clearly thatthe squeegee has to move not only verticalwith the print head, but also backwards andforwards horizontally to maintain the line ofcontact with the item. Printing a wrap-aroundon a square container that has round edges (r > 10 mm) is also possible.

The print movements in a printing stationare independent of the movements in theother stations. Therefore it is possible to printonto differently shaped surfaces at differentprinting stations. For example, an image canbe printed onto the body of a bottle in onestation, an image can be printed onto theneck of the bottle in a second station, while ina third station a conical image can be printedonto the conical shoulder of the bottle.

HIGH EFFICIENCY High efficiency is achieved by eliminating non-value adding steps in the decoration processand by increasing machine availability througha reduction in times required for jobchangeovers, routine maintenance andrepairs. The independence of the printmovements in the printing stations of servo-based screen printing machines eliminatesthe need for a second or even third machinepass of items that have differently shapedprinting areas and require specific printmovements for each printing area.

Figure 4: The control system has read the polar coordinatesof a cross section of an oval bottle and displays the shape ofthe cross section at the touch screen

Figure 3: Capping station for cosmetic tubes integrated into ascreen printing machine

Figure 1: Adjusting the excenter drive of a screen printingmachine with rotary indexing table

Figure 2: Printing a wrap-around onto an oval container; the diagram illustrates the required movements of squeegee,screen and container


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Today’s screen printing machines have six or eight printingstations, enabling screen printers to meet with one machine pass thedemand for more colours in a printed image; this is not possible witholder machines that have only three or four printing stations. Themodular design of a state-of-the-art screen printing machine givesdesigners options for streamlining the decoration process byintegrating ancillary units into a screen printing machine, for example:• a capping station (see figure 3), a torque control station and a

lacquering station can be integrated into a six-colour tube screenprinting machine

• a surface treatment station for glass hollowware can be positionedon an infeed conveyor, the glass hollowware can be loaded intothe screen printing machine immediately after surface treatment.Set-up times of mechanically driven machines are significantly

reduced when an excenter drive is used for driving screen carriagesand fixtures, as described previously. Extensive motorisation andmotorised positioning can significantly reduce the set-up times ofservo-based machines. The operator can input item dimensions at atouch screen or the machine control system can read the itemdimensions from a specially formatted CAD-file (see figures 4 and 5).The control system uses the item dimensions to automatically pre-setthe machine and to adjust the print movements for printing onto theitem. A comprehensive job management with job storage and recallalso drastically reduces set-up times for repeat jobs.

High-quality components, such as lifetime sealed bearings, reducethe chances of machine failure. However, should a failure occur, thena remote diagnostic link to a machine control system enables themachine manufacturer to check the machine status and assistoperators on site in troubleshooting. Servo-based machines haveenhanced error reporting because servo drives – in contrast tomechanical drives – can monitor their own performance and caninitiate the display of error messages on the touch screen. A serviceengineer examining a list of error messages in an error log can notonly view the error history as seen by the press control system, butalso the error history of an individual servo drive.

NON-VISIBLE INTERNAL SOPHISTICATIONToday’s automatic high-performance screen printing machines usesophisticated mechanical and electronic designs, but the internalsophistication is not visible to operators. Experienced screen printerscan fully utilise the capabilities of these machines and are able toprofitably print images of superior quality and significantly increasescreen printing’s competitive edge.

Harald Gavin is Managing Director of Path 2 Print LimitedFurther information:Isimat GmbH, Ellwangen, Germanytel: +49 7961 8860 fax: +49 7961 88644email: [email protected] web: www.isimat.de

Figure 5: Printing onto an oval bottle

ON PRESS


CYLINDER PRESS PERSPECTIVESAxel Kaiser outlines a cylinder line programme for the screenprinting industry

Further information:SPS Remus ScreenPrintingSystems, Wuppertal,Germanytel: +49 202 26580fax: +49 202 2658 185email: [email protected]: www.sps-rehmus.de

Full in-line integration joins press with feeder, dryer and stacker to a uniform configuration

The Vitessa XP

The Vitessa SL

CYLINDER MACHINESScreen printing on cylinder machines generallyoffers a number of advantages. Due to thecylindrical form of the print base, a ‘natural’distance is given between the printing materialand the screen, both in front of and behind thesqueegee edge. Beyond this, the cylinderdesign allows the off-contact to be set, evenclose to zero. As a result, the lowest squeegeepressure can be applied, avoiding printdistortion and stencil wear. The additionallifting of the screen away from the printedsurface by peel-off mechanisms, as with flat-bed machines, becomes unnecessary. Theresult is high-precision image reproductiondown to the smallest detail.

A nominal speed of a maximum of 4200per hour for the fastest model (the VitessaXP1) means that reliable production speedsof above 3000 per hour – if ink, substrate,and job profile meet such high speedrequirements – can be reached.

The stationary heavy-duty squeegeebridge in the STOP cylinder machines can beequipped for ease of operation with automaticfeatures. The squeegee actuation at the printstart is automatically synchronised to themachine sequence, the gripper margin canbe adjusted to demand from the control panelposition, and squeegee kinetics / dynamicsand pressure transmission are pneumatically/ hydraulically controlled, providing bothaccuracy and repeatability.

DRYER TECHNOLOGYAutomatic cylinder machines with a high printcapacity can only be effectively operatedwhen combined with a dryer which is bothfully integrated into the print-line and capableof reliably handling the sheet stream, even atmaximum press speed.

SPS jet dryers have well-balanced energytransfer. Geometrically optimised spaced jetsprovide an even flow of air across the surfaceof the printed material. The air pressure for thejet zones is generated in the section hoods.The high air speed achieved means the degreeof efficiency at relatively low temperaturescopes with the fastest cylinder print runs. It ispossible to integrate infrared and UV modulesfor customised combination dryer systems.The synchronised sheet transfer betweenmachine take-off and dryer infeed enablesgood sheet conveyance by automatic transferspeed adjustment. Cylinder press, modular jet-dryer and sheet stacker are finally combined toa uniform print-line structure by the centralproject management team.

MODERN ELECTRONICS PLAY A VITALROLE IN STATE-OF-THE-ART MACHINEDESIGN. FROM 1980, ALL FULLY-AUTOMATIC SPS MACHINES WEREFITTED WITH MICROPROCESSORCONTROLS AND ELECTRONICALLYOPERATED DRIVE SYSTEMS.

SPS STOP cylinders were firstmanufactured in 1957; the original SPS STOPCylinder Principle still forms the basis oftoday's core production programme. Here,the cylinder only turns during the print phaseand remains stationary during the returnmovement of the screen. During thestationary phase, the incoming sheet isdirectly guided to the lay stops in the cylinder.In this way, high precision registration can bemaintained, regardless of turning speed.

Substrates which are thermally verysensitive, and inks with slow solvent (or water)release still require long-term drying. Dryerswith room air re-circulation are employed inthe production of ceramic decals. Where highcapacity print runs are involved, the length ofthe configuration can be reduced by doubletrack operation. One-track versions of the SPSwicket dryers, with integrated heating, are usedfor specific industrial production purposes,such as printing on plastic films or the curingof water-based inks for textile transfers.

APPLICATIONSThe technical and commercial advantagesachieved through the use of cylinder presssystems, also with relatively low runs and atreduced process-defined speeds, nowembrace a vast range of production areas insheet-fed screen printing. The ‘industrial’assignment of machines with a cylindricalbasis – i.e. the use of such presses for non-solely graphic coating processes, using‘functional inks’ – is gaining in importance.The characteristics of the screen printingtechnology – such as its adaptability tovarying substrates, its versatility with regard tomany kinds of printing media and thepossibility of defining the layer of the mediumapplied – have made it a key finishingmethod for a variety of products, such as:• refinement and upgrading of offset pre-

prints by manifold effect colours,including traditional spot varnishing

• cover coats and protective layers, goldand silver colours, conductive fields onplastic (bank) cards

• security documents on plastic sheets(such as driving licenses or passports) oron paper (such as bank notes)

• ceramic decals in conventional and UVtechnology with usually more than sevenand up to 50 colours per sheet

• automotive decoration and dials• formable FIM (IMD) films for 3D objects

and membrane switch foils• textile transfers and sublimation prints for

indirect quality decoration.

Axel Kaiser is Managing Director / CEO ofSPS Rhemus

ON PRESS


OF RECENT TIMES IT HAS OFTEN BEENSAID THAT SCREEN PRINTING IN THEOPTICAL DISC DECORATING MARKET ISDEAD. COMMENTS SUCH AS “DIGITALPRINTING IS THE FUTURE” AND “THEREIS NO SPACE FOR SCREEN PRINTING”ARE OFTEN HEARD. AT ESMA WE AREMORE CERTAIN OF THIS ANCIENT FORMOF IMAGING’S FUTURE.

Our certainty comes from considering thehistory of imaging technology. After theinvention of photography, which producedmore accurate pictures more quickly, manythought that the art of painting would

DECORATING OPTICAL DISCSKaroly Lauthan predicts a bright and beautifulfuture for screen printing in optical disc decoration

Screen printed CDs

disappear. Of course it has flourished. Morerecently the advent of moving pictures wasthought to be the death of photographs, butagain the art of photography has continued.Although technologies advance, differentimaging techniques have their place and areonly limited by our imagination.

DVDs are a premium product and mustbe decorated in the best way possible. Todayoffset printing is a popular process fordecorating optical discs. Offset has its ownadvantages, such as high productivity andresolution, leading to perceived better quality.But does striving for finer detail actually meanbetter quality? Screen printing is regularlyused for printing 150LPI half tone imageswith the added advantage of a versatility thatdesigners dream of. Surely this must beconsidered better when it comes togenerating a high impact image?

Many CDs are decorated by the screenprinting process, taking advantage of theenormous potential that it offers. Speciallyformulated inks are available in a wide range ofvibrant colours; fluorescent, pearlescent,

metallic and even luminescent inks can beused to create stunning visual effects. Withscreen printing it is possible to directly print ahigh gloss or matt white background. Specialityinks offer further possibilities. Imagine whatcould be done with thermochromic inks! Highvalue discs could benefit from security inks.

Screen printing may be considered to be ablack art as manufacturers strive forconsistency in production and processcapability. This, too, is changing. Basicparameters such as the positive, mesh, stencil,ink and squeegee are now easily controlledand measured. This allows control of the wholeprocess, which makes it more cost-effective.The many CTS systems now available arereducing design to production time further still.

With this unique combination of industrialproduction capability and artists’ designversatility, screen printing is very much theprinting process of the future. At ESMA wefirmly believe that the future for screenprinting in the optical disc market is brightand very beautiful.

Karoly Lauthan is a member of theESMA ApplicationsCommittee


DIGITAL

23

THE WAY YOU SEE IMAGES ON ACOMPUTER SCREEN AND THE WAY THEYLOOK IN HARD PRINTED FORM AREGOING TO BE DIFFERENT, THAT’S A FACT.THE DIFFERENCE LIES BETWEEN WHAT’SACCEPTABLE TO YOU, AND WHAT ISACCEPTABLE TO YOUR CLIENT. COLOURMANAGEMENT IS A PROCESS THATENABLES YOU TO OUTPUT PRINTEDMATERIAL WITH A MUCH HIGHERDEGREE OF COLOUR PREDICTABILITYTHAN BY JUST GUESSING.

CHARACTERISING INPUT DEVICESThe purpose of a colour management system(CMS) is to provide colour consistency andpredictability throughout the entire workflow.The CMS does this by correcting thedifferences in colour introduced by eachdevice, thus ensuring consistency inreproduction. The first important step whensetting up the CMS is calibrating the inputdevice in order to understand the small colourchanges that particular device introduceseach time an image is scanned. Calibrationmust be performed under optimal conditions.

Characterisation of an input device issimple. The device scans a reference imagecontaining well-defined colour patches, andthese ‘actually measured’ results are relatedto the ‘ideal’ values measured with aspectrophotometer in the manufacturer's laband supplied by internet download. The twosets of data are assembled to yield acomplete profile of where that particularscanner differs from the ideal. Sincecharacterisation is so important, most new

scanners are delivered with both the itemsrequired for the characterisation: 1. A reference image (an IT 8.7/2 reference

target for input characterisation). Thetarget is specifically for reflective artscanners; transparencies are available forfilm scanners.

2. A set of reference values for that sameimage. These values are read by thecalibration software and compared to thescanned values; they appear in text format.

Once the CMS understands the individual

characteristics of your scanner, it will be ableto correct for these every time you perform ascan. Let's assume that your particularscanner yields results that are a little strong inthe blues and slightly weaker in the reds:once your CMS knows this about yourscanner, it will control the blues and adaptthe reds accordingly to yield results thatcorrespond to the ideal.

All colour management systems dependon device profiles that store the colourcharacteristics of each model of input device,described in terms of the device-independentCIE colour model. The pre-made, genericdevice profiles that some colour managementsystems come with describe themanufacturer’s specifications for the product.However, if the device is not actuallyperforming to those specifications, the profileswill be less accurate. To bring the device inline with its intended specifications, regularcalibration is necessary.

CHARACTERISING MONITORSAnother one of the colour managementsystem’s roles is to ensure that your computermonitor provides as accurate a representationas possible of the colours in a given image. Inorder to carry out this process, the CMS willfirst analyse how the monitor behaves undercontrolled conditions.

Four calibration elements must be set onthe monitor in order to characterise it properly:

COLOUR MANAGEMENT BASICSJeff Burton explains how the use of colour management systems can helpprinted material achieve a greater degree of colour predictability

A colour optimiser can be used to manually scan colour targets and to calibrate colour for tools such as computer monitors

A strip scanner can increase the efficiency of the creation of custom colour profiles by automating the colour target scanning process

DIGITAL


brightness, contrast, gamma levels and whitepoint temperature. The brightness and contrastlevels are set manually; the gamma levels andwhite point temperature of your monitor are setwithin the monitor's own software, and aretypically adjustable by the user from thecontrol panel within the system software.

The next crucial step of thecharacterisation process involves the use of alight meter or colorimeter, or sometimes even aspectrophotometer. These colourmeasurement devices generally come with arubber suction cup which affixes it directlyonto the front of the monitor, much like aminiature camera strapped onto a computerscreen. The CMS takes control of the monitorand tells it to broadcast different colours ontothe screen. The device measures the colouremitted by the monitor and sends this databack to the CMS. The CMS then creates aprofile of the monitor's performance by relatingthe actual colour values measured to the idealcolour values that should have been emitted.

Certain colour management systems donot need to undergo a completemeasurement procedure every time the whitepoint or gamma level setting is altered, theycan automatically adapt to a new white pointor gamma level, or both.

INPUT LIMITATIONSThe different types of input devices are CCD(‘Charge Coupled Device’ is a semi-conductorimage sensing device) scanners, digitalcameras and drum scanners, each of whichis available from many differentmanufacturers. Whatever the type or thebrand, all input devices functionapproximately in the same way: they exposethe original with light and measure theamount of red, green and blue light reflectedback off or transmitted through the object.These measurements are converted intodigital data, which is then recorded onto acomputer's disk. Some scanners save theoriginal RGB data, while older scannersconvert it automatically to CMYK, drasticallylimiting the amount of colours in the gamut.

With flatbed scanners, light is reflectedoff the original onto a set of CCDs which arecoated with filters that break the light into itsRGB components. The number of CCDelements in the scanner determines theresolution of the scan. With drum scanners, alight source is moved in tiny incrementsacross the original. The reflected light is thensent through a photo-multiplier tube, whichbreaks the light into its RGB components.Other circuitry converts the analogue lightinformation into digital CMYK separations.

It is important to note that input devices –be it a digital camera or a scanner of anynature – respond differently to the same colourinformation, much like we who, as individualswith different visual sensory systems, perceivecolours differently from one another. Indeed,

different types of input devices will yield slightlydifferent colours for exactly the same image.Similarly, different brands of the same type ofdevice will also yield slightly different coloursfrom one another. Also, two identical devicesbearing the same label from the samemanufacturer can even measure differentcolours from one another. The characteristicsof the light source – such as its age, the filtersused and the optical path along which theimage travels as it is scanned – can allintroduce colour discrepancies.

To create a digital image, the analoguecharge generated by CCD elements isquantified into a finite series of steps by ananalogue to digital converter. Each step isassigned a unique binary numberrepresenting a specific tone or grey level.

PROFILING OUTPUT DEVICESThe same image printed onto various outputdevices can yield different results, hence theneed to adequately calibrate the specificoutput device. Characterising an outputdevice is similar to characterising a scanneror a monitor; in this case, it is best to make aprint of the industry standard IT8 7/3, whichcontains 928 small patches of differentcolours (defined in CMYK values).

Each one of the colour patches on theIT8 7/3 you output is measured with acolorimeter or spectrophotometer. As it readsthe colour values of the different patches, theCMS relates the actual colour printed to theoriginal CMYK values for each colour patch.Thus, the CMS is able to build a completeprofile of the printer. Once this profile is built,the CMS will automatically perform thenecessary adjustments on the colourinformation sent to the printer. For example, ifthe measurements of the test chart show thatmost test patches are a little too red, the CMScan compensate for this by reducing theamount of red in the images.

Before printing the IT8 7/3, you must

establish a stable environmental situation inwhich all the output parameters will be thesame as when you eventually execute theprint job. The medium you use (the type ofpaper or other support material), the ink orthe screening techniques – even thetemperature of your work environment – allinfluence the accuracy of yourcharacterisation.

It is important to remember that theprofile you build for a particular situation willnot be valid for any other situation, i.e. one inwhich one or more parameters will have beenaltered. Check your situation regularly anddon’t hesitate to re-characterise your outputdevice. Some of the better colourmanagement systems available today offerthe option of measuring and comparing(onscreen) the profile being built with themost recent profile recorded. This allows youto decide whether you would like toimplement the new output profile or not.

IN CONCLUSIONWhether you implement some or all of theparts of colour management into yourworkflow, the choice is dependent upon thequality and colour consistency of the finaloutput desired. Can decent final products beproduced without colour management? Yes,but colour management enables you toachieve consistent, quality output frommultiple types of input and outputdevices.

Jeff Burton is Digital Imaging Specialist at the SGIA

A colour reference target is used to create custom colour profiles for printers or media products

Further information:Specialty Graphic Imaging Association, Fairfax(VA), USA tel: +1 703 385 1335fax: +1 703 273 0456 email: [email protected] web: www.sgia.org

IN BRIEF


Grünig to display new products at FESPA 2007 Marabu celebrates 20years of UV technology Marabu will be celebrating 20 years ofproducing UV inks at FESPA 2007. In1987 Marabu introduced its first set, amatt and a high-gloss UV ink, which wereboth general graphics inks. Several moreproducts over the years, includingUltraVision for sceen, print and pad wereintroduced, and last year the companydisplayed its Ultraglass UVGL organic inksat Glasstec.

At the FESPA exhibition this year,Marabu will be introducing a new graphicscreen all-rounder, the Ultragraph UVSP,which the company claims is “enormouslyeffective” in reducing UV energy costs.

US solvent inks now available in EuropeDigital Ink Company has announced the availability of the US manufacturer Nazdar’s Lyson2000 series of solvent digital inks for the European market. Designed as a low odouralternative to full solvent inks, the Lyson 2000 Series inks can be installed immediately afterOEM inks without prior flushing or cleaning. The colour gamut is calibrated to original EcoUltra inks to enable users to continue to use ICC profiles.

’Green’ fabrics3P InkJet Textiles offers a range of eco-friendly fabrics for inkjet printing; the textilescontain no heavy metals, PVC resins,phthalates or fungicides. Value fabrics, madeof 100% polyester, can be used for softsignage, flags and banners, displays andinterior design. Value textiles are producedaccording to the environmental managementsystem EN ISO 14001 and the qualitymanagement standard EN ISO 9001, avoidingatmospheric and environmental pollution.

Grünig has announced that it will beattending FESPA 2007 in Berlin, Germanyfrom 5-9 June and has invited show visitorsto a welcoming aperitif at its stand on theopening day between 5 and 7 p.m.

Amongst the new products that Grünigwill be displaying at the exhibition is the G-Prep 370, a compact and automatic framecleaning system which uses high-pressurewater nozzles to remove residual mesh andglue from frame profiles.

A new stretching and handling systemwith automatic gluing for serigraphy mesheshas been developed in partnership withKIWO; the G-Bond UltraCure enables allstretching and gluing processes to beprogrammed via a touch-screen terminal.

Also being presented for the first time isthe G-Stretch 270 stretching machine, whichhas motorised stretching beams and atelescopic design so that is can be adapted fordifferent screen sizes. A wide range of washingand coating systems will also be on display.

Grünig will be exhibiting at booth B420 inhall 2.2; for more information on FESPA2007, see page 33 of this issue.The G-Bond UltraCure has been developed with KIWO


IN BRIEF

27

EFI has announced that its VUTEk 3360superwide format printer can now switchbetween dye sublimation and solventapplications in minutes. The 3360’s Fusionoption is an ink delivery system that allowsusers to switch from traditional solvent-basedapplications, such as exhibition and displaygraphics and point-of-purchase materials, to dye sublimation textile applications in two minutes without the need to flush theentire system.

The VUTEk 3360 system’s three metreroll-to-roll configuration, together with the newFusion option, enables the use of solvent ordye-sublimation solvent inks for printing on awider range of substrates, including directprinting on textiles. The Fusion system is alsoavailable as an upgrade for the VUTEkUltraVu II 3360 or later systems.

EFI also recently launched its newUltraTex dye sublimation ink for use with the

The 50TM UV-curable ink can print onto a wide range ofrigid substrates

On-demand switchingbetween display andtextile applications

VUTEk 3360. This ink solution is wash-resistant and dryer-resilient for reusableindoor/outdoor graphics. The new launchfollows the introduction of the first solvent-based superwide printing ink made from arenewable resource, corn, which is the onlyink recognised by the US EnvironmentalProtection Agency. BioVu ink has no harmfulVOC emissions and is non-hazmat. Anothernew product is the UV Series 50TM UV-curable ink, which allows printing on a widerange of rigid substrates including glass,lexan, acrylic and coroplast.

New 30 kg take-up systemfor Rockhopper 3 andSpitfireWide-format printer manufacturer MutohEurope has started shipping a new 30 kgtake-up system for the Mutoh Rockhopper 3Extreme eco-solvent and Spitfire Extrememild-solvent printers. The new Tension Winder30 is a 64” (162 cm) take-up system that willallow motorised winding of finished prints upto a load of 30 kg. It has been specificallydeveloped for sign makers mainly doing shortrun production jobs and/or frequently printingonto different types of media.

New virtu-printer at FESPASpühl will show its new virtu RS35 printer at FESPA 2007. The user-friendly product, which iscapable of printing with white colour, places special emphasis on maintaining high safetystandards for users and the environment. Spühl is exhibiting in hall 6.2, booth D710.

Flatbed UV-inkjetproduction printerNUR Macroprinters has released itsTempo Q, a UV-inkjet flatbed printerwhich is a higher resolution version of thecompany’s flatbed UV-inkjet productionprinter. It prints directly onto rigid and roll-fed substrates and is designed to producevery high image quality of up to true 1270x 800 dpi for a broad range of wide-formatprinting applications. It accommodatesrigid substrates up to 3.2 x 2 metres and5.1 cm thick, as well as roll-fed media upto 221 cm wide.

IN BRIEF


Screen printing machine manufacturer Thieme will be demonstrating its latest system technology atFESPA 2007. The Thieme 5060 XL two-colour line, part of the company’s 5000 XL large format seriesof multicolour lines, is a fully automatic system with UV intermediate dryer and stacker. Easy set-upand access allow minimum tooling times when dealing with frequent changeovers.

The 3020 three-quarter automatic screen-printing system has three options (automatic screencleaner, Wandres cleaning unit and anti-drip system), whilst the ScreenClean screen-cleaning unitautomates the cleaning and opening of the mesh during printing.

Thieme’s TSC squeegee cutter is able to cut all of the industry’s typical polyurethane squeegeerubbers using a single cutting operation with a rotating blade to deliver a smooth, unbroken surface.

Thieme will be located in hall 2.2, stand B430 at FESPA 2007.

Sefar exhibits at Fespa 2007

Sefar, the Swiss-based manufacturersof screen printing mesh, stretchingsystems and measuring instruments,will focus on two main products atFESPA 2007.

The Sefar PCF is a pre-coatedscreen printing mesh for highperformance industrial use, and theSefar LDS is a laser technology-basedexposure system for small and mediumformat screen printing stencils.

Sefar will be exhibiting at standB210 in hall 2.2 at Messe Berlin.

The Sefar LDS

The Thieme 5060 XL fully automatic large format multicolour line

Thieme offers technologyfor screen printers

New textiles up to 5 metres wideMCK-Trading has developed digitalprintable textiles up to 5 metres wide,which it will present at this year’sFESPA show in Berlin. The 200g DecoT200K is designed for decorationpurposes and exhibition stands andcan be printed with solvent or UV inks.The Omni T350CK, a 350g textile, iscoated on one side which can beprinted with either solvent or UV ink;the reverse side can be printed usingsublimation technology. MCK-Tradingwill be in hall 6.2, booth D840.

New patch for ONYXVersion 7 productsONYX Graphics has announced a newpatch update for Version 7 softwareproducts including ONYXProductionHouse, PosterShop andRIPCenter. The 7.0.5 update includesseveral enhancements such asimproved Pantone spot colourmatching, better ICC build defaultsettings, cutter precision resolvedspecifically for European systems, newink restriction and ink limit swatchesfor new 12-colour printers (CMYKRGB)or an improved ICC profile generator.The user can also download a range ofprinter drivers with profiles specificallycreated for use with ONYX Version7.0.5. The update can be downloadedfrom www.onyxgfx.net


COMPANY FOCUS

29

SAATIPRINT IS A MAJOR MANUFACTUREROF FABRIC FOR SCREEN PRINTINGAPPLICATIONS. SAATI WAS FOUNDED BYTHE GRANDFATHER OF ITS CURRENTPRESIDENT, WHO TOOK OVER FROM HISFATHER; IN EACH GENERATION THEGRANDFATHER, FATHER AND SON HASBEEN THE SOLE SHAREHOLDER.

The company started in 1935 as a localweaver of technical fabrics, and during theSecond World War it wove military fabrics.After the war, Saati became involved in thescreen printing industry when synthetic fibresbecame available – the company claims to bethe first weaver in the screenprinting world touse polyester.

Today Saati has several factories andemploys more than 800 people around theworld. It follows a strategy of locating itselfclose to its customers; it has subsidiaries inthe USA, Mexico, Brazil, China, Spain,France, Germany, Italy and last year itacquired an Indian company. It isheadquartered in Como, Italy.

SCREENING SUCCESSSpecialist Printing takes a look inside Saati, one of the most successful producers of screenprinting applications

Daniele. “We were the first Europeancompany from the screen printing business tohave a legal entity in China. Last year we hadtremendous growth and this was possiblebecause we have been seen to becompetitive against the Chinese weaver.”

Low wages and the lower price of rawmaterials in China contribute to the low cost offinished products. “Chinese weavers mainlyuse the local-made fibre that has a completelydifferent performance,” Daniele explains.“Also, we need a lot of capital to be investedto produce our fabric. Whilst the biggestplayers in our arena use up-to-date looms, weknow from our travels that most of ourcompetitors in emerging countries frequentlyuse second-hand machines, makingdepreciation a much less important factor.”

As well as cheaper production costs,

there have been instances of Chinesecounterfeit mesh appearing on the market tohamper competition. “We have had a fewcases of local companies copying our brandand trademark, but we prosecuted thesecases,” De Rosa confirmed.

When Saati opened its Shanghai office in1998, the company registered its trademarkas a Chinese legal entity so it was protectedby local law. This meant that thecounterfeiters were forced to stop and had topay a large amount of money to Saati fordamages. “It is a very positive story we cantell,” Daniele smiles, “we used the law todefend our own interests.”

ADVANCES IN PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES This intense competition means that Saatihas to continually focus on advances inproduction techniques to reduce the labourcontent of mesh. “This is a big issue becausein every emerging country there arecompetitors starting weaving and there arecustomers open to buy on price,” Danieleasserts. “So we have to stay soundeconomically whilst continuously improving.”

To this end, Saati usually launches two orthree new products each year in thescreenprinting market. “We have recentlydeveloped a very special fabric forscreenprinting especially for large formats,”Daniele says, “aiming to reduce the quantity ofink needed to obtain a good quality print and,at the same time, increasing the definition andresolution of the image that is to be printed.”

“We also launched a special product forelectronic printing, where specialperformances are required of the mesh interms of stability and tension,” he continues.“The highest degree of differentiation aweaver has is in the finishing department,where Saati is probably the most completeweaver in the world, offering very wideopportunities in terms of being efficient.”

Saatichem high-quality photosensitive emulsions andauxiliary chemicals for screen printing

Graphic, textile, ceramic, electronic, glass and optical disc are the most specific applications for SaatiPrint fabrics

SaatiPrint ensures excellent dimensional stability, regularity,lastingness and quality finishing of polyester and polyamide

MESH PRODUCTIONSaati’s mesh is manufactured from a specialpolymer-based yarn that is manufactured byonly four producers in the world. “Oil pricesshould affect us because we use a lot ofpolyester-based yarn,” explains Daniele DeRosa, the Managing Director of SaatiPrint,“but in general it is so peculiar to our industryand the supply is so small that in practice, theprice of the fibre is very little dependent fromthe oil prices. Apart from our users, there areno other users of this specialist yarn.”

Saati believes it is competitive withinEurope and America and is growingconsistently each year in China. “The formulawe put in place seems to be the right onebecause we are growing constantly,” says

COMPANY FOCUS


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Saati was, Daniele claims, the firstcompany in the world to develop a plasmatreatment machine that can treat very widemeshes. “We even have several patents onsurface treatment on mesh with specificchemistry,” he continues. “Saati is not only atextile company but also a chemical company– we formulate not only our emulsion, butmany different types of resin that we use incomposites. So we have specific knowledgeon how to treat the surface and can changeor adapt the behaviour of the fabric to thespecific job the customer is printing.”

THE PRODUCTION PROCESSOver the last two years there has been a majorreorganisation of the Saati group to make itmore efficient, which was completed inFebruary 2007 and resulted in all the

previously independent business segments beingmerged. Giulio Salvalaglio is the Production Managerand is involved in the whole production process.

“Production is separated in different parts ofEurope and we launched a project to reduce theproduction and delivery time,” he explains. “Saatihas always produced at very high efficiency, so itwas a difficult process to offer the same highquality but to increase our capacity to be able tomeet the customer’s demands even faster.However this is what the market required for us tobe competitive.”

ADVICE FOR PRINTERSSaati has advice for printers on how to extend thelife of their mesh. “The Hibond treatment allowsthe stencil (the compound of fabric and emulsion)to increase the life and durability in any conditionof printing,” De Rosa offers. “This is expressed

mainly in heavy printing conditions,such as when you print in mid-temperature or on aggressive andabrasive environments, such as glassprinting. This has resulted in a lifetimeduration of the stencil of up to fourtimes longer than a normal fabric.”

Saati believes that customers canbest receive technical support througheducation, and has technicallaboratories in the Como, Shanghai,New York and Sao Paulo offices toenable the company to provide freetechnical training all over the world.The company also has a team oftravelling experts that can helpcustomers with specific printingproblems.

Nowadays printers have to stock anumber of different meshes to printdifferent jobs. Whilst some printersmay see this as more of a problem,Saati sees it as an opportunity. “I dobelieve that having access to such ahuge variety of fabrics is more of anopportunity than a challenge becausethis allows the printer to very preciselycustomise the job,” Daniele says.“Having so many types of mesh offersthe opportunity to have differentresolutions as well as well-tunedapplications.”

“Today, our printers tell us themajor risk is the non-differentiation oftheir job,” he continues. “They needdifferentiation and only by the wiseapplication of different types of meshand emulsion, the right choice of inksand the right products in the printingprocess, can they really make a uniqueprinting job.”

SaatiPrint offers a wide range of fabrics for all pre-press needs


COMPANY FOCUS

31

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTSaati has been at the forefront of the development of CTS (computer-to-screen) systems and patented its first laser system for CTS in 2001.SaatiPrint currently makes a high-performance laser system capillaryfilm for CTS. “It works in a wonderful way with the plasma treatedfabric and we do believe that this is absolutely independent on thecolour of the mesh,” De Rosa states. “We understand that there areissues with the absorption of the energy that the light source canprovide by having orange, yellow or white meshes, and this was a bigissue, especially for the projection exposure system.”

Raimundo Mediavilla is Saati’s Product & Development Manager.“In my role in charge of research and development, I am dealing withinnovation every day. Although innovation follows the same principle asit did 20 years ago, it is even more crucial today so that we cancompete with low cost products from emerging regions in the world.Today, innovation is a way to survive,” he asserts.

As well as product innovation, Saati also thinks in terms of processinnovation – and on many occasions a new product has arisen from anew process. “Our constant contact with customers naturally makesus aware of their requirements regarding new meshes and newfabrics,” Raimundo says. “Looking outside of our normal scope, wemust think really differently than in the past, and must look at theprocesses of our customers and what additional value we can givethem in terms of innovation.”

Daniele adds that there will be significant developments in thenext couple of years. “We are working on the state of art of finishingtechnologies and on special coating and we believe that the trend isalready set,” he says. “We will disclose some of the most advanceddevelopments at our booth at FESPA 2007. Being as usual on thecutting edge of the technology, Saati will propose the future.”

Further information:Saati SpA, Como, Italytel: +39 031 9711fax: +39 031 933392email: [email protected]: www.saati.com

Saati continually responds to the needs and requests of the screen printing industry

SGIA '07 IS BUILDING ON LAST YEAR'S RECORD-BREAKINGSUCCESS TO ONCE AGAIN BE A MUST-ATTEND EVENT FOR THESPECIALITY IMAGING COMMUNITY.

At the time of going to press, the Expo has sold 86 per cent of theexpansive trade show floor space at the Orange County ConventionCenter to the industry's leading manufacturers and distributors, withmany new exhibitors signing up to showcase their products and services.

“The energy and enthusiasm from our exhibitors has beenincredible," said SGIA President/CEO Michael Robertson. "They'reexcited about informing attendees on the latest equipment, consumablesand services to all segments of the specialty imaging industry.”

“The opportunities for digital have been growing and SGIA is thebest way to reach this targeted audience,” said Cindy Pilch, SeniorProduct Manager for GBC, one of the Gold Sponsors of the event.Other Gold Sponsors include Bayer Films Americas, IntelicoatTechnologies, MacDermid Colorspan, NUR America and Roland DGA.Platinum sponsors are 3M, Digital Graphics Incorporation, EFI VUTEkand US Screen Print & Inkjet Technology.

BUILDING ON LAST YEAR’S SUCCESSIn addition to an Expo floor, SGIA '07 has 54 educational sessions andnetworking opportunities, such as the golf tournament and Friday nightdinner party. Visitors to the website can get more information on theExpo and can also sign up to be notified when SGIA '07 registrationopens (online registration will go live in June).

SGIA ’07 aims to build on the success of the 2006 event staged atLas Vegas Conference Center, which saw a record number of 21,424visitors – a 43% rise on the previous attendance record set at SGIA’94. The majority of visitors were from within the USA, but otherattendees travelled from 104 other countries including Canada, Mexicoand Japan. SGIA ’06 also attracted a record number of 598 exhibitors.

SGIA MEMBERSHIPThe expos are staged by the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association,whose mission is to provide imaging professionals with the tools andinformation needed to make the best possible business decisions.

Membership benefits include the SGIA information network;through such portals as SGIA.org, ASSIST, SGIA News and the SGIAJournal, members are provided with the latest news shaping theindustry, such as emerging markets, government regulations, andtechnological developments.

Connecting to a global community, members help each other and the industry, sharing ideas, insights and innovations. Membersnetwork and learn through workshopsand seminars, and via conferences andsymposiums they develop relationshipsthat build better business.

EVENTS


Orlando, Florida, USA; 24-27 October 2007

SGIA ’07

Further information:web: www.sgia.org


EVENTS

33

FESPA 2007 AIMS TO BE THE LARGESTWORLDWIDE EXHIBITION FOR SCREENAND DIGITAL WIDE-FORMAT PRINTING.THE EXHIBITION IS SOLD OUT, WITHOVER 600 VENDORS TAKING 32,000M2

OF FLOOR SPACE ACROSS 11 HALLS.PRE-REGISTERED VISITOR NUMBERSSHOW AN INCREASE OF 25% COMPAREDTO THE SAME PERIOD FOR FESPA 2005.

The event will be staged by FESPA, afederation of trade associations and anorganiser of exhibitions and conferences forthe screen and digital printing industry.

FESPA 2007Berlin, Germany; 5-9 June 2007

Frazer Chesterman, Managing Director ofFESPA, commented: “FESPA 2007 is thisyear’s number one destination for anyoneplanning to invest in screen or digital wideformat printing equipment.”

“The event will feature the world’s leadingvendors, many of whom typically use FESPAexhibitions to showcase their full range ofproducts and solutions, not to mention brandnew products,” he continued. “It will alsoprovide a myriad of complementaryeducational opportunities via the extensiveprogramme of showcase theatre seminars.”

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHESNew digital product launches planned for the show include the European debut of theMacDermid ColorSpan 5400uv series of all-in-one UV inkjet printers, a new addition to the Rho family of flatbed inkjet printersfrom Durst, and the introduction of the Jeti 2030 UV TRUE flatbed printer from Gandinnovations.

Regarding new screen printing products,Servis Centrum will premier its Magra 3/4automatic screen printing machine and

Vastex will be showing its new entry-level press, the V-1000 and the new E-1000 exposure unit, designed to bring high quality machinery to those with a limited budget.

FREE REGISTRATIONFree exhibition entrance registration isavailable on the website before the event orfor €30 on-site. Visitors will also be able toattend free educational seminar sessions,visits to local printing factories, the FESPAAwards competition and the gala dinner.

Corporate sponsor of FESPA 2007 is HPInvent and platinum sponsors are EFI VUTEk,Marabuwerke and Saati. Official presssponsors are Sun Chemical and TechnologyPartners are AGFA, EFI VUTEk, HP Inventand XAAR.

Future FESPA events planned are:• FESPA World Expo India

(New Delhi, December 2007)• FESPA Digital Printing Europe 2008

(Geneva, April 2008)• FESPA Asia Pacific

(Bangkok, November 2008)

Further information:web: www.fespa.com

ESMA MEMBERS


Coates Screen GroupBuilding 7 Norton Hill, Midsomer Norton Avon, BA3 4RT, UKtel: +44 1761 408740email: [email protected]: www.coates.com/screen

Color Scanner Technology GmbHKönigsbergerstrasse 117, D-47809 KrefeldGermanytel: +49 2151 159 2260email: [email protected]: www.c-s-t.de

DIP-Tech17 Atir Yeda St, Kfar Saba, 44643, Israeltel: +972 9 763 3174email: [email protected]: www.dip-tech.com

Durst Phototechnik Digital Technology GmbHJulius-Durst-Strasse 11, A-9900 Lienz, Austriatel: +43 4852 71 777email: [email protected]: www.durst-online.com

Encres Dubuit1 Rue Isaac Newton Z1 Miltry Compans F-77292 Miltry, Francetel: +33 1 64 67 41 60email: [email protected]: www.encresdubuit.net

Ferro GmbHGutleutstrasse 215, Postfach 110403 D-60039 Frankfurt am Main, Germanytel: +49 69 27116 0email: [email protected]: www.ferro.com

Fimor210 Rue du Polygone, Cedex 2F-72058 Le Mans, Francetel: +33 24 34 06 600email: [email protected]: www.serilor.com

Fotec AGEigenheimstrasse 22, CH-8700 KüsnachtSwitzerlandtel: +41 44 913 30 00email: [email protected]: www.fotec.com

FUJIFILM Sericol UK LimitedPatricia Way, Pysons Road Industrial Estate Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2LE, UKtel: +44 1843 872 129email: [email protected]: www.sericol.co.uk

Fusion UV Systems IncUnit 18, Newman Lane, Alton, HampshireGU34 2YT, UKtel: +44 1420 544 516email: [email protected]: www.fusionuv.com

Gallus Ferd Rüesch AGHarzbuchelstr 34, CH-9016 St GallenSwitzerlandtel: +41 71 242 86 86email: [email protected]: www.gallus.ch

Grünig-Interscreen AGRinggenmatt 14, CH-3150 SchwarzenburgSwitzerlandtel: +41 31 734 26 00email: [email protected]: www.grunig.ch

Harlacher AGKammistrasse 11, CH-3800 InterlakenSwitzerlandtel: +41 33 827 02 10email: [email protected]: www.harlacher.ch

HP ScitexExcelsiorlaan 37, B-1930 Zaventem, Belgiumtel: +32 2 749 1000email: [email protected]: www.hp.com/go/scitex

Hurtz GmbH & Co KGLobbericher Strasse 90, D-41334 Nettetal 1Germanytel: +49 21 53 95 41-0email: [email protected]: www.hurtz.de

ISIMAT GmbH SiebdruckmaschinenRindelbacher Str 38-40, D-73479 EllwangenGermanytel: +49 7961 886 0email: [email protected]: www.isimat.de

K-Flow GmbHEschstrasse 43, D-32257 Bünde, Germanytel: +49 5223 180 9318email: [email protected]: www.kflow.de

Kammann Maschinenfabrik GmbHPO Box 2109, D-32221 Bünde, Germanytel: +49 5223 1810email: [email protected]: www.kammann.de

KIIAN SRLVia A de Gasperi 1, I-22070 Luisago (Como),Italytel: +39 031 9090213email: [email protected]: www.kiian.it

Kissel + Wolf GmbHIn den Ziegelwiesen 6, D-69168 WieslochGermanytel: +49 62 22 57 80email: [email protected]: www.kiwo.de

Laurie Mullaney Associates LtdUnit 108 Claydon Business Park, GreatBlakenham, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP6 0NL, UKtel: +44 1473 836 214email: [email protected]: www.lmal.co.uk

Lechler SPAVia Cecilio 17, I-22100 Como, Italytel: +39 031 586 111email: [email protected]: www.lechler.it

Lüscher AG MaschinenbauDorfstrasse 18, CH-5725 Leutwil, Switzerlandtel: +41 62 767 76 77email: [email protected]: www.luescher.com

MacDermid Autotype LtdGrove Road, Wantage, Oxon, OX12 7BZ, UKtel: +44 1235 77 11 11email: [email protected]: www.macdermidautotype.com

Machines Dubuit SAS10/12 Rue du Ballon, BP 20 F-93161 Noisy-le-Grand, Francetel: +33 1 48 15 81 00/21email: [email protected]: www.machinesdubuit.com

Mantel, Heinrich AGMattenweg 1, CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerlandtel: +41 434 772 030email: [email protected]: www.hmantel.ch

Marabuwerke GmbH & Co KGAsperger Strasse 4, D-71732 Tamm, Germanytel: +49 71 41 691 126email: [email protected]: www.marabu-inks.com

MHM-GROUP Siebdruckmaschinen GmbHMuehlgraben 43 a, A-6343 ERL, Austriatel: +43 537 376 080email: [email protected]: www.mhm.at

NazdarBarton Road, Heaton Mersey Industrial Estate Stockport, SK4 3EG, UKtel: +44 161 442 2111email: [email protected]: www.nazdar.com

Océ Display Graphics Systems501-13231 Delf Place, Richmond, BC V6V 2C3, Canadatel: +1 604 273 7730email: [email protected]: www.oce.com

PPG Industries, IncOne PPG Place, Pittsburgh, PA, 15272, USAtel: +1 412 434 3522email: [email protected]

Printcolor Screen LtdWelschloh 299, CH-8965 Mutschellen Switzerlandtel: +41 56 648 85 55email: [email protected]: www.printcolor.ch

Quimovil SAE-08210 Barbera del Vailes, Barcelona, Spaintel: +34 93 729 1944email: [email protected]: www.quimovil.com

ESMA MEMBERS as at 25/04/2007


ESMA MEMBERS

35

REMCO CHEMIE Rentzsch GmbHKurpfalzring 100a, D-69123 Heidelberg Germanytel: +49 6221 748 526email: [email protected]: www.remco-chemie.de

Ruco-DruckfarbenA M Ramp & Co GmbH, Lorsbacherstrasse 28 D-65817 Eppstein/Taunus, Germanytel: +49 61 98 3040email: [email protected]: www.ruco.de

Saati SpAVia Milano 14, I-22070 Appiano Gentile (Co)Italytel: +39 031 9711email: [email protected]: www.saati.com

Sefar AGPrinting Division, CH-9425 Thal, Switzerlandtel: +41 71 886 34 05email: [email protected]: www.sefar.com

Sign Tronic AGBöschachstrasse 17, CH-9443 Widnau Switzerlandtel: +41 71 727 1900email: [email protected]: www.sign-tronic.ch

SPS®Rehmus ScreenPrintingSystems GmbH & Co KGLaurentiusstrasse 25, D-42103 WuppertalGermanytel: +49 202 26 580email: [email protected]: www.sps-rehmus.de

Sun Chemical SACtra Cantera, s/n 48950 Asua-Erandio (Vizcaya) Apdo 548, E-48080 Bilbao, Spaintel: +34 94 402 2747email: [email protected]: www.sunchemical.com

TCG AGGlattalstrasse 507, CH-Rümlang, Switzerlandtel: +41 43 211 2010email: [email protected]: www.baumgartner-trading.com

Technigraf GmbHAuf der Struth 4, D-61279 Grävenwiesbach-Hundstadt, Germanytel: +49 6086 9626 0email: [email protected]: www.technigraf.de

Tiflex10, avenue de la 1ère Armée Française Rhinet Danube, BP 3, F-01450 Poncin, Francetel: +33 474 373 333email: [email protected]: www.tiflex.fr

Ulano International VI IncRuetistrasse 17, CH-8952 SchlierenSwitzerlandtel: +41 1 755 44 77email: [email protected]: www.ulano.com

VFP-Tripette & Renaud GroupZ1 du Vermeillet Route de Montpellier F-30380 Saint Christol lez Ales, Francetel: +33 4 66 60 98 98email: [email protected]: www.vfp-sa.com

Visprox BVGrypensteinweg 19, NL-2014KX Haarlem The Netherlandstel: +31 23 524 8131email: [email protected]: www.visprox.nl

VutekOne Vutek Place, Meredith, New Hampshire NH 03253, USAtel: +1 603 279 6811email: [email protected]: www.vutek.com

Wängi Mesh AGWilerstrasse 3, CH-9545 Wängi, Switzerlandtel: +41 52 397 24 10email: [email protected]: www.waengi-mesh.ch

Future events

FOCUS ON ESMA


GlassPrint2007 –60% growth on last eventFrankfurt, Germany;21-22 November 2007GLASSPRINT 2007 IS A TWO-DAYCONFERENCE THAT WILL PRESENTGLASSMAKERS AND GLASS DECORATORSWITH THE LATEST SCREEN PRINTINGTRENDS AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE FLAT AND CONTAINER GLASS INDUSTRIES.

Accompanied by an exhibition ofspecialist suppliers of equipment,consumables, technology and services to thisdeveloping and expanding sector, GlassPrint2007 returns to the easily accessible NHMoerfelden Hotel in Frankfurt, where thesuccessful 2005 event was staged.

Keynote presentations will be from wellrespected speakers from Nestlé and Saint-Gobain. Leading industry experts alsopresenting papers will include: DIP Tech,Ferro, ISIMAT, Werner KammannMaschinenfabrik, KIWO / Kissel + Wolf,Marabuwerke, PPG Industries, REMCOCHEMIE Rentzsch, RUCO, Saati, Sefar, Sun Chemical and Tiflex.

The exhibition has grown by over 60%since the 2005 event and confirmed exhibitorsat the time of writing include: DIP Tech, DurstPhototechnik Digital Technology, Dubuit,Fimor, Fusion UV Systems, Grünig, ISIMAT,Werner Kammann, KIWO / Kissel + Wolf,Lüscher, MacDermid Autotype, Marabuwerke,PPG Industries, Printcolor Screen, REMCOCHEMIE Rentzsch, RUCO, Saati, Sefar, SunChemical, TCG and Tiflex. Further details onthese exhibitors and their products andservices can be found at www.esma.com

REDUCED REGISTRATIONDelegates who register before 2 July willqualify for a reduced ‘early bird’ delegate feeof €395. Registration after this time will be atthe normal fee of €495.

GlassPrint 2007 is jointly organised byESMA and Chameleon Business Media,publishers of this magazine and GlassWorldwide – the industry’s leading bi-monthlymagazine for all sectors and regions of theglass industry. For a free copy of theMarch/April 2007 issue of Glass Worldwide,including 28 pages dedicated to printing onglass, email [email protected]

ESMA’s Computer to Screen seminarMANUFACTURERS OF CTS EQUIPMENTAND SUPPLIES SUPPORTED THIS VERYSUCCESSFUL SEMINAR TO INFORMUSERS OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICALDEVELOPMENTS IN COMPUTER TOSCREEN PROCESSES LED BY JONBULTEMEYER, A BOARD MEMBER OFESMA. THE FORMAT WAS A ROOM WITH TABLETOP DISPLAYS FORMANUFACTURERS AND A SERIES OFLECTURES GIVEN BY LEADING EXPERTS IN THE INDUSTRY.

The seminar spanned two days which gavedelegates the opportunity to attend a receptionand dinner together with the exhibitingcompanies, giving them plenty of time toexplore possibilities for their own businesses.

The tabletop exhibition included 23companies and the lectures, lasting two days,were attended by 130 delegates from bothprinters and manufacturers. A keynotespeech reviewing the progress of CTS wasgiven by Uwe Heinisch of SIP Magazine. Thiswas followed by 10 separate lectures coveringall aspects of Computer to Screen technology,

Further information:web: www.glassprint.org

giving attendees an excellent insight into thesystems available, the screen and stencilconsiderations and the in-house requirementsto maximise the benefits of using CTS. Eachpresentation was followed by a question andanswer session with a panel of experts in thesubject matter.

Both exhibitors and delegates confirmedthat the seminar had exceeded theirexpectations and were keen to see a follow-up event in two years time. David Zamithcommented: “We would like to congratulateESMA for the recent CTS Forum organised inFrankfurt. For us it was good value… theforum was excellent as total, almost all CTSproducers could talk about their position,technology and approach. We use differentCTS technologies and we also havecompletely different dimensions andindustrial segments. It was also excellent interms of dialogue between the subjects aswell as between members and also the Table Top roomwas an excellentidea.”

Lectures were attended by 130 delegates

The Seminar included a room with tabletop displays formanufacturers

Plenty of time was available for delegates and visitingcompanies to do business

The tabletop exhibition included 23 companies

JUNE5-9 FESPA 2007 (Berlin, Germany)12-14 EastPack 2007 (New York, NY, USA)26-29 Expo Pack Mexico 2007 (Mexico City, Mexico)

SEPTEMBER20-22 VISCOM 2007 (Düsseldorf, Germany)26-29 Labelexpo Europe 2007 (Brussels, Belgium)

OCTOBER24-27 SGIA 2007 (Orlando, FL, USA)

NOVEMBER13-15 Rad Tech Europe 2007 (Vienna, Austria)13-16 Productronica (Munich, Germany)15-17 Glasstech Asia 2007 (Bangkok, Thailand)21-22 GlassPrint 2007 (Frankfurt, Germany)

DECEMBER7-9 FESPA World Expo India (New Delhi, India)

JANUARY 20088-9 Glass World Expo (Mumbai, India)

MORE THAN REAL. PRINTS.

SaatiChem offers you a wide range of complete, technologically advanced solutions in constant evolution. SaatiChemproduces and distributes high-quality photosensitive emulsions and auxiliary chemicals for screen-printing, coveringthe most demanding expectations in different applications: graphic, textile, ceramic, electronic, glass and optical disc.SaatiChem combines reliability and accurate research with an innovating spirit and the enthusiasm. SaatiChem is adivision of the SaatiGroup, a leader in the production and marketing of fabrics and chemicals for more than 70 years,with a considerable presence in the market worldwide and a know-how without any comparison. SaatiChem has thecapability to develop the best product for your projects, and always provides results that are more real than reality itself.

via Milano,14 - 22070 Appiano Gentile (Como) Italy - Tel +39.031.9711Member of Saatigroup

Chemicals in action.

Specialist Printing Worldwide

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