One company hoping to divert at least some attention from spectacles of shiny, whirring presses is blanket manufacturer Trelleborg. The company is planning an ‘Institute of Contemporary Print’ art gallery featuring modern takes on classic artworks produced by students from Germany and the Netherlands, with pieces "reverse auctioned" as visitors give their lowest bids to win artwork.
Meanwhile, Kodak is adding a stylish twist to the café area of its stand with 32 tabletops made from imaged plates, and is hoping to wow visitors with a three-dimensional plate wall at its stand in Hall 5.
But such eye-catching visuals aren’t being conceived simply as fun ‘rest-bites’ from pounding the halls or as diverting talking points for visitors. Hopefully, says Trelleborg’s printing blankets managing director Thomas Linkenheil, the displays will create a lasting impression of the company and its products.
"We want Drupa 2012 to raise Trelleborg’s profile to ensure printers connect us with the Vulcan and Rollin blankets," he explains. "We want them to know Trelleborg has a €3bn (£2.5bn)turn-over and is making big investments in print."
Ideal platform
An element of showmanship should create the ideal platform, explains Linkenheil, for the company to showcase the versatility of its printing blankets on any substrate and to generate excitement around the unveiling of four new products: the Vulcan Synthesis Evo sleeve for the heatset sector, the Rollin MyCoat strippable coating blanket for the packaging sector and a mylar-based coating blanket.
Similarly, Kodak’s plate wall, featuring full-size Trillian SP, Electra XD, Sonora XP, Sonora News, Acehive EM and Thermal News Gold plates, is designed with education as well as entertainment in mind.
"The wall will be placed between a Kodak Magnus 800 Platesetter, which will be running the new Sonora XP Process Free Plates, the new Kodak Intelligent PrePress Manager 2.0 and the new Achieve All-in-One computer-to-plate system," explains Kodak director of marketing communications, Pam Patterson.
She explains that, in conjunction with an adjacent Kodak "Sustainability Wall" featuring posters detailing the environmental credentials of Kodak products, the plate wall will highlight the environmental progress made by Kodak plates over the years. "The plate wall will focus on the decrease in chemistry used for different plates," she explains.
So not only are consumables manufacturers planning to steal some of the limelight from hardware this year, they are also determined to hold their own when it comes to sustainability.
President of Allied Pressroom Chemistry Rick Sures says consumables will be very much part of the overall increased environmental focus of Drupa 2012.
"I think at Drupa we will see more emphasis on the ecological impact of chemicals, in particular an emphasis on the reduction of potentially harmful chemicals in the environment, be they liquids into groundwater supplies, or volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere," he says.
"This obviously encompasses the health effects of chemical products on the people employed in the industry; these adverse effects must be minimal and under constant scrutiny."
To demonstrate its commitment to these health issues, Allied Pressroom Chemistry will showcase a range of alcohol-free fount solutions, fount solutions approved for use on food packaging, roller cleaners and plate cleaners, wash with low or no solvent content and biodegradable degreasers.
Fujifilm Graphic Systems’ offset solutions product manager Sean Lane agrees that demand is increasing for products that help to reduce printers’ environmental footprint.
"I believe the trend we will see at Drupa in the consumables sector will be a focus on how current technologies have evolved and have been enhanced to give improved environmental characteristics," he says.
"The majority of manufacturers are concerned with building on their environmental credentials and part of this effort involves reducing their carbon footprint, both with existing products and with any new technologies that are being brought to market, such as Fujifilm’s new Brillia HD LH-PXE plate and systems such as Fujifilm’s XR-1200F waste developer reduction system."
Substrate manufacturers will also no doubt be keen to promote their eco-friendly credentials at this year’s show.
UPM, for example, will be showcasing its new SwanBarrier range of sustainable papers, which has been developed for dry and greasy food wrappings and which contain no polyethylene coating or fluorochemicals, meaning they are fully recyclable and biodegradeable.
Customer concerns
Thomas Ehrnrooth, UPM Paper’s vice-president of marketing and communications, says: "Sustainability and environmental issues are becoming more and more important for paper customers. The trend we are seeing in European markets is a demand for affordable, well-functioning papers that don’t compromise on environmental performance."
Of course, a hot environmental debate at Drupa will be what sorts of inks to use on these substrates. Inks are an integral part of making a print operation as green as possible, explains François Martin, HP GSB worldwide marketing director.
For Martin, solvent-free is the future. "For wide-format printers the focus will almost certainly be on environmentally enhanced products, as there is virtually no reason to purchase solvent-based products anymore," he says, explaining that the latex printers HP will be demonstrating at Drupa will include non-flammable and non-combustible, water-based HP latex inks, which require no special ventilation equipment or external dryers.
But eco-inks should not mean performance is compromised, says Martin. "While people may be moving into digital, they don’t want any trade-off on quality," he says. "We’ll be showcasing a new Electroink on our B2 Indigo 10000 press, which, with its use of oil to dilute the pigments, has been enhanced to help high image and text quality on a wide range of substrates."
So while the environment will be high on the agendas of those shopping for consumables this year, the age-old concerns of cost and quality will remain king. Martin confirms: "The feedback we have been getting from our customers is that they will primarily be looking for quality that is consistent across a range of substrates."
While some in the consumables sector draw crowds with arresting spectacles, they will also be focusing on getting the basics right. The likes of Trelleborg and Kodak will, then, be hoping to show there is more to a fun art gallery or attractive plate wall than just a pretty face.
CONSUMABLES & ANCILLARIES DEVELOPMENTS SINCE DRUPA 2008
2008
Durst develops thermo-formable UV ink for sports equipment… Sun Chemical launches security inks… M-real enters the security and creative papers market… Lenzing Papier launches 100% recycled range… Amadeus brand added to Denmaur and Independent Paper’s 3R range… Sun Chemical becomes distributor of the Apollo wide-format range in the UK… Xaar printhead technology is used to produce LCD screens …
2009
Reflections launches ‘fabric’ substrate… PlastGrommet extends range of environmentally friendly eyelets and applicators… Spandex launches new PVC-free ImagePerfect media… Colorific launches bio-solvent ink for Epson head-based printers… Hexis launches wall film alternative to banners… Fujifilm unveils next-generation Pro-T pro-cessless plate… Ultrachem launches range of UV inks and water-based coatings… Madico launches window
film portal…
2010
GIF introduces biodegradable laminate… Seal Graphics launches anti-graffiti film… Agfa launches G2 UV inks for Anapurna M-series… ATP launches highly transparent laminating film… INX & Eckart develop metallic inkjet inks… Hexi launches conformable PVC-free film for vehicle wrapping… Fujifilm Euromedia adds new self-adhesive substrates… Spandex releases repositionable versatile vinyl… Mimaki launches metallic ink… Flint Group unveils coatings incorporating silver to combat bacteria… Drytac unfurls bamboo banner fabric… Mitsubishi HiTec Paper launches metallic iridescent inkjet photo papers… Mutoh launches Bio-Lactite, a new class of eco-friendly inks… Antalis and Katz launch green hanging-sign substrate Antacote…
2011
TUK Systems launches affordable CTP package… TPS launches three fount solutions into UK… Sappi targets digital print market with Jaz launch… Hybrid Services launches clear ink… M-real launches label and flexible packaging papers… Robert Horne launches Hello Hot Silk… ABC Allied products return to the UK… Service Graphics launches barrier skin substrate for live events… D.gen launches double-sided ink… Antalis McNaughton expands 3D range… DigiGlass introduces DigiView one-way film… Neschen launches anti-graffiti polypropylene film… Sun Chemical launches quick-drying ink SunLit Titan… Agfa launches Energy Elite Pro thermal plate… Seal Graphics launches double-sided window film for short-term promotions… Agfa expands violet chemistry-free CTP offering… Domino launches new ink for thermal inkjet printing… Fujifilm launches Pro-T3… Shree Refrigerations ties up with Cosmotech for a range of fountain solution chillers… Korsnäs launches luxury packaging paper… Flint Group introduces new ink for outdoor bag packaging market… GPS unveils low-cost UV CTP…Total Print Supplies becomes distributor of Shackell Edwards inks and varnishes…
2012
BFS Pressroom Solutions takes over the converting and distributing of Trelleborg’s Vulcan blankets… Arlon unveils DPF 4300 removable-adhesive film… Lüscher and MacDermid launch Accent flexo plate… 678 Media brings first Fogra-certified laser paper to UK… Guandong unveils ‘Made for Europe’ range… JM Technical Textiles launches two new fabric products… Tetenal UK broadens wide-format portfolio with Mutoh and Kala… Masterpiece Graphix adds digital product range… Antalis McNaughton launches 74 products to UK market under the Coala banner…
Take a look at PrintWeek's consumables and ancillaries stand-by-stand here
