It’s impossible to chronicle all the technology, innovations, new products and key stories of 2016 in just a few pages. So here are my own personal selections for each month’s top stories.
JANUARY
The Data Group (Brampton, ON) acquired multiple new Xerox digital presses in a $6.7 million deal – one of the largest upgrades by a Canadian printer. The company now uses Xerox presses for all its digital cut-sheet printing at all nine of its production facilities in Canada and Chicago, supported by a standardized workflow built around Xerox FreeFlow Core workflow automation software.
Jones Packaging (London and Brampton, ON and Flintshire, UK), and Norway-based Thin Film Electronics, announced a partnership to integrate Thinfilm’s NFC OpenSense technology into Jones’ paperboard pharmaceutical packaging. NFC’s OpenSense tags are thin, flexible labels that can detect a product’s “factory sealed” and “opened” states and wirelessly communicate that information with the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone. The tags contain unique identifiers that authenticate products and track them to the individual item level.
Lowe-Martin concluded an agreement to acquire RP Graphics. Both companies are based in Mississauga, ON. With the acquisition, Lowe-Martin became one of the largest commercial printers in the Greater Toronto Area. RP Graphics Group has been a key player in the Toronto market since 1958.
FEBRUARY
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) announced an exclusive agreement with French press manufacturer MGI to co-market and service the entire line of MGI digital print solutions here. The partnership added MGI’s JETvarnish 3DS to Konica Minolta’s portfolio and also included MGI’s Meteor series and other finishing technologies. Konica Minolta will provide market coverage across Canada via its large direct sales and service force, backed by a team of commercial print specialists and partners.
Fujifilm Dimatix Technology Integration (DTI) and its ink partners developed manufacturing solutions for printing conductive electronic circuits. Dimatix printheads can deposit silver conductive nanoparticle fluids at high speeds. DTI single-pass technology facilitates digital inkjet integration for printed electronics applications, while assisting customers from the early stages of development to full manufacturing process implementation.
Kodak released Thermal Transfer Ribbon (TTR) with its Traceless Anywhere System to protect brands from counterfeiting by deploying barcode and product identification labels. The system uses Kodak’s Traceless Anywhere Reader. The pocket-sized reader allows investigators to go anywhere to separate counterfeit products from authentic ones.
MARCH
Canon monopolized the month with several new product releases. The OEM expanded its renowned imagePrograf Pro Series with four new large format inkjet printers: the 44” imagePrograf Pro-4000 and Pro-4000S, 24” imagePrograf Pro-2000 and 60” imagePrograf Pro-6000S. The Pro-4000 and Pro-2000 are 11-colour plus Chroma Optimizer printers for the photography and fine arts markets. The new models ensure a level of “stunning Canon image quality” known as Crystal-fidelity. Their Lucia Pro Chroma Optimizer ink system provides exceptional image quality, allowing for increased colour gamut, reduced bronzing, improved scratch resistance, greater image clarity, gloss uniformity and excellent shadow reproduction, as well as increased black optical density. Canon also launched the Océ ColorStream 6000 Chroma, featuring the new Chromera ink set offering “outstanding colour fidelity, wider colour gamut and higher optical densities.” Also unveiled was Canon’s imagePress C8000VP for high-volume production and flexible media handling at speeds up to 80 ppm.
APRIL
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) moved to a new eco-friendly headquarters in Mississauga, ON. The new home features impressive state-of-the-art technology highlighting its printing and imaging solutions, IT services, and printing and packaging technology. The building features a white roof membrane that reflects sunlight, drought-tolerant plants that depend only on rainwater to flourish, and electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot. The new address is 5875 Explorer Drive.
Harmony Printing closed its doors after 52 years. One of our industry’s most knowledgeable and respected printers, Harmony President Don Gain, purchased the company in 1988 and guided it from a small shop to one of the most successful mid-sized printers in the country. Gain’s involvement with the CPIA, OPIA and other industry organizations has been unwavering. He also served on the advisory board of the GCM program at Ryerson University and was chair of the CPISTF. The CPIA recognized him for distinguished service in 2002.
Actega NA added MotionCoat to its specialty coatings portfolio. The UV coating system creates an “amazing motion-like image.” The technology provides converters, designers and brand owners with a variety of eye-popping design elements for printing and packaging without specialized software or major capital investments. Its motion effect can be printed inline at normal press speeds, is 100% recyclable, and can be used with both flexo and litho applications.
MAY
Agfa Graphics dominated one of the busiest months with numerous product launches, including the Anapurna H2500i LED wide format printer. The 2.5m hybrid solution prints on both rigid and flexible media. Its white ink function includes pre, post, spot and sandwich white. Air-cooled LED UV curing enables printing on a broader range of media while saving energy. Next was the Avalon platesetter series. The new Avalon N8-90 model for the 8-up or B1 market comes with three speed options (E, S, and XT). The series can reach speeds of 70 plates per hour. Agfa then unveiled Arziro Design 2.0 software for security printing. Arziro enables the creation of complex, hard-to-copy designs that discourage forgers. Agfa Graphics’ Advantage N Essentials CtP series for newspapers followed – including the semi-automatic Advantage N-eSA, or the fully automated Advantage N-eTR. The new series supports several plate-loading mechanisms, various plate throughput speeds and different levels of autonomy. Agfa also launched version 10 of Apogee Print Hub. The Apogee Suite of workflow management software offers control of all production output from one user interface. Apogee 10 allows printers to set up a versioning job based on spot-colour input files, and merging of different parts of a versioning job onto one plate. Agfa then launched its cloud-based data exchange service PrintSphere, offering a standardized way to send and receive files while adding new automation to existing Agfa workflows. Finally, Agfa Graphics Canada appointed Alexis Aubre as Account Manager for Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces.
HP unveiled the world’s first production-ready 3D printing system. Its Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution “revolutionizes” design, prototyping and manufacturing – and for the first time delivers physical parts up to ten times faster and at half the cost of current 3D print systems. By printing functional parts at the individual voxel level (a voxel is the 3D equivalent of a 2D pixel in traditional printing), HP offered customers “an unprecedented ability to transform part properties and deliver mass customization.” The platform can address over 340 million voxels per second, versus one point at a time, resulting in radically faster build speeds, functional parts and “breakthrough economics”.
KBA and Xerox partnered to create the KBA VariJET 106 Press for the folding carton market. The sheetfed digital integrates KBA’s Rapida Platform and Xerox Impika Inkjet Technology. Until now, wide format cartons have relied on traditional analogue offset printing, said the OEMs. The press, can print 4,500 B1 29.5” x 41.7” sheets per hour. Its modular concept enables the combination of digital inkjet printing with optional inline finishing – such as coating, cold foil, rotary die cutting, creasing and perforating.
JUNE
Drupa. After 11 days, the 1,837 exhibitors from 54 countries reported excellent business deals and promising contacts. Its focus on future themes with strong growth potential – such as 3D printing and packaging – proved to be the right decision. In its 19 exhibition halls, some 260,000 visitors from 188 countries, and about 1,900 journalists from 74 nations, learned about technological innovations, new products and new business lines. Approximately 75% of all attendees were executives and either made, or were involved in, purchasing decisions.
Konica Minolta Canada and MGI teamed up to bring first MGI JETvarnish 3DS and iFoil System to Canada at Print Panther in Oakville, ON. Its groundbreaking digital finishing technology utilized MGI’s inkjet and hot foil stamping processes. The JETvarnish 3DS and inline iFoil provides digital spot UV coating in 2D and 3D formats, plus embossed and foil textured effects – all in a single pass. Its digital spot UV coating process is 100% variable-data capable, including barcode reader options enabling custom, spot-varnished prints with unique graphics, text and numerical data. The June cover of this magazine was printed on Print Panther’s JETvarnish 3DS and ranks as one of our best ever.
Xerox. Toronto’s Hume Media tripled its output with first Xerox Brenva HD Production Inkjet Press installation in the world. The press combines the cost-effectiveness of inkjet with the flexibility of cut-sheet for the light direct-mail, transactional and book markets. The Brenva HD offers “best-in-class automation and reliability features to maximize productivity”. An inline spectrophotometer assists with calibration and profiling, object-oriented colour management distinguishes text, graphics and images while optimizing the image quality of each, and its K-only Mode allows it to run as a monochrome press.
4over and Komori. 4over became the first U.S. trade printer to sign an agreement to install the Komori Impremia NS40 – a sheetfed inkjet press equipped with Landa Nanography and employing water-based inks. The NS40 is a “groundbreaking” digital printing system that combines the versatility of digital with the quality and speed of offset “at an unmatched cost per page.” A key factor in 4over’s decision was the NS40’s ability to provide the level of inkjet variable printing required for superior print quality and reduced turnaround times. It can print on any substrate without pre-treatment, special coating or post-drying.
HP made the largest single customer install in HP Indigo history at Shutterfly (Redwood City, CA) when it leased 25 new HP Indigo 12000 Digital Presses. Shutterfly needed to accommodate production demands during its 2016 holiday peak season and shifted production to its new HP Indigo 12000 fleet to ensure it’s prepared for production of photo-specialty applications, such as custom photobooks, greeting cards and calendars.
JULY
The world’s first 3D-printing restaurant opened its doors in Shoreditch, UK. A 9-course dinner was 3D-printed live by an international team of chefs, artists and technologists. The landmark event also showcased eating utensils and furniture produced entirely through 3D printing. The event was live-streamed online.
Ricoh Canada. Copywell Printing (Vaughan, ON) became the first printer in Canada to install a Ricoh Pro VC60000. The new-generation, continuous-feed inkjet printer is ideal for direct mail, magazine and book printing, and marketing materials. The versatile modular colour inkjet system uses unique multi-drop ink technology that can achieve 1200 x 1200 dpi. Its duplex system can produce nearly 100,000 A4 images per hour. It can generate premium output on a broad range of media that includes uncoated, coated offset, digital, treated and recycled. Faster setup times and personalized runs utilizing variable data ensure that Copywell’s clients will get their tailored messages out on time.
HP. Swiss Pack Canada (Burlington, ON) installed the first HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press in Canada for short-run flexible packaging and digital label printing. Swiss Pack Canada is now able to produce cost-effective, high quality packaging for short runs. The 29” mid-web solution can handle most flexible packaging, pressure-sensitive label, shrink sleeve, wrap-around label, and in-mold label applications. It has seven ink stations and a colour gamut that reaches up to 97% of Pantone colours.
Komori. The Burke Group (Edmonton, AB) became the first printer in Canada to sign a letter of intent to purchase the Komori Impremia NS40. The digital printing system combines the versatility of digital with the quality and speed of offset “at an unmatched cost per page”. Its Landa Nanography technology uses water-based inks that bond instantaneously to the substrate while printing at speeds of up to 6,500 sph. Sheets are abrasion-resistant, require no post-drying and leave no residual ink on the blanket.
Rotoflex (St Louis, MO) moved its Canadian facility to a new, larger 12,000 sq. ft. building at 2660 Meadowvale Blvd., Unit 14, in Mississauga, ON. The expanded capacity adds a dedicated in-house showroom for live machine demos and a technology centre for increased on-site engineering development and service. The first Rotoflex machine rebuild was recenty completed there thanks to the extra capacity to better accommodate machines, tooling and workspace.
AUGUST
Agfa Graphics introduced its Anapurna H3200i LED wide format printer. A new air-cooled LED UV curing system provides an alternative to mercury-lamp curing – enabling printing on a broader range of media while saving energy. The belt-driven hybrid handles all types of roll media up to 3.2m, and also allows for printing on 2m x 3m rigid media. Its white-ink function includes pre, post, spot and sandwich white. Because of its reduced heat emissions, the H3200i LED can print on heat-sensitive substrates such as thin-layer styrene, self-adhesive sheets or stretched ceiling materials made of PVC fabric.
Xerox released its Direct-To-Object (DTO) Printer with nozzles half the width of a human hair that can print photos, images and text directly onto 3D objects in minutes. The nozzles can spray ink at distances of ¼-inch onto objects as small as bottle caps or as large as football helmets. Media can include plastics, metals, ceramics and glass, eliminating the need for costly labels. It’s able to print on smooth, rough, slightly curved or stepped surfaces from 300 dpi to 1,200 dpi. The DTO printer can handle up to 30 objects per hour.
SEPTEMBER
HP & Samsung. In one of the biggest deals ever, HP will buy Samsung’s printing business for $1.05 billion. HP will inherit 6,000 Samsung employees once the deal closes in 11 months. HP will now get a huge printing presence in Asia, as well as Samsung’s laser printing technology and about 6,500 printing patents. By acquiring Samsung, HP would also eliminate one of its printer rivals.
Graph Expo 16, though held in a smaller location, was a huge success. The event welcomed 13,447 registrants that included exhibitors and attendees, and 6,411 verified buyers who came from virtually every industry segment. Held for the first time in Orlando, FL, it drew many new visitors from the southeast U.S.
Massivit 3D Printing Technologies (Lod, Israel) released its Massivit 1800 3D Printer in the USA. It can produce premium quality 3D applications up to 6 feet high, opening up new applications for printers. The technology has already produced several striking 3D models for some blockbuster Hollywood movies.
Riso launched its latest line of compact digital duplicators, the Riso SF Series, that included major improvements such as a redesigned colour LCD panel, and increased speeds from 130 to 150 ppm. The SF Series now features 600 x 600 dpi and improved master-making time. Another key change is a new ink. Riso’s SF inks are made from a more environmentally friendly material – rice bran – that also eliminates yellow discolouration of paper over time. The SF Series’ low energy consumption significantly reduces overall operating costs.
OCTOBER
Mimaki USA opened its first location in Canada. The 11,000 sq. ft facility will be used for product demos, dealer/technician certification, end-user software and applications training, and other events. The new showroom at 20 Barnes Court in Concord, ON will be led by Lucas Crossley, Canada Area Sales Manager, and will showcase the latest in Mimaki wide format digital printing in latex, dye sublimation, UV and solvent printing. An impressive gallery of samples from Mimaki printers and cutters is also showcased.
Canon Canada and its “Make Your Mark” Open House in Toronto explored the latest wide format technology from Canon – specifically its flagship imagePrograf series of wide format printers for the fine art and photography markets. Close-up photos were taken of a model’s face and wirelessly sent to a Canon Image Prograf Pro-4000 printer. Prints reflected how the Pro-4000 reproduces intricate facial details, fine lines and skin tones. Solutions for production signage and other applications were also showcased.
NOVEMBER
Alliance Franchise Brands acquired KKP Canada (a division of Kwik Kopy Printing). The agreement adds 50 franchise locations to the Plymouth, Michigan-based franchise. Alliance began in the industry with Speedy Printing in Canada and American Speedy Printing in the U.S. With the acquisition, its network now has 630 locations. The move triples its Canadian presence.
Komori and Highcon announced a strategic partnership. Komori America will sell and support the entire Highcon product line. The partnership is integral to Komori’s overall strategy to create new value and richer communications through “connected print” – the ability to effectively connect various processes to Komori’s diverse functions with the latest technologies. Komori characterizes Highcon’s digital finishing solutions as the “perfect complement” to its fleet of offset presses as well as its Impremia IS29, 29” inkjet sheetfed UV printing system. The Highcon solutions can produce intricate cutouts, etching, unique scoring and cut-over creasing.
