INKS AND COATINGS

Bordeaux Digital Printink
Hall 3, Stand B50
During Drupa, Bordeaux will demonstrate its wide range of commercial products, including its latest UV LED inks with
substantial elongation properties. The UV LED ink has improved properties that the company says will further complement the Bordeaux UV and UV LED product lines. Bordeaux will also emphasise its
ability to provide total solutions for wide-format printers by exhibiting its new line of laminates based on water for the wide-format digital printing market and UV-based laminates for more diverse applications such as document finishing and pre-press applications. Both coatings are intended to increase prints’ durability to abrasion and prevent fading, and
are manufactured at the company’s new production facility on the US east coast.

Druckfarben
Hall 9, Stand B55
A new series of perfectable inks called Perfecta Plus will be on show at the Druckfarben stand. The inks, says the
company, have been developed using the latest renewable raw materials, and
manufactured using the most up-to-date technology to enhance the inks’ gloss,
rub resistance and high-speed press stability. The company will also be showcasing its range of over print varnishes (OPVs)
for sheetfed and heatset printing. Users of these OPVs, says Druckfarben, report reductions in usage (thus better product mileage), and improved product protection and remaining ‘water white’ on the printed medium.

Epson
Hall 5, Stands A1-1 & A1-2
Epson will show next-generation aqueous and dye inksets to support its range of new hardware. The company will also showcase a new UV ink for printing on uncoated paper and film label substrates.

Fujifilm
Hall 8b, Stands 25-1 & 25-3
Drupa 2012 will be the launch platform for Fujifilm’s new range of high-performance Vividia digital inks. With performance characteristics tailored to the commercial and packaging print segments, this range has been developed to complement the company’s growing range of single-pass digital inkjet presses. Meanwhile, in the Wide Format Print Zone, a new Uvijet ink specifically developed to support the low-energy characteristics of the Acuity LED 1600 printer will be showcased. Also in the Uvijet range are inks that support high adhesion for a diversified range of applications, a flexible ink designed for post press operations, and a ductile and flexible ink for decorated forming.

Heidelberg
Hall 1
Heidelberg will be showcasing its newly expanded range of Saphira consumables, which includes the Saphira Eco line. After Drupa, Heidelberg will offer printers the option of attaining a Saphira Eco symbol provided they meet certain environmental standards, and promoting the 250pp, 20,000-run Metro AG annual report as a case study of the first product in the world to be printed with the logo. Heidelberg is also showcasing a Saphira Eco starter kit that enables customers to achieve eco-friendly production from the first day their presses enter service.

HP
Hall 4, Stands D60-1 & 60-9
Designed to work with HP FB225 process colour Scitex inks and HP Scitex FB7500 and FB7600 industrial presses, the new HP FB225 white Scitex ink, to be showcased at Drupa, is designed for applications such as backlit signage, window displays and short-run corrugated packaging. The white ink is designed to integrate with the full set of process colours to produce durable, rich, saturated colour on clear or coloured materials. It will also, HP says, reduce labour and prepress costs, and improve efficiency with precise white-to-CMYK registration.

Inx Digital International
Hall 3, Stand A50
Inx Digital’s focus will be to promote its Prodigy digital ink brand, a range that the company is continually developing, says Inx, to integrate into a wider range of printing markets. This year’s Drupa will mark the first time Inx Digital International, Inx International Ink and parent company to both, Sakata INX, will all be on the same stand. Susie Mendelssohn, international marketing manager for Inx Digital International, says this move will strengthen the digital ink offering of all three companies.

"This will be the first show where we have come together to show a unified front and at the same time emphasise our strengths in traditional, digital and visual communications markets. With such an upward trend for traditional printers turning to digital, it only made sense for us to join together to exhibit our current capabilities and further highlight applications and technologies we are focusing on for the future," she says.

Kodak
Hall 5, Stand F9-1
New gold, pearlescent and neon pink printing effects will be demonstrated on the Kodak stand. The inks are applied using the fifth imaging unit on the Kodak Nexpress plus and have been enabled by enhancements to the Nexpress SX Platform, including inline UV coating and long sheet delivery trays. These developments enable service providers to expand applications and increase profit potential with digital printing, says Kodak. Also on show will be Kodak’s offset-quality Prosper S-Series 4 Color Process Pigment Inks, Prosper S-Series Security Inks and Kodak IOS pre-treatment technology, which applies a water-based coating to standard
offset papers to make them suitable for inkjet printing.

Prisco
Hall 6, Stand D24
Along with an array of other pressroom consumables, Prisco will be showcasing its Speedy Dry ink at Drupa. The product’s ink additive permits ink printed on a variety of porus and non-porous printing substrates to set almost instantly without any change in colour, says Prisco. This reduces energy costs related to drying and substrate waste due to ink offsetting, the company says. Speedy Dry ink is available in metallic and spot colours and is supplied by BFS Pressroom Solutions in the UK.

Sun Innovations
Hall 7a, Stand D8
Along with a new anti-bacterial ink (see Must-see, p39), Sun Innovations will launch a new security ink with quantum dots for remote or contact reading. The technology is designed to protect security paper and high-security objects from counterfeiting, and works through a photoluminescent effect that can remain stable for up to 20 years. The inks will be available in water-based and solvent UV-curable versions, and can be applied to paper, metal, ceramics, wood and textiles.

Van Son Ink
Hall 3, Stand C54
Van Son will be promoting its new ink series, Quickson Supreme, at Drupa and promoting its fast-drying properties for speedy workflow. The inks are suitable, says Van Son, for all sheetfed offset presses, including perfecting, for packaging and board printers, for use in combination with infra-red drying units, and for a wide range of finishing applications such as UV varnish, aqueous coating, foil or lamination. The inks are also vegetable-based, low-VOC, and can be used with IPA and with IPA substitutes without changing drying characteristics.

PRESSROOM CONSUMABLES

Printgraph
Hall 6, Stand C61
Printgraph will be showcasing its range of Finito underpacking blankets, distributed solely by BFS Pressroom Solutions in the UK. The underpacking uses different
materials to conventional blankets, says Printgraph, to offer a ready-use sheet in the correct thickness recommended by the press manufacturer. On show will be the Finito No Stop, designed for high-quality sheetfed printing and packaging and to give high smash resistance and good ink release. Also on show will be the Finito
no-stick range of plates and blankets
for varnish.

"The highly engineered compression layer gives increased value by maintaining printing pressure load over millions of impressions. The print surface compound has been designed with improved abrasion resistance to automatic blanket washing systems," says Thomas Linkenheil, managing director. "In addition, all layers of the Vulcan Synthesis Evo have been designed to provide solvent resistance to low-VOC press chemistry."

APC - Allied Pressroom Chemistry
Hall 7, Stand E52
The company will be launching several new products. The first is a new fount solution created through the combination of a new wetting package, buffering agents and calcium deposit inhibitors, and designed to allow a thinner film of liquid to keep the plate clean without pulling extra paper coating off sheets or over-emulsifying inks. Also being launched is an Aquanil bio-degradable cleaner that seals and protects the look of vinyl and film, and a Flexosolve range of dedicated UV ink cleaners and developers.

CyanX
Hall 16, Stand A55
CyanX will debut its line of Green Frog ICP anti-marking transfer and delivery jackets to the global print industry. Developed with American manufacturer Shinoda USA, the Green Frog anti-marking jackets attach to Heidelberg transfer cylinders to prevent the wet side of the printed sheet from marking. CyanX will also be promoting the fact that it can provide specialist ICP anti-marking films for all other litho press types. "Complete satisfaction in the elimination of waste and downtime for virtually every press type is ensured through the best ICP anti-marking film from Shinoda and other specialty materials," says James Elliott, president
of Shinoda USA.

Druckfarben
Hall 9, Stand B55
Better resilience, smash recovery and improved dot reproduction and transfer are the qualities promised of Druckfarben’s newly launched Druckstar blanket. The blanket is also more resistant to scoring from paper cuts, says the manufacturer. Druckfarben will also be showcasing its recently developed dampening system-specific fount solutions, the Ceramica Fount and Chromium Fount. These, says Druckfarben, are both virtually solvent-free and offer water stability, cleaner and quicker start-ups, good copy and a cleaner circulation tank due to the fact that they do not break printing inks down. Also on the stand will be the company’s new range of silicone additives, the Web Protect range. The products are available in various solid content solutions to meet specific press and customer needs and, says Druckfarben, offer superior web re-moistening and scuff resistance while working at low percentage doses.

ESC
Hall 3, Stand E16
Visitors to the ESC stand will be shown a new, improved version of the ESC-Perfecta IC screen washing and reclaiming system, the ESC-Perfecta IC ECOline. The inline continuous-flow system has been upgraded with an adjustable nozzle bar operating height, which can now be pre-selected to suit different screen sizes to save on time, chemicals and energy. The system also boasts a screen-washing module equipped with an integrated inclined filter system to prolong the solvent’s lifetime, and a screen development module that saves the printer the extra investment of a separate screen developing system.

Flexo Concepts
Hall 11, Stand C34
At this year’s show, Flexo Concepts will introduce its QuikWash wash-up system, a press retrofit that allows offset printers to use a plastic wash-up blade without upgrading their presses. The product consists of a clamp that attaches to the existing wash-up tray and holds the DeltaFlex straight plastic wash-up blade. The benefits are more efficient wash-ups – twice as fast, says Flexo Concepts – reduced solvent consumption, and quick and simple blade changes. The company will also be promoting its MicroClean dry media anilox cleaning system, an automated, enclosed, off-press system that uses specially designed plastic media pellets to remove all types of inks and coatings from anilox cells. The system is ideal for companies looking to cut their use of solvents, says Flexo Concepts, as the technology runs without the use of water or chemicals and emits no organic substances. MicroClean media also offer printers a very safe to use cleaning option, says Flexo Concepts, and as the spent particles are non-hazardous and do not require special waste removal, the solution is recyclable.

Kodak
Hall 5, Stand F9-1
The unique selling point of Kodak’s new Flexcel Direct System, the company says, is its inclusion not only of high-power laser engraving to produce superior quality press-ready elastomer sleeves, but a complete solution that includes hardware, workflow and media. In the lead-up to Drupa, the system is being trialled by Kodak test-site customers with good results, says Kodak. The Flexcel Direct System joins the Kodak Flexcel NX System in a line-up of flexographic solutions from Kodak designed to increase shelf impact while driving production efficiency. "The Flexcel NX System remains our flagship solution and has revolutionised the flexo plate industry with high-definition flexo printing that is consistent and cost-effective to produce," says Mohan Garde, Kodak’s vice-president and general manager of its packaging solutions business. "With the addition of the Flexcel Direct System to the portfolio we can now make affordable, high-quality in-the-round flexo sleeve production a reality and demonstrate Kodak’s ongoing commitment to deliver truly differentiated solutions into the packaging segment."

Prisco
Hall 6, Stand D24
Supplied by BFS Pressroom Solutions, Prisco’s range of pressroom solutions is ever-evolving, says the company, and its Drupa stand will reflect this. One highlight will be the Prisco FloClear system for fountain solution recycling, the winner of the PIA/GATF Intertech award. Prisco will also be demonstrating how its Priscotech water treatment systems standardise water to produce consistent results. "There will be state-of-the-art solutions for every pressroom at Prisco’s stand," promises Eric Gutwillig, vice-president of marketing. "These include alcohol-free fountain solutions, fountain additives, roller and blanket washes, press maintenance products and water treatment and recycling systems."

TyreF
Hall 3, Stand F13
TyreF will be promoting its new TyreF Aqua compressible, poly-backed, stripping coating blanket at Drupa. Both this and the new TyreF Rosa poly-back, compressible, strippable, polymer-faced varnish/coating plate have been developed with fragrances to disguise the normal rubber blanket smell and improve the pressroom working environment. TyreF plates and blankets are supplied by Stehlin Hostag in the UK.

Westland Group
Hall 155, Stand A42
Westland Group’s mission statement for Drupa 2012 is to "discover the values of green". The company will be introducing its new LotoTec-Ink Rollers, which promise to improve on the rollers presented at Drupa 2008 through enhanced rapid colour change, ease of cleaning and IPA-free printing. The LotoTec-Ink Rollers’ patented core technology, LotoTec Surface Coating, which was presented for dampening rollers in 2008, is based on a lotus-effect or water running off a lotus leaf, says Westland. The company will also be introducing its Ligum Premium Sleeves and new roller covers for high-reactive UV inks. Westland products are supplied by BFS Pressroom Solutions.

PLATES AND PLATE PROCESSORS

ContiTech
Hall 6, Stand 77
To mark an expansion of the company’s involvement in flexo printing, Contitech will be showing off the latest flexographic printing plates in its Conti Laserline, the Conti Laserline CSX and CSC, Conti Laserline CCX for direct printing on corrugated board, and the Conti Laserline CSL coating plate. While the Conti Laserline CSC printing plate has an integrated compressible layer that enables it to be mounted without the need for foam-backed adhesive tape, the Conti Laserline CCX has a removable cover layer for minimising washboard effect when printing on corrugated board. "ContiTech is able to meet the product thickness and product order size the customer demands while ensuring an outstanding price-performance ratio," says Armin Senne, flexo printing business manager at ContiTech Elastomer Coatings.

Lastly, Fujifilm’s latest Pro-T thermal processless plate will be making its trade show debut. Fujifilm has redesigned the Pro-T3 plate across the board, giving it a new grain structure, a new undercoat layer and a new coating which, featuring Fuji’s new Fine Particle Dispersion technology, is said to enable dramatically improved on-press performance, including a much wider tolerance of different press conditions. The rated run length for Pro-T3 remains unchanged from the previous iterations at 100,000. However, Fujifilm has said that the new plate will be priced "more competitively than in the past". The plate offers resolution from 1%-99% and is capable of holding a 20 micron FM screen.

Ancillaries
AMS
Hall 15, Stand A21-5
US manufacturer of UV systems AMS will showcase its new high-speed Titanium LED drying system for sheetfed offset printing at Drupa. The system, says AMS, installs quickly on presses from half sizes to large-format machines from all leading manufacturers. The LED UV solutions, adds AMS, allows sheetfed printers to achieve safe, instant-start UV drying with less energy at both interdeck and delivery locations, without heat, mercury or ozone. It works, says AMS, at full press speeds and with inline coating effects on materials ranging from paper and board to foil and plastic. "For the first time in the sheetfed offset market we are providing printers with an opportunity to completely specify high-performance LED UV drying units on a press, or to replace their existing UV interdeck and delivery cassettes outright with LED units with no concerns about cost, performance or availability of inks and coatings," says Hans Ulland, executive vice-president of AMS.

Eltex
Hall 15, Stand B26
Eltex will present its new printing assist system ESA Easycharge Exi, which works without charging bars or insulated bearings and is suitable for sleeves and standard impression rollers. The system is approved for the explosion hazard group IIB in package gravure printing and is designed for perfect ink transfer with voltages of up to 1,560V and excellent printing results with unlimited impression roller widths. Eltex will also showcase its new Eltex Basix discharging system.

Hönle
Hall 6, Stand D30
Hönle will launch two new dryers at Drupa this year. The jetCure-series is designed for wide-format inkjet printing applications and high-quality results, even at high speeds. JetCure units are equipped with dichroic reflectors for temperature-sensitive materials and are available with lamp spectra to suit the specific ink used. Meanwhile, Eltosch, part of the Hönle Group, will show off its new EcoPower Dry, which is based around a modular IR/HA system. This system consists of separate independent IR/HA segments, each containing its own supply unit with integrated fan, damp register and microcontroller, which allows individual programming. This, says the company, ensures simple handling, easy mounting, optimum energy efficiency and reliability.

QuadTech
Hall 17, Stand A1
QuadTech will introduce an enhanced
version of its Color Control and Web Inspection System with AccuCam, adding automated, on-the-fly water control management to its capabilities. The new water control feature is designed to combat common newspaper printing problems such as scumming and fan-out, by automatically adjusting ink and water levels. AccuCam’s high sensitivity to water-balance deviations ensures, says QuadTech, that adjustments can be made at full press speed, freeing the operator to use their time more productively than when using traditional methods of maintaining the ink and plate dampening balance. QuadTech product manager Greg Wuenstel says: "AccuCam with water control provides a single solution for ensuring reliable image-based colour control and water balance. This development will not only ensure optimum quality throughout the run, but will also further reduce labour, and help printers to realise ink savings."

SUBSTRATES

Canon
Hall 8a, Stand C6-1
Canon will show the cut-sheet ranges of both Canon and Océ. The initial focus of combining the cut-sheet media portfolio has been on making changes to the product range and implementing the new branding while aligning countries to the new European structure. This started with the core cut-sheet office paper portfolio. Now, the focus will be on the wider speciality range of Océ media, which will support the Canon/Océ digital machine portfolio, including Canon imagePress, Canon imageRunner Advance and Océ VarioPrint.

"The Ilford BioMedia range enables print firms, signmakers, digital copy shops and repro centres to reduce their environmental impact," says Epson senior product manager Richard Barrow, who says this makes it a great match for the Epson SC-S30600 printer.

Mondi
Hall 7, Stand B3-5
Mondi will present its new high-speed inkjet papers, including brands and sub-brands in the professional print portfolio tailored to high-speed inkjet, HP Indigo, digital dry toner, offset and hybrid printing. The company will also be showcasing developments in its Green Range. Visitors can experience Mondi’s Drupa themes first-hand at the stand’s ‘relaxink’ rest area and in the ‘raceink’ space, where daily live demonstrations will take place on an Océ ColorStream 3500 high-speed inkjet printing press. "Drupa visitors will see how our paper classifications for haptics, optics and environmental accreditations make it easier to determine the best paper for a particular application," says Johannes Klumpp, marketing and sales director at Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper.