Opening its doors on 26 and 27 February 2014, Packaging Innovations has rapidly become Europe’s top print and packaging event as companies descend on the show to display their latest printing machinery, technology and techniques.

The show returns with over 350 exhibitors, and a full learnShops programme, delivered by world class industry experts, such as HP, CS Labels, Marks & Spencer, Wilkinson, Iceland Foods and Tesco. This edition includes Print Innovations and Labelling Innovation with a new section, Converting Innovations, added.

The show has received unprecedented support from trade associations, such as IPIA, EFIA and BPIF labels, as well as exhibitors including Fujifilm, FFEI, Xeikon, HP, Esko, Epson, DuPont UK, CS Labels, RakoGroup, FFEI, Falconer Print & Packaging, Dantex Graphics and Intec Printing Solutions Limited, which have all signed up for the show.

Alison Church, easyFairs event director, said, ‘The show provides an invaluable opportunity for suppliers of machinery, equipment and technology for converting print and labelling, to showcase their innovative new products and meet big brand owners, retailers and marketers all looking to create that all-important, ‘on-pack’ inspiration.’

‘It is a good place to launch products because the attendees are normally at the heart of our anticipated interest base,’ agreed Paul Bates, regional business manager, North West Europe at Esko. ‘It is not just our direct customers that we meet, but our customers’ customers who see the implications of the technologies coming through.

‘We have supported the event since its inception because we believe in focused exhibitions, so customers can see everyone they are interested in, and meet them in their relevant areas quickly and efficiently. I think there is always a buzz of excitement and expectation with people bringing new products to market.’

 

Now showing …

First time exhibitor, Afinia (stand H17) will be introducing its range of label printers, and taking centre stage will be the Afinia L-801, a memjet-powered inkjet label printer, which can produce high quality full colour labels at speeds of 18 m/min.

Addressing and Mailing Solutions (AMS) (stand E11) will be demonstrating a selection of its digital printing machinery, including the M1C Labelmaxer colour label printer, which is capable of printing full process colour with full bleed at the rate of 300 mm per second.

AG/CAD Limited (stand F20) will be launching its new DYSS X5 Digital Cutter. The X5 has been designed specifically to handle all the prototyping, sample making and short to medium run production needs of packaging and point-of-sale display companies.

Dantex Graphics (stand K12) will showcase the Truepress Jet L350UV, a digital label press, which delivers photo realistic quality and fast, stable output ata printing speed of up to 50 m/m. The press offers high-speed UV digital label printing for short to medium run and jobs can be easily prioritised according to run length, material and finishing requirements.

The company will also feature the Dantex 1290 label press, ideal for short runs and variable data, as well as showing the Star Plate and Star Proof systems in cooperation with partner, Graphic Republik.

For food packaging applications Durst Phototechnik AG (stand H21), the industrial inkjet specialist, is expanding the application fields of the Tau 330 digital UV inkjet print system and will be presenting new solutions for the food industry and fully automated industrial production.

The Durst LFS 330 is a new inline digital laser finishing system for the Tau 330 that incorporates state of the art laser die-cutting technology from Spartanics, with a powerful 1000 watt laser for highest productivity and automatic job changeover to handle multiple jobs in a single pass.

Epson (stand K10) will be demonstrating the new Epson TM-C3500 colour label printer and the GP-C831, rugged inkjet, tractor feed label printer. The TM-C3500 uses DURABrite Ultra pigment ink cartridges for the printing of labels that smudge, water and fade resistant. The GP-C831 is ideal for large labels including large format drum and chemical labeling, and is said to combine the best of dot matrix and inkjet technology.

Esko (stand G17) will be launching its new Automation Engine Suite 14 that will be released in Q2 of 2014. Mr Bates said, ‘One example is complete integration with non-graphical systems. In a day-to-day application this can mean a workflow set up for packaging based on the weather forecast. For example, if it is hot there might be greater demand for more strawberry containers or salad packaging. This addresses the need for more and more JIT delivery and this level of integration is something we see becoming increasingly important to the customer base.’

FFEI (stand F6) and Fujifilm (stand G5) will be partnering show the packaging solutions offered by both companies on a 48 square metres large stand, including the Graphium inkjet press, Acuity LED 1600, and RealPro Toolkit. The Acuity LED 1600 is a large format hybrid inkjet printer which produces packaging prototypes, including solutions distinguished by special varnishing effects or spot colours. ‘Thanks to its special varnishing effects and flexibility as a printer, the Acuity LED 1600 can quickly create high quality packaging samples that stand out on the shelf,’ explained Steve Cookman, product manager, wide format inkjet, Fujifilm.

As well as presenting the Graphium digital UV inkjet press, which has been developed for printers specialising in the labelling and packaging sectors who want to increase margins and revenue streams on short to medium print runs, FFEI will also be showcasing RealPro Toolkit which provides advanced productivity tools for document specific label and packaging pre-press tasks directly within Adobe Illustrator. 

HP (stand J21) will be transforming its stand into a ‘digitally printed supermarket’. It will showcase the many consumer items that feature digitally printed labels and packaging that have been printed on HP Indigo Digital Presses, demonstrating the versioning capabilities of HP digital printing technology. Also on display will be secondary packaging that has been printed on HP Scitex industrial presses. The shelves will be filled with wine bottles, health and beauty, pharmaceutical and other typical household products.

Julia Cole, UK & Ireland marketing manager at HP Indigo, a key show supporter, commented, ‘We are very much looking forward to the show, where we will be demonstrating how HP digital printing technologies can enable packaging converters to offer a competitive service that meets the requirements of brand owners and help them overcome the market challenges they face.’

Impression Technology Europe (stand G16) will be showing the Rapid X1 and X2 short run digital label printing systems, both of which are described as an economic entry point into this market. The X1 is the small footprint table top version whilst the X2 is the larger floor standing model which can be fully integrated into a production environment; both use memjet printhead technology.

The company will also be demonstrating the ComPress LP4 LED dry toner label press which is optimised at 600 x 1200 dpi and print at high speed on off-the-shelf uncoated and compatible media stocks in either pre-cut or continuous rolls. The Compress Eclipse LF3 digital label cutter provides the perfect finishing solution to both the Rapid printers and the LP4. It includes lamination, contour cutting, waste removal and a slitter in a single compact and user friendly device.

Intec Printing Solutions (stand E12) will be demonstrating the Edge 850 label printer with a new finishing system being unveiled at the show. It offers high quality printing, on demand, making it profitable for low to medium run print jobs. Printing at up to 9 m/min, the printer is compact enough to sit on a desk. The company will also be previewing a new digital printer, the CS5000, which can print white and clear toner on thick boards.

‘The Intec Label Printing Solution can print self-adhesive die-cut matrix removed, retained continuous roll labels for a whole range of packaging while the Intec CS5000 can actually print the packaging, handling media up to 400 gsm/400 microns and up to 1.3 metres long. The show is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our models to prospective buyers,’ commented Terri Winstanley, head of marketing and PR. 

KTEC Group (stand F14) will be showcasing its extensive range of Primera label printers, revealing a whole host of label finishes for smaller producers’ right though to larger companies looking for greater production volume, providing the opportunity to totally automate and customise the label.

Pantone/X-rite (stand J10) will show its PantoneLIVE colour management system for end-to-end colour control and consistency.

Shuttleworth (stand J14) will be showcasing the latest development in MIS with its iPhone and iPad mobile CRM App to help sales team or anyone working remotely. The new job tracking functionality entitled ‘Milestones’ puts production at the heart of the business by automatically updating jobs, making it quick and easy to view the status of any job as it progresses through the business.

Xeikon (stand J8) will be showcasing the innovative work produced by its UK customer base, with customers’ samples of carton packaging, self-adhesive labels and heat transfer applications on stand.

Zünd (stand H10) will show its digital cutting and die-cutting systems. Its G3 modular digital cutting concept helps eliminate bottlenecks in the finishing department thereby boosting productivity. The S3 is a high speed flatbed cutter/router with modular tooling allowing for processing a wide variety of materials up to a maximum thickness of 25 mm.

 

Show features

There will be a number of new show features at the show. These include an Eye-Tracking Technology Feature, run by Campden BRI, providing a unique opportunity to see through the eye of the consumer, understand what drives their spending behaviour and store navigation. This will provide businesses with the necessary information to develop an enhanced strategy for POS, pack design and product positioning.

A new Recycling Clinic, run by Recoup, will feature experts providing free, one-to-one recycling advice; and additionally, a 3D Print Feature will enable designers, engineers and educators to test and perfect their work with 3D modelling. 

To keep up with latest issues and trends there will be an array of free-to-attend learnShops seminars, with expert and case study speakers spanning the world of print and packaging. Headlining the exciting line-up of speakers will be packaging guru Lars Wallentin, drawing upon his experiences after a 40-year career at Nestlé as head of packaging design, as he talks ‘Packaging Sense’ at the show.  

Sun Branding Solutions will present its case study on the art of colour management in the redesign of Mondelez International’s European chewing gum brands Trident, Stimorol and Hollywood, in the biggest cross-country branding project undertaken by Mondelez to date. 

Also topping the bill will be Julia Cole, UK and Ireland marketing manager at Hewlett Packard and Trevor Smith from Amberley Adhesive Labels, who will be hosting a two-part seminar describing how digital print helped to deliver the ongoing ‘Share a Coke’ campaign within the UK; followed by a broader discussion about how digital can facilitate brand marketing initiatives.

Sales manager of CS Labels, Nathan Daniel, will be presenting a seminar dedicated to peel and reveal labels, while on its stand, the company will be demonstrating its augmented reality capability which it has developed in partnership with Ooh-AR Augmented Reality Solutions.

The BIG Print Debate will also be returning, where a panel of packaging experts will form a lively Question Time style session, discussing the topic, ‘The latest print technologies: gimmick or sound ROI?’ Packaging needs to catch the eye of the consumer, but when it comes to delivering the goods are some of the latest print technologies often more trick than treat?

Another panel discussion, chaired by Robert Herridge, managing director of Packology, will look at print on demand in the corrugated sector, while web to print in folding cartons is the topic of a presentation by RCS and Screen Europe.

The 2014 event will feature seven co-located shows in total: Packaging Innovations, Ecopack, Contract Pack, Packtech, Print Innovations, Labelling Innovations and, new for 2014, Converting Innovations. 

 

Packaging Innovations

26 February 2014, 10:00-17:00

27 February 2014, 10:00-16:00

Halls 9 and 10

The NEC Birmingham