Page 48 - Print 21 Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

Labelexpo
takes Windy City by storm
Labelexpo Americas – held in Chicago – can still turn out a pretty big crowd of converters from around the world, including Australian and New Zealand label printers
who made the trip across the Pacific to see the latest and greatest label kit on display. Jake Nelson caught up with a few of them once the jetlag had worn off.
Labels
This year’s Labelexpo Americas was the biggest ever, say organisers, with 487 exhibitors spread
out across 19,000 square metres of floor space at Chicago’s Donald E Stephens Convention Centre. “The tremendous feedback we have had from exhibitors and visitors alike at this year’s Labelexpo Americas demonstrates that there
is a real momentum in the industry right now, and that was reflected in the buyers’ mood, with numerous sales achieved on the show floor and a strong international focus,” said event director Tasha Ventimiglia.
Among the 16,413 visitors from 86 countries was a contingent from Australia and New Zealand, including representatives from around 20 supply companies such as Konica Minolta, Jet Technologies, Currie Group, Label Power, and Screen.
David Reece, sales director for Asia-Pacific at Jet Technologies, has been to Labelexpo Americas before and was happy with the local turnout this year. “I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people from Australia and New Zealand attending, in particular their optimism, their support and the high quality of their enquiries,”
he said.
Jet Technologies
cleans up
Jet Technologies and its partners, including Screen GP, Flexowash, Kocher and Beck, and Asahi had a good Labelexpo experience, said Reece. “The highlight for us was the continued innovation in digital printing and finishing, and from a conventional flexo point of view, it
Joe’s Live Bar and Music Hall, Chicago, hosted the Label Industry Global Awards 2018.
James Malone, Label Power (right) with Lars Kongstad, MD Flexowash.
The Donald E Stephens Convention Centre, Chicago.
Peter Scott, Screen GP Australia (right) with Michael Nankervis, Onpack.
Danielle Black, Label Power, at the 2018 Label Awards.
Left to right:
was great to see the development of high-quality and efficient flexo photopolymer plates from our partner Asahi,” he said.
At least one sale has come out of the show for Jet Technologies, with more potentially to come. “We had a positive result from the show, with one of our previous customers, Label Power Queensland, who had in the past purchased a Flexowash parts washer from us, purchasing an anilox cleaner,” he said. “There was a lot of interest in Screen’s L350UV+ digital inkjet presses as well.”
James Malone, CEO of Label Power, invested in a Flexowash Handy 2x2 anilox cleaner, which
he said was a good purchase for
a number of reasons. “It takes
four anilox rollers at once, uses an automated wash cycle, and has a quick cycle time, so the rollers can come direct from the MPS press and into the washer,” he said. “Plus there is the great backup and service from Jet Technologies.”
Two presses for Screen
For Peter Scott, managing director
of Screen GP Australia, his first Labelexpo Americas was a cause
for pride in his US counterparts. “I thought Screen USA did an amazing job with their stand, which had two versions of our new L350UV+ label presses,” said Scott. “It is likely we will have a couple of orders as a result of the show.”
Both of the L350UV+ inkjet presses on the stand were capable
of printing at 60 metres per minute in CMYK plus white and orange. According to Scott, the new orange ink expands the colour gamut by 16 percent over the previous model, and productivity is up 20 percent. “One press had the standard inkset, and the other featured our new low- migration inks which are compliant with EuPIA, Swiss Ordinance and Nestle regulations.
48 Print21 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018