Live from Drupa 2008

By: noreply@blogger.com
May 30, 2008
Drupa means many things to many companies, but first and foremost, Drupa means innovation. That was again the case this week in Dusseldorf, Germany, as Drupa 2008 opened its doors to the 100,000-plus attendees.

     New products and technologies have been the hallmark of Drupas past, and the 2008 edition will not deviate from that successful model.

Before I give you a taste of what`s new here, let me give you a glimpse of what Drupa is. For those who haven`t had the pleasure of attending Drupa, you must understand its size. The mother of all packaging shows in the United Staes, Pack Expo, boasts some 60,000 attendees. This year`s Drupa, down from years past, will likely approach some 200,000 attendees. Instead of one or two exhibition halls, Drupa intimidates wkith its 17 halls. Yes, 17 large exhibit halls filled to the brim with enormous booths containing large, running machinery.
     Back to the actual innovations.



Sun Chemical
Sun Chemical announced a number of new solutions (some for packaging, some for commercial printing), including what it bills as the world`s first eco-friendly UV ink, called SUNCURE Advantage. The ink uses 30 percent sustainable materials – a first for a UV curing ink. SUNCURE can be printed at maximum speeds on UV curing offset presses on a wide variety of paper and carton board substrates.

     Sun Chemical also announced a new strategic partnership with EskoArtwork to work together on the issues of color in the workflow and to bring further benefits to new and existing customers of both companies. The companies have been working together for several months, integrating their solutions and testing the value with select mutual customers.

     The partnership will involve integrating Sun Chemical`s SmartColour database of ink readings inside the EskoArtwork Kaleidoscope color management software. The result will be color-accurate proofs essential to proper management of brand colors.



EskoArtwork
Not to be outdone by Sun Chemical, EskoArtwork had another announcement to share at Drupa. The company recently joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of GreenBlue. The SPC is an industry working group inspired by cradle-to-cradle principles and dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of packaging.

     EskoArtwork realizes the role of package design in the overall packaging lifecycle, and with the SPC the company continues to helps its customers reduce their environmental footprint in all phases of the cradle-to-cradle concept.



Hewlett-Packard
HP also introduced multiple new advancements, many geared toward commercial printing. But one such announcement should catch the eye of some label and narrow-web converters. HP unveiled its new HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press, a machines that targets longer-run converting work (13,000 linear feet) as opposed to the companies previous short-run press, the WS4500.

     HPs WS6000 is designed for higher-volume users and offers total cost of owner advantages on volume usage in excess of 984,000 linear feet per month. The new press can print up to seven colors and includes improved white ink for printing on metallic label stock as well as flexible packaging. The WS6000 prints at 98 feet per minute in four colors, and prints on a brad range of substrates including folding cartons and thin flexible packaging. The WS6000 also boasts repeat lengths of 38.58 inches, allowing for greater productivity and lower costs per label.

     Look for more updates from Drupa 2008 in my blog, and a recap of the entire show next week.