Welcome to the news roundup for the last week of June, and also the last update until August as industry news tends to slow down dramatically during the holiday period in Europe and particularly during the month of July. Key news will still be posted on the Website when available, along with Laurel Brunner’s Verdigris Blogs.

There are only two events that I am aware of in July. FESPA Africa, which kicks off at the Gallagher Convention Centre inJohannesburg this week, from 2 – 4 July; and then Expoprint Latin America in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 16 – 22 July. The next big one for Latin America will be FESPA Mexico in Mexico City from 21 – 23 August. This year’s key event for the newspaper and publishing industry will be WAN/IFRA’s World Publishing Expo which returns to the popular venue of Amsterdam from 13 – 15 October. Don’t miss today’s news from WAN/IFRA.

Key news to look for this week includes Antalis with educational podcasts offering advice on aspects of digital and sign & display markets; and also from Esko on Wednesday, relating to the rollout of its Knowledge Base Website, which provides access to valuable hardware and software information, resulting in customer self-service support having increased 75 per cent in less than half a year. Kodak’s announcement on Thursday of its entry into the corrugated market with its latest Flexcel NX developments, including new plates and a new platesetter to address this important market segment led the news.

And leading the headlines today you will find a joint announcement from the European Rotogravure Association; IDEAlliance; the Nordic Offset Printers Association; Print Process Champions Group; and WAN-IFRA, as they confirm global cross-industry collaboration for the production of the next industry ‘Best Practice Guide’ entitled ‘Optimized Paper Handling & Logistic s’.

As for recent sales and installations, the past week has seen several key announcements, led by EFI and GLS on Monday with the first EFI Jetrion LED inkjet narrow web press in the United States; followed by KBA at Chesapeake/MPS in the UK with a Rapida 106 as part of a £3m investment programme. Also Horizon with another StitchLiner from IFS in the UK.

On Tuesday, leading the headlines: KBA again with a third and fourth Rapida 106 now heading for Stora Enso Inpac in Guangdong, China; and from Kodak with Panther Graphics adopting a Kodak Achieve platesetter and Sonora XP Process Free Plates to boost its ROI, as well as its environmental credentials. This was followed by Karl Knauer in Germany, which is now focusing on higher performance with its new Speedmaster XL 106-6 with dual coater.

Wednesday saw CPI UK expand its short run digital book production with a third Quantum line driven by an HP T410 Digital Inkjet Web Press with a new Timson T-fold. The investment package also includes a new Kolbus KM200 binding line – all at its WiltshireUK facility. Also on this day, Weiss Druck in Monschau, Germany has invested in InlineCutoff Control Dynamic from Manroland Web Systems. On Thursday, KBA announced its 20th waterless Cortina newspaper web press installation complete with coating inTrier, Germany’s oldest city. This was followed by Edale with AB Graphic, as they announce a Digicon 3000 digital finishing system for Innovative Labeling Solutions in Ohio, USA. On Friday, Goss took the lead with UBP Printing in Malaysia which has opted for two more single-width Goss Community SSC presses with 36 new printing units, bringing UBP’s total to four presses with 84 press units in just four years. Also news from Heidelberg as Mexican packaging printer Grupo Reyes Hermanos in Mexico City invests in two Speedmasters XL 75-7+L with UV, one of which is Heidelberg’s 1000th XL 75 since its launch at drupa in 2008, a Suprasetter 75 CTP platesetter, and two Polar 115 cutters. DENA Print in Aberdeen, Scotland has also ordered a new Polar cutter. All in all I would say that was a pretty good week. This week’s tailender definitely has to go to Benny Landa, as Landa Corporation and speciality chemicals group Altana AG announced on Thursday, that they have concluded an equity financing agreement under which Altana will invest €100 million for a minority stake in Landa Digital Printing, as Altana sees Landa Nanography as a game changer for the print industry! That really is a serious amount of money. And there’s more below, if you scroll down carefully. Until next time (in August), my best regards,

Mike Hilton

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GraphicRepro.Net e-News (ISSN 1814-2923)  provides weekly updates from the Graphic Repro On-line Website and is  compiled and published by Mike Hilton, graphicrepro.net, PO Box 10 Peterburgskoe Shosse 13/1, 196605 Pushkin 5, St. Petersburg, Russia. e-mail graphicrepro.za@gmail.com