Converting Industry News, Part 2
- Published: August 31, 2004, By Edited by Carrie Cleaveland
Covering the Full Spectrum of Industry News, Events & Activities
Acquisitions
Hudson-Sharp Acquires Amplas
CAROL STREAM, IL, USA — Hudson-Sharp Machine Co. announces the acquisition of the assets and products of Amplas. Day-to-day operations at the Amplas facility in Green Bay, WI, USA, are ongoing and sales and service retain their regular phone numbers. Hudson-Sharp will notify customers when changes in telephone, fax, and e-mail take place.
Agreements
Disc Packaging Cooperation
IMATRA, FINLAND — Stora Enso and Xeikon International, Lier, Belgium, have entered into a technical cooperation agreement to combine Stora Enso’s DBS (Discbox Slider) packaging system with Xeikon’s digital printing systems.
The new concept, designated Stora Enso DBS Powered by Xeikon, is an automated on-line solution for printing, die-cutting, assembling, and filling the DBS packs. The system reportedly provides shorter lead times, enhanced cost-efficiency, and personalized packages for all CD and DVD formats.
Appointments
Appointments Part of Integration
ATLANTA, GA, USA — In the ongoing integration of LASORSystronics and NANOSystems, ISRA Vision Systems announces two new appointments for the company’s web inspection division. Werner Goeckel has accepted the position of president, while Brian Heil will lead the unit’s sales efforts as VP of sales.
Goeckel was president of LASORSystronics prior to the 2004 merger with ISRA. Heil held the position of managing partner of NANOSystems until its acquisition by ISRA in 2003.
Association News
NJPEC Announces Honorees
GARWOOD, NJ, USA — New Jersey Packaging Executives Club (NJPEC) paid tribute to packagers at the 2004 Hall of Fame Awards dinner, presenting honors in these categories:
- Purchasing: Gus Davis, Bath & Body Works
- Package Development: Roger Caracappa, Estee Lauder
- Sales: Walter Hoagland, IntraPac Inc.
- Entrepreneur: Vincent Brady, Brad-Pak Enterprises
New Group to Promote Paper
HELSINKI, FINLAND — PaperPlus has been established to promote the interests of Europe’s specialty paper products, representing the manufacturers of one-side-coated and calendered papers for flexible packaging, wet-glue labeling, and self-adhesive. Twelve member companies with 23 manufacturing sites comprise the new association.
The group’s main purpose will be to promote paper for use in targeted end-use areas (primarily packaging and labeling of food and beverage products); produce relevant European trade statistics for its members; and lobby EU and national governments for better legislation on paper base packaging.
In April PaperPlus was presented publicly at a press conference in Brussels, where the association will be located. The executive board elected Diego Borello, president of Ahlstrom’s LabelPack division, to serve as president of PaperPlus.
Education
Harper Supports WMU
CHARLOTTE, NC, USA — Harper Corp. of America donated more than $7,500 in anilox rolls to Western Michigan University (WMU), Kalamazoo, MI, USA, for its Comco press. WMU is a leading educator in the graphic arts industry, training students in various printing aspects, including flexography. The school offers programs in Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Imaging.
Environmental News
EPA’s New Guidance
WASHINGTON, DC, USA — The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a new guidance to shed light on the "Contiguous Property Owner" exemption in the 2002 Brownfields Revitalization Act.
The law firm of Gardner, Carton & Douglas reports the "Contiguous Property Owner" exemption and the EPA’s new guidance will remove many of the barriers to the acquisition, redevelopment, and ownership of industrial property by assuring buyers and owners that environmental impacts on neighboring properties will not lead to exposure for these parties.
Industry Standards
RFID Group Formed
Cambridge, MA, USA — Auto-ID Labs at M.I.T. has formed the Web Services Wide Area Network Special Interest Group (WSWANSIG) to investigate the application of web services standards to specifications for RFID vertical industry applications. The group has brought together many end-user manufacturers and technology vendors to determine the viability of using web services standards to exchange RFID XML data across a secure asynchronous messaging wide area network.
WSWANSIG goals for its initial year include development of a CPG supply chain vertical market profile and test suite extension to the web services industry standards exemplified in the WS-I Basic Profile; prototyping and field trial of a web services SOAP WAN for collaborative supply chain applications; and simulation of large traffic volumes to analyze application transport protocol scalability issues and evaluate alternate topologies. For information on WSWANSIG membership, contact Toni-Marie Pommet at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Industry Studies
Protective Packaging Growing
CLEVELAND, OH, USA — According to "Protective Packaging," a new study by the Freedonia Group, protective packaging demand in the US is expected to grow 5.2% annually to $3.5 billion in 2008.
Inflatable bags, insulated shipping containers, and bubble packaging will present the best opportunities based on increasing need for the packaging of cold- and heat-sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostic laboratory products. The slowest projected growth is expected for loose-fill and paperboard protectors.
Growing mail catalog and Internet orders are expected to result in increased home deliveries of refrigerated or frozen foods. Internet sales also will contribute to growth of protective mailer demand due to the need for economical, lightweight, pre-constructed protective packaging for shipping a variety of relatively small objects.
To obtain a copy of "Protective Packaging," contact Freedonia at 440/684-9600 or visit freedoniagroup.com.
Mergers
Pitman Merges N.E. Branch
TOTOWA, NJ, USA — Pitman Co. announces the merger of its New England branch with Northeast Graphic Supply, a major New England regional distribution company based in Portland, ME, USA. Now Northeast Graphic Supply customers will be served by Pitman’s Taunton, MA, USA, branch.
Purchases
Ciba Purchases Rasio
BASLE, SWITZERLAND — Ciba Specialty Chemicals purchased Raisio Chemicals of Finland from Raisio Group for €475 million, bringing together two complementary paper chemical supply businesses.
Ciba will combine its product development, application technology, and technical customer service operations in Finland and utilize Raisio’s technology campus in Turku. The existing Raisio marketing centers in Finland will remain.
Ciba also plans to install a regional Finland-based support structure for the development of all business in Russia and Scandinavia.
Show News
K Show Sports a New Feature
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY — Organized by the German Association of the Plastics Producing Industry (VKE) and Messe Düsseldorf, K 2004, the 16th International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber, is slated for October 20–27 at the Düsseldorf Trade Fair Centre, where it will occupy 150,000 sq m. The event, which is held every three years, is expected to draw 220,000 visitors and 2,900 exhibitors from more than 50 countries.
This year’s edition will offer a special presentation illustrating the use of plastics in sports. Entitled "Plastics— First Choice for Winners," the presentation will recreate the atmosphere of a sports arena in more than 5,300 sq ft of exhibit space, highlighting innovative materials and processes in presentations, discussions sessions, and film features.
The "stadium" will feature athletics, water sports, and winter and summer sports in several "activity islands," focusing on the development of sports equipment, technical accessories, and sportswear. Sports stars— among them participants in the 2004 Athens Olympics— will offer live demonstrations on how polymers help competitive sports. For more information on K 2004, visit k-online.de.
Supplier News
Partnering to Control Static
WINDSOR LOCKS, CT, USA — Ion Industrial and Dusenbery Worldwide are partnering to provide what is said to be advanced slitter/rewinder technology combined with a sophisticated static control system. Dusenbery’s new Revolution high-speed, duplex center winder now comes with Ion’s Virtual AC static control system, reportedly allowing converters to run webs at speeds to 2,000 fpm completely free of static electricity problems at the rewind.
CCD Partners in Award Winner
NORTHBROOK, IL, USA — Chicago Cutting Die (CCD) assisted Church & Dwight in the innovation of its Brillo Scrub ‘n’ Toss. CCD designed and engineered the tooling needed to cut and shape the different materials to manufacture the product, doing so in a matter of weeks.
"Because the pads would combine rayon and polyester, they would have to be perforated," explains CCD president Lyle Archer. "The dies had to be designed so perforations would allow the two materials to stick together but still remain flexible."
The disposable cleaning pad garnered the 2004 Visionary Award from INDA, the Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry.
Domino Reaches Milestone
CAMBRIDGE, UK — Coding and marking systems manufacturer Domino announced the production of its 50,000th A-Series continuous ink jet printer at the Cambridge factory. The milestone machine is destined for Nimax, Domino’s distributor in Italy, which already owns a large installed base of A-Series machines.
Trade News
ITC Investigates Dumping
WASHINGTON, DC, USA — The US International Trade Commission (ITC) goes forward with its investigation into dumping imports of tissue and crepe paper products from China. The ITC says the domestic industry may have suffered as a result of imports allegedly sold at less than fair value.
Seven manufacturers of tissue and crepe paper products and a national union filed the case in February. The case requests the assessment of anti-dumping duties of 164% on imports of tissue paper products and 267% on crepe paper products from China.
