Go, Speed Racer
Diecutting is an integral part of the entire printing process and can impact the speed at which you can fulfill print orders.
September 2007 by Chris Mc Loone
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Turnaround times are critical in today’s package-printing world. Couple quick turnaround with the demand for shorter runs, and your press operators will be switching tools almost constantly. Diecutting is an integral part of the entire printing process and can impact the speed at which you can fulfill print orders.
Just as diecutting impacts the speed of your print job, external forces, such as consolidation, globalization, new substrates and shorter runs, affect the diecutting market.
“The label printing industry as a whole has been changing rapidly in recent years,” says Frank Hasselberg, executive vice president, Kocher + Beck USA. “These changes also have a huge impact on the diecutting market as a supplying industry. [The] main changes that we are observing are faster and wider presses, more combination of printing processes, and use of digital printing. At the same time, we are seeing shorter runs, faster press changes, and smaller jobs.” He adds that use of lighter label stocks that would have been considered as unable to convert in recent years are now enjoying increased usage.
Mark Rasmussen, product manager, packaging, Heidelberg USA, Inc., adds more to the speed/substrate argument. “Traditionally, it’s always been simple paper or paperboard. [Now] you start getting into plastics, thinner plastics, in-mold label materials, and lightweight holographic foil stamp—elements that didn’t exist five or 10 years ago,” he says. “Things that people never thought about doing in the process of sheetfed printing or diecutting [were done] on some other kind of process, maybe a web process. Now with some of the new technologies, we’re able to show customers that not only can you run these types of products, but you can run them at speeds you never expected to.”
Bill Reichard, president and CEO of Gerhardt USA, states that competition and price pressure are pushing label converters to optimize all aspects of their manufacturing processes. “Synthetic face materials and ultra-thin liners are becoming more common,” he says. “Inventories are decreasing, with just-in-time delivery to maximize floor space and increase capacity. To help reduce costs and optimize their processes, label converters are rapidly making the switch from solid rotary tooling to magnetic cylinders and flexible dies.”
Hasselberg also states that continued globalization has been and continues to be a major topic as fewer die companies supply fewer but bigger multi-plant customers.
Paul Madill, executive vice president and COO of Madern USA, explains how these industry trends have impacted converters. “The folding carton industry is in the final stages of consolidation. The merger and acquisition of major carton converters has been ongoing for the last five years,” he says. “The overcapacity in the folding carton industry that previously existed will be eliminated as the major converters finalize their consolidation plans.” He adds that carton converters are receiving contracts for shorter time periods from consumer product companies. Therefore, there will be a need for a wider variety of rotary dies to meet the new demands for lower cost dies and faster deliveries, bringing long-, medium-, and short-run carton applications to be processed on web-fed flexographic printing presses.
Just as diecutting impacts the speed of your print job, external forces, such as consolidation, globalization, new substrates and shorter runs, affect the diecutting market.
“The label printing industry as a whole has been changing rapidly in recent years,” says Frank Hasselberg, executive vice president, Kocher + Beck USA. “These changes also have a huge impact on the diecutting market as a supplying industry. [The] main changes that we are observing are faster and wider presses, more combination of printing processes, and use of digital printing. At the same time, we are seeing shorter runs, faster press changes, and smaller jobs.” He adds that use of lighter label stocks that would have been considered as unable to convert in recent years are now enjoying increased usage.
Mark Rasmussen, product manager, packaging, Heidelberg USA, Inc., adds more to the speed/substrate argument. “Traditionally, it’s always been simple paper or paperboard. [Now] you start getting into plastics, thinner plastics, in-mold label materials, and lightweight holographic foil stamp—elements that didn’t exist five or 10 years ago,” he says. “Things that people never thought about doing in the process of sheetfed printing or diecutting [were done] on some other kind of process, maybe a web process. Now with some of the new technologies, we’re able to show customers that not only can you run these types of products, but you can run them at speeds you never expected to.”
Bill Reichard, president and CEO of Gerhardt USA, states that competition and price pressure are pushing label converters to optimize all aspects of their manufacturing processes. “Synthetic face materials and ultra-thin liners are becoming more common,” he says. “Inventories are decreasing, with just-in-time delivery to maximize floor space and increase capacity. To help reduce costs and optimize their processes, label converters are rapidly making the switch from solid rotary tooling to magnetic cylinders and flexible dies.”
Hasselberg also states that continued globalization has been and continues to be a major topic as fewer die companies supply fewer but bigger multi-plant customers.
Paul Madill, executive vice president and COO of Madern USA, explains how these industry trends have impacted converters. “The folding carton industry is in the final stages of consolidation. The merger and acquisition of major carton converters has been ongoing for the last five years,” he says. “The overcapacity in the folding carton industry that previously existed will be eliminated as the major converters finalize their consolidation plans.” He adds that carton converters are receiving contracts for shorter time periods from consumer product companies. Therefore, there will be a need for a wider variety of rotary dies to meet the new demands for lower cost dies and faster deliveries, bringing long-, medium-, and short-run carton applications to be processed on web-fed flexographic printing presses.
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