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GulfPack Announces Major Expansion in BOPP Film Production

Gulf Packaging Industries Co. (GulfPack), a leading manufacturer of BOPP, CPP, and metallized films, has signed contracts for a significant expansion to enhance its production capacity and support the growing demand from customers worldwide. As part of this expansion, GulfPack will install two new state-of-the-art 10.4-meter-wide BOPP production lines at a new facility, increasing its BOPP film capacity from 183,000 tons per annum (TPA) to approximately 318,000 TPA. The new lines are scheduled to commence production in 2026 and 2027, respectively. “This expansion is a testament to GulfPack’s unwavering commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer service. We have received an overwhelming response to our recent expansions in 2023-24, and with our customer base growing rapidly, demand for our high-performance films continues to surge across the globe. Today, we export to over 75 countries, and these new investments will allow us to enhance our supply capabilities, strengthen partnerships, and support our customers in achieving their growth ambitions. With cutting-edge technology and an unwavering focus on developing mono-material sustainable solutions, we are driving the future of flexible packaging,” said Naif AlAnsari, CEO of GulfPack. As a forward-thinking manufacturer, GulfPack is committed to driving sustainable innovation. These investments reinforce our commitment to developing solutions that support recyclable mono-material structures while reducing the environmental footprint of flexible packaging. About Gulf Packaging Industries Co. GulfPack is a leading manufacturer of BOPP, CPP, and metallized films, serving packaging converters and FMCG companies with innovative and sustainable packaging films globally. With headquarters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a sales and distribution hub in the USA, and sales offices in 10 locations globally, we proudly support clients across 75+ countries.

GulfPack Announces Major Expansion in BOPP Film Production

Koenig & Bauer on track for profitable growth with a strong third qua…

Driven by a strong third quarter, the Koenig & Bauer Group (“Koenig & Bauer”) is on a growth trajectory despite the turbulent economic environment. Like many manufacturing companies, Koenig & Bauer is still caught between high order backlogs on the one hand and many adverse factors mainly on the supply side on the other. “Our flexibility and creativity – including in conjunction with our suppliers – are having an impact, as we have learned to deal more effectively with the exceptional situation over the past few months,” says Dr Andreas Pleßke, Chief Executive Officer of Koenig & Bauer, commenting on the growth in revenue and earnings, adding that “following the strong order intake in the first half of 2022, customer demand is still very solid and we are pleased to be able to tap new areas of business with the latest digital and sustainable solutions, thus offering our customers added value”. Revenue spurred by growth in the Sheetfed and Digital & Webfed segments Group revenue rose by 6.7% year-on-year to €313.9m between July and September 2022. Sequentially, growth was even stronger, with revenue climbing by 31.7% compared to Q1 and by 23.9% compared to Q2. The Sheetfed and Digital & Webfed segments in particular contributed to this performance with their product and solution offerings. At €805.7m, cumulative Group revenue exceeded the previous year’s figure by 2.3%. The share of revenue attributable to service business widened to 32.2% (previous year: 29.9%). Strong improvement in earnings in the course of the year despite negative external factors In terms of earnings, Koenig & Bauer achieved EBIT of €10.8m in the third quarter (previous year: €10.3m). This improvement is particularly evident in a comparison with the first quarter, in which EBIT stood at €-8.5m, and the second quarter with EBIT of €-5.3m. Cumulatively, this resulted in EBIT of €-3.0m (previous year: €16.7m). The previous year’s figure had on balance been boosted by roughly €21.3m thanks to the more efficient implementation of the personnel measures under P24x. Accordingly, operating earnings rose by €1.6m. The improvement at the operating level over the first nine months of 2021 is mainly due to the P24x efficiency programme (roughly €24m) despite the lower use of short-time work in the previous year, positive volume and mix effects (roughly €5m) and other negative effects (roughly €13m). The effects of higher cost of materials and energy (around €24m) were not fully offset by the announced price increases (roughly €18m). This is primarily due to the time lag between price increases and price peaks in the third quarter, for example in energy costs and electronic components. On a positive note, the proportion of other effects did not increase any further compared to the first half of 2022. In addition to remeasured receivables and currency-translation effects, they also include necessary additional or retro work on systems and presses due to supply chain disruptions and exert strain on productivity at the plants and on site at the customers. After income taxes, the Group posted a net loss of €11.0m as of 30 September 2022 (previous year: net profit of €5.5m). This translates into earnings per share of €-0.70 (previous year: €0.31). Given the Group equity ratio of 28.5% (end of 2021: 28.7%), Koenig & Bauer is financially well-positioned thanks to this equity base and the freely available cash and cash equivalents of more than €250m. Solid customer demand in the third quarter boosting order intake cumulatively by around 5% over the previous year’s high level In the first nine months of 2022, order intake at the Koenig Bauer & Group came to €1,025.9m, 4.8% up on the already good figure of €978.6m reported in the previous year. At €333.0m, customer demand also remained solid in the third quarter. Accordingly, order backlog increased by 24.8% over the previous year to €1,027.0m as of 30 September 2022, providing a solid basis for the fourth quarter of 2022 and beyond. Koenig & Bauer opening up new business areas with digital and sustainable solutions The new cross-group digital unit, headed by Sandra Wagner, Vice President Digitalisation at Koenig & Bauer, coordinates and supports the development, implementation and market launch of digital products and services – from the seed idea through to market launch. “We are focusing on our customers, supporting them with digital solutions wherever they can become even more profitable,” says Wagner. At the beginning of October, the digital unit launched an industry-specific solution for integrated energy management, a digital product that combines the two “sustainability” and “digital” components of the “Exceeding Print” corporate strategy. Together with its global customers, Koenig & Bauer not only exerts a major influence on the world of printing and packaging, but also has a responsibility for the sustainable structuring of production processes. The three components of the energy management product – the automated collection of measurement data, the visualization of the results and the definition of measures on this basis, combined with professional energy consulting – enable more efficient production to be achieved. As a rule, VisuEnergy X allows sustainable energy savings of an average of 7 to 10 percent to be achieved from the very first year. Koenig & Bauer sells energy management on a subscription basis as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution. The market launch is commencing with immediate effect in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in a preliminary step and will be followed by a global roll-out in early 2023. The system is eligible for funding in Germany by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA). Full-year forecast for 2022 reaffirmed and rendered more precise “In a turbulent economic environment, Koenig & Bauer demonstrated in the third quarter that it is on track for profitable growth and can manage all challenges well,” explains Dr Stephen Kimmich, CFO of the company. In view of this and due to the shorter planning horizon compared to the beginning of the year, the full-year forecast for 2022 has been confirmed and rendered more precise as follows. Koenig & Bauer now expects to report operating EBIT of between €15m and €20m and an operating EBIT margin of between 1.3% and 1.7% on Group revenue of between €1,160m and €1,190m. Until now, Koenig & Bauer had been anticipating a slight increase over the previous year in Group operating revenue (2021: €1,115.8m) and the operating EBIT margin (2021: 0.5%). EBIT in the previous year had been boosted by the more efficient implementation of the personnel measures under P24x and the resultant adjustments to restructuring provisions (net €23m). The Koenig & Bauer Group reaffirms the medium-term targets announced in 2020, to which the “Exceeding Print” strategy is also contributing. With the release of the guidance for 2023 – which marks a further important step towards achieving the medium-term objectives – the medium-term objectives announced in 2020 will also be adjusted to take account of inflation effects. Dr Stephen Kimmich, CFO of Koenig & Bauer adds: “Despite all the external uncertainties, we see ourselves as being well positioned and expect to be able to report satisfactory customer demand and capacity utilisation in the fourth quarter of 2022. This forecast assumes that there are no further setbacks or tightened restrictions compared with the current situation as a result of the war in Ukraine, the availability of energy supplies, the disruptions to global supply chains and the efforts to contain the pandemic. The planned delivery of our presses and systems for the fourth quarter of 2022 poses a major challenge for Koenig & Bauer and must be reassessed if the global supply chain situation continues to deteriorate.

Admin in News Nov. 12, 2022

How to implement automation in printing operations

It is becoming necessary in printing operations to automate as much as possible to gain efficiencies. But before you begin your planning processes, look at your current state to ensure that you understand how works happen today. Kodak, a global technology company focused on print and advanced materials and chemicals, explains the vital role of automation in printing operations and how to do it properly. Read on. Single system of record that reliably gathers data from business and production systems If you have that system of record, you are in the perfect state to take on end-to-end automation. If you have multiple points of data collection that have never been integrated, there is still a path to automation. Still, your planning may take longer to accommodate identifying the required data and the processes that use them. Standard processes for order taking, job specification, and order management When there are standard processes, planning for automation can leverage them to speed implementation. When the procedures to take orders are different for every sales channel, it is hard to standardize order intake. When the process of capturing job specifications varies by sales team member and orders are managed without a strategic view into machine usage and job deadlines, some work will be required before automating and making those processes more efficient. How many spreadsheets are used to track jobs, components, or processes? Every business has some ad hoc processes tracked on spreadsheets, whiteboards, and notepads to keep mission-critical items front of mind. There is nothing wrong with them, but when they become the sole source of truth about a job or a process, they add risk to production. Some organisations justify using spreadsheets by putting them onto shared-access servers so that all authorized constituents can easily access them. It sounds like a great idea, but over time you may find that copies are sitting on individual desktops, and the shared copy is no longer the reliable source of information. Knowing what you have as you plan for automation will help you size the effort. Moving to that automated environment creates a single system of record that is reliable and can be integrated into adjacent business and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Planning for automation You could find some processes that appear easy to automate, add some new tools, and call that your automation plan, but there is a better path. It starts with knowing what is possible. New options in cloud-based workflows bring the same powerful options to smaller shops as the largest shops enjoy. With minimal investments and immediate implementation, shops with a single digital press can build an efficient workflow that will scale using the same technology as a mid-size shop with a mix of offset and digital devices. And these modern cloud-based production workflow solutions can help in any segment, whether the work you produce is graphically-rich static content or uses data-driven processes to execute variable content targeted to a specific recipient. Today’s automated production workflows are built to integrate MIS and ERP tools, Web-to-Print solutions, and e-commerce options. This approach should be high on your list as you consider automation options because it brings a robust IT infrastructure to the table. Automating individual processes glued together with manual interventions isn’t the accomplishment that brings the most benefit. Considering automation requires a dive into every action involved, from the point of estimation and sale to the final delivery to the customer. Planning is the active event designed to identify the touchpoints and the best approach to reviewing each step, the people involved, and the current tools used. Start by articulating your strategic goals for 2022. You may be looking to expand into a new industry or print segments. Your current workload may require more capacity. You may want to acquire more capabilities, either through buying more equipment, optimising workflows, or buying a company. As you consider your strategic plan, itemize the candidate processes for automation to move you toward those goals. Don’t be surprised if you identify current manual processes as critical roadblocks. Strategic goals are long-term and inform the way the business runs. There will be some work to do to build the bridge from strategy to implementation, and that is where tactical planning becomes essential. Tactical goals are more than solving today’s bottleneck. They work within the strategy to consider implementing new software and processes while keeping production moving. Think of it as changing the tires on a car while it’s in motion. There will be practical concerns as current processes are replaced by automation, including how and when to move off tools that are no longer providing value. Tactics should support the strategic goals and solve the business' specific challenges without adding more hurdles to creating an automated environment. Build the strategic plan for automation to consider the practical implication of automating the current processes, including goals for gaining buy-in from the team members in each department, who may be asked to change how they do their jobs or change positions to accommodate the planned process modifications. Look for onramps to the fully automated business environment for every element in the tactical plan that enables lower cost and higher margins. A part of tactical planning includes your approach to daily operations. To create an efficient environment in 2022, consider a standalone Operational Plan to document the expectations for each department, interface points between departments, and the key performance metrics that will help everyone stay on the strategic course. Automation does not eliminate the need to understand the production touchpoints. The best practice is to document what should happen if you lose access to the automation, too. The last step in planning for automation is to build the appropriate contingency plans. Cloud-based automated workflows protect you from onsite server disruptions and mitigate much of the risk associated with onsite installations when paired with a disciplined backup strategy. What to do next If you plan to automate your print workflow in 2022, look for scalable and easy platforms to integrate with your core business systems. Ensure that your chosen technology partner lets you automate each task within prepress and production and then map those automated tasks together to ensure that each type of job takes the correct journey through each process. Learn your options, and then create a plan that works for you.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Estimable estimators

If they were lucky, the human estimators had an adding machine or desktop calculator to help with the figures. A busy medium-sized printer might have 10 or more full time estimators. Finding and keeping that many specialised estimators could be tricky, as the work was exacting but hardly exciting. Computers were an obvious solution, but the knowledge of how to program for such specialised calculations wasn’t. One of the first UK companies to crack it was what was to become Imprint Business Systems, which is still going strong after 42 years. Today its customers in print and packaging run into the hundreds and many of them have used Imprint systems for at least 25 years. Like most of the early MIS developers, Imprint grew out of the needs of a particular print company, which then used the experience gained to sell to a wider circle or printing and packaging companies. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw a lot of computer estimating start-ups, often with printing company roots. Some of Imprint’s original UK competitors from 40-odd years ago have also survived and prospered independently, such as Optimus (originally Optichrome Computer Systems Ltd, or OCSL), DDS (Accura) and Tharstern, while others were taken over by the ever-expanding EFI empire (such as Prism, Radius, Shuttleworth and Technique). A few others have either merged, or closed, or both. Imprint itself was founded in 1978 by Glennys Bourne and Jonathan Richards. Originally the pair had worked together at the art book printer Shenval Press in Harlow. Richards was general manager, later a director of Shenval, but had learned programming skills at college. Bourne went on to run the nearby Caterpillar Press. Bourne says that the reason for writing the original computer estimating program was a shortage of the trained human variety. “You could not get estimators for love nor money,” she says. So the first estimating program was written to suit the needs of Shenval Press and Caterpillar Press. Bourne saw the potential for Imprint beyond the needs of Shenval and Caterpillar, so the latter was sold to concentrate on the new business. “The Imprint name describes the company well and has stood us well over the years,” says Richards. “As for why the name was chosen, it just seemed a good fit at the time.” Both are still very much involved today. Bourne is CEO, while Jonathan Richards says he’s “allowed to be chairman on high days and holidays”. However, time marches on and their children Will Richards and Nick Bourne have also joined Imprint – the latter now being MD. Today Imprint is based in High Easter, in the countryside between Chelmsford and Bishop’s Stortford, handily close to the M11 and Stansted airport. It employs 16 people in an often overlapping mix of management, programming and customer services roles.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Agfa Avinci CX3200

Avinci CX3200 is 3.2 m wide dye sub textile printer capable of printing on polyester-based textiles What is it? Agfa’s Avinci CX3200 is a highly reliable and convenient soft signage printer that can print directly to fabrics and onto transfer paper. It uses an off-line calendar unit to ensure perfect fixation. Agfa’s dedicated dye sublimation roll-to-roll printer will enable you to create vibrant, high-quality prints on polyester-based fabrics up to 3.2 m wide, including a broad range of in- and outdoor soft signage applications, as well as interior decoration. The Avinci CX3200 boasts a rich color gamut and delivers deep black, perfect solids, accurate spot color mapping and smooth tonal rendering that is particularly noticeable in skin tones. The Avinci inks are characterised by their flexibility, image longevity and outdoor resistance. They offer stable jetting performance and deliver the same high-quality results, batch after batch. An off-line calender unit fixes the color deeply into the structure of the polyester-based fabrics while evaporating the carrier fluid. When was it launched at what are the target markets? It was launched on June 22, 2021, and aimed at soft signage industry, sports wear, fashion industry and home décor. Avinic CX3200 is a 3.2 m wide Dye Sub Textile printer capable of printing on polyester based textiles. Does it replace an earlier product? It replaces the earlier model of DX3200. The Avinci CX3200 is driven by Agfa’s Asanti wide-format workflow software. Color accuracy is provided by the easy-to-use color management. Using their Calibrated Print Mode feature, new media can be calibrated and profiled in less than 15 minutes, after which the new profiles can be used to guarantee print quality. Asanti controls and automates the entire printing process from file intake to finishing, maximising productivity. Its comprehensive integration of file handling, color management and preflighting guarantees smooth and error-free jobs. The web-based Asanti Production Dashboard offers a view on your running production. It summarizes the jobs produced and reports on quantity printed, media usage, ink volumes enabling you to control your production and to manage your print shop optimally. What is the USP? It allows you to print directly on textiles and capable of print on transfer paper media as well. Single person media loading and low inks consumptions are another features. High productivity and a robust design for reliable printing at all times, vibrant prints and a wide color gamut; fine detail rendering; extensive applications scope; low ink consumption; convenient operations and a fast changeover between jobs are another features. Avinci produces good results with a minimum of jetted ink. This low ink consumption is based on Agfa’s renowned Thin Ink Layer technology: a smart combination of particular ink characteristics and our Asanti workflow software algorithms that tune the ink quantities perfectly to the required image quality mode. What training and support are available? Full in house training and support available from Agfa UAE and Belgium. Complete and integrated solution are available for printer, inks, workflow software, worldwide service and applications support. How productive is it? It prints at speed of 250 Sqm per hr on express mode. Being able to print directly to fabric is easy and ideal for fast handling and for special applications such as flags, where print-though is needed. Transfer paper allows for super sharp prints, eliminates any set-off, and limits media waste to a minimum. In addition, it extends the application scope to sportswear and fashion garments, as well as home décor prints on non-coated polyester fabrics. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is approximately $220k stand alone printer and requires a separate calendaring unit. How many are in use? Currently, the latest CX3200 are around 11 units around the world. Specifications 3.2m Dye sublimation Printer Kyocera print heads 4 colour printer CYMK Direct to garment capable to print on transfer paper Max speed of 250 sqm Stand alone printer Resolution up to 600 x 1800 dpi Media types: Polyester-based fabrics, or transfer paper used to create banners, indoor wall graphics, shop decoration, outdoor advertising, light boxes, trade show displays, flags and high polyester-based blends “Agfa Avinci CX3200 was launched in June 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

Epson – SureColor SC V7000 Flatbed Printer

Epson's first UV large format printer offers exceptional image quality, Shihab Zubair What is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 is Epson's first UV large format printer, offering exceptional image quality. The V7000 is ideal for printing eye-catching retail and outdoor signage, window displays, hoarding panels, packaging, promotional goods, and décor products. It includes Epson’s Micro Piezo printhead with ten newly developed original inks, for accurate colour reproduction for spot and corporate colours. It allows businesses the flexibility to print on a range of media up to 80mm thick including acrylics, polycarbonates, PVC, glass, aluminium, metal, polyester, foam board, styrene, wood and stone. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing and, with the 4-zone vacuum system, it offers real flexibility for production environments. When was it launched at what are the target markets? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021 within the Middle East region, building on the success of Epson’s award-winning range of SureColor S Series signage printers. The V7000 allows sign and display makers to expand their portfolio of products, to deliver high quality, fast and reliable results on a variety of different media. Does it replace an earlier product? The SureColor SC-V7000 proudly marks Epson’s entry into the UV flatbed signage print market. As Epson’s first UV large format printer, it provides unique features to differentiate and enhance our offering to the signage market. Every feature of the Epson SureColor SC-V7000 has been designed with the customer in mind. This is a robust and affordable UV LED flatbed signage printer capable of fast and quality printing on a wide range of media – any type of surface, despite the size, thickness, or weight. This is in addition to Epson’s successful product solutions such as the Epson SureColor SC Series of eco-solvent and resin ink printers. For instance, for environmentally friendly organisations, Epson’s SureColor SC-R5010 Series has the capacity to include a resin ink solution, offering print service providers and creative design agencies the ability to produce a wide range of signage in a more sustainable way, without compromising on the results. For a larger ink capacity, Epson offers the SureColor SC-R5010L. What is the USP? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 provides exceptional image quality, productivity, usability, and safety. With the unique Epson Micro Piezo printhead, the printer has ten newly developed original inks and 3-layer high-speed printing. It helps print with ease and safety with automatic measurement of media thickness, a multi-zone vacuum, and a printhead crash prevent function, Epson Edge Print, proximity sensors. What training and support is available? Epson manufactures all the components for the SureColor SC-V7000, including printheads, inks and software, in order to reach the consistent quality levels that our customers expect. The Epson Cloud Solution PORT is a cloud-based system from where you will be able to monitor equipment across several sites, or several printers across one site, from the production floor or remotely, and assist the control of production. This enables efficient production planning, increased uptime and enhanced support. Epson Production Monitor is part of the Epson Cloud Solution PORT suite of apps and allows you to examine the production status in real-time. If an issue occurs, it can be corrected efficiently with minimal disruption to the print run. How productive is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 enables businesses to print at high speed with a maximum print area of 2.5 metres by 1.25 metres. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing, with white ink and varnish, without losing productivity. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is around AED 330,563 (US $90,000) and it is sold through authorised partners in the Middle East. How many are in use? Currently two printers have been installed in the UAE, and we are scheduled to install a few more in December and further into 2022. Specifications UltraChrome UV 10-colour inkset Printing resolution of 720 x 1,440 DPI Outstanding print quality High-speed simultaneous printing even when using white, colour and varnish Printheads, ink, firmware and software with an ink tank capacity of 1,000 ml Price from AED 330,563 “Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

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