Labelexpo Americas 2016 is offering a comprehensive educational experience, featuring a wide variety of conference presentations and panel discussions, expert-led master classes, and live machinery demonstrations.

Sponsored by HP Indigo, the conference program is a key part of the three-day Labelexpo experience. Sharing the latest advances in key and emerging technologies, delegates will also hear first-hand about industry trends, changes and developments from sector specialists. Featuring 16 sessions, the conference opens with the CEO panel discussion and an overview of market trends. Moderated by Georges Gravanis of Avery Dennison, panelists will include John Attayek of Inovar Packaging Group, McDowell Label’s John McDowell, John M. Cappy from the Outlook Group and Fortis Solutions Group’s John Wynne. They will discuss issues including consolidation in the marketplace, investing for the future and how to equip the industry’s workforce of tomorrow.

The afternoon sessions will be split into two streams, with the first focusing on digital technologies. Individual presentations will include a look at inkjet systems for industrial applications, with contributions from TLF Graphics and McLoone Metal Graphics, as well as digital print finishing for labels and packaging and customizing seasonal products using digital printing.

The second stream will highlight smart and interactive products and include several real life case studies. Thin Film Electronics and Canadian printer Jones Packaging will be sharing their expertise in integrating NFC labels with packaging for global pharmaceutical products. The second case study will highlight the use of smart labels and packaging in increasing consumer engagement, with Constantia Labels and Inland giving an insight into working with the Oculto and Cubanisto beer brands.

Day two will include the converter panel discussion and an update on how the Internet of Things (IoT) is impacting the market. The afternoon is again split into two streams and concentrates on new technical innovations and package printing. New innovations being covered will include the latest advances in linerless labels, as well as implementing an effective MIS solution to improve workflow and profitability. Package printing presentations will feature a panel discussion on flexible and folding carton printing, and with the market moving away from paper, the last session explores diversifying into new markets by adopting film labels and flexible packaging.

Master Classes
Labelexpo Americas 2016 will be offering print industry professionals a choice of four expert-led educational sessions. Being run in association with the Label Academy, attendees can hone their practical know-how with focused master classes on Design & Origination, Digital Label & Package Printing and Conventional Label Printing Processes, as well as the Shrink Sleeve Workshop. Launched in 2014, the Label Academy is a global training and certification program for the label and package printing industry. The Academy is endorsed by TLMI, FINAT and the LMAI and is supported by Flint Group, HP Indigo, MPS, RotoMetrics, UPM Raflatac and Xeikon. The master classes being held at Labelexpo Americas 2016 support its dedicated training modules in the same subject areas.

The Design and Origination master class will be presented by training expert Nick Khatker of Jennings Global and will run on September 14. The four-hour program costs $600 and will offer comprehensive insight into the label origination, repro and prepress processes and explore in detail the progress of a typical job, from design right through to its arrival on the printing press.
The five-hour Shrink Sleeve Workshop is also on September 14, costs $600, and will provide a clear understanding of design and origination requirements, cover substrates and inks and review the different printing processes available. Presentations will be given by experts from Accraply, Esko, Flint Group and Klöckner Pentaplast.

The two other five-hour long master classes will run simultaneously on September 15 and each cost $700. Digital Label and Package Printing will be fronted by Mike Fairley, director, strategic development, Labelexpo Global Series. Specialists from AB Graphic International, Avery Dennison, Domino, Esko, HP Indigo and Xeikon will outline the different presses, materials and finishing solutions and discuss the key considerations when running a digital printing operation.

Print industry trainer John Morton of 4impression will present the Conventional Label Printing Processes master class. Attendees will learn about letterpress, lithography, flexography, screen, gravure and combination printing and also receive a live demonstration of working machinery to gain an in-depth understanding of the different processes.

Each price includes the master class, as well as a copy of the supporting text book ($129 if bought separately) and an opportunity to take an online exam afterwards to earn a Label Academy certificate ($250 if purchased separately).

Experience Digital Finishing
Making its Labelexpo debut in 2016 is The Digital Finishing Experience. The brand new feature area will involve live machinery demonstrations by Xeikon and Delta ModTech.
The Digital Finishing Experience has been established to highlight how converters can take full commercial advantage of short run opportunities in label and packaging personalization, seasonal variations and product fragmentation. With market demand growing for short run customized finishes, digital finishing technology offers print professionals a high-quality and cost-effective business offering for clients.

Xeikon will be premiering the Xeikon FDU as part of the special show feature. The FDU unit is designed to fit in any digital production process for carton, tags and sheetfed labels. Developed to aid efficient end-to-end printing and converting for folding carton printers, it is ideal for near line finishing of digital work but can also accommodate offset litho runs. This 2,000-sheet-per-hour flatbed system handles sheet sizes from 400 x 400 mm (15.7″ x 15.7″) up to 530 x 1000 mm (20.9″ x 39.4″) and a maximum diecut size of 490 x 700 mm (19.2″ x 27.6″). Substrate thickness can range from 160 to 890 microns for paper and carton board, and also micro flute corrugated board can be finished, making it ideal for completing offset as well as digital runs.

Tight tolerance semi-rotary diecutting, high-speed output and on-the-fly changeovers are just some of the capabilities to be featured by Delta ModTech on its Spectrum Finishing System. With the company’s INTELLI-MOD control system and easy-to-use touchscreen HMI, operators are able to quickly change over from job to job, helping printers to compete in an industry that’s rapidly shifting from mass production of static print to smaller custom runs on digital technology. The control system also includes proven print-to-die registration software that will automatically adjust the diecuts to print variations.

With real-time technical demonstrations taking place over the show’s three-day run, visitors will be able to see how they can build complexity into folding cartons, speed up their delivery times, become more profitable and set their services apart. Presentations will be held daily at 11 AM and 3 PM and at 11 AM on the show’s closing day.

Tasha Ventimiglia, Labelexpo Americas event director, says, “The label and packaging industry is moving extremely quickly with demand shifting away from mass production to shorter runs and the need to handle multiple SKUs. The finishing process is where converters can really stand out in a crowded market place by showing their skills and ultimately offering added-value services to their customers. The working demonstrations will give visitors a good idea of just how easy, effective and valuable it is to incorporate a digital finishing process.”