ORLANDO, Florida
,
September 30, 2022
(press release)
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The Gravure AIMCAL Alliance Committee (GAA) honored winners in its annual Golden Cylinder Award competition at a Welcome and Awards ceremony at the AIMCAL R2R USA Conference (Sept. 26-29, 2022, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Orlando, FL). The Best in Show Award in the competition, co-sponsored for the second year by ACIMGA (the Italian Manufacturers Association of Machinery for the Graphic, Converting and Paper Industry), went to a paper label for Bush’s Best Flavor Fusions Baked Beans printed by delfort’s Mundet Tennessee Inc. This paper label relies on silver metallic ink (unique to gravure) printed as a base layer and overprinted process colors to create tonal transitions across the label for the new line of flavor combinations. The result created a satin-like sheen with smooth color breaks. Using this effect in combination with photographic imagery and a high-gloss overcoat creates an almost-3D appearance with images seeming to lift off the label. The accompanying brand colors deliver a bold striking appearance in contrast to the background effects. The resulting label complements the product – new, fresh, and exciting. The judges admired the smooth metallics on paper and noted the colors and vignettes stand out over the metallics. The label also exhibits excellent laydown of the nine-color overprint on metallic. Vignettes are smooth and transition well. All in all, the judges praised the excellent use of metallics, outstanding image quality, crisp copy, and clean print and were unanimous in their decision that this was the Best in Show winner for 2022. This label also took top honors in the Packaging and Label (Paper) category. Golden Cylinder Award recipients were named in seven other categories. In the Packaging and Label (Film-Film Lamination) category, Varna Limited took home a 2022 Golden Cylinder Award for the packaging for Maliban Double Twist Cookies. This is an eight-color design with fine registrations on the reverse and surface sides of the substrate. Printing on both sides of the film is a departure from conventional practice. The adherence of a matte coating on an untreated biaxially oriented polypropylene film surface also represents a unique feature. The specially formulated gravure Rotosheen matte coating supplied by Sithora Limited imparts novelty to the wrapper. The judges felt this was an attractive package with crisp copy, flavorful colors, and impressive line work and attention to detail. They particularly liked the combination of matte and glossy finishes, good registration, and excellent print quality. Inland Packaging captured the 2022 Golden Cylinder Award in the Packaging and Label (Film-Surface/Reverse Printed) category for the Nesquik-Chocolate Flavor label. It is printed on white film on a high-volume gravure press using both process and spot colors to deliver bright, attention-grabbing graphics. Tight print registrations and high line screens achieve the desired visual impact. The subtle, yet crisp, detailed graphics in the background convey the brand’s message. The judges liked the label’s visual appeal, crisp graphics, and sharp color. Described as “vibrant, fun, and informative,” the judges noted the excellent print quality and use of four-color process in the six-color job. In the Giftwrap category, American Greetings Corp. received a 2022 Golden Cylinder Award for an eye-catching design featuring the Grinch character created by Dr. Suess. This giftwrap is printed on LWC (lightweight coated) paper to reduce material costs and required overcoming registration and ink-coverage challenges with water-based inks. Process and line areas carry 1% to 100% coverage. The judges applauded the choice of paper while noting it’s a challenging substrate. They also appreciated the good color coverage, visual impact, and excellent black detail and registration. O’Sullivan Films Inc. was recognized for its Cobalt pool liner entry in the Vinyl Substrates category. The substrate has a high degree of elasticity, but the design provides a tight register that is maintained throughout the wide sheet and enables printing an elevated level of detail. Color trapping gives the entire design a high pigment range and detailed, rich print design using a 120-line screen. Although pearlescent ink is difficult to RF (radio frequency) weld, the design allows successful sealing in the final application. The pattern strongly influences the color of the pool water and creates a unique coloration of cobalt blues and teals with the shimmer of gold and a sense of pure luxury. The judges noted a great use of metallics, nice definition, and good register and image quality. They were particularly impressed by its brilliant color with gold highlights. In the Decorative Laminates category, the 2022 Golden Cylinder Award went to OMNOVA Solutions Inc. – A Synthomer Business for Raintree Mink (543057), a surf(x)® 3D laminate enhanced by a dimensional leathered surface and designed primarily for horizontal applications like countertops. Designed and developed with four highly defined print stages that layer and register a full array of tones, this stone-like image features a web of irregular bold veins that coexist with a crazed overall background. Advanced engraving and manufacturing capabilities allow delicate low print tones to deliver natural colorations and build a crisp image. Exceptional registration tolerance control is needed to print the design details precisely. Surface embossing adds further complexity to deliver texture without distorting the print. Process control is extremely demanding to manage material movement in the embossing process. Judges noted that this job also exhibits great color, plus excellent registration of print, veins, and surface embossing. The judges described the reverse layout as “impressive” and liked the “fantastic” 3D feel and visual flip. In the Technical Innovation - Image Preparation (prior to engraving) category, American Packaging Corporation (APC) earned a 2022 Golden Cylinder Award for transitioning Clif Luna to extended color gamut (ECG) technology. To support Clif’s sustainability and efficiency initiatives, the Clif Bar production team challenged APC Rotogravure to produce the entire Luna brand lineup with the least amount of print tools and spot-color inks to achieve the same visual appearance of packaging currently in the marketplace. Nineteen designs were recreated using ECG colors to duplicate the appearance of the spot-color versions. Judges noted good color variation and excellent use of ECG technology. They also described the use of metallic behind the logo as “attractive,” with an effect that resembles a shimmery night sky. Bobst Italia S.p.A. took home the 2022 Golden Cylinder Award in the Technical Innovation - Press category for its Registron® advanced register control. The new system detects transversal and lateral errors of just a few microns. For transversal errors, the operator can make an adjustment immediately after the color is printed and knows the exact amount of correction to be applied on the skewing roller and in which direction. If the skewing rollers are driven by an electric motor, the register control system automatically makes the correction during startup and production or after a reel splice. For lateral errors, the system provides immediate feedback to the operator. The advanced register control also can improve register quality in cases of residual material shrinkage and is key to ECG printing in gravure because it provides the tolerance (maximum deviation of 50-60 µm (σ2)) needed to achieve good spot color reproduction. Advanced register control expedites changeover, reducing associated downtime and waste. The judges noted this advancement adds a level of quality and control that appears to be easy to manage. They also observed that the samples exhibited nice print quality with tight registration and color control and impressive tolerance. Benefits include substrate savings, higher quality, and the potential to open up opportunities to gravure, particularly due to the enhanced agility it imparts to make gravure more competitive against flexo for shorter runs. The judging panel also awarded an Honorable Mention in the Technical Innovation -Press category. It went to Steingraeber-Enulec Americas for its ENULEC ESA (electrostatic assist) Static Loop 360 system. It measures gravure web static on an ESA platform reading both web and nip static voltage. Protected by four patents, the web static control technology overcomes the unknown variable of nip static and reduces web static up to 70%. The system neutralizes static via a patented safety grounding mechanism, which safely earths electrostatic charges that reach a 2kV threshold of nip static value. The system learns static values during the print run, then automatically adjusts ESA power and polarity to the lowest achievable static level. Reducing web static charges to the lowest level is paramount for every gravure printer with ignition reduction initiatives. Direct integration with the onboard PLC gives the press control of the ESA system. Described by the judges as an “awesome safety achievement,” the static reduction innovation provides true control of the process as well as cost savings. Best in Show and category winners took home a Cristaux glass trophy. Judges scored each entry using a one-to-10 scale and considered job difficulty, substrate choice, image quality, and visual impact for printed submissions. Technical innovations were judged on their level of uniqueness and impact on the use of gravure technology. With all the entrants exhibiting outstanding work, the judges had a challenging job. Judging took place in July 2022 and was hosted for the second year by Max Daetwyler Corporation in Huntersville, NC. The panel consisted of seven industry experts with a combined total of 262 years of printing experience. Members of the panel included: · Jean Engelke, consultant, Mooresville, NC, has 38 years of printing experience, both gravure and flexo, in direct production including prepress, and has been active in printing associations (FTA & GAA). · Reba Meek, sales director, Mundet Tennessee Inc., has 44 years of printing experience and has been active in and a past board member of the GAA. · Mandee Jones, senior client coordinator, Saueressig Packaging, has worked for 30 years at printers and or in prepress for cylinder suppliers. She is an active participant in the GAA Committee. · Daniel E. Comerford, vice president Operations, WRE/ColorTech, has 45 years in cylinder production starting on the floor and learning and implementing technologies and supporting the needs of printers. He has been a GAA board member. · Bob Speiss, president, Kaspar Graphic Solutions, has spent 35 years working in the gravure industry in cylinder production and printer support and has been a board member of the GAA. · Daryl DeMont, technical solutions advisor for Northeast USA, Harper Corporation of America, has worked in the industry for 30 years from direct printing production to technical support. · Marty Cansler, managing director – Sales and Technical Support, Daetwyler, has spent 40 years in the gravure industry starting on-press in Publication Gravure and working into technical support and management. He has been active in the GAA. About Gravure AIMCAL Alliance Committee The Gravure AIMCAL Alliance Committee (GAA) came into existence in 2021 when the Gravure Association of the Americas merged into AIMCAL. The GAA brought its gravure-process-focused “Roll-to-Roll” Printers & Converters members into AIMCAL where the use of roll-to-roll processing is stressed. The combined associations brought the printing supply chain together. Many members of the two associations are suppliers to or customers of each other. The GAA committee focuses on addressing the unique concerns of the gravure process and encouraging its use and improvement. GAA promotes the gravure printing process for publication printing, package printing, and product printing, including the ever-growing functional printing market. Gravure, the standard in printed quality, is an advanced, high-tech printing process operating the fastest and widest printing presses in the world and was the first printing process to employ a totally digital workflow environment. About AIMCAL, the Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators AIMCAL, the Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators, will adopt a new name in 2023, the Association for Roll-to-Roll Converters. The group represents converters of metallized, coated, and laminated flexible substrates and their suppliers. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, USA, membership stands at more than 300 companies. A global group, AIMCAL promotes the growth and prosperity of the converting industry and member companies via an array of technical and marketing services. Membership information is available online at www.aimcal.org. About ACIMGA (Italian Manufacturers Association of Machinery for the Graphic, Converting and Paper Industry) ACIMGA is the association of Italian manufacturers of machinery for the graphic, paper, and converting industry. Established in 1947, it plays a key role in the industry both in Italy and internationally representing “Made by Italy” production – that is, not just machinery produced in Italy, but the wealth of competence and expertise unique to the country, which is the trademark of these technologies, regardless of where they are manufactured. Rotogravure is a national excellence, historically rooted in Italy, where a strong know-how gives Italy some of the best skills and knowledge in this technology. The Italian Rotogravure Group was founded by ACIMGA to promote this printing technology with graphic designers and brand owners, restoring the role rotogravure deserves in the universe of printing, converting, and packaging technologies. The Group carries out several activities in the rotogravure field (training courses; technical round tables on national and European regulations impacting rotogravure; an annual event involving all the main figures within the supply chain, called Roto4All), but also believes in the need to create a strong community of shared interests, and in this perspective, it collaborat
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