Conferences

Citation

(2011), "Conferences", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 40 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2011.12940eaa.019

Conferences

Article Type: Conferences, training and publications From: Pigment & Resin Technology, Volume 40, Issue 5

EFI reports on its busiest ever FESPA exhibition

Following its busiest and most successful FESPA Digital exhibition to date, EFI reports that record high-interest levels were seen across all of its digital platforms and integrated software solutions featured at the Hamburg event.

Proving that diversity and production expectations cross all types and budgets of end-user, from small entry-level businesses up to high-end production houses, all featured production machines generated record levels of attention.

“This year’s FESPA Digital event was an exhilarating experience. EFI set new records for units sold at any FESPA event. In addition, we received more than 300 leads to keep our sales teams busy,” said Paul Cripps, Managing Director of EFI EMEA. “Our exhibit had more new products than any vendor and showed wide format and specialist production machines for all budgets and throughput requirements”. We introduced the revolutionary VUTEk GS3250LX with LED “cool cure” technology, the versatile new roll-fed EFI VUTEk GS3250r 3.2 m system and the enhanced VUTEk GS5000r UV roll-to-roll system. But in addition, our new entry-level roll-to-roll 3.2 m Rastek R3204, which has a price point of less than €100,000, ranked strongly in the visitor ratings, as did our UV-curable digital ink-jet label production printer, the Jetrion 4830.

“Lastly, our latest textile printer, the VUTEk TX3250r, drew crowds at the Hilord stand. This dye-sublimation printer is EFI’s answer to the growing demand from users wanting the ability to print onto greener textile materials.”

The headline news of the Hamburg show was the European début of the VUTEk GS3250LX, which uses LED curing to increase the types of difficult substrates that can be printed direct with UV-curable inks. EFI’s “cool cure” technology provides low-cost production, instant on/off and no warm up times, with extremely long lamp life that offers years of consistent curing.

Nick Olson, owner of PVS In-Store Graphics, is already seeing the benefits of his new VUTEk GS3250LX. “We’ve been able to print on a much wider gamut of materials than ever before which is opening up new opportunities we couldn’t pursue previously,” Mr Olson said. “With a much lower UV cure temperature, we have been able to use thinner styrene sheets at half the cost of what we previously had to order.”

The GS3250LX offers users increased uptime, with the added advantage of essentially no VOCs and very low energy consumption. It also features a continuous board feature for colour consistent accuracy from sheet to sheet, and throughput speeds of up to 55 (1.2 m×2.4 m) boards per hour. This feature is facilitated by the machine’s precision media alignment fence for automated sheet positioning, plus the option to be used with the VUTEk MediaMaster hands-free loading and offloading system which enables multiple sheets to be printed simultaneously at maximum speed without operator intervention.

Also taking pride of place on the EFI stand was the new VUTEk GS3250r, designed for print service providers who need to produce high margin, closely viewed interior application on a platform which represents a modest investment and very low running costs.

EFI sees the VUTEk GS3250r 3.2 m roll-fed printer as providing the catalyst for users of solvent-based machines who have not yet made the transition to UV-curable inks. This machine’s high quality throughput speeds of up to 111 m²/h, multi-queue capabilities and double-sided printing functionality all combine to outperform other ink technologies.

For superwide-format print companies, and users wanting optimum roll-fed versatility obtained from working with up to three rolls simultaneously for extremely fast throughput, EFI announced important enhancements to its VUTEK GS5000r 5 m production platform. Now benefiting from an automated double-sided printing capability, this versatile machine now includes in-line white ink to increase its versatility and enable it to be used with non-white and clear materials.

The EFI Rastek R3204 also provides an excellent production unit for users wanting to transfer from solvent-based ink chemistries. This 3.2 m roll-to-roll wide-format printer follows on from the company’s successful flatbed UV-curable versions and offers the entry-level market sector a tough and reliable solution producing photographic quality onto coated and uncoated materials.

As well as running regular demonstrations on this diverse range of platforms, EFI also featured the Jetrion 4830 narrow-format digital ink-jet production printer for label printers and small-format signs and fliers. Launched earlier in the year, EFI’s industrial 3.2 m dye-sublimation textile printer received high levels of attention on the Hilord stand. This company’s inks are utilised in the VUTEk TX3250r for their rich and durable colours essential for direct and transfer printing onto polyester-based fabrics.

Because integrated workflow solutions are becoming increasingly important to print service providers of all sizes, EFI was also busy at FESPA Digital demonstrating its options designed to cover every requirement for business management and production control. The company’s leading software RIP for wide format, Fiery XF, was shown running the Jetrion 4830 as well as all the VUTEk and Rastek devices on the stand.

Full closing report European Coatings SHOW 2011: excellent figures and top marks

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  More exhibitors, space and visitors than ever before.

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  Another increase in internationality.

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  Successful congress with participants from all over the world.

The European Coatings SHOW still has a few surprises in store 20 years after its launch. After a slight decline for the preceding edition due to the world economic crisis, the 2011 event in the Exhibition Centre, Nuremberg even beat the previous top marks of 2007.

In total, 887 exhibitors from 45 countries presented their product spectrum of high-quality coatings, paints, sealants, construction chemicals and adhesives on a record net display space of 30,000 m² from 29 to 31 March 2011. In total, 25,955 trade visitors, 14 per cent more than the previous record of 2007, used the opportunity to update on the latest products and services during the three days of the exhibition. About 63 per cent of them came to Nürnberg from abroad (2007: 59 per cent/2009: 56 per cent). After Germany, the countries with the most visitors were Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Great Britain and France. The European Coatings CONGRESS with 648 participants from 40 countries at its some 150 papers in 25 sessions also registered outstanding interest in the topical issues of this highly innovative sector.

The European Coatings SHOW and European Coatings CONGRESS are the meeting place for the global coatings community every two years. With its large international share of about 60 per cent for both exhibitors and visitors, the event offers an ideal dialogue platform for experts from all over the world.

All the new developments and innovations are represented here, from raw materials for coatings, printing inks and adhesives to intermediates for construction chemicals, laboratory and production equipment, testing and measuring equipment, and application systems to safety at work and environmental protection. Besides, a variety of product properties and competitiveness, the environmental compatibility aspect is increasing its importance in research and development, as shown, for example, by the rapidly growing share of water-based coatings and paints. Professor Matthias Beller of Rostock University opened the European Coatings CONGRESS with his keynote on Monday, 28 March 2011. The winner of the 1st Sustainable Chemistry Award showed that sustainability in chemical production is a key technology of the twenty-first century. Sustainability was also the central issue of the second keynote lecture by Dr Erik Risberg of Jotun, Norway.

European Coatings Award 2011

The European Coatings Award for the best conference paper was also presented on the first day of the European Coatings CONGRESS to Dr Marc Entenmann’s team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation. The paper entitled “Corrosion protection with nanoscale anticorrosive pigments in coatings” describes the effects of reducing the particle size of corrosion protection pigments. The jury based its decision on the outstanding way in which the paper shows an approach to solving one of the industry’s biggest and most cost-intensive problems: the corrosion of steel.

Exhibitors and visitors give top marks

Exhibitors and visitors again gave top marks for the range of products at the European Coatings SHOW in 2011 and for the success of the event. Well over 90 per cent were satisfied with the complete package.

A look at the details shows why: 99 per cent of the exhibitors said they had made new business connections with their most important target groups during the three days of the exhibition. About 35 per cent received direct orders during the European Coatings SHOW, and nine out of ten companies also expect follow-up business. For 93 per cent of the exhibitors, the European Coatings SHOW is an important to extremely important part of their marketing and sales activities.

The visitors accordingly expected a real fireworks of interesting products and services again at the European Coatings SHOW 2011: more than 80 per cent of the exhibitors had brought new products and innovations from their portfolio. About 95 per cent of the visitors were satisfied with the information and contact opportunities on the stands. About 58 per cent said the European Coatings SHOW is the only exhibition they visit in this field. One of the decisive factors for the success of the exhibition is the high professional and decision-making qualities of the visitors. The largest groups of visitors were formulators of paints and coatings (37 per cent), raw material suppliers (29 per cent), formulators of adhesives and sealants (14 per cent), construction chemicals (10 per cent), printing inks (7 per cent) and industrial applicators of coatings and paints (7 per cent). Well over 90 per cent of the visitors are involved in purchasing and procurement decisions in their company.

Meeting places in Europe and America

The next European Coatings SHOW takes place in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 19 to 21 March 2013, and the congress starts as usual a day earlier on 18 March 2013.

The coating experts from America can look forward to some highlights as soon as 2012, when the American Coatings SHOW and American Coatings Conference take place in the Convention Center at the new location in Indianapolis, Indiana/USA, from 8 to 10 and 7 to 9 May 2012, respectively.

More detailed information and photos of the European Coatings show are available at: www.european-coatings-show.com