FLEXO Features
The biggest FLEXO news was totally removed from the printed magazine, as Sustainable FLEXO was retired and a new, aptly titled Internet quarterly was born. FLEXO iQ was designed to cover multiprocess printing and converting. In its first year, the publication featured flexography as complemented by rival printing processes, the world of digital printing and different converting machinery niches, along with sustainability developments.
Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST) Certifications saw the spotlight in FLEXO three times during 2015. In January, Anderson & Vreeland and ACTEGA WIT spoke about FIRST Implementation Specialist Certification and how providing their employees with the training yielded real results in terms of knowhow, productivity and confidence. Seven months later, August’s issue featured interviews with company executives and employees at Prairie State Group, who discussed PSG’s recent FIRST Company Certification; in September’s issue, Smyth Companies also gave its take.
January also saw Specialty Printing and Walle Corp. celebrate their recent Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) Certification by recalling the journey to completing the necessary steps and explaining the reasons behind their environmentally conscious decisions.
Beginning in February’s issue and stretching throughout the year, FLEXO highlighted a number of FTA printer members with in depth Q&As. The conversations touched on new equipment purchases, mergers and acquisitions, flexography’s past, present and future, market segment trends, sustainability, multiprocess printing and more.
Participants included:
- Alpha Poly Packaging Solutions
- New York Label & Box Works
- Fortis Solutions Group
- Trisoft Graphics
- Great Little Box Co., Ltd.
- Inland
June’s annual Ink, Anilox And Doctor Blade Guide was packed with articles covering blade composition, ink delivery systems, anilox handling and care, engraving options, blade thickness and more.
The 7th Annual Press Buyer’s Guide detailed new narrow, mid and wide web machines, along with hybrid setups, digital presses and converting equipment.
In October, FLEXO’s Plate, Sleeve And Plate Making Guide covered direct laser engraving, flat top dots, water wash plates and other topics.
The magazine was the center of attention at Fall Conference, as the cover supplement of its November issue was the focus of this year’s Cover Project. Printed on FTA member Nuova GIDUE’s—now rebranded as Bobst Firenze’s—M5 and utilizing the company’s Technical Innovation Award winning Digital Flexo Excellence, more than a dozen flexo experts flew to All Printing Resources, Inc.’s (APR) Chicago facility for the week long event. Details and data were recorded every step of the way, copious samples were pulled and everything was packaged together to offer conference attendees a step by step look at the entire print job.
The magazine caught up with several Phoenix Challenge combatants now in the flexo workforce, inviting their recollection of the annual competition and affording the opportunity to see how it helped propel their careers.
Honors & Awards
Winners in FTA’s 2015 Excellence in Flexography Awards numbered 106, with 38 gold medals, 37 silver medals and 29 bronze medals, a self promotion award and a notable achievement. Entries ballooned to well over 400, a sizeable gain from the year prior. Thirty-five judges handled the evaluations, which took place in late January at the Hyatt Regency Long Island, near FTA’s headquarters. “The quality of the print entries this year has pushed the execution and difficulty to a new level,” said RockTenn Merchandising Display’s Timothy Esselman.
The baron of “booyah,” vanguard of volunteering, perennial print junkie Paul Lancelle found himself the 53rd inductee in the FTA Hall of Fame. The technical specialist has done just about everything FTA has to offer in his more than 20 years assisting the organization—a streak that will undoubtedly continue—yet still manages to find free time to volunteer in his community and support multiple special needs groups.
Fifty-three students representing nine colleges across the U.S. did battle in The Phoenix Challenge College Competition. When the dust had settled, Clemson University was crowned the overall winner; its team was made up of students Becky Bunch, Jason Cagle, Jon Kalshoven, Kariahlyn Lindsey, Summer Long and Caroline Weaver, and instructor Nona Woolbright. The high school competition was won by Keara Wingert and Rachel Radewahn, from Waukesha County Technical.
The Rossini Scholarship was awarded to two promising future flexographers. The first place, $13,000 award went to Jason Cagle of Clemson University. Second place, receiving $9,500, was given to Bilge Altay from Western Michigan University.
FTA’s President, Mark Cisternino, gave his namesake award to two very familiar faces in FTA’s circles. Jennye Scott, VP of creative services at Berry Plastics Corp., worked as prepress chair on FIRST 5.0 and co chair of the 2015 and 2016 Forums. Richard Black, director of digital solutions at APR, was also instrumental in FIRST 5.0’s development as well as both the 2014 and 2015 FLEXO Magazine cover projects.
For its marrying of flexo’s print qualities and digital technology, Nuova GIDUE—now rebranded as Bobst Firenze—was awarded the Technical Innovation Award. With Digital Flexo Excellence, workflow aspects such as setup, calibration and other manual processes are automated, leading to efficiencies across production.
Advance Packaging Corp.’s unobstructed focus on environmental preservation and sustainability, which manifested in the careful planning and construction of its facility in Grand Rapids, MI, won it the Sustainability Excellence Award. The 425,000 sq. ft. headquarters was designed from its inception to minimize its environmental impact, use less natural gas and improve the wetlands area upon which it was built.