Offset Printing
Three-Day Muller Martini Open House Event at Presses Training Center in Maulburg
Monday 08. November 2010 - "After Watching the Live Demonstration, I Really Understand What the VSOP Machine Can Do"
Held under the umbrella theme “Labels and Flexible Package Printing – The Process”, the three-day Muller Martini open house event in Maulburg thrilled around 300 visitors with a diverse program of events, including demonstrations of the Alprinta V and VSOP printing presses, numerous talks on industry topics, presentations by suppliers and partners. The live demonstration of the new VSOP machine, with its focus on UV inertization and electron-beam hardening, attracted particular interest.
“Labels and flexible packaging are among the few markets in our industry that are growing,” says David Strobbe, Commercial & Technical Director at the Strobbe printing house in Izegem, Belgium. Backing up this claim, there was an impressive response to the Muller Martini open house event. Around 300 visitors from all over the world flocked to the HYPERLINK “http://www.mullermartini.com/ger/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-170/” \t “” Training Center Druck in Maulburg (Germany), to witness Muller Martini and partners demonstrate its considerable expertise in the labeling market and, in particular, the packaging and package printing markets. As such, the live demonstrations of the newly launched Variable Sleeve Offset Printing (VSOP) machine technology, with a focus on UV inertization and electron-beam hardening, were met with eager anticipation.
Demands of Today’s Food Packaging Market
Greg Petzer, General Director of Afripack Consumer Flexibles (ACF) in Pinetown, went so far as to make the long trip from South Africa to Maulburg in order to see the new VSOP machine technology for himself. “I had read about the VSOP, which I think heralds a new era in printing technology, on the Internet and in brochures, but I can get a much better understanding of these things if I actually see them in action. So after watching the live demonstration, I really understand what the VSOP machine can do. That definitely made coming to the open house event worthwhile.”
Arnella Nechita Rotta, General Director of Sunimprof Rottaprint in Apahida, Romania, also wanted to see the new possibilities opened up by the VSOP printing technology with her own eyes. “Today’s labeling and packaging market demands smaller print runs, shorter lead times, good flexibility and a competitive price. So it’s very useful if jobs can be set up quickly, particularly if they are repeat jobs, as when it comes to food packaging, it’s often the case that there are only a few minor text changes. The color settings generally stay the same.” Fausto Marani, Managing Director of Etimar Produzzione Etichette in Villafranca, Italy, also observed how easy the VSOP is to operate: “It’s impressive how quickly job changeovers can be completed.”
Interesting Industry Talks and Supplier Presentations
The demonstrations of the VSOP and Alprinta V were accompanied by talks given in German and English on various topics from the fields of labeling and package printing. At most of these talks, there was not a single spare seat left in the house, proving how well they went down with the visitors. “I can’t simply spend seven hours looking at the machines at these open house events,” says David Strobbe. “That’s why I found these additional industry talks to be an excellent idea. It was interesting to learn about what is happening in the market from experts in the field.”
Hart Swisher, Director and Chief of Research & Innovation at Hammer Packaging in Rochester, NY, USA, which uses two VSOP machines, revealed that: “It was particularly important that I was able to familiarize myself with the mindset of European printers, as there are certain differences between Europe and the USA. At events such as these, there is always something new to learn.” Fausto Marani also thought the talks were an excellent idea: “It’s the best way to learn about future developments, and to pick up ideas for new markets.” Arnella Nechita Rotta was particularly inspired by the words of Dr. Stéphane Papilloud from Nestlé: “It was interesting to learn first-hand what our customers want and to find out how we can satisfy their requirements when it comes to food packaging.”
Alongside the machine demonstrations and talks, presentations from printing press suppliers were the third element of the Open House Event. Arnella Nechita Rotta found this very helpful, “because, just like Muller Martini, the suppliers also highlighted lots of the latest trends. They form part of a team, joining forces with the machine manufacturers and printers like us.”