Labelexpo Asia 2019 The 9th Asian International Label Printing Exhibition

Supported by the Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China (PEIAC, hereinafter referred to as PEIAC), the 9th Labelexpo Asia (English: Labelexpo Asia 2019) will open from December 3-6 this year at Halls E1-E3 of the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

By the end of September, more than 300 equipment manufacturers and material producers at home and abroad had actively signed up to exhibit, and the scale of the exhibition is 25% larger than the previous edition, the largest in its history. Moreover, this is the second consecutive edition with growth of more than 20%.

In order to better promote the exhibition, attract more professional visitors, and create a good atmosphere of interactive development and win-win cooperation, the exhibition organizer Tarsus Group, with the strong support of its partner - the Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China (PEIAC, hereinafter referred to as PEIAC) -

held a high-level "2019 Labelexpo Asia Press Conference and Promotion Meeting" on October 18 at the Shanghai Huating Hotel, officially sounding the pre-show assembly call.

Current Status of China's Printing Industry and Flexographic Printing Industry

Shi Jianping, Secretary-General of the Flexographic Printing Branch of the Printing Technology Association of China, was invited to introduce the current status of China's printing industry and flexographic printing industry. He pointed out that in developed regions abroad, the most commonly used label printing technology at present is flexographic printing. In China, data shows that the flexographic printing process accounts for about 12%-15% of the total output value of China's printing industry. According to the "2019 China Flexographic Printing Development Report":

In 2017, the output value of China's flexographic printing was approximately 144 billion - 180 billion yuan.

He particularly noted that the reason flexographic printing has achieved such results in the Chinese market is not only the push from national green and environmental protection policies, but also the continuous improvement in the localization of flexographic printing-related technologies, equipment and materials. For example, the flexographic press manufacturers participating in Labelexpo Asia - Weigang, Zhongte, Taiyo Machinery, Hongsheng, Ouge, Yuantie, Sanzhe, Shanghai Aijun and others - have greatly improved their flexographic equipment in terms of product quality, precision and performance, as well as processing technology.

However, it cannot be denied that domestic flexographic presses still lag somewhat behind imported machines in terms of combined performance, intelligent design, and reduced labor and waste; some companies printing high-end labels still prefer imported equipment. At this exhibition, Omet, Mark Andy, MPS and Bobst will bring their latest technologies. Of particular note is a 7-color N610IM hybrid press jointly developed by Domino and Spande, which combines Domino's industry-leading N610i digital UV inkjet label press with Spande's brand-new high-speed intelligent S7 flexographic system, as well as Yunbo digital presses. The exhibition will provide us with a great learning opportunity and give label companies more choices.

He also said that the rapid rise of domestic flexographic plate materials and plate-making equipment, such as Lucky Huaguang, Dongguan Meiju and Shanghai Qiangbang, is also a major driving force behind the rapid development of flexographic technology in China. At this exhibition, visitors will be able to see domestic companies such as Hangzhou Keli Electromechanical, Liaoning Zhenghong Baochi, Hangzhou Dongxin Optoelectronic Technology, the AMSKY brand represented by Shanghai Aoluola, the plate exposure machines and plate mounting machines of Ruian Saideyi, as well as high-definition plate-making equipment from the international company Esko.

After the state issued a series of green printing policies, more and more enterprises in the printing industry have moved from being indifferent to flexographic technology to actively paying attention to it. For another example, many domestic label printing companies, such as Shanghai Zhengwei, Suzhou Yali, Suzhou Jiangtian, Beijing Deji and Chengdu Tongtongyin, are expanding into markets for shrink sleeve labels and flexible packaging products by purchasing wider flexographic presses.

Traditional domestic label printing equipment manufacturers such as Zhejiang Weigang, Taiyo and Zhejiang Zhongte have also begun producing flexographic printing equipment, and have launched machines with increasingly wider printing formats, expanding from the 220mm/330mm machines that previously dominated the market to current 460mm and even 660mm machines.

Highlights of Labelexpo Asia 2019

Labels and flexible packaging are closely related; whether in printing, rewinding, slitting and other processing equipment, or in processing technology, they fall within one broad category. This year, the sister exhibition launched by Labelexpo Asia - "2019 Asia Flexible Packaging Printing Exhibition" - also focuses on "printing", the most important step in the production of labels and flexible packaging. It is one of the important platforms for converters to learn about label and flexible packaging printing technology in a short time, and is well worth visiting.

Afterwards, Mr. Liu Tao, China Director of Labelexpo Asia, on behalf of the exhibition organizer, gave a detailed introduction to the development trends in the global label and packaging printing field under the title "Label Technology Development Trends and Highlights of Labelexpo Asia 2019", many of whose data were released in China for the first time.

Regarding the upcoming Labelexpo Asia 2019, according to him,

this edition of the exhibition will set up the newly added Hall E3 as the "Innovation Hall", containing three major printing zones: digital, smart and flexible packaging.

More than 30 manufacturing companies related to digital printing equipment will exhibit in this area, including: Domino, Konica Minolta, Dilli, Shanghai Yunbo, Hongbo Intelligent, Haotian, Runtianzhi, Dragen, Changzhou Teminei, Hefei Runjie, Amica, Epson, Zhenghong Baochi, Shanghai Guanzhong, Wuxi Lida, Zhejiang Leipeng, Taiwan GCC, Zhuojue, Ningbo Worui, Guangzhou Pintu and others.

The Smart Label Zone in the same hall will debut with 500 square meters, where Avery Dennison, UPM Raflatac, Voyantic, Muehlbauer, Aida, Xinjinglu, Shanghai Liandian, Guangzhou Jingsai and others will exhibit.

He said there are many other highlights at the exhibition. For example, due to stricter national environmental protection policies, the partial localization of flexographic plate materials, and improvements in printing precision and speed, traditional printing at this exhibition is well worth attention. Key exhibits include: the Omet iFLEX intelligent printing line, the Weigang in-line flexographic press, and the Taiyo STF-340 flexographic press. Meanwhile, Hongsheng, Yuantie, Sanzhe, Guangdong Ouge, Shanghai Aijun and others will also showcase their latest flexographic printing equipment.

In addition, the combination of offset printing technology and label printing is very much a Chinese characteristic. As an important process in China's label printing, offset printing has shown rapid development in recent years. The main exhibits to be seen at the exhibition include: the Wanjie WJPS350 shaftless PS plate intermittent rotary press, the Weigang intermittent PS plate label press and the Zhongte offset press.

Mr. Liu Tao concluded: "With the strong support of PEIAC, the exhibition will present a dazzling display of new equipment and new materials; at the same time, this edition will, for the first time, introduce a master class organized and hosted by the internationally renowned Label Academy, which will focus on the two themes of shrink sleeve labels and digital printing technology. The two-day event will be taught by Andy Thomas, Strategy Director of Tarsus Group, together with well-known experts from various fields; combined with other activities at the exhibition site, we will deliver a wonderful exhibition that surpasses previous editions in both exhibitor returns and visitor experience, as a way of giving back to our printing colleagues."

The press conference was moderated by Ms. Yu Sijing, Marketing Manager of Labelexpo Asia, who also delivered a welcome speech. More than 50 media representatives attended the press conference, including representatives from Longkun Media & China Good Packaging Network, Printing Magazine, Shanghai Packaging, Green Packaging, Libang Printing Network, Hongdong Media, Baolian Network and Siai Flexo.

Labelexpo Asia 2019 is open free of charge to professional visitors. Log in now at: www.labelexpo-asia.com.cn to register online or scan the QR code below to receive a full set of exhibition admission tickets.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-353610.html