Burgopak Success with Help from Medica

Medica Packaging, Crewe, Benson Group’s 100% pharmaceutical business, has revealed details of its work with Burgopak, the company that specialises in the differentiation of pharmaceutical products in a highly competitive market.

The pharmaceutical packaging industry has been tasked with finding the right balance between usage, senior-friendly accessibility and child-resistance. Burgopak’s Pharma Series of packaging presents an impressive solution: the single- and double-blister packs slide out to reveal both the blister and the attached patient information leaflet.

Burgopak worked closely with Medica Packaging in the creation of sample packages for the US market. The sample packs were created for testing by Perritt Laboratories to establish that the Burgopak solutions met the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission’s requirements for child resistence and senior accessibility.

Commenting on the contribution of Medica Packaging, Mark Symonds, Burgopak, said: “Medica were particularly helpful in assisting us with the selection of the right board to use for this carton. The card wrap needed to be hard wearing and tear resistant, but still offer the right print characteristics and weight. The creation of the packs included some 12 months of testing and evaluation prior to submission to Perritt Laboratories.”

Burgopak successfully achieved the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission’s F=1 standard for child-resistant effectiveness and senior friendly standard.  This is in conformity with US regulatory standards for poison prevention packaging.  The latest addition to Burgopak’s Pharma Series achieved the F=1 standard with impressive results (child-resistant effectiveness at 98%, and senior adult use effectiveness at a pass rate at 95%).  Named, Burgopak continues to advance the technology of pharmaceutical compliance packaging with its compelling designs.

Patient compliance is one of the most hotly discussed topics in the pharmaceutical industry today and represents a challenge for healthcare providers and manufacturers alike.  Burgopak’s sliding packs ensures that all compliance and safety information remains conveniently attached to the medicine at all times, whilst also being portable and easy to use.

Already in use in the UK with Bayer’s Rennie® ICE “Pocket Pack” line of over-the-counter antacids, Burgopak’s sliding package designs have received numerous accolades, including the “Compliance Package of the Year” (US Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council) in 2007 and “Best Compliance Package” at Pharmapack in 2008.  Burgopak currently offers single-blister, double-blister and senior-friendly designs that can be customized to accommodate nearly any pill, blister or leaflet size.

Burgopak’s recent partnership with RxPak, a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation, will bring its pioneering pharmaceutical packaging style to the American market in 2010.  Fully automated production on state-of-the-art Bosch Sigpack machinery makes the Burgopak design solution a cost-effective, reliable and entirely customizable unit dose package.

The flexibility of the package also allows the incorporation of patient loyalty or reward cards, and its compact size ensures it is ideally suitable for travel and on-the-go use.  The pack’s high structural integrity extends its lifespan and ensures the patient retains the entire pack intact at all times.

Commenting on the success of the package, Sarah Serlenga, Sales Manager at Medica Packaging, said: “We have been working with Burgopak for some time, and it was a pleasure to be involved in this challenging project. Child-resistant pharmaceutical packs are a hot industry topic, and so it was good for Medica to be involved in the creation of this impressive solution. We are, of course, delighted with the finished product, and also with the news that the pack has passed close examination by the appropriate US regulatory bodies.”

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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UK First for Xeikon at Hine Labels

Hine Labels Ltd, Rotherham, Yorkshire, has announced details of a decision to upgrade its existing Xeikon label press to a new Xeikon 3000 machine. The installation will be the first Xeikon 3000 digital label press in the UK, following the launch of the machine in September 2008. Xeikon 3000 has been designed as a counterpart to the Xeikon 3300 label press, and contains many of the same features as its “bigger brother”.

Bill Hine, Managing Director of Hine Labels, said: “Our original Xeikon 330, installed at the end of 2007, allowed us a good insight into the digital labels market, providing us with the opportunity to talk digital with our existing customers, and to work our way through the whole of the digital production cycle – which is, of course, quite different to our traditional flexographic business. The further enhancements in both image quality and production speed for the Xeikon 3000 meant that it was the next logical step for us.”

Xeikon 3000 produces images at 1200 dots per inch, with four bits per spot, to ensure the highest possible colour quality, and offers an increased imaging width of 322mm, against the 307mm imaging width of the Xeikon 330 machine. All machines are based on a 330mm substrate width.

“Our business comes from trade customers. They generally don’t have a preference with regard to the printing process that we use. What they want is high quality, colour consistent labels in the shortest possible production time. We have to face the fact that run lengths are decreasing across many of our markets, and this is what tends to determine which print process we use for a given job.

“We had no hesitation in returning to Xeikon for our latest digital label solution. In our opinion, the company’s products lead the market for label production, and we have been delighted with the service and support that we have received from Xeikon.”

Xeikon 3000 web-based press has a top speed of 31.5 feet of label production per minute, and a monthly duty cycle of 1,500,000 feet. The five colour engine provides for the four standard process colours plus a choice of spot colour, special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, or an opaque white for the “no label” look on transparent material. The press is capable of handling an unrivalled range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

“Xeikon 3000 also offers an immediate upgrade path when digital volume requirements increase,” added Bill Hine, referring to the ability to enhance the machines capabilities up to those of the Xeikon 3300 label press.

With regard to the markets for digitally produced labels, Bill Hine said: “It has certainly enabled us to open new doors with existing customers. The ability to economically produce shorter runs has a strong appeal in many market sectors, and we have also become involved in a number of test marketing programmes – an ideal task for digital production, as we can create any number of label variants within a short space of time.”

Commenting on the new Hine Labels purchase, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “We are delighted to be able to enhance the label production system at Hine Labels to the latest specifications of the Xeikon 3000. With regard to image quality, Xeikon 3000 can produce 1200 dpi at four bits per spot, which raises the bar in terms of high quality digital label production. We believe that this will ensure that Hine Labels can seamlessly transfer work between label printing processes.”

Hine Labels, in conjunction with Xeikon, expect to hold an open day featuring its new digital label press in during May 2009. Full details to be released shortly.

For further information on Punch Graphix and Xeikon e-mail infouk@punchgraphix.com or visit the www.xeikon.com web site.

For more details on Hine Labels call 01709 369 222.

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P&O Largest Cruise Ship Equipped with HP Indigo

Ventura, P&O Cruises’ new super-liner and now the largest cruise ship in the fleet, has been equipped with full on-board printing capabilities with an HP Indigo 1050 machine, supplied by Digital People, Chessington, Surrey. The digital press will be used to produce a wide range of printed products including menus, schedules, welcome packs, daily newspapers and marketing collateral on a daily basis.

In addition to the installation of its new HP Indigo 1050, P&O Cruises also purchased DirectSmile software to personalise its printed items. It has been able to use this combination of technologies to produce customised and personalised print items using the data from the ship’s passenger list.

“We wanted to improve the quality of our printed on-board communications for our customers, so we invested in an HP Indigo press,” said Steven Spilsbury, fleet marketing and communications manager, P&O Cruises. “At P&O Cruises, we pride ourselves on being attentive to our customers’ requirements. Our new press and personalisation software enables us to produce high-quality print that is relevant to the reader and accurately reflects our brand values.”

The press was installed in Italy in a custom built pressroom whilst the ship was being constructed. Digital People used its experience gained after installing an HP Indigo press on-board sister company Ocean Village’s cruise ship, Ocean Village 2, to overcome the challenges of installing a press on a cruise ship. Digital People ensured that the correct power requirements were fitted in the new pressroom and even dismantled the press on land in order for it to fit through the liner’s one-metre wide doors and re-built the press on board Ventura.

“Digital People were excellent and handled the installation brilliantly. They were very enthusiastic and worked hard to ensure that the installation ran smoothly,” said Spilsbury.

Since its installation, the HP Indigo press has printed over 100,000 impressions per month for the ship’s passengers, and it is vital that its HP Indigo 1050 produces the highest quality printed items at all times.

Chris Blanchard, Director, Digital People, said: “We work very closely with P&O Cruises to ensure that its HP Indigo press is maintained to high standards. We provided operator and engineering training at our headquarters in Chessington, Surrey, to maximise uptime and keep the press running efficiently. We also provide support to P&O Cruises whilst the ship is in port in the UK and in the Caribbean. Additionally remote support facilities are in place so we can diagnose and handle any issues that may arise whilst the ship is at sea.”

Steven Spilsbury, concluded, “We have been very happy with our new HP Indigo press 1050, which is able to colour match the P&O Cruises’ logo perfectly. Our customers have noticed the difference and we have received some very positive feedback about our digitally printed items.”

About Ventura

Ventura, the largest member of the P&O fleet, incorporates 19 decks, all overflowing with stylish features and innovative facilities. Cosmopolitan to the core, Ventura has taken everything P&O Cruises are renowned for – quality, choice, attention to detail, seamless service, fine-dining – but added her own unique twist.

The menus are still as mouth-watering, but there’s the opportunity to dine in Marco Pierre White’s first restaurant at sea. Artwork still adorns the walls, but there are over 7,000 specially commissioned pieces to admire. The theatre shows are still as spectacular, but you’ll also find tribute acts, comedians, pianists, live bands and classical recitals on board. And above all, the P&O Cruises unfaltering dedication to offering the ultimate holiday experience still stands strong.

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

Digital People is headquartered in Chessington, Surrey. The company was founded by Jerry Widdowson, who has been involved in the provision of solutions to the printing industry for over twenty years.

In early 2001 the company purchased its first digital printing press and established a printing company. The strategy behind this venture was to learn how to install, operate and manage digital printing equipment, and to understand the business of digital printing from a customers’ perspective. The print business has since been sold as a going concern, but the knowledge gained has been retained and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the company.

Digital People now focus on the supply and maintenance of digital printing solutions, with a focus on HP Indigo digital presses, and software platforms licensed from leading vendors. Digital People also provide HP consumables and professional servicing, including maintenance contracts using the company’s own HP trained engineers.

In 2003 Jerry was joined by Tony Longhurst as FD. Tony has successfully managed all financials and growth within a number of print industry companies. In 2005 Chris Blanchard joined Digital People in order to manage the positive growth provided by the official HP Distributor and Master Reseller status. In 2008 Bill Holmes was appointed as Managing Director with Jerry Widdowson moving to the role of Chairman.

Bill joined Digital People from HP where he was responsible for sales and account management within the Indigo Division of HP, working with clients to develop best-in-class digital press solutions, whilst expanding new markets.

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NXP Europe Turns To HP Indigo 3050 for Quality

NXP Europe Limited, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has announced details of its decision to install an HP Indigo 3050 press, adding further digital capacity to the business, which also currently runs a Xerox 6060. The new system was purchased from the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo products, Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey.

NXP Europe has been using the Xerox 6060 machine since replacing a NexPress machine that was not performing to the expected cost-per-copy levels. Commenting on his latest purchase decision, Peter Doyle, Managing Director, NXP Europe, said: “We needed to add extra digital capacity. Having discussed our situation with some of our existing customers, we were interested to find that they had a strong preference for HP Indigo print quality. Some even suggested that they would be happy to provide us with more work if we moved to an HP Indigo machine.

“We went along to Digital People in Chessington to see a machine in action and were immediately impressed by both the quality and performance of the machine. Since the machine has been installed we have been delighted with the reliability of the HP Indigo, and our productivity has trebled at least. Our previous experiences with digital machines was that they were terribly unreliable, and that had been a major cause for concern for us. When you are offering customers’ fast turnaround times, you have to be able to keep your promises!

“We have also been delighted with the variety of substrates that we have been able to print on with the new machine. Not only will the HP Indigo handle 350gsm materials, but it will do so at the same speed as thinner papers,” added Peter Doyle. “Our other machine slows down significantly if we need to print on heavier stocks, or with heavy toner coverage. The HP Indigo just keeps on printing!

“Once we had made the decision to purchase an HP Indigo press, we were confident that we would receive excellent service and advice from Digital People, as we had spoken with a number of the company’s existing customers. They have certainly met and even surpassed our expectations.

“Print quality is critical to our business and, using the HP Indigo 3050, we can now offer “litho-quality” digital print to our clients. An upgrade to our online systems will take place over the next few months to accommodate the expected increase in business.”

NXP Europe, a 100% digital print producer, prints for its own clients as well as offering a trade service to other print businesses.

The company has been involved with web-to-print applications to help drive demand for more than five years. This impressive use of technology includes a bespoke application for managing and printing aircraft safety manuals for a high profile UK airline. Given the company’s expertise in web-to-print applications, NXP Europe has agreed to become Digital People’s test partner for its new “Click for Print” online service. This product is free to set-up for the HP Indigo user community – see www.thedigitalpeople.com for the latest information on “Click for Print”.

Chris Blanchard, Director, Digital People, said: “We are delighted to be providing NXP Europe with the quality of digital print output demanded by the company’s customers. The HP Indigo 3050 is the ideal solution for this company, given the high demands placed on it with regard to reliability, turnaround, and litho-like quality.

“We have already forged a close relationship with NXP, and have gained a good understand of their business requirements. We are delighted to be able to work with them as a test site for new online and variable data solutions, and look forward to assisting with any future investments made through Digital People.”

For further information on NXP Europe call 01892 512 401 or visit the www.nxpeurope.com web site.

Island Scan Installs First Xeikon 5000 in Guernsey

Island Scan Ltd, Guernsey’s leading digital printing specialist, has announced details regarding the purchase of a Xeikon 5000 digital colour press, which will replace one of the company’s two current Xeikon machines, a DCP50. This latest investment will provide for significant efficiencies in print production, making the business even more competitive, and decreasing turnaround times even further.

Currently celebrating the 20^th Anniversary of the company, Island Scan’s André Digard, commented on the new addition: “We had concerns regarding falling behind with our existing front-end technology, and were speaking with Xeikon about replacing our unit with an X-800 front-end, but then we looked at the potential of the Xeikon 5000 and were very impressed by the range of other enhancements that it would bring to the business.

“The 5000 is significantly faster than our existing machines, which means that we can be more competitive on pricing; the fifth colour unit means that we can provide better solutions for our corporate customers; and the increased stock range that can be printed on the Xeikon 5000, including thicknesses of substrate up to 350gsm, will undoubtedly open up new business opportunities.”

The new machine will join an existing Xeikon 500, a collection of large format print equipment, and ink-jet printing devices at the all digital Island Scan. The new addition, the Xeikon 5000, provides the ability to produce up to 4.2 million pages per month.

Island Scan prints a wide range of general commercial work on its equipment for both blue-chip and local customers, including work for the island’s tourist industry. A fortnightly publication for the residents of nearby Alderney entails a 1,000 copy print run of some 56 pages.

Commenting on the order for Xeikon supplier Punch Graphix UK, Managing Director Chris Matthews, said: “Firstly, congratulations to the team at Island Scan on the 20^th anniversary of the company. We are always delighted to be able to take an existing Xeikon user up to the next level of digital print production. We are convinced that the capabilities of the Xeikon 5000, particularly when used in tandem with the company’s existing Xeikon 500, will give Island Scan a formidable printing capability.”

Xeikon 5000

The Xeikon 5000 has all the features that have become Xeikon’s trademark: true One-Pass-Duplex™, high-quality digital imagine, a substrate width of 500 mm combined with virtually unlimited sheet length, and the capability to print onto a wide variety of substrates.

The Xeikon 5000 is integrated its own digital front-end, the X-800, which delivers an impressive toolbox enabling faster and better integration of applications and equipment into a seamless workflow thanks to the implementation of open standards. X-800 processes PostScript, PDF, PPML and PPML/VDX files at high speed and is also designed to support JDF-based digital printing job tickets.

Being web-fed, the Xeikon 5000 is intrinsically fast: it can print multi-page documents at a speed of 7,800 full-colour pages per hour (130 A4 pages per minute).

For further information on Punch Graphix and Xeikon e-mail infouk@punchgraphix.com or visit the www.xeikon.com web site.

For more details on Island Scan call 01481 259 188 or visit the www.islandscan.com web site. In addition, a range of digital print products can be purchased on-line via the www.digpics.co.uk web site.

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Investment Aids Consolidation at BJ’s Print & Design

BJ’s Print & Design Ltd, Stamford, Lincolnshire, has announced news of an investment in a Ryobi 784E four-colour B2-format press. The “small-footprint” press has enabled the business to consolidate its operations into one unit, having previously produced work from two units on the Gwash Way Industrial Estate. The press was purchased from UK Ryobi distributor Apex Digital Graphics.

Owner and Managing Director of BJ’s Print & Design, Robert Sandall, takes up the story: “We were using one unit for our design and pre-press work, and a second unit for printing and finishing. Moving all production into the one unit had been on our minds for some time, but it just wasn’t physically possible with the Heidelberg MO four-colour press that we were using.

“The idea of the “compact” press had been brought to our attention by Apex and other press suppliers at the last IPEX show, and that approach seemed to offer a solution for us. Having more recently taken a closer look at the Ryobi, as well as similar products from Heidelberg and Komori, we sat down and did our calculations. With the savings that we could make by moving out of our second unit, plus the retirement of one of our team, we calculated that we could actually purchase the new press with virtually no increase in overheads. Thankfully we also have a very good relationship with our local bank manager, which helped to secure the funding for the deal.

“Apex were able to give us a highly competitive deal on a two-year old 784E press, and traded back our MO. They have been a great supplier to work with at every level – from senior management to the installation team, technicians and trainers.”

Commenting on the capabilities of the new press, Robert Sandall added: “The new machine brings with it the technical advances that have come to the printing press in recent years, including a faster running speed and significantly reduced make-ready times. Although our operators are still in training at the moment, we are already seeing great strides forward in the time it takes to start printing good sheets.”

BJ’s Print & Design Ltd handles a wide range of commercial work, including magazine, brochure and leaflet production, from graphic design through to finishing. The company also runs a Xerox machine for short-run digital print work.

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “The installation at BJ’s Print & Design emphasises again the benefits offered by the Ryobi 784E machine. The small footprint has enabled the company to save on the rental costs of a second business unit, and as a result become more competitive in the market with an up-to-date press. Whilst the compact Ryobi 784E is small in terms of footprint, it is still large in terms of features.”

For further information on BJ’s Print & Design Ltd call 01780 757 676.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Micra 55 metal plate system, the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units, and a range of B2-format computer-to-plate products. The company offer national service coverage, and a one-stop shop for print consumables featuring next day delivery. Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

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MWL Print Group Upgrades to HP Indigo 3050 Press

MWL Print Group, South Wales, has announced the installation of an HP Indigo 3050 digital offset press, further increasing the print service provider’s digital printing capacity. The new system was purchased from the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo products, Digital People UK Ltd, Chessington, Surrey.

MWL were early adopters of HP technology and, until recently, operated two original Series 1 HP Indigo presses. Digital People have upgraded one of the original machines for a new HP 3050 offset digital press to further improve quality and production capacity. As with all Indigo solutions the variable data capabilities have been upgraded to incorporate the new HP Smartstream Designer software.

“Digital People is an extremely professional supplier, and was able to ensure business continuity when replacing the original Indigo press,” said Kelli Johnson, General Manager, MWL Digital. “We were confident that we would receive excellent service from Digital People, as our two existing Indigo machines were on service contract with them. We thought we were advanced users of the Indigo technology but received a new training package tailored for the new press. This was conducted at our premises, on our new press, avoiding unnecessary costs in sending operators away from the business.

“Print quality is critical to our company and, using the HP Indigo 3050, we can now offer litho quality digital print to our clients. MWL is proud to meet the stringent ISO 9001 (2000) quality standard, which means that our clients can rest assured with regard to the quality coming off the Indigo and wider production cycle.

“As an environmentally aware company we are not just about profit margins. MWL is registered to the environmental management standard ISO 14001, and we have understood the environmental benefits of using HP Indigo digital printing solutions,” said Kelli Johnson.

MWL operates three subsidiaries from its South Wales base each of them with their own area of expertise.

MWL Litho: This division produces customers’ sheet fed litho requirements. B1 and B2 printing presses (2 – 5 colours) coupled with state-of-the-art pre-press and finishing departments facilitate the production of a wide range of publications.

MWL Digital: This company specialises in digital printing which is ideal for the cost-effective production of short run work up to or around the 1,000 copies mark, including books, brochures, posters and manuals.

MWL Large Format: MWL Large Format provides an exhibition and display service. It has large format digital printing equipment which can print up to 1500mm wide by virtually any length.

Jerry Widdowson, Chairman, Digital People, said: “Working with an existing client to improve quality and capacity is always an exciting prospect for Digital People. MWL is one of the most prestigious print service providers in Wales and a great business for us to partner with. We look forward to assisting with any future investments made through Digital People.”

For further information on MWL Print Group call 01495 750 033 or visit the www.mwl.co.uk web site.

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

Digital People is headquartered in Chessington, Surrey. The company was founded by Jerry Widdowson, who has been involved in the provision of solutions to the printing industry for over twenty years.

In early 2001 the company purchased its first digital printing press and established a printing company. The strategy behind this venture was to learn how to install, operate and manage digital printing equipment, and to understand the business of digital printing from a customers’ perspective. The print business has since been sold as a going concern, but the knowledge gained has been retained and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the company.

Digital People now focus on the supply and maintenance of digital printing solutions, with a focus on HP Indigo digital presses, and software platforms licensed from leading vendors. Digital People also provide HP consumables and professional servicing, including maintenance contracts using the company’s own HP trained engineers.

In 2003 Jerry was joined by Tony Longhurst as FD. Tony has successfully managed all financials and growth within a number of print industry companies. In 2005 Chris Blanchard joined Digital People in order to manage the positive growth provided by the official HP Distributor and Master Reseller status. In 2008 Bill Holmes was appointed as Managing Director with Jerry Widdowson moving to the role of Chairman.

Bill joined Digital People from HP where he was responsible for sales and account management within the Indigo Division of HP, working with clients to develop best-in-class digital press solutions, whilst expanding new markets.

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David Watson Appointed by Digital People

Digital People (UK) Ltd, Chessington, Surrey, the UK’s only authorised Master Reseller for HP Indigo digital colour presses, has announced the appointment of David Watson to the position of Business Manager in the North of the UK.

David joins Digital People from Punch Graphix where he was responsible for sales and account management for the North of the UK and Ireland. Based in Lancashire, David’s key focus will be working closely with clients to develop best-in-class digital press solutions and aid profitable growth.

David gained extensive industry knowledge with Kodak Versamark, being responsible for developing solutions within the direct mail, data centre and trans-promo markets.

Previously, David was Sales Director for Scitex Vision (now an HP business) and responsible for the UK, Ireland and Scandinavian direct and reseller business units. Scitex Vision was a market leader in wide and super-wide format printers for signage and industrial applications, such as billboards, banners, street advertising and packaging.

David joined the industry during the 1980’s and trained as a lithographer before later moving to a client facing, account management role with Heidelberg UK.

Jerry Widdowson, Chairman, Digital People, said: “Having known David from both his time with Punch Graphix and Scitex Vision, it was clear he would add significant experience to the business, and help focus our own strategy for the North of the country. David’s understanding of the digital marketplace is first class, having gained experience in all digital formats. The directors are confident that his appointment will strengthen our business”.

About Digital People (UK) Ltd

Digital People is headquartered in Chessington, Surrey. The company was founded by Jerry Widdowson, who has been involved in the provision of solutions to the printing industry for over twenty years.

In early 2001 the company purchased its first digital printing press and established a printing company. The strategy behind this venture was to learn how to install, operate and manage digital printing equipment, and to understand the business of digital printing from a customers’ perspective. The print business has since been sold as a going concern, but the knowledge gained has been retained and has proved to be an invaluable asset to the company.

Digital People now focus on the supply and maintenance of digital printing solutions, with a focus on HP Indigo digital presses, and software platforms licensed from leading vendors. Digital People also provide HP consumables and professional servicing, including maintenance contracts using the company’s own HP trained engineers.

In 2003 Jerry was joined by Tony Longhurst as FD. Tony has successfully managed all financials and growth within a number of print industry companies. In 2005 Chris Blanchard joined Digital People in order to manage the positive growth provided by the official HP Distributor and Master Reseller status. In 2008 Bill Holmes was appointed as Managing Director with Jerry Widdowson moving to the role of Chairman.

Bill joined Digital People from HP where he was responsible for sales and account management within the Indigo Division of HP, working with clients to develop best-in-class digital press solutions, whilst expanding new markets.

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“ISO 12647 Proficient Printer” Standard for Benson Box

Benson Group, headquartered in Bardon, Leicestershire, the UK Packaging Company of the Year, has announced details of its newly acquired “ISO 12647 Proficient Printer” status, as awarded by colour specialists Mellow Colour, for its Benson Box carton printing operation.

Benson Box, Bardon, specialises in the production of folding cartons for the food industry. Work on the colour standard is now underway at the three other Benson Group sites at Gateshead, Newcastle, and Crewe, the group’s 100% pharmaceutical plant.

“Colour standards are a hot topic in the industry at the moment, and we are therefore delighted to become the first food-focused packaging specialist to have achieved the status of Proficient Printer in the UK,” said Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group. “Alan Dresch of Mellow Colour and our production team at Bardon have put in a lot of work during the last six months to make this happen. I believe that this will be a very welcome addition to our capabilities, and something that will help to make our customers lives just that little bit easier.

“Whilst we have previously focused on our own internal quality standards, this internationally recognised standard means that we can offer customers the additional assurance that our printing will match that of other ISO 12647 printers supplying other elements of a campaign,” added Mark Kerridge. “We also anticipate being able to take the standard into customers offices, where they are often producing proofs. Once customer confidence has been established, proofs produced to ISO 12647 and then run at Benson Group under the same standards will significantly reduce the need for customers to pass press proofs.”

The site runs five B1-format litho presses and checks on the set-up of all of these machines needed to be carried out in order to ensure that they remained in balance and were all able to print consistent and repeatable results. Test jobs were run on the presses and measurements taken for dot gain and density. Following analysis and interpretation of the printed results any adjustments required to match the standard were then performed at the RIP of the company’s platesetter.

Commenting on his company’s work at the Bardon site, Alan Dresch of Mellow Colour, said: “Benson Group certainly has the right culture to be able to adapt to this process. Technical expertise, teamwork and commitment to colour quality at all levels are the keys to success when introducing a colour quality system of this type. The Benson Group colour team are fortunate to have those attributes in abundance, and they are already seeing the benefits of their work, with improved customer satisfaction and reductions in make-ready times and wastage.”

ISO 12647 is the standard upon which most serious printing specifications are based. Target gradation, ink colour, trapping, grey balance and dot gain numbers in the specification are based on hundreds of high quality print samples gathered and analysed from around the globe by the ISO TC 130 Committee.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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“Solutions for Profit 4”: Power Consumption Tops Agenda

Apex Digital Graphics, UK distributor for Ryobi presses, ECRM polyester-based computer-to-plate systems, and Screen metal-based computer-to-plate devices, has announced that it will stage an event at its Hemel Hempstead headquarters on April 1^st and 2^nd. As well as the expanded version of its open house format, which will include a wide range of other equipment suppliers, Apex will use the event, which will be promoted under the “Solutions for Profit – Workshop 4” banner, to focus on the power consumption benefits offered by the range of Ryobi presses.

“The electricity bill is a major factor in any print company’s expenditure. The Ryobi range has many positive things to contribute on the topic of power consumption, and we will use this event to visually demonstrate this to visitors,” said Joint Managing Director of Apex Digital Graphics, Bob Usher. Apex will demonstrate Ryobi machinery with a PC linked into the electrical system, with software showing the power being used by the press. “We believe that many printers are paying far too much to run their machines. We are urging them to take up the “Apex Power Challenge” to not only save themselves money during the lifetime of a press, but also make an important “green” statement to their customers.”

In addition to its own wide range of both new and used Ryobi presses, and ECRM and Screen computer-to-plate equipment, Apex will also exhibit digital print equipment from Danwood, finishing equipment from Morgana, MIS product from Tharstern, and products from EFI (workflow), Fujifilm (processless plates), Sharp (digital colour copiers), Technotrans (water management systems), Baldwin (drying systems), Sun Chemical (inks), Konica Minolta (digital colour copiers), PCO (printing chemistry), Creo (workflow), DirectSmile (personalisation software), IDS (mail sort software) and Eltosch (drying systems). A section within the event will also give focus to environmental issues.

“By opening our doors to a wide range of fellow suppliers we believe that we can offer our customers and prospects an event that is even more relevant to their businesses,” said Bernard Parker, Joint Managing Director of Apex. “We have extended invitations to fellow suppliers with complimentary products to our range of Smart Presses and CtP products, and together we will illustrate solutions for the different market segments between conventional offset and digital applications.”

“The concept of “Solutions for Profit” is all about being able to show integrated solutions, and to demonstrate how equipment suppliers can work together to provide an effective system for the printer,” added Mr Usher.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Micra 55 metal plate system, the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units, and a range of B2-format computer-to-plate products. The company offer national service coverage, and a one-stop shop for print consumables featuring next day delivery. Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

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BrailleCAM: Accurate Measurement for Braille Dots

Troika Systems Limited, Highworth, a UK company at the forefront of innovative development for print-based quality control products, has announced the release of BrailleCAM, a device designed to accurately measure Braille dots.

The BrailleCAM project started following discussions with packaging equipment specialist Chesapeake Packaging Systems. Part of EU legislation already requires the incorporation of Braille information on all new drug packaging, and proposed directives will include detailed specifications for the height of the Braille dot.

“Measurement of Braille dot height is an important issue to producers of packaging for consumer products, and their customers,” said Andrew Degnan, Head of Packaging Systems at Chesapeake. “Our customers need to ensure that we, and other suppliers, are providing Braille images that comply with the directive. The current technology to measure Braille is limited – typically in the form of a micrometer. Naturally, such rudimentary technology has measurement limitations that require a large number of samples to provide the confidence levels required. BrailleCAM, based on Troika’s technology for measuring the dot on a flexographic plate, is a far more sophisticated tool. It is both precise and consistent, and provides an array of further information to fine tune the Braille process. At last we have a technique that gives the appropriate level of confidence, and as a result will minimise inspection time.”

Following the first public showing of BrailleCAM on the Chesapeake Packaging Systems stand at the recent Packtech (easyFairs) exhibition at the NEC, Andrew Degnan added: “BrailleCAM provides clear 3D images of the Braille dot and tooling. It provides the dot height, profile plot, alignment, symmetry and diameter. Meeting the proposed EU directives on Braille height just became a scientific process.”

The exhibition offered pharmaceutical companies the opportunity to see BrailleCAM in action, and the reception was very enthusiastic, with major players already showing considerable interest.

BrailleCAM is a hand held, portable camera specifically designed to measure and view Braille dots with unrivalled precision and clarity. The camera utilises a PC link in order to show 3D images of a dot using colour representation, allowing the user to view dot form and inspect for surface cracking. The system also provides the tools necessary for highly detailed measurement and recording of dot values. BrailleCAM can measure male and female embossing tools as well as final output.

When measuring finished product, the auto-focus feature of the camera automatically finds the top surface. It then takes a series of images, each with a different focus depth, down to the ground level of the substrate. Software removes all un-sharp parts of each image and combines the levels into a rendered 3D grid model. This can be analysed via the PC and rotated in any direction.

Phil Hall, Managing Director of Troika Systems, added: “Following our initial discussions with Chesapeake, we could clearly understand the need in the market, and were easily able to see how our existing technology could be adapted to provide pharmaceutical packaging specialists with the detailed information that they needed regarding the Braille dot. Compared to a 1% dot on a flexo plate, these dots are large!

“The product is already generating significant interest among the pharmaceutical companies themselves, as well as the packaging producers. The pharmaceutical sector is the first and obvious outlet for BrailleCAM due to the demand for standards and accuracy within the industry. However, with the ability to measure the embossing tools prior to long run production, we are also looking at opportunities in a wide variety of other markets where a similar profile inspection and measurement technology will offer an advantage.”

For further information on Troika Systems quality control products visit the www.troika-systems.com web site.

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