An informal survey of the Indian packaging and label industry indicates that the financial year from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 was one of significant growth in volumes, but because of considerable price competition and in some cases hyper-competition, the growth in value was minimal. Throughout the industry, entry-barriers have risen – much higher levels of investments are needed just to start a new packaging or label plant. Read here.

Vinsak has sold the first direct laser engraver system in India for flexo elastomers to Uflex. The imager has already been shipped to the Uflex Cylinder Division in Noida; Creative Graphics, the Noida-based flexographic platemaking trade shop, has set up a manufacturing facility in the Mumbai suburb of Vasai which began operations in March this year.

Soma Engineering has developed a new ink cartridge system for spot color printing on CI flexographic printing presses. Developed in conjunction with the launch of its new 800 mm wide, Optima printing press, the system offers printers a means of reducing ink costs on printing jobs where expensive spot colors, special effect and metallic formulations are required.

Avery Dennison has filed a lawsuit in Germany against UPM Raflatac. In the suit, Avery Dennison asks the German court to prevent UPM Raflatac from manufacturing, marketing, or selling Raflex MDO without a license.

MPS has appointed Anoop Plastic Products Trading Establishments as its representative for flexo and offset printing presses in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar. The partnership is expected to provide immediate local support and positions MPS for future growth in the Middle East.

Heidelberg presented an integrated portfolio of offset and digital print solutions at Print China 2015 which ran from 7 to 12 April in Guangdong where it showed a new model of Speedmaster offset press CS 92-4, all based on the market situation and the future requirements of printing market; With the KBA Rapida 105 Pro announced at Print China, a new sheetfed offset press in medium format. Compared to the Rapida 105, the new press delivers a slightly higher level of performance in terms of production, a larger standard sheet format of 740 x 1,050 mm, shorter makeready times thanks to more automation and a new, intuitive operating concept.

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