Waterless platemaking specialist Toray Industries and intermittent feed presses manufacturer Codimag will combine their expertise at Labelexpo to showcase a range of optimized flexible print production solutions for label and packaging markets. Equipped with Toray plate processing capabilities Codimag’s VIVA 340 will run four jobs a day to highlight live changes, proof-matching and day-to-day reproducibility while the VIVA420 will run one job per day in combination with hot-foil. Both will feature the innovative Aniflo unit (keyless anilox offset) that offers a predictable and repeatable print system, for reliable colour management.
The event will also showcase various applications of waterless offset in the high-end label and packaging markets from labels, plastic card printing, CD/DVD printing, security printing, packaging up to newspaper printing. This includes the daily distribution of Le Figaro, the first French newspaper printed waterless offset on a KBA Cortina press, and also De Morgen printed by Eco Print Center on 12-tower KBA Cortina waterless press – both using Toray plates.
Pascal Duchêne, Managing Director at Codimag, comments: “As a press manufacturer, Codimag has been active in waterless offset technology for label printing since 1999. We are convinced that this technology brings many advantages to our customers. Printing labels inline in one pass improves register between the processes and reduces time and material lost in second or even third passes while optimizing productivity. Codimag’s intermittent feed presses work with all sizes without the need to change cylinders or rollers while enabling fast make ready, low waste and high productivity.
As for the Toray relationship at Labelexpo he adds: “We are very pleased to work in partnership with Toray and show how the waterless world is much broader than label printing, with high quality newspaper, plastic card or commercial printing also achievable.”
Founded in 1978 by Mr. Tison and Mr. Demol, Codimag began by manufacturing CODA a semi-rotary press for the business form market that later expanded into three different versions. In the early 90s these were joined by a semi-rotary press for the self adhesive label industry. In 1993 the first VIVA 300 was installed, primarily as 4-colour UV letterpress machine, and then as 6-color machine. In 1997, the VIVA 300 naturally became the VIVA 340, to reflect higher productivity thanks to a maximum printing area of 305 mm by 340 mm. Wet lamination, hot-foil stamping, screen-printing were added. In 1999 the VIVA 340 became available in waterless offset. The higher quality, in terms of fine dots, high screen ruling, and fine vignettes, especially on textured materials, such as vellum or linen papers soon opened up markets in wine, cosmetic and food labels. CODIMAG has now more than 300 VIVA presses installed in Europe, Brazil, South Africa, North America, Russia and Eastern Europe.
Toray Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of waterless printing plates world wide, was founded in 1926 and has a global presence with factories and sales offices in Asia, Europe and North America. The main businesses of Toray are synthetic fibers, carbon fibers, plastics, films and chemicals. Many of the products are developed from its proprietary polymer technology base and are commonly used by the electronics, packaging, textile, automotive and aviation industries. Recent annual sales approached € 10 billion. Toray International Europe GmbH, Neu-Isenburg, Germany is the trading arm of Toray Industries Inc serving an independent network of distributors in the European market.
