Future Links February 2nd 2015
Today our news roundup from the printing industry covers Soyang’s new textile line, 3D printed cooling bricks, NPES method to assess color conformity, Clay’s printing deal with Penguin Random House, Kustom Group’s acquisitions, a forecast for the U.S. plastic film market and Hubergroup’s expected growth.
Soyang Europe launches textile line
Soyang Europe has launched its own range of textiles for wide- and grand-format printing following parent company Soyang Technologies‘ investment in a new 66,000sqm production and storage facility in China. The So-Tex range comprises 12 product lines, suitable for dye-sublimation, UV and latex printing, all of which are available in rolls of up to 3.2m wide.
More at Print Week
3D printed bricks cool down living spaces
The 3D design studio and consultancy Emerging Objects developed a 3D printed brick that works like a sponge and is able to cool down buildings in a desert climate. The bricks are made of clay and could provide an energy-efficient solution for areas where air conditioners are not common or are considered too expensive.
More at 3D Print
NPES introduces new method to assess color conformity
A revised method to assess color conformity will now enable conventional and digital printers to produce the color that meets or exceeds print buyers‘ expectations. The Association published the technical report CGATS/TR016: 2014 “Graphic technology — Printing Tolerance and Conformity Assessment”, which specifies a revised tolerance schema for color conformity, from assessment to characterization, for conventional and digital printing.
More at What They Think
Clays printing company closes deal with Penguin Random House
Clays has been a long-term supplier to both Penguin Books and Random House and will be continuing the partnership for monochrome books with the new business Penguin Random House. In a new investment plan that will be published in detail later in the year, the company aims at doubling the amount of books it produces digitally and offering greater flexibility and a wider product range to the publishers.
More at Graphic Repro Online
Kustom Group is getting closer to being a one-stop shop
The Kustom Group is acquiring major assets of Lubrizol to offer its customers are wider range of products. The new acquisitions include the wax compound, ink vehicle and litho overprint business.
More at Ink World Magazine
U.S. plastic film market continues to expand
The market researcher Freedonia Group has examined the U.S. plastic film market and expects it to reach a value of nearly 25 billion USD by 2018. The market is expected to grow by 1.5 percent annually with above average growth for polypropylene film, driven by its use in packaging for the fresh produce market and its growth in snack food packaging.
More at Labels & Labeling
Hubergroup expects two-digit global growth
Following large investments last year, printing ink manufacturer Hubergroup now expects a 20 % annual global revenue growth over the next five years. The group has already experienced strong growth in the past year and attributes this in part to its commitment to safe food packaging inks.
More at Packaging News