Future Links December 7th

3D Platform attracts large clients like John Deere and Nike
3D Platform, a maker of industrial 3D printers, specializes in 3D printers for metal and plastic. Clients use the 25,000 USD printers to make scale replicas of their products, among other things. The company will announce a partnership Tuesday with EIGERlab, Northern Illinois University’s business incubator where rapid prototyping and advanced manufacturing foster entrepreneurship in the surrounding area.
More at RR Star

German companies demonstrate their innovative printing presses
Highly innovative German companies will exhibit technically advanced machines and systems at the Print Media Management Specialist Conferences starting today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. PrintPromotion and Messe Düsseldorf regularly host Print Media Management Specialist Conferences abroad to provide their member companies with a platform to showcase their innovations and technologies as well as learn the latest trends in the printing and paper industry.
More at GDN

Five packaging ideas for the future
The packaging industry is rapidly evolving and new technologies and ideas to make packaging lighter, more sustainable and more appealing are taking hold. An article on TechCo presents five innovative ideas. They include edible packaging, smart packaging, water-soluble packaging, and micro-packaging.
More at TechCo

HP collaborates with KBA on corrugated packaging
HP introduced the first HP PageWide Web Press T1100S, co-developed with KBA, which was developed specifically for corrugated packaging printing for high-volume, digital pre-print applications. DS Smith Packaging is the first customer to install the 2.8 meter width (110-inch) press, which can deliver significantly higher productivity and production flexibility than traditional analogue technology, according to HP.
More at Packaging Europe

Experts ask companies to exercise caution when 3D printing skin
Bioprinting has seen a number of breakthroughs recently and several companies, including L’Oréal and Procter and Gamble, have started working on artificial 3D printed skin. Now, experts ask the corporations to proceed with caution. The researchers voiced their concern that cosmetics firms may not be equipped to totally understand the complex biology of human skin. If the researchers working on 3D bioprinted skin don’t take their time they could end up making costly errors, ruin or invalidate all of their research or even provide false or misleading test results.
More at 3D Print

New EU proposal for the circular economy
The European Commission has announced a revised version of its Circular Economy package, with a series of measures aimed at ensuring a more effective use of materials within product cycles. Packaging is one of the areas that received close attention under the revised rules, with a firm target that 65 % of all packaging waste created by companies operating in member states should be recycled by 2025, and a further 75 % goal for 2030. The sustainable use of plastics was also discussed.
More at Output Magazine

Luxury brand name champagne uses eco-packaging
LVMH-owned Champagne house Veuve Clicquot’s eco-friendly mission is evolving to include packaging that repurposes leftover grape skins. The bio-based material is used for Veuve Clicquot’s innovative packaging, a Champagne bottle case that is 100 % biodegradable and recyclable. Veuve Clicquot emphasizes its commitment to sustainable viticulture on its website. Points mentioned include the fact that 100 percent of wastewater is treated.
More at Luxury Daily

Pantone reveals color of the year for 2016
Or, should we say: Colors of the year? For the first time, the color of the year chosen by Pantone consists of two colors, Serenity and Rose Quartz blending together. Specifically, Pantone, an X-Rite company announced PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity and PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz, as the Pantone Color of the Year selection for 2016; according to the company, the colors embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace.
More at What They Think