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Filed under: General Business Topics --- khevenor @ 06:02 PM

An article the other day in USA Today revealed Wal-Mart's plans to "go green." The company is putting in place a number of programs to encourage sustainability and motivate its suppliers to produce goods that do no harm to the environment. Part of this plan calls for smaller or reduced packaging and more recyclable content.
All this sounds good for the environment, but it will also be good for Wal-Mart. Part of the statement from the company says "Wal-Mart said Friday that it will start 'grading' suppliers on how well they do. Less, in this case, is more. When it cut excess packaging on its private-label line of toys, Kid Connection, the company estimates it saved $2.4 million a year in shipping costs, 3800 trees and 1 million barrels of oil. Downsizing a product's package is tricky, though. Products are sold on store shelves by volume. Bigger packages get more shelf space and can catch consumers' eyes better."
Is this good for the package printing and converting industry in the long run? I think that ultimately, we must all work toward what is good for the environment, even if that means an adjustment in our industry today. What do you think?
- Keith Hevenor
Editorial/Conference Director
CMM International

Filed under: General Business Topics --- khevenor @ 11:30 AM

I've covered the commercial printing industry as a journalist for a lot of years, and I've ridden its ups and downs during that time. From the explosion of desktop publishing in the late '80s to the introduction of digital printing in the early '90s to the hype of computer-to-plate (CTP) technology in the mid '90s and the dot-com craziness around the end of the millennium, I've watched it all. But the last few years have brought a more sobering change in commercial printing as the number of printers has dropped significantly, with firms either merging or folding in the face of very tough competition. Printing industry trade shows such as On Demand, Graph Expo, and others have dropped from their peaks in 2000 and 2001 as the market works to establish its new reality.
Since taking on my new responsibilities with CMM last fall, I've been out attending as many shows and conferences as I can to learn the market and meet the players. I immediately noticed a big difference in the mood and energy at events in the converting and packaging space, no doubt because of the stability and growth that lie ahead. Commercial printing faces challenges from all other media, but on the converting and packaging side, those issues don't exist. The market will never deliver a box of cereal online, or a bag of chips via a mobile device, or a cardboard box on a CD. Products will always need to be packaged, and the production of those packages will continue to demand technological advancement because the package has become more important than ever in the success of the product.
Last week's LabelExpo was evidence of the market's vitality. Attendees covered the floor and exhibitors had a host of new products to show, resulting in what seemed to be a successful event for all. I think I'm going to like it over here.
- Keith Hevenor
Editorial/Conference Director
CMM International

Filed under: Tensioning, Web Mechanics --- Tim Walker @ 10:56 AM

How do you measure a baggy web?

A common, practical, but tough question. I suggest several options, some off-line, others on-line.

1. Measure skew from a straight line in sweeping out a web (measure asymmetry only).
2. Measure crossweb droop variations in a lightly tensioned horizontal span.
3. Qualitatively judge a sheet of film as you pull it from a roll, grading it a 1, 2,..5 as you pull a web to tautness with finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, or full body strength.
4. Combine 2 and 3 above, measuring tension to pull horizontal span up to less than X (say 1") droop.
5. Mark crossweb lines in a wide web, then cut it into machine direction strips and measure the length differential of the strips.
6. Lay flat test, place sheet on flat plate and measure ripple or curl deviations from planar.

On-line tests (measuring the moving web):
1. Droop test with scanning distance measurement, such as laser triangulation micrometer or ultrasonic sensor.
2. Low angle laser - Visualize droop with a low-angle linear laser or combine this with a camera and vision system to quantify bagginess (I don't know of any commercially available system to do this.)
3. Multi-segment tension roller - Dover flexo makes this. Segmented tension roller.
4. Multi-segment tension bar - Same idea, but for scratch-insensitive webs, using a segmented bar instead of rolling elements. (I don't know of a commercially available design, but Paprican will talk about this at the AWEB next week.)
5. Air turn back pressure - Float the web over an air bar and measure the back pressure in discrete positions across the web width. (I haven't seen this commercially available in the US, but I expect any air turn manufacturer could put one together, such as MEGTEC. I have seen this marketed in Japan by Bellmatic Ltd.
6. Speed of sound - Measure the speed of a sound wave in the web. First demonstrated by Dr. Richard Lowery at the OSU WHRC. Limited marketing of this device by Ron Markum of Advanced Web Systems.

More. I don't think any of these have completely satisfied the need. Let me know if you want to add to the list.

tjw