As industrial and functional printing find their way into new production processes, more than 20 members of ESMA, the European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association, are presenting their solutions at FESPA Global Expo, 14-17 May 2019 in Munich. The ESMA pavilion in hall A6, booth A70, features an Industrial Print Showcase and offers expert sessions dedicated to screen and digital inkjet technologies, new market opportunities and print business innovation.

“While in publication and commercial segments print volumes are declining, there is a consistent growth across the functional and industrial printing landscape. As demand grows for products that increasingly incorporate print, screen and digital inkjet processes are boosting in packaging, textiles, printed electronics, up to healthcare and pharmaceutical fields”, says Peter Buttiens, CEO of ESMA. “Strong with the expertise of our members, we act as a knowledge and networking hub for all who look at printing as a production process. We invite FESPA visitors from various market sectors to talk about how screen and inkjet can support their projects.”

ESMA pavilion

Located in hall A6, the ESMA pavilion hosts five manufacturer members, suppliers for the specialist printing industry. Fimor (A6-A70A) is the leading manufacturer of polyurethane squeegees and related accessories for screen printing. Global Inkjet Systems (A6-A70E) is the global leader in developing tailored software and system components for industrial inkjet markets. PVF (A6-A70B) provides a wide range of innovative meshes made from different materials which all meet the highest quality standards in screen printing applications. RK Siebdrucktechnik (A6-A70D) presents a comprehensive range of systems and stabilised squeegee blades, grinders, peripherals, as well as special application solutions. UMS (A6-A70F) offers dissolved oxygen and total gas sensors for printing inks and binders.

19 further ESMA members have their booths spread across the show, including Agfa (B4-L10), CST (A6-B15), ColorGATE (B4-K26), EFI (B5-E10), Eptanova (B6-A70), ESC (A6-B70), Fujifilm (A5-G15), Grafco (A6-B19), Grünig-SignTronic (A6-A10), Kammann Spezialmaschinen und Steuerungstechnik (A6-C60), Kissel & Wolf (A6-A13), Lotus Holland (A6-D49), Marabu (B5-E28), Natgraph (A6-A30), Nazdar (B5-F50), Roland (A5-H10), Saati (A6-B30), SPS TechnoScreen (A6-A51) and Sun Chemical (B4-K10).

Industrial Print Showcase

To obtain a full picture of what ESMA stands for and what screen and digital are capable of, all visitors are invited to the Industrial Print Showcase. Incorporated in the ESMA pavilion, the gallery includes various samples provided by members and their customers, the technology users. The application examples include printed and flocked glass, flocked wallpaper, printed electronics in flexible keyboards, membrane switches, direct-to-shape printed PET bottles and tubes, corrugated boxes, digitally printed interior decoration items, home textiles, high resolution 3D inkjet-printed objects, direct digital UV imaging for deep draw thermoforming, as well as examples of hybrid technology to illustrate the joint use of digital and screen for special effects. “In some of the samples which we provided, one can see how the combination of screen and inkjet delivers decorative (overlay décor), protective (window protection) and functional (circuiting, forming possibilities) features – all in one production technique”, explains Corentin Chretien from Fimor. “Knowing that personalisation is the driver for many industries of today, we want to show printing as a process that not only provides individualism and uniqueness but also functional attributes which turn the product into something both personal and fit-for-purpose”, adds Michael Kammann from Kammann Spezialmaschinen und Steuerungstechnik.

Ask the Industrial Print Expert

Several technology partners of the association, including members of the ESMA Expert Team, attend the show and are available for an unbiased, technology-neutral advice. Every FESPA visitor, coming from industrial or commercial printing field, is welcome to book a free-of-charge session with Roland Biemans (LMNS), Jochen Christiaens (Inkjet Consulting Christiaens), Stephan Geitel (Stephan Geitel Consulting), Oliver Kammann (K-Flow Consulting), Philipp Klinger (Softcon), Steve Knight (Digital Direct Technologies) or Thomas Poetz (3T). Among the topics handled are: transformation from analogue to digital, colour management, RIP software, ink chemistry, digital textile printing and industrial inkjet system design. Sessions can be booked exclusively through the official FESPA 2019 show app, available to download on the App Store and Google Play.

The four days of FESPA exhibition are a unique opportunity for those willing to learn more about specialist, functional and industrial printing processes, especially screen and digital inkjet. Visitors to ESMA pavilion in hall A6 enjoy the applications showcase, expert advice, an update on the upcoming educational events TheIJC USA, 22-23 May 2019, TheIJC EU, 29-30 October 2019 and GlassPrint, 27-28 November 2019) and, most importantly, they discover the great value of industrial print.