The Awards were held on 26 October at The Hilton London Metropole. They related to various technical and quality-oriented aspects of producing prime product labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons. The event was organized by FlexoTech magazine with a panel of six judges from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.
The winning entries for both print categories were produced on OPM’s latest nine-unit Nilpeter FA-3300-S, a servo-driven UV-flexo narrow web press installed in early 2005. It complements another nine-unit, 330 mm wide FA-3300 press - also with a cold foil unit and two Nilpeter/Stork Drop-In UV-rotary screen modules - which was installed when OPM Flexibles was formed in December 2000. The division is located near Bradford, not far from OPM’s headquarters in Keighley, West Yorkshire. It was set-up to produce high quality filmic labels and flexible packaging, especially pouches and sachets, using state- of-the-art UV-flexo technology.
The winning entry for the Award for Laminated Substrate (sponsored by Esko Graphics) was a coffee pouch for Friele printed on a metallic PET and PE film laminate with OPP overlaminate. The winning entry for the Award for Flexible Packaging under 50 cm (sponsored by DuPont) was a flow wrap for an ‘energy’ bar called La Whey, constructed from a 25- micron metallic OPP and a 20-micron OPP overlaminate. In both instances the production involved the use of BASF digitally-exposed plates and Intercolor’s Optiflex inks.
OPM Labels was the runner-up for the Award for Environment Innovation. It nominated a type of bio-degradable label printed with water-based flexo inks and using water-soluble adhesives and facestocks. Food labels are among the applications for the product, which the company is still developing.