The winners of the Metpack Innovation Awards 2017 were presented their gold, silver and bronze trophies on the afternoon of 3 May 2017, at the Panorama room at the exhibition. Innovative content, cost savings and improved quality were the criteria against which the international jury from nine nations, chaired by Gernot Geldner, judged each of the 26 individual entries to this year’s competition. The winner of the Gold Innovation Award was won by the Italian company PrintabLED for its high-performance UV-LED systems for paint and metal printing systems.
The jury recognized the high energy efficiency and environment-friendly design of the UV-LED drying technology for curing printing inks, paints and adhesives on metal packaging. UV-LED devices do not use mercury and have a narrow emission spectrum, so that no ozone or undesirable radiation is formed during thermal drying. Compared with traditional techniques, the PrintabLED product range of new curing systems require up to 90% less energy. In an interaction post the award ceremony, members of the winning team clarified that the price of the new curing system is not more than conventional UV systems without even taking into account the reduction of space and energy costs required by a metal printing machine using the innovative PrintabLED system. PrintabLED is sold in India by Delhi-based JN Arora and Sons.
Metpack Innovation Silver for KBA-MetalPrint
The Silver award went to KBA-MetalPrint for its development of the CS MetalCan machines, an innovative press for decorating beverage cans with keyless inking technology. The CS MetalCan, equipped with ten keyless inking units for dry offset printing (also called indirect letterpress printing whereby a relief plate is used) is a further addition to the KBA MetalPrint portfolio, which includes conventional offset and a waterbased flatbed inkjet press, both being highlighted at the show. In addition to the reduced design change times on the CS MetalCan press, the jury praised the increased safety for operators resulting from the machine’s higher degree of automation.
Metpack Innovation Bronze for Valspar
The Metpack Bronze Innovation Award was won by Valspar, the market leader in the manufacture of coatings for metal packaging. The American company won the industry innovation prize for its new range of ‘valPure V70 non-BPA Epoxy’ coatings for metal packaging. Its special features include Epoxy, a type of coating used worldwide with a permanent record of success in performance, processing and brand protection. Traditionally, epoxy coatings are based on the chemical compound BPA, whose use is subject to regulatory restrictions. Products in the valPure-V70 range are therefore based on an epoxy resin platform, which is not manufactured using BPA.
The Metpack Innovation Award is a barometer of innovative strength in the industry worldwide. Alongside the Chairman Geldner, the jury this year consisted of representatives from the companies Glud & Marstrand (Denmark), Pirlo (Austria), Ardagh Group (Netherlands), Gruppo ASA (Italy), Lageen (Israel), Gilpin and Company Inc. (USA), Bell Publishing (UK) and Beltrim (Australia).
