With many attendees hailing it as the best in the GlassPrint series yet, the GlassPrint 2015 conference and exhibition was staged in November and presented the latest decoration trends and developments to the international audience that gathered in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Staged for the sixth time, a record attendance of approximately 200 glassmakers, glass decorators, end-users and suppliers visited from 26 different countries, not only from throughout mainland Europe and United Kingdom but also from long distance destinations such as Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Kuwait and USA.
Expanded Conference Programme
MG 1514The two-day programme provided delegates with a series of technical conference presentations and networking opportunities to discover the latest advanced technologies for printing onto architectural, automotive and hollow glass with digital and screen applications.
Five additional keynote addresses were made, covering the flat and hollow sectors. Adeline Farrelly, Secretary General of FEVE outlined competitiveness, challenges and opportunities for the European glass packaging industry, while Cédric Janssens, Public Affairs Advisor at Glass for Europe, presented "EU policy reform on energy efficiency in buildings". Later, Timo Feuerbach of VDMA Glass Technology Forum reflected on equipment manufacturers' view on Glass Industry 4.0.
On behalf of Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V., Birgit Horn, project director at Messe Düsseldorf, examined the current situation and trends in the German glass industry, as well as provided an update on glasstec 2016. In recognition of its importance on the global glass events calendar, GlassPrint 2015 was powered by glasstec.
GlassPrint LIVE
IMG 6359For the first time, a GlassPrint LIVE panel discussion was added to the programme, with a specially selected panel of glass decoration experts answering questions from the audience about topical issues. Representing key hollow and flat glass manufacturers, decorators and brand owners, panelists included: Simone Baratta (R&D and Innovation Manager at Bormioli Luigi), Olivier Dangmann (Innovation Manager – O-I Europe), Alvise Cavallari (Packaging Innovation Manager at Nestlé), Martin Hehl-Heinz (Technical Director R&D at Sahm) and Carsten Schwabe (Global Innovation & New Business for Flat Glass at Schott).
Technical Presentations
Technical experts working for various companies in the glass decoration sector have delivered an expanded series of presentations demonstrating processes and ideas to add extra value to the end product included:
Digital decoration of glass bottles in mass production for the beverage industry: Challenges and solutions (Curvink)
Digital flat glass printing vs. screenprinting: Advantages and limitations (Durst)
Digital printing on hollow glass: The path from theory to realisation (Fermac)
New trends and developments of organic applications in the glass industry (Ferro)
Inkjet printing and glass (Global Inkjet Systems)
Specifying and selecting a UV curing system (Integration Technology)
Metalising reinvented (Isimat)
Trends in container glass print inspection (KBA-Kammann)
UV roller-coating onto glass in combination with UV digital printing (Marabu)
The transparent picture (Ormo Print)
Glass-IMD/FIM: Screenprinting inks and adhesion promoters for glass backmolding (Pröll)
100 parts per minute: Challenges in UV curing with printing onto hollow glass (Ruco)
How process standardisation can increase hollow glass printing efficiency (Sefar)
Screen technology and automation (Sign-Tronic AG / Grünig-Interscreen)
Computer-to-screen concept and blue diodes solution (SRS)
Innovation and decoration (Stölzle Glass Group)
Anyone who missed GlassPrint 2015 and would benefit from viewing the presentations can now purchase the complete package online at www.esma.com/shop/glassprint2015
Sold-out Exhibition
The conference programme was supported by intervals dedicated to the accompanying sold-out tabletop exhibition area, and at the end of the first day delegates benefited from networking with their peers and suppliers during an evening dinner. Exhibitors who displayed the latest developments in inks, pre-press technology, printing equipment and supplies included: Canon, Curvink, Dr. Hönle, Durst, Encres Dubuit, ESC, ESMA, Fermac, FERRO, Gallus Ferd Rüesch, Glass Global, Glass Worldwide, glasstec / Messe Düsseldorf, Global Inkjet Systems, Grünig-Interscreen, Integration Technology, Isimat, KBA-Kammann, Kiwo (Kissel + Wolf), LPKF Solar Equipment, Machines Dubuit, Marabu, Ormo Print / University of Munich, Peyer Graphic, Pröll, Ruco, Sefar, SignTronic, Specialist Printing Worldwide, SRS, Sun Chemical, Tecno 5, Tiger Coatings, Till, Tiflex and Uviterno.
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