The printing industry is changing, and ink manufacturers are working to keep up on trends ranging from digital printing and food packaging to technical and regulatory issues.
 
The National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) will be focusing on these areas during the National Printing Ink Research Institute’s (NPIRI) Technical Conference, Oct. 25-27 at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Hotel and Conference Center in Oak Brook, IL.
 
“This year’s NPIRI Technical Conference has a broad focus on current technical issues and evolving new technologies,” said George Fuchs, NAPIM’s director, regulatory affairs and technology. “We are also focused on new and developing regulatory requirements both in the US and the EU.”
 
Fuchs said that the conference will offer plenty of highlights for attendees.
 
“Catherine Nielsen of Keller and Heckman, an expert in global food packaging safety rules, will discuss the differences and commonalities between the European Union food packaging safety regulatory schema and the US Food and Drug (FDA) regulatory system,” Fuchs said. “Steve Sides from the American Coatings Association will provide a presentation on innovative approaches to encourage collaborative research projects and seminars and today’s ultra-competitive business climate.
 
“Attendees will gain insight into today’s current technological trends and emerging technologies both focusing directly on the graphic communications industry,” he added. “Cutting-edge presentations on new and existing regulatory requirements will provide attendees with essential tools for complying with new requirements and responding accurately and efficiently to customer concerns.”
 
The NPIRI Technical Conference opens on Oct. 25 with a Short Course on Color. The session will include insights into accurately communicating color within an organization and to customers, as well as ensuring color consistency in manufacturing processes.
 
After lunch, the opening session focuses on updating attendees on graphic market and business perspectives. The keynote address will be  “Operation Tomodachi,” a look at perseverance and leadership during Japan’s catastrophic tsunami, and will be presented by Tak O’Haru, a former ink company senior executive.
 
Nielsen will follow with a comparison of US and European food packaging regulations. Sides will discuss innovation, and Braden Sutphin Ink CEO Jim Leitch will review the State of the Industry.
 
A Supplier Showcase, including speakers from Allnex, BASF, Eastman, Keim Additec, Shamrock Technologies and Pantone, closes the first day’s schedule.
 
Day 2 features a morning Technical Session and an afternoon Regulatory session. The Technical Session starts with a talk on trends in paper by Mike Libby of SAPPI. Socrates Rettos of PhotoType will discuss color management. Veronika Lovell, Sun Chemical North American Inks, will discuss measuring brilliance of metallic inks. BASF’s Charlie Hsu will focus on the selection of raw materials for digital inks, and a speaker from IGM Resins will cover low energy LED curing.
 
The afternoon Regulatory Session opens with Penn Color’s Rich Johnson, who will provide an update on REACH. Saundra Harris, MS, CIH, CSP, CET, STSC, will analyze the OSHA eReporting Rule. Kathryn Skaggs, Keller Heckman, will cover FMSA and FSVP; Gregory Pace, Sun Chemical, will discuss NAPIM’s Food Packaging Guidance Document; and Keller Heckman, will offer her insights into Prop65 developments.
 
The closing session on Oct. 27 covers New Technology, including talks on inkjet ink by Jim Lambert of INX; liquid barrier properties and recycling paperboard by Pouyan Sardashti of BASF; a review of drupa by me; what’s new at KBA by Walter Chmura; and printed electronics by Erika Rebrosova of Sun Chemical.
 
The schedule of events include:
Monday, Oct. 24
• 1:00-4:00 pm – NPIRI Board Meeting
• 5:00-6:30 p.m. – NPIRI Board Reception (chair, co-chair, moderators, co-moderators, speakers)
 
Tuesday, Oct. 25
• 8:30-11:30 a.m. – Short Course – Color Overview
• Noon-100 p.m. – Buffet Lunch
• 1:00-2:00 p.m. Keynote: “Operation Tomodachi,” Tak Oharu, former ink company senior executive.
• 2:00-2:45 p.m. – “Food Packaging: EU versus US Regulatory Comparison,” Catherine Nielsen, Keller & Heckman LLP.
• 3:00-3:45 p.m. – “Supporting Industry Innovation: Collective Management of Information and Outreach,” Steve Sides, American Coatings Association.
• 4:00-5:00 p.m. – “State of the Industry,” Jim Leitch, Braden Sutphin Ink Company.
• 4:30-5:15 p.m. – Supplier Showcase.
 
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Technical Session
• 8:00-8:45 a.m. – “What is Trending Today, “Mike Libby, SAPPI.
• 8:45-9:30 a.m. – “Color Management,” Socrates Rettos, PhotoType.
• 9:45-10:30 a.m. – “Measuring Brilliance of Metallic Inks,” Veronika Lovell, Sun Chemical North American Inks.
• 10:30-11:15 a.m. – “How the Selection of Raw Materials Can Impact Print Speeds in Digital Printing,” Charlie Hsu, BASF.
• 11:15 a.m.-noon – “Low Energy LED Curing,” IGM Resins.
 
Regulatory Session
• 1:00- 1:45 p.m. – “REACH Discussion,” Rich Johnson, Penn Color.
• 1:45-2:30 p.m. – “OSHA eReporting Rule,” Saundra Harris -MS, CIH, CSP, CET, STSC.
• 2:45-3:30 p.m. – “FMSA & FSVP,” Kathryn Skaggs, Keller Heckman LLP.
• 3:30-4:15 p.m. – “NAPIM Food Packaging Guidance Document,” Gregory Pace, Sun Chemical Corporation
• 4:15-5:00 p.m. – “Prop65 Developments,” Kathryn Skaggs, Keller Heckman LLP.
• 5:00-10:00 p.mn.m. – Awards Reception and Dinner
• 6:30 p.m. – Awards Dinner
 
Thursday, Oct. 27
New Technology Innovations Session
• 8-8:45 a.m. – “Digital Ink Update,” Jim Lambert, INX.
• 8:45-9:30 a.m. – “Novel Liquid Barrier Polymers to Enable Paperboard Recycling,” Pouyan Sardashti, BASF.
• 9:45-10:30 a.m. – “Drupa Update,” Dave Savastano, Ink World Magazine.
10:30-11:15 a.m. – “KBA – Trends and Directions in Print Technology,” Walter Chmura, KBA.
• 11:15 a.m.-noon – “Printed Electronics,” Erika Rebrosova, Sun Chemical.
 
For more information, contact NAPIM at www.napim.org or email Fuchs at [email protected].