The National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) will be focusing on the printing market, technical and regulatory issues and new technologies during the upcoming 2017 National Printing Ink Research Institute’s (NPIRI) Technical Conference. The conference will be held Oct. 10-12 at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Hotel and Conference Center in Oak Brook, IL.
 
“We are very excited about this year’s program. The 2017 NPIRI Technical Conference will focus on the market, technical and regulatory compliance issues for the graphics arts and the graphic arts supply chain,” said George Fuchs, NAPIM’s director, regulatory affairs and technology. “It is important to note that this is the only conference with this direct focus on this market space and its concerns.
 
“NPIRI Technical Conference attendees will have ample opportunities to learn, from both peers and colleagues and topic experts, the latest market, current and new technology and regulatory issues currently facing our industry,” Fuchs added. “This year’s conference will also include our popular tabletop displays, supplier showcases and industry awards reception and dinner.”
 
The 2017 NPIRI Technical Conference will open with Intro to Ink Formulation and Manufacturing, a three-hour short course on the basics of printing ink. This course will cover paste and liquid ink formulation, raw materials, manufacturing and technical service.
 
After opening remarks by Dan DeLegge of inksolutions, who is serving as NPIRI’s president, Paul Nowak of Quad Packaging will give the Keynote Address on “Brand Disruption and Print – How Technology is Changing Brand Image Management.” Nowak will discuss digital printing and variable data and how it relates to color.
 
Matt Hoekstra of Williams & Jennings will then provide a legislative update. He will be followed by a Graphic Arts Market Panel Discussion, a review of the State of the Industry Report and the NPIRI Lecture winner. A Supplier Showcase, featuring talks by Evonik, Songwon, BASF, Netzsch, BASF, BYK and Keim-Additec, will close the opening session. 
 
“Our keynote presenter, Paul Nowak of Quad Packaging, will provide valuable insights into how current and future technology is affecting brand management,” he noted. “The opening session of the conference will feature a printers’ panel covering current market trends and challenges.”
 
Wednesday, Oct. 11 is broken up into two sessions. The morning features the Technical Sessions, moderated by Scot Pedersen of Siegwerk. These include talks by Bill Dougherty, Total Specialties USA, on styrene maleic anhydride copolymers; Ruth Bauer of BASF on primary aromatic amines in pigment; Karen Bindelglass, Total Specialties USA, on IsoAlkanes; and Charlie Hsu, BASF, on the impact of surface tension and surface energy of waterborne inks on resolubility.
 
The afternoon Regulatory Sessions will be moderated by Greg Pace of Sun Chemical. Bauer returns to the podium for her talk on pigments for sensitive applications. ACC”s Christina Franz will cover Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act (LSCA) implementation. Stephen Divarco, Sun Chemical, will discuss continual EHS improvement; Eric Greenberg, Eric F. Greenberg, P.C., will analyze the issues surrounding food packaging; and Fuchs will close the second day with a thorough update on current EHS issues facing NAPIM and the ink industry.
 
“Our technical track will include state-of-the-art, detailed, in-depth presentations on ink formulation topics (e.g. testing and analysis, styrene maleic anhydride developments, sustainability, etc.) that are only found at the NPIRI Technical Conference,” Fuchs observed. “The important regulatory track will include presentations covering the new Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act (LCSA) and its impact on our industry, improving worker and process safety, updates on food packaging safety and other crucially important compliance topics.”
 
On Thursday, Oct. 12, NPIRI will hold New Technology Sessions, its closing topic,moderated by Duane Ness of INX. Neil Ivey, Brandwatch Technologies, will discuss counteracting counterfeiters using covert and forensic security materials in inks. Lumii’s Matt Hirsch will cover 3D printing. Elizabeth Leeper, Daybreak Technology, will focus on FTIR press‑side testing. Kodak’s Douglas Bugner will offer a talk on expanded gamut high-speed inkjet inks for flexible films and folding cartons.
 
“We are particularly excited about our new technology track this year,” Fuchs said. “We’ve got exciting, cutting edge presentations on measuring UV cure, extended color gamut, printed electronics and more.”
 
The schedule of events include:
Monday, Oct. 9
• 1:00-4:00 p.m. – NPIRI Board Meeting
• 5:00-6:30 p.m. – NPIRI Board Reception (board members, moderators, co-moderators, speakers)
 
Tuesday, Oct. 10
• 7:30 a.m.: Golf
• 8:30-11:30 a.m.: Short Course – Intro to Ink Formulation and Manufacturing
• 12:00-1:00 p.m.: Buffet Lunch
• 1:00-5:00 p.m.: Opening Session
• Keynote Address: “Brand Disruption and Print – How Technology is Changing Brand Image Management” – Paul Nowak, Quad Packaging
• Legislative Update: Matt Hoekstra, Williams & Jennings
• Graphic Arts Market Panel Discussion
• State of the Industry & NPIRI Lecture Winner
    • Supplier Showcase
• 5:00-7:30pm – Reception in Exhibit Area
 
Wednesday, Oct. 11
8:00 a.m.-noon: Technical Sessions – moderated by Scot Pedersen, Siegwerk
`• “The Use Of Styrene Maleic Anhydride Copolymer Resins As Additives for Both Water Based Pigment Dispersion And Flexographic Ink Transfer,” Bill Dougherty, Total Specialties USA
• “Analysis of Primary Aromatic Amines (PAA) in Pigment,” Ruth Bauer, BASF
• “Overview of Development of Low Environmental Impact Ink Component – IsoAlkanes,” Karen Bindelglass Total Specialties USA
• “Effect of Surface Tension and Surface Energy of Waterborne Inks on Resolubility,” Charlie Hsu, BASF
 
1:00-5:00 p.m.: Regulatory Sessions – moderated by Greg Pace, Sun Chemical           
• “Pigments for Sensitive Applications,” Ruth Bauer, BASF
• “LCSA Implementation: What’s Happened, What’s Next, and How to Stay Informed,” Christina Franz, ACC
• “Continual EHS Improvement – Incident Reduction Through Risk Management,” Stephen Divarco, Sun Chemical
• “Food Packaging in the Spotlight, for Better or Worse,” Eric Greenberg, Eric F. Greenberg, P.C.
• Current NAPIM EHS Issues,” George Fuchs, NAPIM
• 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Reception
• 6:30 p.m.: Awards Dinner
 
Thursday, Oct. 27
New Technology Sessions – moderated by Duane Ness, INX
• “Creating Added Value to your Inks through the Addition of Covert and Forensic Security Materials,” Neil Ivey, Brandwatch Technologies
• “3D Printing on 2D Surfaces,” Matt Hirsch, Lumii
• “Rapid FTIR Press‑Side Testing to Confirm the Cure of UV/EB Coatings for Packaging Applications,” Elizabeth Leeper, Daybreak Technology
• “An Expanded Gamut Ink Set for High-Speed Inkjet Printing on Flexible Films and Folding Cartons, Douglas Bugner Kodak
 
For more information, contact NAPIM at www.napim.org, check out the NPIRI Technical Conference at http://npirifalltech.org/program/ or email Fuchs at [email protected].