Hammer Goes Rotary PDF

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James E. Hammer, president & CEO Hammer Packaging, stands next to his Drent Goebel VSOP
OUR PROMISE TO YOU:
H
HAMMER
PACKAGING
Hammer Packaging
200 Lucius Gordon Drive
P.O. Box 22678
Rochester, NY 14692
Phone: 585-424-3880
Fax: 585-424-3886
www.hammerpackaging.com
Consistent, high-quality printing
Accurate orders delivered on time
A support team that absorbs your responsibilities
A willingness to adapt to your needs
Innovative ideas on packaging printing
Hammer goes rotary
As part of its on-going technology investment program, Hammer
Packaging has invested in a Drent Goebel VSOP press. As
Danielle Jerschefske reports, it is proving a hit with CPCs
H
ammer Packaging, located in Rochester, New York, installed the
first Drent Goebel variable sleeve offset press (VSOP) in the United
States at the beginning of 2007. James E. Hammer, president and CEO,
is committed to reinvesting 10 percent of sales back into his company
each year, to keep the technology in the facilities current. Hammer
knows that technology keeps you at the top – precisely where he wants
his company to be.
Primarily a sheet-fed, cut and stack film label printer, Hammer feels
that a roll-fed operation is a better fit for film production, and
acknowledges that there is a higher demand for film-based labels and
flexible packaging. With the Drent Goebel press, the company has the
opportunity to take what they know in the sheet-fed sector and apply it to
roll fed.
The new 17-33.5 inch Drent Goebel VSOP allows Hammer, for the first
time, to run variable repeat lengths in offset. The whole unit does not
need to be changed as the circumference variation is in the sleeve. The
Issue 4 Volume 29
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L&L issue 4 reprint – August|September 2007
Managing information
In order to accommodate its rapid growth and to lay foundations for
its long term business objectives, Hammer Packaging is replacing its
information management systems in January. The company will
implement Radius Solutions Limited’s PECAS Vision software, a
single integrated end-to-end solution that will tie together its multifacility operations.
‘Now that we have five different facilities, it has become more
difficult to track down the right person to get information whenever
we need it. We require a system that we can easily use for real-time
access to accurate business information,’ says Jason Hammer,
manager of production services, at Hammer Packaging.
The new system will automate manual processes and eliminate the
need to internally maintain multiple systems, databases and
spreadsheets to manage daily operations and reporting. Hammer
Packaging wanted to deploy technology that would enable its
employees to increase productivity, automate processes, and
eliminate manual rework.
‘We feel it is critical to provide our employees with the tools to get
their jobs done as efficiently and effectively as possible,’ Hammer
further explains.
Hammer Packaging feels the industry-specific focus and references
of PECAS Vision are very important, as well as its strong capabilities
in the areas of scheduling, work-in-progress tracking, and lot
traceability. Ease of use is also an important characteristic.
technology allows for easier and quicker change outs. Each cylinder has
its own servo drive; each sleeve has its own zero point. The VSOP
automatically puts the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder in register,
producing quality quickly. In other words, the Drent Goebel press gives
Hammer’s customers the capacity to be more flexible at a lower cost,
with a speedy turn around.
With consumer trends changing at a rapid pace, consumer products
companies must be keenly aware of their buyers’ desires. Hammer
Packaging recognizes these trends. It decided to purchase the Drent
Goebel VSOP to help its customers satisfy consumer demands and also to
take Hammer into markets it has never penetrated before.
‘Next generation packaging requires our customers to make each
experience with the consumer personal. They want to take it to the next
level so a consumer can associate with the brand,’ Lou Iovoli, vice
president of sales and marketing, explains. ‘Pepsi-Cola’s new initiative is
the perfect example of how a brand wants to reinforce why a consumer
makes their purchase. They plan to change the graphics on their
products over 30 times in one year to create an interactive experience. It
Good impression
Hammer Packaging is ranked 81 in the 2006 Printing Impressions
400 list with a 22 percent increase in revenues from 2005.
‘These rankings are a result of our continuous investment in stateof-the-art technology to reduce costs, expand our product offerings
and address new and changing innovations in our packaging
marketplace,’ says James E. Hammer, president & CEO.
“This technology is putting us
into other markets, which
shows there is a need for this
type of printing technology”
is the new wave.’
The 8-color VSOP press makes supply chain management more
adaptable, and allows Hammer to adjust as customer demand changes:
short runs, more SKUs, more promotional opportunities, more changes.
The Drent press gives Hammer Packaging the ultimate flexibility
throughout the supply chain.
Commonly known as the ‘beverage printer’, Hammer is able to use this
technology to broaden its products’ appeal. ‘This technology is putting us
into other markets, which shows there is a need for this type of printing
technology,’ says Iovoli. ‘We are ordering more cylinders to fill our
Variable sleeve sizes allow rapid repeat changes
Hammer’s VSOP press
arsenal, to keep pace with the number of test runs interested parties are
requesting.’
At this time, Hammer is in talks with major multinational consumer
products companies to discuss how VSOP technology can best suit their
needs. Additionally, it is in the middle of a multi-million dollar bid for
the business of a company which is highly interested in the quick
turnover, changeability and variability aspects that Hammer can offer
with the Drent Goebel press.
‘We believe,’ says Lou Iovoli, ‘we are creating a new niche in the market
of offset printing for roll-fed applications. We are re-defining alternatives
for consumer packaging.’ With the Drent press, Hammer can give
customers high-end graphics equal or superior to gravure without the cost
of cylinders.
Doug Wegman, marketing manager, says, ‘With this press, our
customers can change the graphics as frequently as they want without
incurring any extra cost. For changes on a gravure cylinder, they would
pay about $1,000 a cylinder to change what they needed. It is ideal for
marketing teams at these large companies to be able to do this at a low
cost.’
An additional cost-saving advantage of the press is its ability to print
on most any substrate. Hammer is proud to be using the newest
generation Pentalabel PETG film, OT-E749/22, developed by Klöckner
Pentaplast (Gordonsville, Virginia), incorporating
the next generation of co-polyester from
Eastman Chemical.
‘The film provides uniform shrink and the
graphics consistently look good,’ says Jim
Mullen, business manager of shrink films,
Klöckner Pentaplast. ‘With up to 76 percent
shrinkage, we have the possibility to reduce
the cut size of the label.’
Klöckner offers a high yield white version
that does not require a white ink overcoat
and allows surface printing. Because
Hammer has experience with surface printing
film, it is able to utilize this expertise on the
VSOP. The Klöckner film easily handles any
scuff problems and is much more cost
effective than clear.
“With this press, our
customers can change the
graphics as frequently as they
want without incurring any
extra cost. For changes on a
gravure cylinder, they would
pay about $1,000 a cylinder
to change what they needed”
In addition to low costs and high flexibility, the Drent Goebel VSOP
press also offers customers quick turn over when wanting to make last
minute changes. ‘We can offer customers the ultimate flexibility they
have never had, while able to turn out jobs in days, not weeks,’ says
Iovoli. It takes much less time to make new web offset plates. A flexo
plate can take 45 minutes to an hour to complete, while gravure could
take days.
Another benefit of the VSOP would include its EB curing capability
which offers a higher gloss, and is also approved by the FDA for food
labeling.
Hammer plans to double its size again within the next three years. (It
has doubled already since 2002.) ‘We want to keep ourselves in the
front of the industry – leading not following,’ Jim Hammer tells. There
are plans to install an identical press in the next year because of the
broad range of materials handling, the unique opportunity to configure
the press to expand in growing market segments, and because Hammer
believes it will be able make ROI. I
Pepsi-Cola frequently changes packaging graphics
In its 109-year existence, Pepsi-Cola's look has changed just 10
times, but this year alone, background graphics will change more
than 35 times. This steady rotation of designs reflects the fast, everchanging interests of the elusive ‘millennial’ generation. The new
graphics will be on more than eight billion Pepsi-Cola cans, bottles
and cups throughout the world.
‘On the surface, this might look like a packaging update, but it's
much more than that. We're changing the way we interact with
consumers – and now we're doing it on their terms,’ said Cie
Nicholson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of PepsiCola North America. ‘When people pick up a Pepsi, they'll be getting
much more than a great tasting cola. They'll be getting a passport to
the things they enjoy most.’
‘We've learned that young people embrace change and seek
discovery, connectedness, personalization and multiculturalism. We
believe this restyle touches on all these trends,’ said Ron Coughlin,
chief marketing officer, PepsiCo International. ‘Now our consumers
will have a different experience each time they buy a Pepsi.’