After Labelexpo Europe recently had to take a break due to the pandemic, the anticipation of this year's established trade fair for the packaging and label industry is all the greater. From September 11 to 14, 2023, numerous manufacturers and suppliers will come together with printers, brand owners, and designers in Brussels. In addition to efficient printing presses and advanced finishing and processing systems, the latest label trends and security solutions will also be on display.

LEONHARD KURZ will be presenting various products and processes for hot stamping, cold transfer, digital printing, and digital finishing at Labelexpo Europe. At Stand B61/C61 in Hall 4, the thin-film specialist will use numerous exhibits and live machine demonstrations to demonstrate how innovation, creativity, and sustainability can be combined. From hot stamping to cold transfer: Versatile and advanced solutions The KURZ Group continuously further develops established processes such as cold transfer and hot stamping in order to offer effective and lasting solutions.

KURZ is presenting highlights from the hot-stamping sector together with its subsidiary Hinderer + Mühlich (H+M), an established manufacturer of highprecision stamping tools. ‘At the trade fair in Brussels our visitors can discover the wide range of decorative effects through various samples. For example, we will show how label designs for the beverage industry are created with haptic enhancements, sharp metallizations, and bright color plays,’ explains Stéphane Royère, Head of Business Area Packaging and Print at KURZ.

The KURZ stand will also show the wide range of cold transfer options - from metallizations and transparent designs to holographic effects. KURZ demonstrates that sustainability is always of particularly high value with the KPW slim (patent pending) solution, which thanks to a particularly thin carrier of just 6 µm, contributes to significant material savings. Another sustainable solution is the cold-transfer module DISTORUN® 2.0, which can be used to implement both single images and continuous decors. The special feature of the module is that transfer carriers that have already been used can be reinserted and free areas can still be used for finishing. In this way, each roll is used optimally.

With the help of DISTORUN® 2.0 and the TRUSTSEAL® SFX solution, breathtaking decorations are created with deceptively real 3D effects and a unique depth effect, as can be seen in cosmetics packaging displayed at the KURZ stand, for example. In addition, live demonstrations will be held at Mark Andy’s stand, C45, also in Hall 4. Individual 3D holograms and added product safety At Labelexpo Europe, KURZ will also be demonstrating that companies can use TRUSTSEAL® not only to showcase their brands and products, but also to reliably protect them from counterfeiting.

Innovative security labels will be presented, which have proprietary security features from KURZ and are therefore particularly counterfeit and tamper-proof. The labels are also equipped with the ValiGate® security pattern from SCRIBOS, which lends the labels a copy-protected identity by means of an intelligent structure. For those interested in discovering product labeling and security solutions from the Thermal Transfer Ribbons (TTR) segment, it is also worth visiting Hall 4, Stand B61. Under the motto ‘(R)Evolution of thermal transfer printing,’ the latest developments and established technologies for marking labels and packaging with variable data will be presented here.

Impressive live jobs on site: Focus on digital finishing for labels Visitors to the KURZ stand in Brussels can see the advantages of digital finishing for themselves and experience machines from the KURZ subsidiaries in action. For example, various labels are provided with varnish effects and metallization. The DM-UNILINER 2D digital system and the DM-UNILINER 3D developed by Steinemann DPE are deployed for this purpose. While the former makes brilliant 2D decoration possible, the latter system can create real haptic effects. ‘Both the DM-UNILINER 2D and DM-UNILINER 3D offer the greatest possible flexibility.

After all, both machines can be used independently of the existing printing system and process in both pre- and post-print processing,” explains Michael Aumann, Global Director Digital Embellishment Solutions at KURZ. Machines and processes of the KURZ subsidiary will also be demonstrated with live demonstrations at the MPRINT stand (Stand B61 in Hall 4). These include the compact MJETeco 108 unit, which enables late-stage customization of labels that have already been produced, finished, and weeded. Using a 4C module with a printing width of 324 mm for the integration of full-color digital printing in existing or new label printing machines, MPRINT is also impressively demonstrating flexibility and variability by combining digital and analog printing technology.

Last but not least, an ultra-compact 4C machine and the integration options of the monochrome monojet® imprinting system will be presented. Innovative solutions for the label industry Whether hot stamped, cold transfer printed, or digitally finished labels - with all the technologies used, KURZ and its subsidiaries strive for a permanent optimization of the CO2 balance and a reduction in material and energy consumption. Among other things, the thin-film specialist has succeeded in reducing the carrier thickness of the transfer products from 12 µm to 10 µm in the hot-stamping process and even to an impressive 6 µm in cold transfer. In addition to material savings, other positive effects also play an important role in finishing - such as the less frequent reel changes required, and the reduction of weight or waste.

“It is particularly important to us to live up to our pioneering role in the field of sustainability and to support our customers in optimizing their own processes and products in this regard,” stresses Stéphane Royère. At a glance Labelexpo Europe 2023 in Brussels (Belgium), from September 11 to 14, 2023 LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG: Hall 4, Stand B61/C61 Our trade fair presentation focuses on hot stamping, cold transfer, digital finishing, digital printing, recycling, design software, counterfeit protection, and more.