GlassPrint 2019: Strongest ever technical line-up

Staged for the eighth time and powered by glasstec, an international audience travelled to Düsseldorf, Germany from 24 different countries, not only from throughout mainland Europe and United Kingdom but also from long distance destinations such as Australia, Canada, India, Peru, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and the USA.

Key stakeholders represented included glassmakers, decorators, end-users, brand owners, OEMs and suppliers such as AGC, Arc, BA Glass, Heinz Glas, LAV / Gürallar, O-I, Piramal, Saint-Gobain, Saverglass, Schott, Steklarna Hrastnik, Vetropack and William Grant & Sons.

Expanded programme

GlassPrint 2019 provided delegates with the opportunity to discover the latest innovative advances in screen printing, dynamic strides in digital print technology and new techniques such as direct to shape or container printing via a two day programme of conference and networking sessions. 

Featuring an expanded technical programme, experts working for various companies in the glass decoration sector then delivered a series of presentations that demonstrated processes and ideas to add extra value to the end product, cut production costs and make processes more efficient: 

• Adhesion of inkjet inks on glass by ChemStream
• Will it be screen or digital printing on glass bottles? by Curvink
• Sol-gel inkjet printing for transparent conductors on glass by COMATEC-LANS
• Making a lasting impression: Image quality, colour management and industrial digital printing by ESMA Expert Team
• Digital printing on hollow glass by Fermac
• Adding value for hollow glass decoration by Ferro
• Inkjet coating and decoration of flat, container and industrial glass by Global Inkjet Systems
• Simplifying glass printing with screen and CtS technology by Grünig/SignTronic
• Direct-to-cylinder: Digital printing on glassware by InkCups
• High performance CTP system for digital preparation of silk screen forms and pad printing plates by Lüscher
• Labels are out! Ink challenges and opportunities in direct to container glass inkjet printing by Marabu
• Screen print 2.0 from plastic dial to digital glass display by Marabu
• Developing dedicated mesh for screenprinting on glass by Sefar
• Automation and control for screen printing on small size flat glass by SPS Technoscreen
• Surface pre-treatment to enhance adhesion and coverage of organic inks to hollow glass by Tecno5, an affiliate of Cerve
• Industrial solution for digital printing of windshields and sidelights by Thieme

Additional keynote addresses were made covering the flat and hollow sectors. Michael Delle Selve, Senior Communications Manager at FEVE, examined the container glass industry vision to capitalise on sustainability, while Luca Oggianu, Advocacy and Communication Advisor at Glass for Europe, looked at energy savings and CO­2 emission reduction in the glazing sector.

Later, Dr Johann Overath, Director General of Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V., evaluated the current situation and trends in the German glass industry and an update of glasstec 2020 was provided by Birgit Horn, project director at Messe Düsseldorf.

Anyone who missed GlassPrint 2019 and would benefit from viewing the proceedings can visit www.esma.com/shop/glassprint to purchase the presentations. 

Networking opportunities

The conference programme was supported by intervals dedicated to the accompanying 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:

AROJA XORFEX, Cerinnov, ChemStream, Curvink, Encres Dubuit, Fenzi, Fermac, Ferro, glasstec / Messe Düsseldorf, Glass Global, Glass Processing Bernroitner, Global Inkjet Systems, Grünig-Interscreen, Inkcups, ISIMAT, Kissel + Wolf, Koenig & Bauer Kammann, Laboratory of Applied NanoSciences COMATEC-LANS (HEIG-VD/HES-SO), Lüscher, Marabu, PVF, RKS, Saati, Sefar, SIAK Transfers, SignTronic, SPS TechnoScreen, Sun Chemical, Tecno5 (Cerve) and Thieme.

Sponsors and organisers

GlassPrint was jointly organised by Chameleon Business Media, publisher of Glass Worldwide and ESMA, a European association for specialist printing manufacturers of screen, digital and flexo technology. As well as being powered by glasstec, GlassPrint 2019 was sponsored by Glass Global.

After reaffirming its importance on the global glass events calendar, the organisers are already planning the next edition of GlassPrint; details on the location and dates will appear in future issues of Glass Worldwide and interested parties can register their interest at www.glassprint.org. In the meantime, the March/April 2020 issue of Glass Worldwide will include the Annual ESMA Glass Publication 2020, a unique guide to glass decoration, and members of ESMA will also showcase the best in functional and decorative glass printing in a dedicated pavilion at glasstec 2020. 

Visit GlassPrint 2019 photo gallery here