David Savastano10.03.13
As the doors open for the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers’ (NAPIM) annual National Printing Ink Research Institute (NPIRI) Technical Conference, it is clear that the printing ink industry is in the midst of change.
Compared to a decade ago, these changes become quite clear. Offset inks, such as heatset, publication gravure, news and sheetfed inks, have decreased in volume as publication and commercial printing have declined. Meanwhile, packaging inks – flexo, gravure and sheetfed inks for folding carton –have grown in the past decade. The continued emergence of digital technologies and new opportunities such as conductive inks have changed the ink industry.
So, too, has the environment that ink manufacturers work in evolved. The regulatory environment has changed dramatically, as Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws become more complex, the European Union implements its REACH laws and food packaging becomes more stringent.
Through all of this, NAPIM continues to provide excellent service for the ink industry and its suppliers, led by executive director Brad Bergey and George Fuchs, NAPIM’s director, regulatory affairs and technology.
As NAPIM nears its 100th anniversary in 2016, the association continues to enhance its services for its members. Among these services are:
• Conferences, including the Annual NAPIM Convention and NPIRI Technical Conference, and seminars
• Consultation services, including technical, business, EHS and OSHA matters, five days a week, with most cases answered within 24 hours or less
• Education and training at the summer printing ink courses at Fox Valley College
• Standards and testing
• Market research
• Publications and bulletins
• Ability to address issues that affect the ink industry in government, either through collaboration with other related trade associations or through legal counsel in Washington
• Opportunity to participate with the establishment of industry-wide testing procedures and interaction with key organizations such as ISO, CGATS, and ASTM
• Onsite safety/regulatory audits available for a nominal charge
• Direct reports from liaisons with other related trade associations such as IDEAlliance, PIA-GATF, GAA, FTA, SGIA and NAPL
• Assisting customers with following sustainable practices through the SGP program (NAPIM is a sponsoring company for this program)
• Free registration for the newly established Bio-derived Renewable Material Content (BRC) program.
Membership in NAPIM is open to companies engaged in the commercial manufacture and/or sale of printing inks in the U.S. or outside of the U.S., as well as Technical Associate Members, which can be a company or company division supplying products or technical expertise to the members of NAPIM or their customers.
For more information on NAPIM, please contact NAPIM at (770) 209-7291, by email at gfuchs@napim.org or check out the web site at www.napim.org.
Compared to a decade ago, these changes become quite clear. Offset inks, such as heatset, publication gravure, news and sheetfed inks, have decreased in volume as publication and commercial printing have declined. Meanwhile, packaging inks – flexo, gravure and sheetfed inks for folding carton –have grown in the past decade. The continued emergence of digital technologies and new opportunities such as conductive inks have changed the ink industry.
So, too, has the environment that ink manufacturers work in evolved. The regulatory environment has changed dramatically, as Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws become more complex, the European Union implements its REACH laws and food packaging becomes more stringent.
Through all of this, NAPIM continues to provide excellent service for the ink industry and its suppliers, led by executive director Brad Bergey and George Fuchs, NAPIM’s director, regulatory affairs and technology.
As NAPIM nears its 100th anniversary in 2016, the association continues to enhance its services for its members. Among these services are:
• Conferences, including the Annual NAPIM Convention and NPIRI Technical Conference, and seminars
• Consultation services, including technical, business, EHS and OSHA matters, five days a week, with most cases answered within 24 hours or less
• Education and training at the summer printing ink courses at Fox Valley College
• Standards and testing
• Market research
• Publications and bulletins
• Ability to address issues that affect the ink industry in government, either through collaboration with other related trade associations or through legal counsel in Washington
• Opportunity to participate with the establishment of industry-wide testing procedures and interaction with key organizations such as ISO, CGATS, and ASTM
• Onsite safety/regulatory audits available for a nominal charge
• Direct reports from liaisons with other related trade associations such as IDEAlliance, PIA-GATF, GAA, FTA, SGIA and NAPL
• Assisting customers with following sustainable practices through the SGP program (NAPIM is a sponsoring company for this program)
• Free registration for the newly established Bio-derived Renewable Material Content (BRC) program.
Membership in NAPIM is open to companies engaged in the commercial manufacture and/or sale of printing inks in the U.S. or outside of the U.S., as well as Technical Associate Members, which can be a company or company division supplying products or technical expertise to the members of NAPIM or their customers.
For more information on NAPIM, please contact NAPIM at (770) 209-7291, by email at gfuchs@napim.org or check out the web site at www.napim.org.