Comexi consolidates its position in the Brazilian market with a successful seminar in São Paulo

Comexi, a global leader in the flexible packaging industry, has confirmed the importance of the Brazilian market for the company. For that reason, it held a seminar in the city of São Paulo, which was a resounding success, with the participation of almost one hundred professionals from 32 of the most important companies in the sector. The event was led by Comexi and the Manel Xifra Boada Technology Center (CTec), the primary motor of knowledge in the flexible packaging sector. Firmly committed to the knowledge and evolution in the industry of the flexible packaging conversion sector, Comexi selected Brazil as the venue for the fifth 2018 technical seminar, confirming the confidence of the company’s owners in the economic recovery of this country. The first four seminars were held in Peru, Mexico, South Korea and Japan respectively. The conference took place at the Holiday Inn Parque Anhembi Hotel in São Paulo, and Comexi sent its best technicians and specialists to give high-quality lectures that allowed attendees to learn about the new global solutions for a flexible packaging market, which every time is more demanding. Jeroen Van der Meer, CEO of Comexi, was in charge of welcoming all the participants to the seminar. After this introduction, Marc Boadas, general director of Comexi in Brazil, took the floor to stress the growth opportunities that flexible packaging has in the Brazilian market, which is beginning to take its first steps. He also commented on its global trends, as well as the opportunities of the different agents of the sector. “The flexible packaging market is economically healthy for industrial monitoring because it has a historical and future annual growth of more than 5% per year”, said Boadas, who also highlighted that “the South American market has an annual consumption of flexible packaging per capita less than US $8, while Europe has US $24 and the United States US $63”.

Eduard Sala, CTec specialist in prepress, focused his two speeches on colour management and extended gamut management, a system of great interest for the companies of conversion, since it allows the optimization of the jobs and reduces the cost of production. The use of extended gamut saves cleaning solvents, simplifies the management of return inks, reduces waste and also decreases changeover and the time of colour adjustment, among other benefits. The seminar also included a speech by André Pérez, sales manager of Comexi in Brazil, who led the flexo presentation with a detailed explanation of the company’s core business and offered an excellent variety of products for all types of printing, as well as the different options of sustainable solutions in printing with EB inks. Pérez stressed that nowadays the market demands sustainable processes and short runs. “The short time of activity of the teams and the difficulty of finding experts in printing means that more and more machines must be more self-sufficient and automatic”, said André Pérez. On the subject of extended gamut, he pointed out that Comexi technology is a good option to optimize printing and conversion. In his speech he also referred to robotic systems as a fundamental tool in some flexographic printers.

Albert Torrent, Brand manager of Comexi’s slitting business unit, explained the changes that are taking place in society and that more and more needs are required, which is different from those of years ago, and forces the creation of packaging to be adapted to the market. For example, Comexi’s laser technology allows you to create different products, such as bags that turn into a bowl to put directly on the table, those that can easily be opened without using scissors, or other formulas that improve the use of products by customers. Ángel Tudela, technical director of Comexi in Brazil, discussed the various solutions in lamination, with solvents, without solvents and water-based. Afterwards, Marc Boadas took the floor to present offset technology, an excellent solution that adapts the demands of time to market, offering a reduction of the cost per impression and reducing the environmental impact thanks to EB offset inks without solvents. The day ended with a round table that was followed with attention by all attendees. Eduard Sala (CTec), Clodoaldo Neto (general director of TotalFlex, a company with a close relationship with Comexi who has only Comexi machines in their facilities) and Aislan Baer (director of Projeto Pack, one of the most well-known magazines in Brazil, and consultant) took part in this one. The three speakers debated five frequent questions in extended gamut and answered the public’s doubts, carrying out a very successful seminar ending. “We have seen a technology born before our eyes”. This is the feeling felt by the CEO of TotalFlex, Clodoaldo Neto, who stressed that “the extended gamut is something new that in a few years should become standard. The purpose of the Comexi seminar has recognized the advantages of printing in the following process: simplicity, reduction of setup and increase of the range of colours with much more intensity, allowing to combine SKU’s in the same run. Who has not lived the past can’t imagine what this innovation represents”

For its part, Alice Matiola, president of Cristal Embalagens, commented that for its company “it has been very interesting to participate in the seminar, since we had the opportunity to know a little more about the machinery that Comexi offers, as well as about the technology of extended gamut, which allows to reduce printing costs, streamline and standardize processes”. Matiola said that “for companies like Cristal Embalagens, which are always looking for growth, development and technologies, being in an event like the one organized by Comexi, which in 2018 has grown by 5%, is very important”. The event was sponsored by some of Comexi’s main partners, leading companies such as Dupont, Rossini, Apex, AVT, Daetwyler, Esko, ESI, Alltech and Sun Chemical. The Product Manager of the latter, Gabriel Zapata, had a speech about the importance of colour measurement, highlighting that large companies must be able to have the same corporate colour in all their products and places in the world, offering them at the same time level of quality and colour everywhere.

“In this seminar we had the opportunity to share the technical knowledge in the extended gamut, and how our portfolio of machines can enhance this process. And all this, with the participation of the most important Brazilian companies in the flexible packaging sector”, said Marc Boadas. Comexi was also present at the ceremony of the 26 Prêmio Qualidade Flexo Prof. Sérgio Vay, created in 1993 by the association ABFlexo / FTA-Brasil, and which are the most important in the Brazilian flexographic industry. The company was honoured to deliver three of these awards, one of which went to TotalFlex