Book Manufacturing Outlook: Digital Printing Soothes Slowdown (piworld.com)

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has further optimized its financing structure and agreed on a new syndicated credit line with improved conditions with its banking group. By taking out the credit line with a higher total of €320 million and a term that runs until March 2023, the company is creating financial flexibility and longer-term planning certainty. Besides supporting the day-to-day operational business of the global organization, the new credit facility underpins the strategy of further expanding new digital business models, such as the newly established subscription portfolio.

A typical sheet of paper or cardboard is neither waterproof, interactive or able to harvest energy, but an innovative new printing technology developed at Purdue University can make it all of the above. The researchers demonstrated the technique by transforming a sheet of notebook paper into a music player, and say it could be scaled up to work with larger printing processes for more mainstream uses. “This is the first time a self-powered paper-based electronic device is demonstrated,” says study author Ramses Martinez, an assistant professor in Purdue’s School of Industrial Engineering. “We developed a method to render paper repellent to water, oil and dust by coating it with highly fluorinated molecules. This omniphobic coating allows us to print multiple layers of circuits onto paper without getting the ink to smear from one layer to the next one.” With this omniphobic coating as the starting point, the researchers were able to integrate vertical pressure sensors onto the paper. This not only enables it to become an interactive surface for a variety of applications, but also one that can harvest energy from user’s actions through friction as they apply pressure to the device, which can be used to power wireless Bluetooth communication.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, was ranked the fourth largest North American book printer in Printing Impressions’ latest industry rankings titled 2020 Printing Impressions 350. Worzalla was also ranked the 63rd largest book printer by annual sales on the general list that includes all printing companies North America. This is the first time Worzalla has been ranked as a Top 5 Market Segment Leader in the book printing category. Worzalla also rose 24 spots in this year’s general rankings compared to last year. In 2020, Worzalla completed a modernization and expansion plan that added 50,000 square feet to the company’s manufacturing headquarters, upgraded equipment, and added additional associates.