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8 | C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N During 2020 when certain aspects of life remained at a standstill, PCMC launched several innovations to our print and bag converting customers. Flexible packaging experienced record-level increases in 2020 as consumer buying habits made a dramatic shift. The increased demand coupled with future sustainable film packaging mandates had many converters exploring new options. This gave us the unique opportunity to provide new solutions to our customers when they needed them most. We've been leading the way on polybag machines and polyethylene (PE) pouches for years and continue to do so with our newest pouch machine — the Ares 400-SUP from Hudson-Sharp. It was created from listening to our clients' changing needs and is the perfect complement to label and narrow web printers. The Ares 400-SUP helps customers meet sustainable film packaging mandates that consumer packaged goods are gearing up for by 2025 and 2030. It is a compact, efficient, easy-to-operate, quick-changeover machine designed for short/ medium-run production. It runs recycle-ready PE, laminated films, paper and bio-films effortlessly and with a low scrap rate. Running thinner and sustainable material presents a unique set of challenges for flexographic printers. Those challenges are what drove the development of our new center surface rewinder. It handles tough- to-run materials like cling film, stretch PVC, extensible substrates and light-gauge shrink films with ease. Its lack of turreting in roll- to-roll transfers eliminates waste from unstable materials. The new rewinder is an available option on our Fusion C flexographic press. One of the biggest variables in the flexographic printing process is the quality of the anilox roller. When anilox cells perform at correct volumes, it allows for better color matching and print repeatability — saving time, ink and waste. That is why we developed the Meridian Elite laser anilox cleaner. Its patented laser technology deep cleans engravings of any line screen without increased surface temperature or hot spots. The fastest cleaning cycles in the industry along with smart and connected features help keep printers and converters operating at peak efficiency. The Meridian Elite was awarded with two monumental industry awards — the 2020 FTA Technical Innovation Award and the 2020 Label Industry Global Award. Our new ION digital conversion system allows printers and converters to add variable data features to their business portfolio while utilizing their existing printing assets. The ION digital conversion system is available for many platforms including labels, folding cartons, Company: PCMC Innovation: Equipment making a difference wide web packaging and other specialty printing markets. It eliminates costly setup expenses and reduces waste by improving changeover times on shorter runs. Powered by Memjet's drop-on- demand thermal inkjet technology, each print head contains 70,400 print nozzles firing more than 3 billion dots per second. The new aqueous pigmented ink-set offers a durable, lightfast solution to your digital print needs. Without question, 2020 proved to be a year like no other. COVID-19 helped reinforce just how essential manufacturers, printers and converters are in meeting basic needs. We're grateful that we played a small part in our customers' ability to continue to provide necessities to people when they needed them most. PCMC responds to flexible packaging with ease When COVID shifted buying habits, PCMC was poised to fill the gap PCMC's newest innovations, the Ares, Meridian Elite and Fusion C, tackle some of the biggest issues printers and converters face from record-level increases in demand. pcmc.com C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N