Business - Appointments

Xaar plc has announced the appointment of Professor Neil Hopkinson to a new role as Director of 3D Printing.  Professor Hopkinson, who will join Xaar in March 2016, is the original inventor of the transformational High Speed Sintering (HSS) technology. He brings with him 19 years’ experience in additive manufacturing technology gained at the University of Sheffield, Loughborough University, De Montfort University, 3D Systems and the University of Nottingham.

In his new role with Xaar Neil will build a world-class team to continue the development of HSS technology as well as other additive manufacturing processes; the team’s focus will be to accelerate the success of Xaar’s OEM partners in the exciting area of additive manufacturing.  HSS is a revolutionary technology which uses inkjet printheads and infrared heaters to manufacture products layer by layer from polymer powder materials at much higher speeds than other additive manufacturing processes.

Professor Hopkinson has already achieved significant success leading the Innovate UK funded Factum Project.  This three year project, which concludes in 2016, was set up to develop supply chain and full scale production capabilities for novel additive manufacturing technologies for application in major industrial sectors within the UK economy through three key partners; Unilever (FMCG), BAE Systems (Aerospace) and Cobham Technical Services (Space and Communications). Xaar’s role, which is integral to this project, has focused on optimising the performance of specialist third party fluids in combination with its market leading printheads.

“Industrial 3D printing is entering an important phase of maturation and I am excited to be joining Xaar at this critical time”, comments Professor Hopkinson. “It is clear that inkjet printing will be an important enabling technology as the 3D printing sector scales up to be an integral part of mainstream manufacturing.  As a leading supplier to printing equipment manufacturers all over the world, Xaar is in a strong position to accelerate the adoption of HSS technology within a number of key applications”.

“We are thrilled that Neil has agreed to join us” comments Xaar’s CEO, Doug Edwards.  “We are excited about the potential for HSS and other additive manufacturing technologies to expand Xaar’s horizons and exploit new opportunities”.

The University of Sheffield, where Neil and the Factum Project have been based for the last few years, continues to lead the UK in the research and development of additive and advanced manufacturing processes. “We are proud of the achievements of Professor Hopkinson and his team and we welcome Xaar’s investment to progress the commercialisation of this exciting technology. It’s a fantastic example of how our research translates to industrial application and we look forward to continued engagement with Neil in his new role”, says Professor Mike Hounslow, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Engineering at the University of Sheffield.

Also commenting on Professor Hopkinson’s new role within Xaar, Paul Howells, VP R&D Packaging at Factum project partner Unilever, says “Xaar’s decision to invest in HSS is testament to the progress achieved by the Factum project. This is a very positive sign for the future of this technology and for Additive Manufacturing in the UK”.

Eyal Manzoor replaces Wilfried Kampe effective January 1st, 2016; will focus organization on continued growth.

Stanford Marsh Group, a leading independent solutions provider for the wide-format print sector which is currently celebrating its 50th year in business, has announced the appointment of Julian Mennell to the role of Business Development Manager for the Print for Profit sector.

In this role, he will be responsible for helping UK and Ireland-based print for profit reprographics businesses invest in new technology more efficiently. With more than 20 years’ experience in the printing industry – working with the likes of Colourgen, Xerox, Océ and more – and with the wide range of leading solutions from Stanford Marsh at his disposal, Julian is ideally positioned to offer unbiased advice to customers looking to upgrade their print technology.

Additionally, he will be focusing on working with customers looking to upgrade to HP’s ever-expanding PageWide XL Technology. With a compact footprint, HP PageWide Technology offers high quality at high printing speeds. It is scalable to meet a wide range of application and performance requirements and provides low cost of operation in both monochrome and colour.

On his appointment, Julian Mennell explains: “By sharing my in-depth understanding of the latest print technologies, I can help companies utilise their technology budgets more efficiently. I can advise how they can reduce costs, improve quality of output and maximise profits within an ever changing market.

“Thanks to Stanford Marsh’s broad portfolio of print solutions from the likes of Canon, HP, Mutoh and Stratasys to name but a few – we are able to recommend and supply customers with print solutions that exactly meet their requirements.”

Drytac, an international manufacturer of adhesive-coated products, has announced changes to its executive leadership team. Hayden Kelley has been appointed as the company’s new global chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Kelley is a graduate of Dalhousie University with a BA in Economics and an MBA in International Business. His previous roles include regional sales manager for Drytac’s Western United States territory and vice president of sales and marketing for Drytac Canada.

His business acumen, coupled with in-depth industry knowledge and a strong corporate vision, cemented the decision to appoint him in the new role. During his tenure with Drytac, he has proven capable of delivering measurable results while maintaining the company’s reputation for quality products and exceptional service. As global CEO, Hayden Kelley aims to further strengthen the brand through innovative product development, collaborative partnerships and streamlined costs.

“I am honoured to lead Drytac into the next phase of innovation,” states Kelley. “Now more than ever, we are focused on building strong relationships with customers and partners across the globe. With a renewed commitment to forward-thinking corporate strategies that create tangible value, I believe we will see sustainable growth and profitability.”

Hayden Kelley, who currently serves and will retain his role as managing director of Drytac Europe, succeeds his father Richard Kelley, the company’s founding chairman and former CEO. Richard Kelley will continue to serve as chairman, leading the Board of Directors and providing counsel on corporate business strategies. Marc Oosterhuis will remain president of Drytac North America, overseeing strategic operations in the U.S. and Canada.

About Drytac®
Drytac® is an international manufacturer of adhesive-coated products, including graphic films, window films, double-sided tapes, self-adhesive print media, label stock, industrial adhesives, and heat-activated and pressure-sensitive laminates and mounting adhesives. Drytac can also create unique customised adhesive products to customer specifications.
For more information, please visit www.drytac.co.uk, www.drytac.com and www.drytaccoating.com.

CMYUK has appointed wide format digital print specialist Amira Bouchiba in the new role of Marketing and Demonstrations Manager.

Amira has joined CMYUK from her previous post at EFI’s European demonstration and training facility in Brussels where she was a senior VUTEk application trainer. Prior to her position with EFI, having initially trained as a graphic designer, she was responsible for technical training and customer support at Hewlett Packard.

CMYUK Director Robin East said: “We’re delighted that Amira has decided to join the team as she brings with her a unique set of skills, which include an in depth, hands on knowledge of VUTEk wide format printing and the Fiery XF RIP.

“As a leading solution specialist in super-wide digital print and the UK’s long-term partner of EFI, for this role we needed someone who truly understands our clients and their needs.

“Amira has the perfect experience and expertise to support our customers in selecting the right solution for them, as well as helping them learn new techniques for different applications.”

As Marketing and Demonstrations Manager, Amira, who joined the company in October, will head up CMYUK’s demo centre in Shrewsbury as well as visiting customers.

She said: “I was really excited to join the team at CMYUK. I’d already worked alongside them for a few years at trade shows and customer training, and we share a philosophy of finding the right solution for the customer, whatever that may be.

“As well as running the demo centre and building a new marketing and demonstrations team, I am currently focused on completing an ‘application wall’, where visitors will be able to see real life examples of work produced on the printers we have in house, and watch videos on how they have been produced. We’ll also be working on more short films for our digital learning channel on You Tube, helping our customers get the best from their printing solutions.

“In addition, my role includes developing the ways in which we support our customers after they purchase a printer, including visiting them after they have received basic training to focus in on how they can deliver the applications they want to in the most efficient way, and delivering the best quality finish.

“In my heart I’m really a technical person so it’s great that I can ‘keep my hand in’ with customers like this, as I understand their world – the environment they operate in, the technical issues they may face, and how they can optimise the results they get from their machines.

“With CMYUK it’s not a case of ‘do a successful demo, sell a printer and move on’ – we’re a dynamic team that wants to help our customers grow their business, support their efficiency and profitability and keep moving forward in the market.”

For more information, visit www.cmyuk.com or call +44 (0)118 989 2929.

Screen Europe has appointed Toine Prudon as International Sales Manager for its Truepress Jet range of UV wide-format printers. Toine brings 25 years of experience in the industry with leading suppliers, including Thieme, Spandex, Oce/Canon and swissQprint.

Toine's appointment strengthens Screen Europe’s commercial team and he is based at Screen’s European Solutions & Technology Centre in The Netherlands. "It is an incredibly exciting time to join Screen," says Toine. "The company has a range of highly-engineered solutions that are ideal for print service providers looking to work flexibly in the growing wide-format market."

Bui Burke, Screen's VP Sales, adds: "Toine brings considerable experience to our expanded sales and support team and joins us at a time when we are experiencing tremendous success with the Truepress Jet W3200 range throughout Europe.”

Screen's family of Truepress Jet wide format UV printers are manufactured by Screen’s subsidiary company Inca Digital and are ideal for the creation of displays, point-of-purchase materials, billboards, vehicle graphics and backlight signage. There are three models in the range including the latest and highly versatile six colour + white Truepress Jet W3200UV flat-bed printer. This printer, manufactured by Inca Digital, is available as 85sqm/hr and high-speed 150 sqm/hr versions, with or without roll-to-roll capability.