While Nitto is not very well known in the local market, internationally it is a very large organisation
comprising a total of 104 companies, employing more than 30 000 people worldwide and with 58 production
facilities around the world. It is active across a range of industries including industrial, optronics, medical and
the membrane manufacturing sectors. Nitto currently produces more than 40 000 products for all of these
sectors. The company produces a range of products but really only manufactures one thing. How can that be
possible? Simply put, it makes adhesives, a very wide range of adhesives but it is how these adhesives are
used and applied to various substrates that gives Nitto its broad product range. It works closely with leading
manufacturers of substrates to find ways of applying its adhesives to a vast array of substrates to create
everything from insulation tape to splicing tapes to detection tags and even such things as protective
coverings such as Slipguard. Slipguard has a wide range of applications from construction through
to exhibitions.
The Nitto range of splicing tapes for printing applications can be used in newspaper printing, heatset and
gravure, for paper and paper product converting applications. However, it also manufactures other products
which can be used in other forms of printing applications. For the large-format inkjet market, it has a range of
opaque white and clear products which allow images to be printed on a clear film and then laminated with
the product. These can then be mounted for temporary use without leaving any glue residue. This solves the
problem of how to mount images without drilling, nailing or using a glue-based product which will leave a
sticky residue. This product can also be used for the printing of floor graphics because it can be lifted after
use and will not leave any residue.
Bart commented, ‘Our expertise is in making adhesives and we can make an adhesive for any application.
We are not experts in making substrates and for this reason we work with leading suppliers of substrates to
find the best solution for the specific requirement.’
Eddy added, ‘Our expertise in adhesives is the reason that we have so many products in our portfolio. We
are asked to develop adhesives to meet the specific requirements of a single application. It is also the
reason that we spend so much on research and development because we have to find the best solution
for the client.’
Commenting on the association between Serengeti and Nitto Paul added, ‘The printing industry needs
splicing tape which can handle the speeds and tension associated with modern presses, but there is also a
demand for environmental friendliness. This is why Nitto manufactures a wide range of splicing tapes from
water-soluble tapes through to the standard solvent soluble. In the range of detection tags it makes a full
range to meet the requirements of printers with the latest technology and also those who still use
older presses.’
This is ideal for markets where printing presses, especially in the web market, represent a large investment
and cannot be changed or upgraded on a regular basis.
Paul continued, ‘In the short time we have been working with Nitto we have seen that the products are as
good - if not better than the market-leading brands and with the added benefit of a better market-entry price
it offers printers a viable alternative. We have already concluded trials at some of the big printers and the
response has been very positive. However, we have found that there are a wealth of other sectors of industry
which we can address with splicing tapes and we will consider these once we have achieved a presence in
the printing market.
‘If printers would like to see or test the tapes we are more than willing to meet with them.’
For more information contact Serengeti Print Supplies on
011 392 5996
or e-mail paul at
Splicing tapes for:
Heatset
Coldset
Gravure
Flexo
Paper manufacturers
Paper convertors
Tape for
wide-format adhesives
Point-of-sale
adhesives
Slipguard
Floor protector
Paul Philips
082 906 7377
103 Newton Street,
Meadowdale Ext 2,
Germiston, Gauteng 1400
Tel: (+27) 11 392 5996/7
Fax (+27) 11 392 5999
