Polski
Białystok's Helios Conquers America, 3D Printing Does Good, and Chemical Giants Join Forces
This week in the printing industry shows that Polish technical thinking can win global awards, that 3D printing is stepping ever more boldly into the role of a social tool, and that label chemistry suppliers are looking for strength in alliances. Here are three stories worth knowing before the autumn trade fair season.
01 · Awards & Innovation
AVT from Białystok is the world's best in varnish inspection [1]
We start with good news from Poland's own backyard. Białystok-based AVT has won one of the label industry's more prestigious awards — the Labels & Labeling Innovation Award 2026. The award-winning module, Helios Varnish Inspection, handles inspection of clear varnishes on labels — an area that has long given manufacturers trouble, since coating defects or missing varnish are hard to spot with the naked eye. The system detects these issues, along with registration misalignment, before goods are shipped out, which meaningfully cuts down on rework and complaints, especially where packaging quality is critical — in cosmetics, pharma, and food.
The solution was unveiled on September 15 at the LOUPE Americas trade show, and one of its added advantages is that the module can be retrofitted onto existing Helios systems — there's no need to replace the entire inspection line. Customers already testing it report productivity gains of around 30 percent, which makes a real difference at the end of the month for a large label print shop.
02 · 3D Printing
3D printing for good: Bambu Lab launches the "Make for Good" competition [2]
From quality control in large-format label production, we move to a completely different corner of the industry — 3D printing, which is increasingly showing its social side. Together with seven organizations from around the world — including Ayúdame3D, e-NABLE France, and Makers Making Change — Bambu Lab has launched a global design competition called "Make for Good" on the MakerWorld platform. The initiative will run from September through December 2026, and participants are tasked with designing 3D-printed objects that make everyday life easier for people with disabilities — from kitchen tools to sports equipment.
It's a good example of how 3D printing is not just about prototyping and on-demand manufacturing, but also a genuine tool for helping people directly. The winning designs are set to be added to open libraries and networks of volunteers active in more than 70 countries, so the competition's impact could extend well beyond the MakerWorld platform itself.
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03 · Partnerships
Sun Chemical and Cyngient: a new alliance in narrow web printing [3]
Our third story, like the first, returns to the world of labels — and to the same LOUPE Americas 2026 trade show, where Sun Chemical and Cyngient announced a strategic partnership. The collaboration covers inks, coatings, and adhesives dedicated to narrow web printing, with a jointly branded product line at its core, focused on decorative effects and stable press performance. The solution is aimed primarily at label and flexible packaging manufacturers — companies that face growing expectations around the look and durability of packaging every day.
Both companies expect that combining their expertise will speed up the rollout of new solutions to market and provide better technical support for converters, who must balance aesthetics with consistency and production efficiency.
04
Three stories, one takeaway
Polish innovation in quality control, a global social initiative around 3D printing, and a strategic partnership between printing chemistry suppliers show that the industry is advancing on many fronts at once — from automated inspection, to new applications of additive manufacturing, to the consolidation of suppliers' technical expertise. If you'd like to see similar solutions live and talk with the people behind them, join us at Warsaw Print-Tech Expo 2026 — topics like these will be among the main highlights of the program.
Invitation
Quality inspection systems like Helios, new applications for 3D printing, and alliances among label chemistry suppliers — these are exactly the topics that will be actively discussed at Warsaw Print-Tech Expo 2026. Come see the latest printing technologies live and meet the companies behind them. Booths, machine demonstrations, and conversations with experts from across the printing industry are waiting for you.
Warsaw Print-Tech Expo 2026Footnotes
[1] PrintNews (Świat Poligrafii Professional) — https://printnews.pl/avt-nagrodzone-za-system-kontroli-bezbarwnych-lakierow-helios/[2] Bambu Lab Blog — https://blog.bambulab.com/seven-organizations-one-maker-community-3d-printing-in-the-service-of-accessibility/
[3] Sun Chemical — https://www.sunchemical.com/sun-chemical-and-cyngient-unveil-strategic-narrow-web-partnership-at-loupe-americas-2026/