Industramark parent acquires IML firm Fusion GraphicsIndustramark parent acquires IML firm Fusion Graphics

Standard Register, based in Dayton, OH, announced that it has purchased the assets of Fusion Graphics Inc., a leader in inmold labeling (IML) and decorating technology. The assets consist primarily of intellectual property and will become part of the company's Industramark business unit, which is focused on product marking and other solutions for industrial manufacturers.

Standard Register has licensed certain technology from Fusion Graphics, also of Dayton, OH, in the IML space for about two years, according to Tom Furey, Industramark's president. Last June at NPE, Industramark, which is a division of Standard Register, announced its latest innovative product made possible via a strategic partnership with Fusion Graphics, developer and holder of the patented Grafilm technology, which Industramark uses in its label manufacturing process.

"The acquisition of Fusion's patented IML products and intellectual property will enable us to further develop new products and take it to the next level," said Furey in a telephone interview. "We hope to have several new product launches this year using the Grafilm technology that will allow our customers to do things that can't physically be done today."

The proprietary IML material consists of a unique composition that gives Industramark a competitive advantage. The Grafilm is a 7-mil micro porous plastic film that becomes a part of the product by bonding with virtually all thermoplastics, resulting in labels that can withstand the elements of nature, rough handling, and resistance to gasoline and other harsh chemicals, Furey explained in an interview at NPE.

The Grafilm product can be used across a wide range of applications. Its key attributes include conformability to irregular product surfaces and durable, fade-resistant product marking. The complete Grafilm product line works with virtually all thermoplastics and rubber.

Bob Freund, founder and co-owner of Fusion Graphics, is also the inventor of Grafilm, and now works for Standard Register's Industramark division. "Through this acquisition, Standard Register can now help a much broader group of customers worldwide in using Grafilm to enhance their products," said Freund. "We can now continually develop new products by combining the material science capabilities of Standard Register with Grafilm's unique properties."

"We have research chemists on our staff and an R&D laboratory in which we can further develop the technology that Fusion Graphics patented," says Furey. "This is really an investment in research and development."—[email protected]