I grew up with a father who is/was an owner and director of a company that produces manufacturing printing rollers (gravure printing), mostly for packaging industry. He always competed against others on quality and flexibility as he couldn't on size, so having the best kit was important. The technology, even though the product is a discardable piece of packaging, is on NASA/CPU manufacturing level.
Even though, I myself was never involved directly in it, nor am I today, I know from him there were several trends:
1) Printing companies in Europe and elsewhere got bigger. What use to be 10 printing companies, now it's 1.
2) Equipment manufacturers for that industry got bigger. What use to be 4,5 equipment manufacturers in EU/USA, now there is one.
3) Lasers. Lasers got to a level where they can compete and surpass mechanical removal on quality and speed. This is true also for industry I'm in.
Even though, I myself was never involved directly in it, nor am I today, I know from him there were several trends:
1) Printing companies in Europe and elsewhere got bigger. What use to be 10 printing companies, now it's 1.
2) Equipment manufacturers for that industry got bigger. What use to be 4,5 equipment manufacturers in EU/USA, now there is one.
3) Lasers. Lasers got to a level where they can compete and surpass mechanical removal on quality and speed. This is true also for industry I'm in.