Flexo printing: five key steps
The following is taken from Smithers Pira's newly released white paper, "Flexo Printing: Five Key Steps to Drive Your Business Forward."
In the packaging and label printing fields we are currently focusing on, flexo printing is the least impacted by digitization in all traditional printing methods. On the one hand, the Western and some emerging economies have caused a transition in the graphics printing market, and in some cases have caused a sustained downturn. Corrugated packaging is in line with global economic growth. From the perspective of other types of packaging and flexible packaging, the performance of flexo printing is also commendable and provides opportunities for growth around the world. Now only digital labels have really entered the field of flexo printing. In the long run, the trend is toward short-run printing, such as cartons and flexo printing.
Flexographic printing will continue to improve as a diversified development approach, including advances in printing plate technology and exposure methods, improved printing units and layout design, and improvements in anilox rollers, inks, and curing / drying systems. By 2019, suppliers will have continuous improvement programs to continue innovation, thereby winning higher market share and better growth prospects. Whether flexographic printing will prosper in the new environment depends largely on its technology investment decisions and how it adapts to technological changes.
In view of this, Smithers Pira has undergone a lot of practice and aims to use these experiences to cope with these changes in the future. Five key steps will drive your business forward:
• Optimize pre-press workflow to improve quality
• Improve the internal and external configuration of printing plate materials and CtP components
• Anilox technology, linked to inks and plates, used to increase maximum color gamut and reduce downtime
• More and more process colors are used to replace many spot colors, reducing ink changes and waste
• Improve printing control effect by using independent servo motor
Use prepress workflow optimization to improve quality. The biggest change in the development of flexo printing prepress technology lies in the enhancement of flexo printing direct plate-making technology (CtP), which improves the printing quality and enhances more details in a larger range is the biggest highlight of the technology. The most important trend in the development of flexographic printing technology is the pre-press and pre-production stages. While the quality is improving, the production preparation time and printing costs of printed products are decreasing.
Improve the internal and external configuration of printing plate materials and CtP components. More and more prepress control of flexographic printing includes internal CtP, establishment of recognized specifications and quality monitoring, and processes to improve performance and productivity. The development of flexo platemaking has made a huge contribution to quality improvement. Flexographic printing computer-to-plate technology is now very common, and with the advent of laser ablation and direct exposure systems, it allows better reproduction of details and text. In addition, the development of plate-making technology provides better quality for enhanced highlight and shadow detail.
Anilox technology, connected to ink and printing plates, is used to increase the maximum color gamut and reduce downtime. In recent years, anilox roller technology has undergone great changes. A major factor for improvement is to ensure the consistency of the quality of the entire process. Minimized replacement of mechanically engraved copper (chrome-plated) and steel rollers by laser engraving ceramics has changed the supply stability of flexographic printing inks. Surface materials and engraving techniques continue to improve. A higher number of ink cavities and a better combination of ink cavities can help transfer more ink to the flexographic printing plate, and ink system blades are becoming more and more common. In addition, improving the efficiency of the cleaning system can keep the ink cavities open.
More and more process colors are used to replace many spot colors, reducing ink changes and waste. Many devices are changing the status quo of printing with multiple spot colors (in some cases extended to 6-7 color scales), printing in a way that matches the desired brand color. This can minimize downtime and ink waste, and improve printing uptime.
Developed in an innovative way to improve the wet press wet printing effect by adding solvents. This is a result of a standard that is increasingly widely recognized. During curing, wet press wet printing technology (using mixed UV or EB to evaporate the solvent to help the wet press wet printing effect) has been in operation for many years. This can effectively improve color quality and handle color conversion and color matching in the prepress stage. Developed standardized printing conditions can enable different brands to achieve predictable color reproduction. By improving the prepress process, the purpose of controlling standardization can be achieved to help reduce man-hour cycles and reduce rework.
Improve the printing control effect by using an independent servo motor. Modern flexographic printing presses are able to perform color printing with accurate online detection and rapid conversion. Italian web press manufacturer Nuova Gidue has refined its "digital flexo" and uses a high level of automatic control settings. It installs 8 servo motors on each printing unit, takes pictures through a high-definition camera, and adjusts the pressure completely automatically.
Nuova Gidue can effectively improve and increase the uptime of the printing press during the flexographic production process. It has developed an attractive set of supplies, including workflow, substrate, ink and printing plates, with the slogan "Revolution, Digital Flex "Revolution", the purpose is to develop the rapid development of flexo printing technology in network packaging labels and digital label printing.
The project plan helps flexo to compete with digital technology, especially the application of digital short version. High-quality printing, improved efficiency, improved productivity and sustainability improvements to enhance the future competitive position of flexographic printing.
Smithers Pira's survey of trends in the flexographic printing industry
Prior to the production of this white paper, Smithers Pira conducted major research projects in the summer of 2014, mainly affecting the trends and pressures of flexo printing. In a survey of 152 respondents, 100 were from North America, and the rest were mainly from Europe and the southern and central United States. Most of the interviewees are active in the field of packaging and label flexo printing. Of course, they also include flexo consumables and machinery suppliers.
During 2013 and the first half of 2014, production increased steadily. Looking ahead, there is no sign that flexo printing will be affected by competition and influence from other printing methods. However, the main trend affecting the industry is growing demand. In addition, short-run printing is listed as one of the factors most concerned by the respondents, and it is ranked fourth in the increasingly fierce competition with digital printing (this is mainly due to the popularity of short-run printing). In terms of technology, improving automation is considered the most important development.
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