Flexography
FTA Announces Call for Entries for 2019 Technical Innovation Awards
- Published: October 05, 2018
Applicants are encouraged to apply now through Feb. 14, 2019. Submissions open to any organization/individual within the flexographic supply chain.
Zangrass Grass Paper for Sustainable Packaging
- Published: October 04, 2018
The paper has very good stability and processing properties and can be used for flexo printing.
Burnishine Products Debuts New Flexo Cleaner
- Published: September 27, 2018
New Burnishine Flexo Cleaner is an effective and versatile product that safely cleans plates, anilox rolls and more.
FTA Call for Entries for 2019 Excellence in Flexography Awards
- Published: September 17, 2018
The 2019 Excellence in Flexography Awards Competition celebrates the outstanding print jobs achieved by an industry always advocating progress.
E-Commerce Comes to Cast and Cure™ Films
- Published: September 10, 2018
The Cast and Cure™ process for achieving holographic effects on labels and packaging is fully explained in Breit Technologies’ new web site.
Converting Outlook | Flexo Is On The Go For 2018
- Published: May 17, 2018, By Susan Stansbury
Flexographic printing is a standout converting process. Flexo is the step that precedes processing from labels to lidding, from pouches to packages of every configuration...and so much more. This category continues to grow. The global printing industry is forecast to reach $980 billion this year, according to Smithers Pira, and it will be driven by growth in segments that include packaging and labels.
An optimistic outlook is also echoed by the Converting Solutions community. Growth last year and this year is the best in the last few years, according to Adrian Fordham, president of MoistTech Corp., an industry supplier. “We see considerable growth,” says Fordham. The flexo industry supply chain starts with machinery, materials, inks and then when it’s doing well, secondary suppliers involved with process improvement, like MoistTech, see growth too. “Right now, Flexo, converting and coating producers are showing very good results.”
In 2018, a key focus is on efficiency and evolving tech- nology for super-fast and high-quality, colorful results. For example, today’s water-based inks mean that moisture measurement and control are critical in-process as well as during windup where the web requires adequate dryness levels to avoid sticking. In this case, MoistTech’s measure- ment systems allow for moisture control and management of ink laydown thickness.
Press equipment manufacturer Retroflex, Inc. also sees the outlook for flexo as bright and including investment in add-ons. “While complete flexo printing line sales con- tinue to be strong, we also see a big increase in our clients wanting to add on-press sleeve changes and full servo operation features to new downstream units and to new 1, 2, 4 and 4 color flexo presses,” says Perry Lichon, Retroflex president. “Once only available on larger 8- and 10-color presses, we now offer these time and money saving features for nearly every flexo operation. This is allowing even the small print houses to experience the quick job change advantages that at one time only the larger shops had access to. Overall this is helping to fur- ther the growth of flexo.”
Whether it’s single-color or 10-color flexographic printing, industry insiders say there are many avenues to raise the game in-house and for each intended market segment. With the latest market demands for ever-better printing, reviewing basics and advancements are part of the solution.
Very thin film and substrates with highly irregular surfaces continue to be a challenge seen by Retroflex and others. Says Lichon, “In most cases—and thin films, in partic- ular—challenges can be solved or greatly reduced by get- ting back to basics. First and foremost, of course, you must make sure that the equipment (press, winders, etc.) you are working with are actually designed and capable of per- forming the functions you are expecting of them.”
Lichon notes basics such as dyne levels, proper tension, overall tension control, anilox selection, plate/cushion selection, appropriate dryer/curing settings, chilling, ink viscosity, nip pressures and some other items continue to be overlooked. He says, “just because the equipment is state of the art, failure to verify and check the basics can trip up a multimillion-dollar investment.” Many problems can be overcome, “not by making some high tech never- before-heard-of adjustment, but rather by just getting back to basics.”
Our industry contacts emphasize that the equipment end user should work with all of their suppliers to be sure the best solutions are being used, and used correctly, for each individual application. Lichon says, “A case in point, trying to print waxed paper at 2000 fpm: Working with a number of the suppliers has now allowed our client to reach speeds of 3000 fpm.” Look at your basics first, he emphasizes. Ultimately, flexo is often the converting industry’s aesthetic solution that turns consumers’ heads. It offers product and package designers the best of head-turning beauty as well as problems solved with unique combinations of sub- strates, coatings and inks.
Contact Company
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ETI Announces New-Generation Press
- Published: January 08, 2018
The latest version of the Metronome offers many features said to provide speed and versatility
Acucote Makes Donation to Mark Anniversary
- Published: May 04, 2012
Celebrating 25 years as a successful supplier of custom adhesive-coated products, Acucote announces a major donation and a new interactive website
Flexo Printing | Colbert Packaging Installs Nine-Color Primographic Press
- Published: February 29, 2012
Paperboard customers to benefit from increased capacity and expanded capabilities.
Web Handling | Russian Converter Growing Fast
- Published: January 09, 2012
Comco and Martin Automatic give Flexoznak unique capabilities in Russia.
Wine Label Growth Fuels Investment
- Published: June 01, 2011
Wentus Orders Ten-Color Comexi
- Published: October 01, 2010
Bema Polytech Buys Second W&H Press
- Published: September 01, 2010
Flexo à La France
- Published: April 01, 2010, By By Claudia Hine, Managing Editor
FFTA Unveils Interactive Interface
- Published: December 01, 2009
FTA Releases FIRST 4.0 Book
- Published: September 01, 2009
Flexo Forum Fervor
- Published: July 01, 2009, By By Yolanda Simonsis, Associate Publisher/Editor
FTA Member Is First Flexo SGP Printer
- Published: July 01, 2009
Canadian Students Win Phoenix Challenge
- Published: June 01, 2009
Anchor Adds Aquaflex
- Published: June 01, 2009
Harper Donates to Clemson's Sonoco
- Published: June 01, 2009
OMET Partners with Clemson's Sonoco
- Published: May 01, 2009
FTA Presents Green Awards
- Published: April 01, 2009
Flexo Homework Gets Good Marks
- Published: December 01, 2008
Press a Perfect Fit
- Published: December 01, 2008
FTA Helps Brands With Consistency
- Published: October 01, 2008
A Golden Opportunity
- Published: July 01, 2008, By By Deborah Donberg, Assoc. Managing Editor
Training Trainers in Flexo
- Published: June 01, 2008
Marketing New Flexo Educational Program
- Published: June 01, 2008
FTA Calls for Excellence in Flexography Submissions
- Published: January 07, 2008, By pffc-online.com
