Printer Demographics
With 12 percent of FTA printer members completing FLEXO’s anilox roll flash poll, all did list at least one business segment or print application in which his/her plant specializes—many point out several. Wide web flexible packaging holds a prominent place in the business of 64 percent of respondents. Following is narrow web labels at 31 percent; then, narrow web flexible packaging, 26 percent; shrink sleeves, 10 percent; folding carton, 10 percent; envelope, 7 percent and corrugated, 5 percent.
How Do You Ensure Your Press Gets
Maximum Value from the Anilox You Use?
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To ensure the press draws maximum value from every anilox roll put in position on its print decks, 31 percent of the printers in the poll embrace in house training programs. Seventeen percent say they rely on best practices training and certification programs like FTA’s Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances. Fourteen percent look to supplier provided training. Nearly two-thirds—65 percent of the sample—deploy all of those educational options.
Elaborating on training concerns, the vast majority of the printer audience, 79 percent, states it definitely values the sales, technical and customer service support of anilox roll suppliers. Another 17 percent believe it offers potential benefits. Four percent do not assign value to supplier training.
When selecting and optimizing the plant’s anilox roll inventory, 25 percent of anilox roll flash poll takers always utilize FIRST specifications as a reference point. Thirty-three percent frequently refer to the FTA developed guidelines. Thirty percent embrace FIRST on an “as needed” basis and 12 percent do so when requested by a customer.
Similarly, 27 percent of the audience analyzes Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC) research findings when specifying an anilox roll and instituting cleaning and maintenance procedures. Twenty-seven percent say they are interested in seeing the FQC data and 22 percent don’t find it necessary.