Operational Efficiencies
James of Focus Label Machinery adheres to commitment to research and development. He credits the approach with driving his firm to be at the leading edge of innovative technology in modular and adaptable flexographic, textile and hybrid digital presses.
According to James, “Traditional flexo printing has been enhanced by servo motors used on the latest presses, decreasing setup time and waste to a huge extent, giving consistency and quality over both large and short printruns.” He notes that, “As the label and packaging industry sector continues to grow and diversify, the need for machinery able to run a multitude of applications and shorter run lengths will strengthen.”
James believes, “Ink formulation and drying efficiencies have advanced significantly with both IR and UV, and now UV-LED. In fact, UV-LED is fast becoming a desired alternative as the consumable costs come down and the need for a sustainable use of factory power consumption becomes ever more desired, as it helps to meet market place requests.”
He reports that today’s digital inkjet-driven hybrid presses create the opportunity for blank reel to fully finished product in one pass, with both flexo and digital combined, utilizing drying technologies in IR, UV and UV-LED at speeds of more than 300 fpm.
Emphasizing one significant point, he says, “The desire for companies to be nurtured in the newest technology has become a prerequisite as fewer young people join our industry and the technical directors are not being replaced.”
John from Pamarco is in favor of productivity. “Here, a combination of education, work practices and technology play an ever-increasing role. As with all manufacturing in today’s market, retirements have placed a drain on the knowledge base. Skilled operators are hard to find and employee retention is a challenge. That means education and technology are key to our future success.”
He notes, “Pamarco provides pressroom and anilox audits, designed to take a fresh look at converters’ operations and bring to the harsh light of day the conditions that are often overlooked during the demands of meeting production.” Among them, he mentions automatic viscosity, pH and temperature controls. He argues, “Control of inks removes the unskilled operator from the loop and ensures consistency of performance.” Elaborating on the point, he explains, “Ink calibration/correlation to press is critical as we strive for increased productivity and press uptime. New automated proofing systems take the operator variance out of the calibration process and speed it along, reducing ink waste and increasing press uptime.”
John maintains, “A well-controlled ink system that has constant temperature can provide significant savings. With ink being the largest spend after substrate in most plants, think what a 3 percent, 5 percent or 10 percent reduction in consumption would mean while increasing consistency and print fidelity.”
Color Management
“Ink companies must be able to deliver product that ensures the same color no matter the substrate, the same color strength time after time, and accurate hue and density,” according to Tony of Sun Chemical. “Quality systems and checks throughout the production process properly achieve color consistency. Color inaccuracy can be a major cause of delays and bottlenecks in the printing process. When color gets lost in translation, reprinting due to variation can increase a printer’s cost for a job by 40 percent to 70 percent due to waste.”
He insists to printers, “It is important to understand that color is not subjective; every color that can be printed can also be measured, and its characteristics stored as a spectral curve that acts as the DNA of the color and serves as an exact specification for further reproduction.”
Sustainability
Tony reports that products available on the market for package printers address a wide range of the industry’s key challenges, including migration, the push toward smaller package size, recyclability and compostability, shelf life and other efforts to reduce the impact of packaging on the environment.
“Consumer packaged goods companies are looking for support in their sustainability efforts and Sun Chemical has helped by providing solutions that meet their goals of source reduction, a smaller number of packaging layers, along with decreased package size,” Tony explains. “Additionally, naturally sourced biodegradable and more recyclable flexible packaging materials are currently favored by both major retailers and brand owners.”
Mike of Saint Clair Systems identifies sustainability as flexo’s top priority. He attributes the status to concerns associated with the solvents and chemicals commonly used in the flexo process, but also to the fact that much of the product produced is associated with consumables packaging—food, pharmaceutical, etc. One other key aspect is the recyclability of products at end-of-life.
“In October 2018, it was announced UV/EB technology had been listed as Best Available Control Technology by the California Air Resources Board (CARB),” Mike reports. “UV technology has been in use for a long time in flexo processes, but this new listing provides printers with an easier permitting path, without the capital and operating costs associated with the incinerators and regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) required for compliance using other technologies.”
John from Pamarco is also on the sustainable print bandwagon. “First and foremost in all our minds is the environmental impact of our activities. As an industry, our approach must certainly produce a significant profit, but if done well, both can be accomplished, while increasing the bottom line. Solvent and ink costs continue to increase, so our focus needs to hone in on reducing consumption by reducing waste.”
Training & Education
FLXON’s Paul admits, “While pressrooms are challenged to find qualified operators, fewer operators are needed as a result of automation. Following technology investments, we see more pressroom emphasis on using the best quality process elements that perform better in high-speed HD flexo applications. They are also investing in best practices and sustainability training.”
“Operating on a premise of adding pressroom value, we can work with operations management to identify and permanently eliminate waste-causing practices. That offers a first-hand look at how successful flexo printers have gained their competitive advantage. These pressrooms are certain of the success of their future,” he proclaims.
Larry of Beta suggests, “Take advantage of training available from technology suppliers. Rotate staffers through training programs to keep them up to date; perhaps find your next manager.” And Bill from Allison adds, “Even though modern presses require less skilled operators than previous models, skilled operators are still needed to maintain quality. To be competitive, investments will need to be made to update training of current employees and entice skilled workers to the industry. It’s hard to predict how the technology will improve, but one thing is certain—it will!”