Paul MacdonaldSales Manager

Mark Andy UK

Advancements in Flexo Technology

Look how far we have come....

1973 pressure sensitive press.

• Many improvements over the years

• However – issues remain– Longer changeover times– Extensive setup material waste– Poor and inconsistent print quality– Higher running material waste– Inconsistent output between operators– Long training curves for new operators

Issues with older Flexo Technology

Converter Challenges

• Increasing substrate costs

• Increasing ink costs

• Increasing plate costs

• Commoditized business

• Price pressures

• Shorter run lengths

• Difficulty finding/keeping skilled operators

Converter

What has changed with flexo press technology?

• Over the past few years, new flexo presses have hit the market:– Elimination of multiple adjustments– Discrete, repeatable settings– Automatic positioning of all print head components– Elimination of time consuming adjustments for repeat changes– Servo driven– Ultra-short web paths

Outcomes of new flexo technology

• Improved and more consistent print quality

• Faster changeover times

• Reduction in waste

• Enhanced capability

• More consistent production output – from lower skilled operators

• Two for one replacement of old flexo technology

• Pushing back on digital breakeven for shorter runs

First colorimpression

First good label

Digital/Flexo breakeven

Job size

Job

cost

Traditional flexo

New flexo

Typical digital solution

What are the challenges going forward?

• Eliminate remaining bottlenecks• Energy conservation/environmental focus• Reduction in waste• Enhanced capability• Down-gauged liners• Continued price pressure• Increasing costs• Shrinking labor pool

New technologies are on the way to help...

Diecutting

• Single biggest remaining bottleneck in converting today

• New solutions offer several benefits– Single minute changeovers– Improved ergonomics– More consistent die cut quality– High speed stripping– Difficult die shapes

• Results– 60% setup reduction– Increase in press speeds by 150

fpm or greater– Elimination of potential injuries

LED UV

• The future in UV curing

• Many benefits• Instant on/off• No ozone generation• Low heat – No IR energy• High energy efficiency• Longer lamp life 22,000 hrs plus• Dependability• Durability – fewer moving parts

• Full ink sets now coming to market

• Technology on display at UK Show Room and Labelexpo 2013

Advanced Drying Systems

• Press speed is often limited by drying capability

• Growth into short run flexible packaging has brought more attention

• New technology allows high speed drying with several advantages– Low energy consumption – significant

reduction compared to compressed air– Small footprint – ability to dry heavy

coverage in 1/3 of typical web distance– Low heat output – good compatibility with

filmic and other heat sensitive materials

Future focus

• Predictive performance

• In-line measurement and control

• Full system integration

• Enhanced capability

• Continued process simplicity

Automation

• Automation currently exists on current newer press models

• Typical automation approach has been focused on traditional manual operations

• Incremental improvements through servo implementations

• No unique value unlocked

The future:

• Total system approach to automation

• Unlock values previously unavailable to converters

• Full integration of tooling and system

Unlocking value – an example

• Dies are made with important information in mindBlade depth Die repeat

Liner thickness Blade angle

• Imagine if – the press could “communicate” with the die

• How could this information be used?• Set anvil depth for liner thickness• Track die revolutions/die life• Automatic compensation for die wear• Set appropriate die cutting pressure

• This is just one example of future developments....

The future of flexo is bright

• Significant strides have been made in over the past couple of years

• New flexo presses have significantly increased productivity

• Near term developments will help break down existing bottlenecks

• Future developments will unlock unique value for the converters