Flexo Technology
Flexo: not a process for sitting on the side-lines
By Tom Kerchiss, chairman of RK Print Coat Instruments Ltd
I
ssues surrounding the ability to do more with less and to replace or reduce the amount of material and chemistries made from fossil fuel derivatives has galvanised industries of all descriptions to source more sustainable materials and chemistries. The packaging industry is no exception and while they look to more sustainable constructs, particularly those offering good barrier properties the partners, the converting practitioners and the flexographic printers and consumable providers, ink and coating suppliers must get their house in order also. Flexography, not a process for sitting on the side-lines, has enjoyed more than its fair share of productivity enhancements in recent years and is, from a technological point of
view, well placed to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Servo drive systems are now available for central impression flexo presses and stack platforms making for tighter register. Many of the newer flexo presses becoming available have shorter web paths, which it is claimed speeds make ready. Advancements in water-based inks and coatings now allow for better adhesion and wetting. These developments are beginning to make water based formulae more acceptable than it once was in flexible packaging, which are often non-porous films. Porous papers generally present few adhesion-related problems. Converters that print need to take into account that drying speeds are often slower in comparison with solvent formulations.
A key advantage of flexo is the ability to work with a broader range of substrates, making it more able to respond to contemporary trends in design and to on-going changes associated with the structure or format of the pack. The introduction of hybrid press units with integrated digital print engines and complimentary inline capability strengthens a converter’s position in the marketplace, enabling the converting shop to bid for jobs, particularly short runs which previously would not have been economical. Existing substrates printed flexo or coated or laminated may be valued either for the inherent surface qualities that they provide (gloss, etc.), or for the degree of functionality
42
February 2025
www.convertermag.com
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