Partner Focus
In the few cases where investments in solvent- based print capacity are still allowed, it is under strict conditions and limitations that can only be met at high costs, which makes the economics even more challenging.
WEB-OFFSET Regarding reduction of energy consumption and elimination of solvents the DG-AUXO with EB curing offers a sustainable and economic solution for both aspects.
Web-Offset with Electron Beam curing is the only technology that incorporates a number of advantages; from economical short-runs and high print quality, to being the most sustainable printing process.
Solvent free operation and low energy consumption leads to a low carbon footprint. Additionally, Web-Offset has a number of other important advantages that are appealing for most of the flexible packaging printers. Examples are the low-cost offset-plates and low-cost plate imaging process, which is also the fastest of all plate imaging and processing systems available.
Offset plates offer the highest possible print quality at only a fraction of the costs of gravure cylinders or flexo-plates. Imaging, processing
and mounting of an average ECG job of 7 offset plates is fast and easy. In contrast to polymeric flexo plates, offset plates are fully recyclable and bring a good return on ‘scrap’ value. The use of Extended Color Gamut, abbreviated as ECG, adds some major advantages to Web-Offset printing. ECG works with a fixed color palette in the press, eliminating the use of PMS colors and all the related drawbacks like cleaning, ink waste and logistics. This realizes savings in waste, time and money. The advanced web-tension control and accurate register control of the DG-AUXO make it ideally suited for ECG production even when printing stretch sensitive substrates. There are more advantages to ECG but those go beyond the scope of this article.
For true sustainable packaging printing; successful de-inking of the printed substrates is part of the game. In that view, de-inking of energy curable inks has been considered as more difficult. However, compared to solvent- based inks, energy cured ink particles have the advantage that they do not dissolve completely in the washing fluid. Therefore, they are easier to separate from the fluid, leaving a cleaner washing fluid for a continuous high quality de- inking process.
EB CURING OPERATIONS
And finally, a few words about operating an Electron Beam installation on a DG-AUXO. Although relatively unknown, EB curing on web-offset presses is a mature technology that has been commercially in use for decades. Unlike UV curing, EB curing works completely without photoinitiators, providing safe conditions for food packaging.
Operating an EB system is safe and easy to control, as there is only radiation when the unit is switched on. Adequate shielding prevents any radiation from escaping the unit. As soon as the electricity is switched of, the radiation completely stops. EB systems do not create any residual radioactivity.
Operating an EB system does require authorization and annual check-ups by an official radiation body assigned by the national authorities. The energy consumption of an EB unit is relatively low in comparison to other ink drying technologies, and besides, EB operation does not release any environmentally harmful emissions. This makes it the most sustainable ink curing solution on a web-offset printing press.
Xwww.dgpressservices.com
www.convertermag.com
June 2022
33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
