Flexo Report | Automation, Connectivity And Big Data Are Shaping The Future Of Flexo (Part 2)

Flexo Report | Automation, Connectivity and Big Data are Shaping the Future of Flexo (Part 2)

02

Inks and Materials

Substrate suppliers work with flexo press manufacturers to ensure their materials deliver the highest quality prints. For example, processing trials are part of Avery Dennison's innovation process as it tests new materials on different presses, and tests different printing methods and line speeds to validate materials and gain insight into products.

“Almost all of our materials can be flexo printed,” said Angel Harvey, senior product manager, labels and packaging materials paper at Avery Dennison. “One of the areas we think flexo printing is particularly popular is our wine and spirits portfolio. .These unique papers are often printed on flexo presses with high quality graphics and decorative finishes. Avery Dennison is constantly innovating and with flexo printing in mind, we've found that it consistently delivers on job-to-book and increased productivity improving, while maintaining product performance and aesthetic quality.”

The most popular materials for flexographic printing of PSL labels are paper and film, with printing surfaces optimized for printing. Major film types include PET, BOPP and PE. “In the past, primarily paper-based facestocks were used, and the demand for film has grown rapidly because it provides benefits to the final product, such as strength, moisture resistance, clarity, chemical resistance and gloss, in addition to providing a good printing surface. ,” explained Gabrielle Whittaker, SBU Director Films and Specialty Papers, UPM Raflatac Americas.

“A growing request from our customers is for third-party verification of the sustainable value these materials bring to brands. We have undergone extensive testing of our film materials and many of our products are approved by APR , as our products meet or exceed APR’s key guidelines,” commented Anna Hunt, Senior Manager, Brand and Marketing, UPM Raflatac, Americas. and varnished PP labels.”

Food safety remains a top consideration, Hunt said, with UPM Raflatac's many customers and performance, safety and third-party certifications all playing an important role. "In food applications, where materials need to function in their specific application and be safe for their intended use, we've gone one step further and all of our U.S. and EMEIA plants are certified to the ISO 22000:2018 food safety management system standard. With the FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative, the demand for food-safe qualified packaging materials will only continue to grow."

From a product standpoint, Avery Dennison is launching two new hot melt adhesives in 2021. The C4500 has been released for room temperature applications and the C4510 for low temperature applications. C4510 is 40% renewable, while C4500 is 45% more sustainable. Additionally, the C4500 is USDA BioPreferred certified, which means it uses bio-based and renewable ingredients rather than petroleum-based ingredients. "Bio-based materials offer several advantages over the petroleum-derived materials they replace, and increasing our use of this renewable resource supports our commitment to environmental leadership," Harvey noted. "

Avery Dennison also introduced TC-2000 topcoat material for thin films. This technology creates a strong bond between the film and the ink. Enhanced ink adhesion also means sharper and bolder graphics and increased shelf appeal. The Avery Dennison TC-2000 works perfectly with a variety of printing technologies, including UV flexo, UV inkjet, water-based flexo, and more.

UPM Raflatac has launched RAFNXT+ CarbonNeutral certified label material, part of the SmartChoice portfolio, enabling customers to source label materials in a sustainable manner. RAFNXT+ is a thinner material certified by the Carbon Trust from sustainably managed forests. By using natural resources smarter, it reduces carbon footprint compared to standard labelling.

“We are constantly improving our adhesive formulations, especially as the types of packaging brands use continue to evolve,” Hunt said. “There are many new packaging substrates that contain recycled content. This requires continued development of label materials, As well as collaboration and testing with customers to ensure packaging performance.”

“The expansion of Forest Films, part of UPM Raflatac’s SmartChoice portfolio, enables the brand to effectively meet its sustainability goals with 100% renewable wood ISCC certified materials,” added Whittaker.

From an inks perspective, much of the innovation in recent years has been driven by the growing demand from brand owners for sustainable packaging and business practices. Sun Chemical has found a push for compostable, biorenewable and recyclable inks to help brands and CPGs meet their sustainability goals. Sun Chemical has also developed products to keep pace with the growing market interest in shrink sleeves, low migration and LED curing.

"As sustainability is an important topic for both brands and consumers, processors should consider choosing sustainable inks that improve biorenewability, compostability and recyclability," Sun Chemical NWTL Commercial, Rycoline Dennis Sweet, Vice President and Distributors, explains, “For example, Sun Chem’s SolarFlex CRCL range of inks can remove ink from PET film without the use of a primer, improving the recyclability of products that use shrink labels. SunVisto AquaGreen The water-based inks are formulated with the highest levels of bio-renewable carbon the industry has to offer, while providing processors with the performance levels they are accustomed to.”

Developed for UV flexo applications, Sun Chemical's SolarFlex CRCL ink range can remove ink from PET film without the addition of a primer, improving the recyclability of products that use shrink labels. These inks also feature strong dot reproducibility and high print speeds to ensure quality while meeting customers' growing sustainability demands. In addition, Sun Chemical's sustainable flexible inks and solutions are part of the SunEco portfolio, which identifies various products in its portfolio that improve packaging sustainability.

The flexo printing ink market has also been severely affected by the epidemic. Supply chain disruptions, raw material shortages and rising prices all continue to have an impact on the industry.

"At Sun Chemical, we monitor purchase orders and supply on a daily basis to ensure we can respond to market changes in real time," Sweet said. "Sun Chemical's global footprint enables us to respond to these rapidly changing conditions and provide our customers Provide the products they need to continue operations as smoothly as possible."

Sun Chemical has also developed ink troubleshooting guides designed to address specific issues in different printing markets. In flexo printing, these challenges include ink adhesion, blocking/offset, ink smearing, weak print colors and print mottle. Users can review each challenge to retrieve more specific problems and general solutions to ultimately solve the problem.

Flint Group Narrow Web has launched two UV flexo coating products to improve the recyclability of shrink sleeve and pressure sensitive labels. The coatings are currently available in North America and will soon be available in Europe and other regions. Using different chemistries, Evolution Deinking Primer for shrink sleeve labels and Evolution Corrosion Resistant Overprint Varnish (OPV) for self-adhesive labels are designed to increase the yield of material during recycling. Both coatings have been approved by the Plastics Recyclers Association to meet key guidelines for PET packaging.

"Deinking primers and corrosion-resistant OPVs are easy to use and provide optimum performance at all stages of the label or sleeve life cycle, while meeting the stringent requirements of APR's key guidelines," said John Flint Group Narrow Web Marketing Manager for North America "Switching to these new products is uninterrupted, has no adverse effect on functionality, and works with our standard inks," says Pogatschnik. "Both products are 'plug and play' solutions that can be used without compromising quality. or application performance for better recycling.”

03

Flexo Consumables

From anilox technology to printing plates, the latest flexo consumables have been optimized to ensure quality and speed. For example, Harper recently introduced its X-CAT engraving technology, which the company calls a "game changer" for flexo printing. Xtreme Channeled Application Technology is designed to overcome the industry problem of spattering in UV inks and has proven successful in water-based and solvent-based inks as well.

“X-CAT excels in all aspects of the printing process, such as crafting, solids, whites and coatings,” explains Holly Cook, Marketing and Design Specialist, Harper Corporation, USA. “Our patent-pending engraving technology eliminates UV inks splatter, while helping the user to specify cells per inch and volume, just like engraving with standard 60° Hex. X-CAT has proven to work effectively in press auto-clean printing systems, reducing offline anilox roll cleaning time, and Faster re-use of anilox rolls between press runs for users.”

Anderson & Vreeland describes itself as a "flexo printing partner" that simplifies getting the right consumables through a complete program that helps converters integrate new solutions into their existing workflows. Anderson & Vreeland also trains the processor team on how to use the equipment.

According to Anderson & Vreeland, choosing the right flexo printing consumables can simplify the entire printing process and greatly improve a company's return on investment. Careful consideration must be given when selecting a wide range of products, including printing plates, anilox rolls and cleaning solutions.

Anderson & Vreeland's product portfolio includes solutions from companies such as Apex International, Eaglewood Technologies, and others, enabling customers to select the right product for their application. The right flexo partner will offer a wide selection of different brands, enabling customers to choose the best equipment at the most economical price. In addition, Anderson & Vreeland offers a wide range of after sales services.

For Gallus, its relationship with parent company Heidelberg helps boost its anilox roll capabilities. "Heidelberg has developed a new laser program that has better quality than usual laser gravure presses," says Gallus' Nagel. "Soon, these anilox rolls will be available for Gallus machine systems. Gallus has always been a technological innovator, especially because of Heidelberg's R&D work."