Flint Group
A re-introduction
Rich Emmerling
Technical Manager
Flint Group Flexographic Products
A History
nternational Corporation
Inks
Chemicals
B&T
CQIB
BASF
Morrison
Inks
News/Publication
ON
?
TINENT
I N KS
Temple Inks
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Flint Group Divisions
Packaging & Narrow Web
Flexo Inks
Gravure Inks
Offset Inks
Packaging
Pigments
Print Media
Plates
Sleeves
Plate Making Equipment
3
Pigments
Coatings
Offset Inks
Blankets
Pressroom Chemicals
News Inks
Commercial Printing
Quick Facts
• 140 Facilities, in over 40 countries worldwide
• ~ 7,500 People
• Revenues of $3.5 billion in 2009
 100% derived from sales to the printing and packaging industry
 #1 or #2 in all markets served
• Flint Group was formed from the merger of XSYS Print
Solutions and Flint Ink in 2005
• XSYS was the combined companies of ANI and BASF
Printing Products (2004)
• Flint Group acquired Day International/Rotec in 2007
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North American Plates Facility
 North American Technical & Training Center In
Charlotte, NC with nyloflex® FV flowliner, drier, top lift
exposure unit, image analysis systems, and ablative
lasers.
 Team of experienced Technical Service people for
plates set up and equipment installation & training.
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Product Portfolio
Flexo
Plates
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Letterpress
Plates
Equipment
& Solvents
Sleeves,
Service &
More!
Differentiate to Thrive
Offer something different to your customers
Rich Emmerling
Technical Manager
Flint Group Flexographic Products
Surviving in a challenging economy requires differentiating
yourself in the market. Offering new products to your
customers – ones that address their need for quality and
value – set you apart from your competition.
In the spirit of differentiation, Flint Group is introducing two
new products for the corrugated market, and a new, thinner
plate that will address both quality and sustainability
concerns.
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Corrugated Industry Focus
• For too long it’s been a " me too" world for corrugated
post print plate products
• Everyone was after the formidable leader to duplicate the
performance of the market leading product
• Each supplier has developed a product that is essentially
similar to that market leader
• But now it’s time to do something different . . .
• Flint Group has refocused its product development on
the corrugated post print market to introduce new
products that take the print performance for
corrugated to new levels
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10
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nyloflex® FAC
• The premium, high quality plate for
corrugated post print
• Available in digital and conventional
• Wide market share globally
• Proven high quality printing plate
• Conventional up to 52x80"
• 32 Shore A
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nyloflex® FCC
• The " economic" alternative to FAC
• Durable, ideal for line and halftone
work on a variety of boards
• Very good ink transfer and solids
coverage, even on coarse liners
• 32 Shore A
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Requirements of Corrugated Post Print
• Print Quality
 Dealing with the trend to lower liner quality
 Lower board quality demands a plate that will work with
low impression to avoid compression of flute
 The market needs a plate that will provide excellent
solids coverage, print clean, open reverses, and
minimize dot gain
 Can these requirements be filled with one plate type?
 What would be the effect of using a harder plate?
 Would a softer plate be able to reduce impression while
still providing smooth ink lay down and still print with low
level of dot gain?
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Introducing
• New products for the corrugated post
print market
 FSC – a soft durometer (25 Shore A)
plate for excellent solids coverage with
fine, detailed reverse and positive
printing on A-, B-, C-Flute, rough
surfaces, recycled, and low quality liners
 FHC – a higher durometer (38 Shore A) product
for high end post print applications
on C-, E-, Micro-Flute coated and
uncoated liners
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nyloflex® FSC – High Quality Print
Conventional and Digital
• Excellent solids coverage, particularly
on low cost liners
• Very good ink transfer
• Deep, sharp reverses, for excellent
print results
• Superior performance in line work
• Also suitable for halftone work
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nyloflex® FSC Digital – Cost Efficient & Reliable
Standard solid plate processing
• Superior durability and long lifetime,
no chipping
• Processes in standard equipment
• Established, proven technology
• Easy handling – fast processing
• Reduced plate cleaning
• Excellent plate thickness tolerance
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nyloflex® FHC
Conventional and Digital
• Excellent dot reproduction
• Fine line and reverse printing
• Excellent ink transfer
• Wide exposure latitude
• Longer press life
• Excellent impression latitude
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Print Trials
• Two separate print trials were conducted with all products
• Trials were done at Clemson
University on the Bobst press
and at Fox Valley Technical
College on their Grant
International Workhorse press
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Print Results – Hard Plate/Coated Board
Tonal Values Coated Board (65 lpi)
100%
75%
Print
FAC D
50%
FHC D
linear
25%
Data
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100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
Hard Plate – Coated/Dot Gain
Hard
Standard
Hard
Standard
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Hard Plate – Coated/Solid
Hard
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Standard
Hard Plate/Reverse Print Coated
Hard
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Standard
Print Results – Soft Plate/Coated Board
Tonal Values Coated Board (65 lpi)
100%
75%
Print
FAC
50%
FSC
linear
25%
Data
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100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
Soft Plate – Coated/Dot Gain
Soft
Standard
Soft
Standard
25
Soft Plate – Coated/Solid
Standard
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Soft
Soft Plate – Reverse Print/Coated
Standard
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Soft
Print Results – Soft Plate/Uncoated Board
Tonal Values Uncoated Board (65 lpi)
100%
75%
Print
FAC
50%
FSC
linear
25%
Data
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100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
Soft Plate – Uncoated/Dot Gain
Standard
Soft
Standard
Soft
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Soft Plate – Uncoated/Kraft/Solid
Uncoated
Kraft
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Standard
Soft
Soft Plate – Reverse Print/Uncoated
Standard
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Soft
nyloflex® Product Range
Product
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Application
Board Quality
Hardness
Shore A
FHC/FHC D
Pre-, Post Print
Very High
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FAC/FAC D
Post Print
High
32
FCC
Post Print
Standard
32
FSC/FSC D
Post Print
Basic, Low
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nylosolv ®
•
•
•
•
•
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Low odor
Rarely requires balancing
Low plate swell for shorter drying times
Low plate swell prevents chipping in washout unit
Largest market share of washout solvents in Europe
Conclusions
• The softer plate produces excellent solids coverage at
lower impressions levels, with clean, open reverses, and
comparable dot gain to harder plates
• The harder plate prints as well as current 32 Shore A
products but has the durability of a harder plate
• The harder plate provided a higher impression latitude
without showing distortion of the finer detail
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Ultra Thin Plates
What are Ultra Thin Plates?
• Flexographic plates with a thickness of .030" (0.76 mm)
 Have a relief depth/polymer layer of .023" (0.58 mm)
 Have a base PET film thickness of .007" (0.18 mm)
 Have no " floor" polymer, plates are washed down to the PET
layer
 Typically a hard plate, 62 Shore A, (ASTM)
Polymer
Layer
PET Base
Layer
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Why Ultra Thin Plates Now?
• Flexo platemakers and printers are looking for
technology/quality advancements
• Speed to press, up to color time, registration, print quality
are at measured by higher standards
• Platemakers and even packaging buyers want to use ecoefficient technologies to reduce waste and carbon footprint
• Most wide web presses are fitted with sleeves, allowing for
the necessary change in tooling
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So What Are The Advantages Of Going Thin?
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Weight
• Raw material has about ½ the weight
 40% more plates per box = less packaging
 Less handling boxes, crates, skids
 Easier to carry sheets of material
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Weight
• Finished plates have 1/3rd the weight
 Easier handling
 Lower shipping costs
 Example: 7 color job, 42x60" plates,
shipped UPS Next Day from Chicago to
Dallas:
•
•
•
•
0.067" plates cost $191.85
0.030" plates cost $138.70
Savings per shipment of $53.15
5 Shipments per week @ 50 weeks would be
a savings of $13,288
Source: UPS.com June 1 2009
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Productivity Comparison of a Single Plate
Solvent Processed 0.067"





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Exposure – 10 min.
Processing – 8 min.
Drying – 120 min.
Light Finishing – 10 min.
Total – 148 min.
Solvent Processed .030"





Exposure – 8 min.
Processing – 6 min.
Drying – 30 min.
Light Finishing – 6 min.
Total – 50 min.
Even more flexible than .045" plates!
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Reduced Cupping, Thanks To Being Thinner
Cupping on solids happens
more on thick plates
Thinner plates cup less,
print more even,
require less impression
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Print Quality
In 1996, the FQC Program
had leading suppliers and
printers evaluate the optimum
plate thickness for
flexography in wide web
printing.
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Print Quality
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Print Quality 2009: Equal or Better with .030"
Tone Reproduction Curve
Printed Dot (%)
1
1
1
0.030" 1920
1
0.067" 1920
SID 1.1
SID 1.4
0
0
0
0
20
40
60
Dot on File (%)
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80
100
Print Quality: Conclusions
• As was concluded in the 1996 FQC Study, the 0.030"
plates still print with less dot gain than 0.067“ plates.
• Medium to firm cushions tapes and sleeves are
recommended for use with 0.030" plates.
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Eco Efficiency
• Eco Efficiency was calculated from 0.045" and 0.067"
plates with a degree of solvent recycling at 87.5%
• Data was not specially optimised for better processing
conditions (exposure) for 0.030" plates
• GWP incl. plate, packaging and transport contribution is
estimated to be 32% lower for 0.030" plates compared to
0.067" plates
• Energy consumption incl. plate, packaging and transport
contribution is estimated to be 40% lower for 0.030" plates
compared to 0.067" plates
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Eco Efficiency
GWP of 0.030" plates (.76mm) versus 00.067" plates (1.70mm) extrapolated estimate
18000
16000
GWP [g CO2-eq/m²]
14000
12000
Plate Disposal
Solvent Development & Drying
Solvent Production & Recycling
Ablation & Exposure
Packaging
Transportation
Plate Production (manufacture)
Plate Production (material)
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
50
170
0.067"
076
.030"
Solvent
Solvent
Eco Efficiency
Energy of 0.030" plates (.76mm) versus 00.067" plates (1.70mm) extrapolated estimate
400
350
300
Energy [MJ/m²]
250
Plate Disposal
Solvent Development & Drying
Solvent Production & Recycling
Ablation & Exposure
Packaging
Transportation
Plate Production (manufacture)
Plate Production (material)
200
150
100
50
0
-50
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170
0.067"
076
.030"
Solvent
Solvent
Summary of Benefits with 0.030" Plates
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Plates process about 60% FASTER than 0.067" plates
Lighter weight can save thousands $$$ per year in shipping
Flatter plates with less cupping = durability, fast up-to-color
Less packaging due to more plates per box
Perfect relief consistency, easier to process and print with
Estimated 32% reduction in Global Warming Potential
Estimated 40% reduction energy consumption
Prints with less dot gain than 0.067" plates
Managing the Plate
Making Waste Stream
A new program in development at Flint Group
nyloflex® Sustainable Solutions
• Thinner Plates to reduce time, energy and material consumption by
up to 40%. Let Flint show you how and provide the materials and
tooling, along with a detailed transition plan
• Compressible sleeves to reduce the waste and cost of disposable
cushion tapes. Improves run consistency while allowing for higher run
speeds
• Plate room and pressroom audits, plus technique training to reduce
production waste
• High efficiency process equipment. Use less chemistry, energy and
time
• Recovery of plate packaging. Services available to recycle empty
containers
• Recovery of used plates and distillation material. Services to
remove plate materials and convert them into energy will be available
soon
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An offer to our Customers
In our opinion the least that should be done with products after they
have done their job in the Flexographic Process is to get part of the
energy back that has been put into them during manufacturing
Flint Group offers customized Solutions for a responsible way to handle
Flexographic waste other than just land-fill
" Waste to Energy" is one of the solutions that Flint will be offering to
customers in a "removal and disposal" service
Flint Group FP benefits from experiences with similar services that
have been successfully offered to our ink customers over the years
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nyloflex® Sustainable Solutions
More information will be available soon!
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Wrap Up
• Doing something different for your customer
 A new, softer plate for direct print corrugated that offers improved
solid coverage, sharp and open reverses, and comparable dot gain
to 32 durometer plates
 A harder plate that demonstrates sharp detail, low dot gain
 Thin plates to improve print quality, reduce waste, minimize
environmental impact
 A proactive program to reduce the environmental footprint of plate
making operations
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Thank You
www.flintgrp.com