Rich Emmerling
Technical Manager
rich.emmerling@flintgrp.com
770-366-5689
New Innovations in
Plates and Sleeves
Flint Group
Flexographic Products
Comprehensive Expertise
in Flexographic Printing
Flint Group:
Powerful Roots
3
Flint Group History
• November 2004 CVC acquired ANI Inks and BASF Printing
Systems.
• September 2005 XSYS acquired Flint Ink, a privately owned
company with operations in USA, Europe, Latin America,
Asia and India/Pacific.
• Integration of these businesses lead to creation of Flint
Group, number two ink supplier worldwide.
• In 2007 Day International was integrated into Flint Group.
• 2008 Flint Group Printing Plates and rotec became Flint
Group Flexographic Products.
4
Flint Group Overview
• 2011 Sales: €2.2 billion (US$ 3 billion)
• Number of employees: 6 900
• >170 company sites in over 40 countries
• Global network of partners and distributors
5
Flint Group Locations Worldwide
6
Flint Group – Business Segments
Flint Group’s products are everywhere in our daily life and
can be split into two segments:
Packaging Products
Print Media Products
7
Flint Group – Products
Packaging
Packaging and
Narrow Web
Flexographic Products
• Packaging inks
• Inks for labels and other narrow
web printing applications
• Sleeves and adapters for flexo
and offset printing
• Photopolymer printing plates for
flexo and letterpress applications
Print Media
Europe
Americas
Asia-Pacific
• Printing inks for
heatset, coldset, sheetfed,
gravure and specialty printing
• Lithographic printing blankets
and sleeves
• Pressroom chemicals
• Pigments
• Processing equipment
8
Flexographic Products - Extensive Product Range
rotec®
nylosolv®
Sleeves and adapters
Washout solvents
nyloflex®
nyloprint®
Printing plates for
Printing plates for
•
•
•
Flexible packaging
Label printing
Corrugated
(Pre- and postprint)
Ready-to-image ITR Sleeves
Processing equipment
•
•
•
•
•
Label printing
Tubes, cups and tins printing
Security printing
Pad printing
Embossing & hot moulding
Processing equipment
9
Worldwide Presence
Main Offices
• Germany, Stuttgart*
Subsidiaries
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Australia
Brazil
China*
Denmark
France
Netherland
Spain
UK
USA*
Production sites
• Plates, equipment
and washout solvents
• Germany, Willstätt**
• Sleeves and adapters
• Germany, Ahaus**
• Czech Republic, Chrastava
• USA, Asheville
Distributors
in more than 100 countries
* holding Technical Center
** holding R&D Center
10
Market Shares World 2011:
Photopolymer Printing Plates
Tokyo Ohka (Kodak)
1%
others
Toyobo
4%
2%
Toray
7%
Asahi
6%
Flint Group
34%
Flint Group
DuPont
MacDermid
MacDermid
7%
Asahi
Toray
Toyobo
Tokyo Ohka (Kodak)
others
DuPont
39%
Data Source: internal estimations
11
Market Shares World 2011: Sleeves
xymid
4%
others
5%
AKL
7%
Flint Group
42%
Polywest
10%
Flint Group
Rossini
Polywest
AKL
xymid
others
Rossini
32%
Data Source: internal estimations
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Topics
• The NEW nyloflex® ACE: The Benchmark for High
Quality Flexo
• nyloflex® NExT Exposure Technology: High Definition,
Flat Top Dots & Surface Screening
• Improvements With Solid Ink Density
• High Opacity Values Using Less Ink
• Fit For Flat Top Dot Technology
13
Introducing
nyloflex® New ACE
nyloflex® ACE - Why Change a Proven Winner?..
• Introduced in 2001 quickly
becoming market standard for
high quality print
• Confirmed by numerous print
awards throughout the years
15
nyloflex® ACE – What Could Be Improved?
Plate Room
Press Room
Reliability and Productivity
Performance and Cost
• Higher quality ingredients
• Better solvent resistance
• Stable color, less tack
improves handling and is
more user friendly
• Improved ink transfer,
fewer press stops
• No change in pre-press
necessary
• Compatibility with new
plate technologies
16
The NEW nyloflex® ACE – Physical Properties
• 62 Shore A (DIN 53505), same
as previous nyloflex® ACE
• Designed for solvent, water and
UV curable flexographic inks
• Improved overall image quality
and color stability, with a
brighter green color
17
Comparison of ACE and NEW ACE
Linear
• Nearly identical dot
area
100%
• Can use same files
75%
• Verified in 100+
trials
50%
ACE
NEW ACE
Dot Percent
on Print
Dot Percent
on Plate
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
Dot Percent in File
100%
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The NEW nyloflex® ACE – Customers’ Feedback
“We printed
1,000,000 ft of pet
food bags without
cleaning (normally
we stop to clean
after 500,000 ft); We
were able to run the
job 175 fpm faster
and saved 7.5
hours in press
time!”
“As a leading printer of
confectionary bars we ran
1,500,000 ft and no cleaning of
the plates was needed.”
“We ran 70,000 lbs of film
substrate on the potato chips
job with only one set of
NEW nyloflex® ACE Digital
where previously we needed
to replace the plates after
30,000 lbs.”
“…label printing job with the
NEW nyloflex® ACE Digital ran
200,000 ft, no stops for
cleaning were necessary.”
“A difficult hygiene packaging
job 650,000 ft could be
printed without stop for
cleaning - constant print
quality over the whole
production run.”
“110,000 ft diapers job with showed
excellent ink transfer and the
reduced ink consumption for
achieving target density.”
“High speed flexible
packaging job, 1,650,000
ft printed without
cleaning.”
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The NEW nyloflex® ACE –
nyloflex® NExT Exposure Technology
• Outstanding performance
with HD Flexo screening
• Designed to work well with
both digital Round Top
Dots as well as Flat Top
Dots
20
Improving Solid Ink Density Combining
Plate and Surface Screening
Technologies
Topics
• Surface Screening - Solid Ink Density
• Surface Screening – Opacity
• Flat Top Dot Approaches
• Fit For Flat Top Dot Plates
22
Improve SID and smoothness
• Basic advice: Optimize parameters
•
Harder plate cushion, more ink, substrate treatment, etc.
1.2
•
1.4
Problem is that an improvement HERE may take away from THERE...
23
Minimize or control mottle
• Better method: Surface Screening
•
In use for a long time
•
Many versions throughout the years, but idea remains the same – textured
plate surface reduces mottle through better ink distribution and coverage
•
Screenings historically 300 – 600 LPI
Use 90-97% Tint
in Solids
Plate Cell
Patterning
Digicap
Groovy Screening
24
Reasons for Dot Shapes
• The oxygen effect during exposure of digital flexo plates
O2
Dot gain
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
UV
UV
UV
UV
UV
UV
with LAMS-layer and UV-A tubes
UV
Digital exposure
with film negative and UV-A tubes
UV
Conventional exposure
O2
O2
Dot reduction
Dot reduction
due to the
oxygen effect
25
Reasons for Dot Shapes
• The oxygen effect during exposure of digital flexo plates
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
UV
UV
UV
UV
UV
UV
with LAMS-layer and UV-A tubes
UV
Digital exposure
with film negative and UV-A tubes
UV
Conventional exposure
O2
O2
Tonwertreduktion
Dot reduction
due to the
oxygen effect
26
Plate with different surface screens
Ablated Mask
Digital w/ O2
Flat Top
MicroCell
MC8
800 LPI @
4000
2X2 Pixel
Checkerboard
1414 LPI @
4000
27
Print results
Plate=
Digital
with O2
Low Screens
Mid Screens
High Screens
(<800 LPI)
(800-000 LPI)
(>1000 LPI)
1.32
1.43
1.30
1.30
+/- 0.09
+/- 0.15
+/- 0.13
+/- 0.12
1.35
1.43
1.54
1.64
+/- 0.09
+/- 0.11
+/- 0.11
+/- 0.12
Solid
Flat Top
Based on 22 Print Trials
28
The Potential
Crosslinking w/o oxygen effect
Solid screening with oxygen effect
Solid screening without oxygen effect
29
What About White Opacity?
Can Surface Screens Using Flat
Top Dot Technology Improve
Opacity With Solid Whites?
30
Purpose
Gain an understanding of the optimum plate
durometer, cushion tape and surface
screening parameters to maximize white
opacity readings at high press speeds.
31
Plates (High Speed Test)
Plates – Digital (0.067”)
• FAM D and ACE D (Flat Top Dot)
Cushion Tape – (0.020”)
• 3M 1920, 3M 1020 and 3M 1820
Surface Screening
• Microcell - 4000 DPI
• 17 Patterns One Smooth Solid
32
Press Conditions
Press – Wide Web Flexible Packaging
Anilox – 220 lpi/9.0 bcm
Ink – Flint High Speed Surface White
Viscosity – 28 seconds
Press Speed – 1200 ft/min.
Substrate – Polyester
33
Test Target
34
High Values Of Plate And Tape
Opacity Values
66
% Opacity
65.5
65
64.5
64
63.5
63
62.5
FAM D 1920
FAM D 1020
FAM D 1820
ACE D 1920
ACE D 1020
ACE D 1820
Plate and Tape
Contrast Ratio Function
35
Values Ranked By Surface Screening Value
Opacity Percentages At All The Surface Screening Patterns
66
65.5
65
64.5
64
63.5
63
62.5
SS
1
SS
2
SS SS
3
4
SS
5
SS NO SS
6 SS 8
SS SS
9 10
SS
11
SS SS
12 13
SS
14
SS SS
15 16
SS
17
SS
18
Contrast Ratio Function
36
Second Test
• Evaluate opacity using lower anilox volume
and Flat Top Dot surface screening
parameters.
• Will there be a greater differences in opacity
using lower anilox volumes?
• Will this reduce ink consumption while
delivering acceptable opacity?
37
Press Conditions
Press – Wide Web Flexible Packaging
Anilox – 440 lpi/5.5 bcm
Ink – High Speed Surface White
Viscosity – 28 seconds
Press Speed – 1200 ft/min.
Substrate – Polyester
38
Opacity – ACE D & 3M 1820 Cushion Tape
MC 3X3C
ACE D 3M 1820
Opacity 64.1%
No Surface Screening
ACE D 3M 1820
Opacity 60.8%
(440 lpi/5.5 bcm)
Contrast Ratio Function
40
Coating Weight and Opacity
2.0
67
1.76
Coating Weight
1.6
64.5
1.74
1.59
66
1.54
1.4
65
64.1
63.5
1.2
64.1 64
63
1.0
62
0.8
Opacity
1.8
61
0.6
0.4
60
0.2
59
0.0
58
440/5.5 (FAM D)
220/9 (FAM D)
440/5.5 (ACE D)
220/9 (ACE D)
No SS - Coating Weight
SS - Coating Weight
No SS - Opacity
SS - Opacity
Contrast Ratio Function
41
Conclusions
• Flat Top Dot technology allows for a greater
level of detail at the surface.
• Surface screening reduced pinholes and
increased the opacity.
• Increasing the modulus of the cushion tape
increased opacity.
42
Conclusions
• Higher opacity levels were achieved using
surface screening allowing for the use of
lower anilox volumes and potentially
eliminating the need for a double bump.
43
FTD Approaches
44
“Flat Top Dot” Technology
Kodax NX
 Film lamination on special CTP device similar to
offset Trendsetter laser
 Requires special laser, special film consumable,
requires use of special Kodak plate material
 Format up to 42x60” size
45
“Flat Top Dot” Technology
MacDermid LUX
 Lamination of film material to plate with some heat
and pressure
 Requires laminator and special film
46
“Flat Top Dot” Technology
DuPont Digiflow®
(aka Digicorr)
 Retrofit to older top lift exposure units or
equipped on new exposure units.
 Pumps nitrogen & oxygen gas mixture onto the
plate
47
“Flat Top Dot” Technology
Esko Inline UV
 Retrofit or new machine with LED diode parts
Used for both flexo and letterpress plates
48
nyloflex® NExT?
Flint Group‘s Solution
for Flat Top Dots and Surface Screening
49
NExT exposure process
reduction of oxygen
inhibition effect
oxygen exclusion
acceleration of polymerization speed
inertisation
oxygen barrier
New high intensity UV exposure
use of auxiliaries:
inert gas (nitrogen)
use of auxiliaries:
film consumption
inert gas
consumption and risk
additional processing
step (risk, costs)
high intensity UV irradiation
for strong surface cure
+
conventional UV tubes exposure
for through-cure
50
New approach of Flint Group
• Two step exposure
• Combination of UV-A LEDs with UV-A tubes
Step 1 – High intensity UV LED surface crosslinking
Step 2 – Through-cure with conventional UV tubes
51
nyloflex® NExT Operation
52
Precise reproduction nyloflex® NExT
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
UV
UV
UV
UV
Digitally imaged LAMS layer
and nyloflex® NExT technology
O2
Almost 1:1 copy
53
NExT Plate Image Samples
3 pt font (2540 dpi)
(transmitted light)
3 pt font (2540 dpi)
(reflected light)
54
NExT Plate Image Samples
5% data @146lpi (2540 dpi)
(transmitted light)
5% data @146lpi (2540 dpi)
(reflected light)
55
NExT Plate Image Samples
2% data @146lpi (2540 dpi)
(transmitted light)
2% data @146lpi (2540 dpi)
(reflected light)
56
NExT Plate Image Samples
3% data @146lpi (2540 dpi)
(transmitted light)
57
nyloflex® NExT – Processing Equipment
nyloflex® NExT Exposure FIII
Mid size exposure unit
Format 920 x 1200 mm (47.2 x 36.2“)
nyloflex® NExT Exposure FV
Large size exposure unit
Format 1320 x 2032 mm (52 x 80“)
58
UV LED module
Electrical connectors
water connection for cooling
water connection for cooling
Housing
with
cooling
profile
LEDs with optics and quatrz glass
59
NExT UV LED Bar
Modular system → 12 x 4.5“
• 49.4” radiation width even with one module out
• Ethernet port for each module for remote diagnosis / recovery at
manufacturer
60
The Benefits of nyloflex® NExT
• High-intensity LEDs (> 800 mW/cm2) for highest productivity
• Consistent UV emission guarantees long-term repeatability
 Production consistency, especially for repeat orders
• Easy-to-use – requires no additional processing steps or
consumables (such as lamination, inert gas etc.)
• Suitable for all digital flexo plates – any plate type, thickness &
format  High flexibility
• Compatible with all standard prepress software & HD Flexo
• Easy implementation into existing digital workflow
61
nyloflex® NExT
62
nyloflex® NExT
63
Flint Group Flexographic Products
• Extensive product range
• Customer oriented service
• Excellent technical knowledge
• Global presence
• Innovative solutions
Rich Emmerling
Technical Manager
rich.emmerling@flintgrp.com
770-366-5689
Thanks for your attention!
Questions?
65