1. Challenges of High Quality Flexo Printing

2. Contents General Information on High Quality Flexo Printing
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Inks
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Plate Exposer
High Quality Flexo Printing & Anilox Rollers
Other Quality related Factors
Summary

3. Contents General Information on High Quality Flexo Printing
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Inks
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Plate Exposer
High Quality Flexo Printing & Anilox Rollers
Other Quality related Factors
Summary

4. What „High Quality“ means to Flexo Printing
It is the future of flexo printing.
The future development of flexo printing has been frequently discussed in the past. Since then, the available technologies have evolved considerably.
On the one hand the quality of image illustration has improved. On the other hand the ongoing development of printing inks lead to a quality level which lives up to classical gravure and offset printing qualities.
It’s all about the application profile. On top to the general requirements for the printing inks used in flexo printing, some special adaptations of the printing inks are necessary to enable high quality flexo printing.

5. High Quality Flexo Printing – It‘s all in the Mix
High quality flexo printing is a technological development based on the combination of…
…4.000 dpi high resolution optics,
…Round Top Dot (RTD) or Flat Top Dot (FTD) technologies and
…Microcell screening technology for solid tone areas.

6. The Advantages of High Quality Flexo Printing
Perfect illustration of finest tonal values and color spreading in flexo printing.
Practically zero unwanted spreading.
Clean print result on both negative and positive text motives.
Minor dot bridging
Improved layers of printing inks
High color densities at reduced film thicknesses

7. The Interaction of High Quality Technologies
The printing ink shows the interaction of high quality technologies !
Repro-duction +
Plate
Technology
High Quality
Flexo!
Doctor blades +
Anilox roller
Ink
Technology
Operator +
Flexographic printing press
Setup
Image source: Flint Group / Sun Chemical
Plate-adapter +
Mounting- tape

8. High Quality Flexo Printing
Examples for a good and bad print result ? ?
Image source: Flint Group
Image source: Sun Chemical

9. Contents General Information on High Quality Flexo Printing
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Inks
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Plate Exposer
High Quality Flexo Printing & Anilox Rollers
Other Quality related Factors
Summary

10. High Quality Flexo Printing – Relevant Parameters for the Printing Ink
Color strength
Flowability of printing ink
Drying speed
Performance characteristics

11. High Quality Flexo Printing- Screen Rulings
34 L/cm
44 L/cm
54 L/cm
70 L/cm 3
Image source: Siegwerk

12. High Quality Flexo Printing and Printing Inks - How to meet the Requirements?
Reduction of ink tranfer and adjustment of drying speed
anilox roller L/cm
cell volume
anilox roller
cm³/m²
amount of ink transferred g/m² dry
design selection colors (screen / solid) white
500
2,9
0,3
HQ Flexo
400
5,0
0,5
Process screen
300
7,5
0,7
screen / solid
220
9,0
0,9
screen/ solid / white
140
12,0
1,2
white
gravure
standard
Image source: Siegwerk

13. Printing Inks - Impact of Low Ink Transfer
12 cm³/m² cm³/m² ,5 cm³/m² cm³/m² ,9 cm³/m²
Image source: Siegwerk

14. High Quality Flexo Printing – Printing Ink Requirements
Higher color strength
Optimized flowability
Slow drying speed
Adaption of performance characteristics (e.g. rub off resistance)

15. Contents General Information on High Quality Flexo Printing
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Inks
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Plate Exposer
High Quality Flexo Printing & Anilox Rollers
Other Quality related Factors
Summary

16. Precise Reproduction - 1:1 Copy
Digitally imaged LAMS layer e.g. nyloflex® NExT UV UV UV UV O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2 O2
1:1 copy
Image source: Flint Group

17. High Resolution improves Reproduction Quality
Image source: Flint Group
2 % highlight dots at 2540 dpi
2 % highlight dots at 4000 dpi
A higher image resolution improves the image contrast due to additional gray scales. It can also improve the dot definition.

18. Surface Screening – Ink Laydown
Solid tone areas show improved ink laydown by using Microcell screening technology
Image source: Flint Group
Solid tone area without screening
Solid tone area with screening

19. Surface Screening – Ink Laydown
Solid tone areas show improved ink laydown by using Microcell screening technology
Image source: Flint Group
Solid tone area without screening
Solid tone area with screening

20. Examples of possible High Quality Workflows
Flint Group  nyloflex® NExT
Kodak  KODAK FLEXCEL NX
MacDermid  LUX ®
DuPont  Cyrel® DigiFlow
Esko  Inline - UV

21. Contents General Information on High Quality Flexo Printing
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Inks
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Plate Exposer
High Quality Flexo Printing & Anilox Rollers
Other Quality related Factors
Summary

22. High Quality Flexo Printing – Requirements for Anilox Rollers
Reduction of ink volume
Fine engraving to be fit for 70 L/cm process screening
Optimized emptying behavior

23. High Quality Flexo Printing – Cell Structures of Anilox Rollers
Hex pattern 60°
Long Cell structure
Slalom Ink Channel structure

24. Anilox Rollers - Hex Pattern 60°
Image source: Jörg Rohde, Kurt Zecher GmbH
Usable for high quality flexo printing < 5 cm³ volume

25. Anilox Rollers - Long Cell Patterns
Image source: Jörg Rohde, Kurt Zecher GmbH
Usable for high quality flexo printing < 5 cm³ volume

26. Anilox Rollers - Slalom Ink Channels
Image source:Jeanine Graat , Apex Europe B.V.
Usable for high quality flexo printing < 5 cm³ volume

27. High Quality Flexo Printing – Anilox Rollers Requirements
Anilox rollers have to be adjusted for high quality flexo printing
Image source: Siegwerk

28. Anilox Rollers - Screen Resolution on Flexo Printing
 HQ screen
70 L/cm
dot size
Tone
10% 4% 3% 2% 1%
HQ Flexo
52µm
32µm
29µm
23µm
16µm
Anilox
Cup Size
500
17µm
450
20µm
400
340
26µm
 Smallest printing dot must be bigger than the cup of the anilox roller!

29. Contents General Information on High Quality Flexoprinting
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Inks
High Quality Flexo Printing & Printing Plate Exposer
High Quality Flexo Printing & Anilox Rollers
Other Quality related Factors
Summary

30. Further Quality Factors of High Quality Flexo Printing
Mounting tape and Plate adapter
Reproduction
Doctor blade
Elastomer-sleeve
Process- Operator
Flexo printing press
Images: Sun Chemical /
Windmöller & Hölscher KG

31. Contents General Information on High Quality Flexoprinting
High Quality Flexoprinting & Printing Inks
High Quality Flexoprinting & Printing Plate Exposer
High Quality Flexoprinting & Anilox Rollers
Other Quality related Factors
Summary

32. Summary
Positive print results
Image source: Sun Chemical

33. Summary
Positive print results
Image source: Flint Group

34. Summary
If all parameters are perfectly matched, an optimal print result on high quality flexo printing can be achieved.
High quality flexo printing offers opportunities for the packaging printing market…
... to achieve similar high quality printing results as gravure printing or offset printing.
... to develop new markets or strengthen existing business for brand owners and customers with very high quality requirements.
... to meet the higher quality standards in this market segment.