Flexo Express

Flexo at forefront in RFID

The flexo industry is certainly playing its part in the rapid development of the RFID market. Mark Andy recently claimed a 'first' for flexo and label printing when it demonstrated fully enabled RFID label production in one pass. And a new class of secure flexo RFID antenna printing inks was introduced by Creo (now a subsidiary of Kodak) and XINK Laboratories at PISEC.

The Mark Andy innovation was the highlight of a seminar held in the US press manufacturer's Milford, Ohio, plant in front of over 300 delegates. The fully integrated process of constructing RFID enabled labels was achieved through co-operation by Mark Andy with a number of selected industry suppliers, including Texas Instruments, SAMSys, Tamarack Products, Praxair, and Asymtek. Ink suppliers, including ANI/Acheson, Parelec and Xink also worked with the company to produce a variety of printed antenna processes. The result was the system demonstrated by Mark Andy that converted unfinished materials into 100 per cent enabled RFID adhesive labels ready for end use.

Antennas were printed and prototype TI's EPC Gen 2 straps attached with the Tamarack P500 insertion module, all working in-line on a Mark Andy 2200 narrow web flexo press. The process was carried out in one pass that also included the printing of four colour graphics, and the delivery of finished die cut labels.

After the demonstrations, one of the finished labels was placed on a package and read as it passed through an RFID portal equipped with SAMSys Technologies' 9310 multi protocol EPC RFID reader. The Mark Andy 2200 was also fitted with static eliminating equipment from Simco.

Creo and XINK presented its new secure flexo RFID antenna printing inks at PISEC, in Vienna, earlier this year. These covertly tagged flexo ink formulations are aimed at companies producing RFID tagged smart packaging for use in supply chains.

Until now, one of the main concerns of the RFID industry has been the ability of counterfeiters to copy RFID tags by duplicating their numbering schemes. XINK says its new inks eliminate this possibility by integrating Creo 'Traceless' covert tagging technology. The forensically invisible Creo taggant is high speed machine readable on production lines, or in remote locations, using Creo readers.

The taggant is forensically invisible, because it is added to XINK RFID inks at a concentration of less than two parts per million. This means that it is nearly impossible to find, much less reverse engineer, using even the most advanced forensic analysis methods such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

"Combining the world's premiere tagging security technology with our advanced RFID antenna inks removes the final doubt about flexo printed RFID tags," says Michael Petersen, XINK coo. "The RFID tag reading, ink properties, and printing characteristics remain completely unaffected."

Current XINK InstantCure products using the Creo technology includes a range of solvent-free, high conductive silver inks, and 'tunable' resistor inks. They print in a single pass on standard presses, require no heat curing, and can be printed on heatseal paperboards used in pharmaceutical packaging, as well as other flexible substrates that would not withstand high temperature heat curing.

Flexy-S to star in Brussels

At Labelexpo Europe 2005 (hall 7, stand 7L100), this month, Omet is presenting the new Flexy-S narrow web press. It features two brushless motors for each printing unit - one for the plate holding axis and another for the printing unit – and is said to offer a simple solution for problems with torsional stiffness and clearance transmission.

The press is also said to provide better control on the print register compared to traditional mechanical transmission machines. Features include print pre-register, automatic print register control and die cutting, and it is said to provide for print at infinitesimally changeable pitches. In the film version – with cooled drums – it is also suitable for the production of flexible packaging.

At Labelexpo, a Twin-cut unit will be installed in line on the press to produce self adhesive labels. This allows use of all print formats without having to change magnetic cylinders, saving production costs and supply times. The machine will print through six flexo units, a silkscreen unit and a coldfoil unit, on both self adhesive film and paper.

Alcan gives a crisp look

Alcan Packaging's Cumbrian plant has produced new packaging for the McCoy's Specials range of crisps launched last month in stores across the UK.

Sales director Lawrence Dall says: "We've produced seven different designs to match the various flavours and two sizes that United Biscuits required for the launch. The sleek black print coupled with gold on the face of the pack is a new look for McCoy's and is incredibly eye catching on the shelf."

There are four 160g/m² designs for each of the packs and three 50g/m² designs for the conventional snack size. These were made with a specially developed OPP laminate which offers improved seal integrity coupled with tear-free easy opening and enhanced product protection - together with highest quality flexo printing. The print was produced on a Windmöller & Hölscher Astraflex press.

Lawrence Dall continues: "UB sought a packet with a white interior to provide a crisp, sharp, clean background to show off the product. Getting the material specification and design just right took a great deal of consultation. In total, the packaging has taken a year to develop from concept to shelf but the end results are well worth it."

The Cumbrian plant has also worked closely with Villa Soft Drinks to deliver striking six colour flexo printed shrink sleeves for its Wild Water range of children's drinks. As these use unusually shaped bottles, the animal images on the shrink sleeves have to be pre-distorted prior to print using special software. This allows the image to return to appropriate dimensions after the shrinking process has taken place.

The bottles are manufactured by Pet Plas Packaging, Leeds, also part of the Alcan Packaging Group.

Dot meter development

Troika Systems has announced the production schedule for its FlexoCAM dot meter. Managing director Phil Hall says: "Since we introduced the FlexoCAM at the Flexo show in the UK, in March, and, more recently, at CMM in Chicago, we have had interest in the product far beyond our expectations". "We have been told by numerous people that the 'flexo world' has needed a quality control and dot analysis instrument of this kind and at this price for some years.

"However, we have come to realise that it cannot be a plate reader, a printed copy tool, and an anilox roller analysis instrument all at the same time. Therefore, the first release of FlexoCAM will be as a plate and print quality control tool. During Q4 of this year we then plan to launch AniCAM for anilox inspection and analysis." If there is sufficient demand, he adds, FlexoCAM will be produced with an option for depth analysis as part of its function. Troika currently plans to bring out the 3D dot analysis capability during Q3.

"This release will make FlexoCAM a three dimensional analysis tool with many applications," he says. "We have been asked to look into most areas where flexo printing applies, particularly for comparison of the printed copy with the plate, from the plate and film relationship, and back to comparative data with the digital data sent from the RIP."

Zeller+Gmelin in Labelexpo launch

Ink and varnish specialist Zeller+Gmelin is to introduce three new products for UV flexo printing of labels and packaging at Labelexpo Europe, this month (hall 11, stand 11P100).

One is the Uvaflex YS radical UV flexo ink series for shrink sleeve labels. It has been developed in close co-operation with shrink sleeve printers and processors. The Uvaflex YT radical UV flexo ink series is new for the printing of thermal materials. Finally, Uvaflex YB - Z3 is a mono pigmented UV flexo colour mixing system developed for the printing of labels. Said to optimize the mixing of special shades, this is a print ready system provided with maximum colour intensity. Its flow characteristics are said to suit it to use in colour dosing stations.

Break into US market

Lüscher Flexo has supplied its first 3m FlexPose!direct laser engraving system – to an offset prepress house that is using it to enter the flexo market. Carey Color, of Cleveland, Ohio, USA, will make sleeves for flexible packaging, corrugated preprint, and labels.

Gary Moravcik, president of Carey Color, says: "So far we have not only met, but have exceeded our expectations of both quality and productivity. We have been asked to do testing on McDermid, Toray, BASF, Miraclon, Bottcher, Fulflex, Ligum, PolyWest, DuPont and A-Korn materials, including elastomers, polymers and silicone."

The FlexPose!direct 603 is the largest such system Lüscher has manufactured, and the first FlexPose!direct to be installed in North America.

To print on food casings

Soma Engineering's new CI press for printing on food casings is capable of handling film or layflat tubing - LDPE, PA, HDPE, PP, paper and film laminate. Available in widths of 600mm 800mm and 950mm, it features gearless servo drives and CNC controls for print deck positioning and register settings. It can be supplied for solvent based or UV curing inks and will run at speeds of up to 150m/min.

Czech Republic based Soma has named Engelmann and Buckham as its agent in the UK and Ireland for the SomaFlex range of gearless CI presses and the FlexMont mounting and proofing press. The SomaFlex presses are CNC controlled and available in printing widths up to 1,270mm with fully sleeved print and anilox rollers.

Proofs directly on actual substrates

Getting more accurate proofs for a wide range of substrates was a challenge that led US label printer Macaran Printed Products to seek a new proofing solution.

Nick Van Alstine, company president, notes: "Our old traditional proofing system produced a proof, but not one that could really narrow the gap between what the proof looked like and what the finished product was going to look like. We wanted to find a system that would really help us narrow that gap."

The solution proved to be Latran Technologies' Prediction digital halftone proofing system.

Sonya DiGirolamo, manager of Macaran's prepress department, observes: "We selected Prediction based on one thing that no other proofer we looked at could do – proof directly on the same specific substrate that we were going to print the job on. We also like the fact that we have more control of the proofs to the printed piece because, like our press, the Latran prints the proof using dots."

"It's much quicker to make a high end proof with the Prediction. That becomes especially important if we have to go back and rework a file. We can see very quickly what a job really looks like with the latest changes before we go to press, because we're able to simulate an actual label with the Prediction proof."

She also is very pleased with the consistency and repeatability of the Prediction system. "In one week, we output about 40 proofs for an account," she says. "We produced them consecutively, one right after the other. They all had basically the same design and look to them, and the proofs were extremely consistent from one to the next."

Customer acceptance of the Prediction proofs has been strong from the outset, she adds. "Nine out of 10 of our label proofs come back with a sign-off first time. One customer even used Prediction proofs to create prototype labels for use at a trade show. His Prediction label proofs were hand-cut and applied to his product package, saving time and avoiding press set-up costs."

Reproflex3 upgrades workflow

By upgrading its Prinergy Powerpack PDF workflow for packaging from Creo, a subsidiary of Kodak, UK flexo repro specialist Reproflex 3 is looking forward to increased control, integration and automation.

Reproflex 3, near Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, specializes in repro for carton printers, wide web flexo and labels. The new Prinergy Powerpack 3 joins an existing Kodak 3043 large format inkjet printer, a ThermoFlex platesetter and Kodak fourth generation imagesetting film at the company.

Joint md Andy Hewitson enthuses: "Version 3 has some major automation improvements and new production tools which will help us to streamline production cycles and speed-up turnaround times, as well as enable us to reduce errors and improve quality. By uploading a new job, customers will start a string of automated procedures that will take the job all the way through to imaging.

"Streamlining can even start in advance of this, with customers using the PDF pre-flight tool to check if their PDF is production-ready before they send it to us. This catches any errors very early on in the production cycle, saving time later on."

He continues: "PDF Compare and Merge is another great innovation. Say a job has been done and six months later we get a request to re-run the same job but with a change to the price flash — and that is the only change. Powerpack 3 will compare the original and new PDF, recognize that there is only the one change and merge the job so all the original data is secure. This avoids so many potential errors and saves a great deal of time which would have been a cost onto the customer."

First with Fast

Packaging prepress company McGurk Studios is the first UK organization to install the DuPont Cyrel FAST TD4260 flexo plate making solution. lt enables McGurk to offer thermally processed plates as well as analogue and digital. Larger plates can also be made more quickly.

The new system images using a CTP laser and a conventional UV exposure. They are then processed through the FAST TD4260 and, after a short light finishing, are ready for mounting on the press. The drying stage is eliminated and no harmful chemicals are used.

Managing director of McGurk Studios Jon McCarthy comments: "The larger plate size of the new Cyrel FAST enables us to cover a wider range of press sizes and vastly improve processing times over most conventional plate making systems. This improved responsiveness is delivered by a system which is not only very reliable but also meets new environmental standards."

Stratix relies on DBX

Aquaflex has supplied a 13in DBX flexo press for bar code printing work at the Stratix Corp, in Norcross, USA.

Explains Tom Ryan, Label Division manager for Stratix: "We offer preprinted bar code labels, tags, and signage. Bar code printing and compliance with industry standards are critical to the supply chain. Our customers must deal with both item level and shipping container label compliance. Their bar codes must be encoded properly, printed at an appropriate magnification level, with the correct colours, and meet strict ANSI print quality standards."

"The print performance and flexibility of adding another Aquaflex DBX press enables us to deliver quality labels for our customers when they need them. The addition of the 13in press increases our capacity, capability and our label mix. At Stratix, we offer our customers the guarantee of a first time scan, so the quality of our labels must be exceptional."

The DBX was designed for a wide range of label printing applications. Fast change-overs are enabled through the use of pull-out inking drawers, self cleaning plate technology, and tool-less anilox, doctor blade, and ink pan removal. Print head exchangeability is said to provide exceptional configuration flexibility The press can also be configured from one to 12 colours with full UV capabilities, hot and coldfoil stamping, rotary screen, and movable rail mounted lamination and waste towers.

Another F&K press for Skymark

UK converter of packaging films the Skymark Group has invested in a second Fischer & Krecke Flexpress 16S eight colour CI flexo press for its site in Leominster - and placed a tentative order for a third F&K machine for early 2006 delivery. Ordered through UK agent Edlon Machinery, the new press is due to be operational in the autumn.

Skymark production director Paul Neath comments: "Our current F&K 16S has been a great success in every respect and therefore the choice of a second press was not a difficult one technically".

The new gearless press, providing infinitely adjustable print repeat lengths, is specified to process all types of films, laminates and lightweight papers up to 1,500mm web width, and reels to 1,000mm diameter. It has fully automatic winders, an automatic wash-up system and an advanced Eltromat web video inspection system with integrated print quality control.