Information on global market trends and the latest flexo technologies
About 80 visitors came to Flint Group Flexographic Products' distributor symposium, which took place according to the motto "Passion for Technology" on 3 and 4 December 2014, in Stuttgart.
Day 1 of the conference was dedicated to automation. During a live demo in the Flint Group technology centre, participants could catch up on the benefits of the new nyloflex® Automated Plate Processor (APP). This fully automated processing line with premium equipment, as well as outstanding productivity and consistency, includes a washer, dryer and light finisher. The efficient automation and advanced level of standardisation leads to a significant reduction of the total processing time of more than 35 %, compared with stand alone devices. In terms of standardisation, automation is a big step forward, which enables the minimisation of process tolerances. At the same time, mistakes can be reduced with the result of a lower complaint rate and reduced costs. The user friendly handling enables an easy control of all operations.
For the presentations of the second day, meeting rooms in the exclusive Porsche Museum in Stuttgart were used, providing a fantastic location that truly reflected Flint Group's sophisticated motto. Aryan Moelker, the new President of Flint Group Flexographic Products, took the opportunity to introduce himself to the distributors and to give an overview on the latest developments in the company. Also, great interest was raised with the presentation from Markus Bauschulte, Technical Sales Director, Windmoeller & Hoelscher KG on global market trends and technologies in flexo and gravure printing, as well as a presentation from Bernd Sanning, Head of Service & Innovation at Flexicon AG, on print qualification programmes of brand owners.
In addition, experts from Flint Group Flexographic Products informed the audience on new developments with rotec® sleeves and adapters, the flexo toolbox app and the recently introduced partner platform on the internet site. An update on flat top dot technologies and the nyloflex® NExT technology for corrugated was given. This exposure technology utilises a high intensity UV-A LED light source to conduct rapid crosslinking of the photopolymer surface before oxygen inhibition can occur, resulting in a virtual 1:1 image reproduction from the digital file to the finished plate. In flexible packaging, printing plates exposed with this technology allow excellent ink transfer, particularly in solids. Especially in corrugated printing, fluting will considerably be reduced.
Visitors were also very interested in the lecture on the nyloflex® NEF Digital printing plate, which has been specifically designed for the efficient creation of flat top dots and the excellent reproduction of surface screenings. The printing plate, which was introduced in August 2014, shows an outstanding quality in the highlight areas. It allows for a reduced bump-up, hence increasing the image contrast. The ink lay-down can be significantly improved and a high solid ink density can be achieved when surface screens are applied. The result is a brilliant print performance on film, foil and coated paper substrates. Compared with conventional plates, exposure times are considerably shorter.
The event was completed by a guided tour through the Porsche Museum, where legendary racings sports cars, fascinating production models and unusual prototypes were presented.
