Pushing the envelope

12 August 2008



Converting Today speaks to Lesley Hide, managing director of EFTA, on flexo technology’s potential


Converting Today: Has Flexo reached its technological limits in competing with other print processes? What advances do you expect to see in the future?

Lesley Hide: Absolutely not. Having seen the technology developments at drupa 2008, it is clear the suppliers to the flexo industry are continuously pushing the technology envelope. For example new plates were on offer from Dupont, Asahi, Flint, MacDermid and Kodak. New to the industry, Fuji has also indicated that it will have a flexo plate in its portfolio next year. Plate making technologies continue to evolve, with Dupont applying its Fast to an ‘In The Round’ configuration, Asahi updating its Adless DLE Technology and a new prototype imager from Macdermid developed in partnership with Lüscher.

We also saw developments in tape, anilox and inks. So it is evident that flexo technology has not reached its limits.

CT: Do you expect to see sleeve technology develop further?

Lesley Hide: Most new presses are incorporating sleeves wherever possible. So whilst there may be developments in sleeve structures to improve consistency, this technology is already in place. I think we will see continuing development in technologies that will enable more consistent colour. We have already seen a major tie up between EskoArtwork and Sun Chemical to address these needs.

CT: And what about the combination of flexo with other print technologies, in so called hybrid presses?

Lesley Hide: We have seen hybrid presses for a long time. For example, narrow web presses have had screen printing units on them for many years. But hybrid presses incorporating offset units were certainly more in evidence at Labelexpo last year. Some press manufacturers incorporated digital technologies as well. I think this is the area where we will see developments, especially in the narrow web sector up to 800 mm wide. I do not see any short-term development in the wide web sector, which is traditionally the territory of the CI press or indeed with corrugated post-print. No single print process is the best all rounder capable of handling all requirements. Incorporating a variety of technologies into one press makes sense if the overall efficiency of the press is not compromised and the technology adds value to what the printer can offer.

CT: What does the future hold in terms of ink technology developments?

Lesley Hide: Without a doubt one of the more immediate challenges facing the packaging industry is the ‘green’ issues and the ink industry has been and will continue to be challenged to provide environmentally friendly solutions to support and boost substrate developments. Biodegradability and compostability are all key messages and ink companies are already investing significantly to meet these challenges. Other major developments will be, I believe, in the field of EB cured inks for flexible packaging as demonstrated at drupa this year. EB offers a number of advantages specifically in terms of energy usage and solventless production.

CT: What are the prospects for flexo gaining new markets in security printing and nano technology?

Lesley Hide: Security printing covers a huge market from passport printing, cheque and voucher production through election documents to printing holograms or security labels. We can already see flexo as a serious contender in security printing through lottery tickets. But the key to successful security printing is the ink and substrate technologies. A number of security inks are already available but whether flexo will be used as the print process depends on the end use.

The use of flexo for printing in the electronics market is under development at an R&D level and samples of products are available. Although this is yet in its infancy, it will undoubtedly move forward. Moreover, smart packaging will bring in the most exciting opportunities for the flexo industry.

CT: How has flexo performed in the European market?

Lesley Hide: Industry statistics show that the overall European market for flexo printed products is growing rapidly, probably in excess of 10 per cent per year. The majority of this growth is in Eastern rather than Western Europe, which is far more mature.

The UK flexo market, for example, is seeing reasonable growth in the corrugated sector, which is due to the growth of retail ready packaging that requires high quality post-print. New opportunities as outlined previously will exist for the technology but the volumes are unlikely to be of the order that we see in the packaging market. However, the added value and ultimately the profitability of companies operating in this market will hopefully be much higher than those currently ‘enjoyed’.


Lesley Hide

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European Flexographic Technical Association

Lesley Hide Lesley Hide


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