Digital Flexo Revolution Promised

Revo project photo
From left: Ugo Bagnoli (Nuova GIDUE), Niklas Olsson (FLINT Group), Fredric Vanvinckenroye (Esko), Francesca Bandera (Nuova GIDUE), Ludovico Frati (Nuova GIDUE), Maurizio Trecate (Nuova GIDUE), Cristina Toffolo (Nuova GIDUE), Dan Pulling (Esko), Daragh Whelan (ADARE), Federico d’Annunzio (Nuova GIDUE), Friedrich Wolf (DuPont Packaging Graphics), Matteo Cardinotti (Nuova GIDUE), Claudio Redaelli (DuPont Packaging Graphics), Dario De Meo (Nuova GIDUE), Jeanine Graat (APEX Group of Companies), Nick Harvey (APEX Group of Companies), Noel Mitchell (UPM Raflatac).

FLORENCE, Italy—Nuova Gidue’s headquarters was the stage for a Dec. 11-12, 2013 meeting between seven leading companies in the label and narrow web flexographic printing field. There, experts from Nuova Gidue, UPM Raflatac, Adare, Esko, Flint Group, Dupont and Apex Group of Companies gathered for a kick off meeting to run a project—”REVO, Digital Flexo Revolution”—that aims to create history. Together, they plan to develop a totally new way for flexo to compete in the market.

Target objectives are:

  • 90 percent or better real production uptime for the press
  • 10 meters/ 328 ft., or less, substrate waste per job change
  • 10 minutes, or less, press downtime for setup and changeover
  • Decreased anilox inventory
  • Low ink consumption on heavy solids
  • Low energy consumption for curing/drying
  • 80 lines/cm screen count as standard
  • Multiple jobs on the same web
  • Unlimited spot colors per job
  • High production speeds and consistent productivity for mid and long runs
  • Just in time, “digital-like” fast turnaround of micro and short run work
  • “Turnkey” standardized procedures for prepress, plate making, printing
  • “Lean” ink and production management
  • Easy “digital” integration with conventional digital press workflow
  • Easy “digital” integration with the user’s MIS

The REVO project team intends to provide an answer on behalf of the flexo industry to the increasing importance of digital print, especially in label and narrow web packaging. Its promise is to develop a ready-to-go complete concept that will expand the possibilities for flexo converters. High quality print, increased efficiency, higher productivity and improved sustainability are expected results.

All partners bring special knowledge and dedicated products in their own specific fields of the flexo industry. collectively, the team will optimize the flexo process by “digitalizing” the whole manufacturing process, and reach new revolutionary standards in printing and converting. A “plug & play” concept for printers is set for unveiling in May 2014.