FLEXO: Topping the list of plant-wide concerns are raw materials cost, manpower challenges and faster makereadies. Can you summarize the advice relevant to these issues likely to be rendered? What actions may be outlined?
BOURQUIN & MARSOUN: Finding, training and maintaining talented press operators that have to measure and record data to realize these gains is important. Using tools that are aligned to PQX take PQM to the next level without the skill requirements. Measurement settings are controlled by software, so the data is always accurate. And the operators get instant feedback with data better than density. The operator is told what the metric is, what the expectation is and how to get there. That is a real, quantifiable benefit.
TEUFLER & MULHERAN: Features of aniloxes that improve efficiency and consistently perform will be discussed.
McLEOD & OETJEN: These will be addressed through optimization of the input variables on material surface preparation, optimization of the ink transfer process and optimization of prepress techniques to further enhance ink transfer. When these things are controlled, the end result is a faster makeready, with less waste that relies on less tribal knowledge to execute reducing the need for special training to address sub-optimal conditions.
HAYNES & ROGERS: Again, our panel lives with these challenges daily and understands now, more than ever, the value of continuous process control to first help us to avoid issues, but more importantly, assist in systematically identifying the root causes of problems when they do happen. We must do better, understanding that fluctuations in materials and manpower are part of our reality.
URESS & SMILEY: By utilizing a common, open standard of color communication, CxF throughout the workflow reduces waste. Less waste brings reduced raw material expense, manpower needed to reprint incorrect work can be minimized and makereadies shortened by eliminating time wasted.
ENGELKE & RICCARDELLA: Supply chain issues are an important topic today. The ability to replace acrylic polymers, which can be in short supply, in flexographic water-based inks is explored in a Rossini Scholarship recipient’s research. The research intends to determine whether short chain proteins for grinding pigments and long chain proteins as film formers be part of the ink formulation. The use of soy may reduce the impact of supply chain issues and increased costs.
DEDMAN & RAHMEH: How can you afford to spend those resources in ways that don’t get you back up and running quickly and efficiently? In these times when there aren’t enough people to fill your open positions, and raw material and logistics challenges are making it harder to get the products and consumables you need, maximizing uptime and minimizing waste is more important than ever, and this session will provide information to help you address those challenges.
FLEXO: When it comes to strengthening competitive position, printers identified best practices, workforce training and development of new products and applications as critical. How will your presenters be offering insights into dealing with these challenges?
TEUFLER & MULHERAN: In terms of developing new products, anilox performance always plays a critical role in ink transfer and new products and anilox performance characteristics are often defined and co-developed simultaneously.
McLEOD & OETJEN: New technologies (material types and plates) are great, but you need to be able to properly execute their use to gain a competitive advantage. This session will help hit the ground running. Optimizing ink transfer from the ground up will make the process more stable and repeatable. Understanding how new materials behave on press will facilitate the development of new products.
HAYNES & ROGERS: Press experts on our panel are FIRST certified and have fully implemented FIRST specifications as FIRST-certified companies; or come from an educational research facility that employs best flexographic practices daily. They understand that as technology changes, they have the processes in place to adapt quickly and still “run to the numbers.” They also know these new technologies can create a whole new set of issues they will highlight and discuss.
URESS & SMILEY: To strengthen competitive positions, printers must ensure they are benefiting from technology to the fullest extent possible. While they may already be using CxF in portions of their workflow, learning new ways to use the same technology can be a shortcut to increased efficiency. As they reduce time and material waste, they can naturally become more competitive with very little added work. Our presentation will highlight all the opportunities that printers might not yet be familiar with to expand their usage of CxF technology.
ENGELKE & RICCARDELLA: Research continues into growth opportunities in new markets for flexographic printers. Battery electrode manufacturing is looking at advanced new materials, binders and new ways of deposition to speed production and find new end-use applications. Flexography’s unique screening capabilities and anilox deposition are researched to determine whether the process could be used to enhance the functionality and optimize fast-charging batteries.
Additionally, this session will feature the winning college team of the Phoenix Challenge who will present their project using flexographic printing to rebrand an actual partner company.
DEDMAN & RAHMEH: By focusing on best practices across the topics of plates, inks and aniloxes, our session will guide you toward standardizing your internal processes and help you focus on training that’s effective and consistent.