LANSKROUN, Czech Republic—SOMA, Flint Group, Miller Graphics and Futamura recently joined forces to create print samples on film. At the SOMA Flexo Challenge Conference 2019 held in Czech Republic, the live printing of the print design was meant to showcase that sustainability is a top priority with a high print quality result.
Printing and Lamination by SOMA
Czech Republic-based SOMA is a producer of flexographic printing presses, slitters/rewinders, laminators, plate mounters and die cutters. SOMA flexographic’s printing press Optima 2 is meant to enhance print quality, makeready times and running costs, and therefore reduce ecological impact. The main focus is to implement sustainable technologies, such as a water-based ink system and reduce makeready in terms of time and waste. With the ARUN system, the registration and impression is adjusted automatically without any operator effort. The result is that jobs get up to speed faster and there is almost zero feet of setup waste. The SOMA Ink Cartridge system is meant to offer printers a means of reducing ink costs by minimizing ink volume and residual waste.
Thermal Printing Plates and Printing Ink by Flint Group
With the ambition to become an innovation leader in flexographic plates, sleeves and ink solutions, Flint Group addressed this challenge by delivering nyloflex XFH thermal printing plates, a flat top dot plate for flexible packaging, processed with the nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processing System. This solution resulted in 30 percent less waste, up to 88 percent reduction in electricity and a plate processing time of only 45 minutes. This sustainable solution is meant to reduce operating costs and improve productivity while delivering excellent print quality.
Flint Group’s FlexiPrint MV inks are nitrocellulose-based inks, which have been optimized for high-quality flexographic surface or lamination printing on a wide variety of films. The inks are meant to provide excellent rub, water and heat resistance, and printability at high printing speeds, while being low in odor. FlexiPrint MV inks are tested according to the “Seedling” and “OK Compost” label, suitable on a wide variety of compostable packaging films and applications.
Prepress by Miller Graphic
Miller Graphics, experts in color management, is a solution provider within the graphical industry. Within this project Miller Graphics has been responsible for the reprographics and color management for the print design. Regarding this project the company has adopted the design to deliver the best print quality on the bio-based substrate with environmentally friendly inks. This is done by using state-of-the-art techniques for color management, proofing and screening techniques.
Compostable Substrate by Futamura
Futamura is a leading producer of renewable and compostable cellulose films. In the context of this project, Futamura delivered NatureFlex films, which are produced from sustainable wood pulp harvested from managed plantations and are certified to both EU and US composting standards. NatureFlex films offer natural and organic product manufacturers the ability to align their packaging message with the spirit of their product marketing.
Flint Group Partners with SOMA & Marvaco
At the same event, Flint Group partnered up with SOMA and Marvaco to work on an environmental friendly full HD expanded gamut printing (EGP) on paper. Once again, Flint Group used its nyloflex XFH thermal printing plates with SOMA’s Optima 2.
Flint Group supported as well by delivering TerraCode inks, designed for eco-green solutions—a hybrid biorenewable system supporting a sustainable environment. TerraCode is developed for all key water-based paper and board applications. TerraCode addresses sustainability and regulatory compliance and provides a renewable solution for printers’ and brand owners’ environmental and sustainable projects.
Prepress by Marvaco
Marvaco is a leading prepress production company and one of the biggest flexo plate producers in the Nordic countries. The OATIS brand co-printing from Real Snacks was printed at the SOMA Flexo Challenge Conference 2019 to demonstrate the eco-efficiency of the Marvaco EGP.
In demo, six different jobs were gathered onto a one sheet and co-printed with Flint Group’s water-based inks on paper. Marvaco’s GreenerPrinting EGP repro–plate technology was used, resulting a more sustainable printing with high-quality and faster production. The original six brand designs were converted from CMYK+6 spot colors to use only CMYKOGV printing within one press run at speed of 400 mpm with the high print resolution of 70 lpcm (178 lpi) on the plate. Moving from spot color printing to EGP printing resulted in a 30 percent reduction in the number of used colors and also eliminated the wash off of the six spot inks. Moreover, it also reduced the total ink consumption in average by 31 percent.