January 22, 2012

Using Social Media to Engage Customers, Prospects & Partners to Grow Business in the Flexo Industry

 

  By Salmon Creek Media & Marketing

 

It should not be a surprise that social media needs be an integral part of any marketing strategy being executed today. While social media implementation has become common in business-to-consumer (B2C) campaigns, the business-to-business (B2B) world has been slower to incorporate it.

Roughly 81 percent of B2B companies reported using social networks to some extent in 2011. The manufacturing segment of the B2B crowd has been somewhat less active. As Jeffrey L. Cohen, a Social Media Marketing Manager at Howard, Merrell & Partners, points out, “most manufacturers aren’t even online, let alone using social media.” — Derek Singelton, Software Advice

As print manufacturers, we need to be aware that the majority of our customers are using social media to look for information, discuss our products and services, and network with other customers. Our companies need to be there, hosting the forums and actively listening and dialoguing.

Building Your Social Media Strategy

Small and mid-size printers and their suppliers have a great deal to gain by building their social media channels. The word-of-mouth and “virality” of information dissemination via the various social media layers can quickly put your products and services in front of present and potential customers and help you stand out from the crowd.

But, while today’s social media tools are quick and cost-effective to implement, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to plan your strategy. You need to decide which social media channels to use, based on your target audience’s preferences. You need to decide what type of information to share in each of those forums and how often to make postings. And finally, you need to make a commitment to engage and respond to people commenting on your postings.  Answer questions, thank people for following and participating. Social media is a dialogue, not a monologue, and if you are unresponsive, your followers will quickly leave for another forum that provides the information and connectivity they are looking for.

Social Media Tools

Facebook and Twitter are by far the most common social tools being used today. They are free to use and easy to set up and maintain. Facebook’s Branded (Business) pages are a great way to share short messages, stories, and updates, while Twitter limits you to 140-character messages or teasers that should link back to your Web site or blog with the bigger story.

Blogs and YouTube allow you to educate your customers and promote your brand and product with a bigger story and richer media. It’s a chance to tell your story and make a call to action. They are also forums that allow you to share information that helps without actually “selling.”

LinkedIn is your professional network where you can build you contacts and network with your peers within Linked Groups. None of us can go it alone, and using LinkedIn to stay on top of the latest industry news, share information with peers, and offer and receive relationship-building advice can be invaluable.

The newest, and some argue the hottest social network out there is Google+, a collection of different social products that includes a Stream (a newsfeed), Sparks (a recommendation engine), Hangouts (a video chat service that everyone should try out), and Circles (a friend management service that gives your great versatility in what you share with specific people. It integrates well with any of the Google Cloud products you may be using, and it helps place your brand at the top of Google searches.

So, are you using any of these social media tools to build your brands and increase your sales? We’d love to hear from you what you are using and the benefits you’re realizing.

And, if you’re not using social media, Salmon Creek Media & Marketing can help you jumpstart your efforts!  Visit us today to find everything we can do to help you navigate the social media maze and cost-effectively reach your customers.

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January 10, 2012

How long will cleaning solution last?

 

By Sonic Solutions, What’s The BuZZ ?

The life of the cleaning solution will be dependent upon a number of factors including: What types of inks are you using (water based? UV? Solvent?), How dirty are your rolls?, Are you diluting the solution?

What types of inks are you using?
Sonic Kleen is a water based cleaning solution. For water based inks, the contents of the cells will absorb into the cleaning solution. Because of this the cleaning solution will become contaminated with the dirt and debris from the anilox. Over time these contaminants will reduce the effectiveness of the cleaning chemicals and the chemicals will become less effective in softening up the contents of the cells. As this saturation level goes up, the cleaning times will also. UV and Solvent inks will float on top of the solution. Very little of the contents of the inks will then absorb into the cleaning solution so the solution will last longer.

How dirty are your rolls?
Cleaning solution will be impacted by how dirty the rolls are. Just like in the above explanation. As the solution gets saturated with dirt and debris, the solution will become less effective and soaking times will increase. First time cleanings (since the rolls are loaded with dirt) will use up solution quicker. On the other end of the spectrum, if you clean rolls after every press run, the rolls won’t be very dirty and the solution will be impacted the least. Also, if you do this, you know that the rolls will be 100% ready for the next print run.

Are you diluting the solution?
If you dilute the solution then you are basically reducing the chemical concentration of the cleaning solution. As you clean the rolls the dirt and debris taken out of the rolls will work against the concentration of chemicals. If there is more dirt than the chemicals, then the cleaning effectiveness of the solution will go down. Using the solution undiluted will help the solution to last the longest.

Don’t forget the purpose of the cleaning solution. Its job is to soften up the dirt and debris from the cells of the anilox. If it can’t do its job correctly, then the cleaning process will take longer. Time is money, so see what is your balancing point. Always remember the “90/10 – Max 5 rule”.

“90/10 – Max 5″   90% Soaking – 10% Ultrasonics – No more than 5 minutes of ultrasonics each time.

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December 21, 2011

Cal Poly Professors Publish Setup Reduction Book for Printers

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – Dr. Malcolm Keif and Professor Kevin Cooper of Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo recently completed their third book on the topic of Lean Management for the printing industry.

Their newest title, Setup Reduction for Printers: A Practical Guide for Reducing Makeready Time in Print Manufacturingcan be purchased directly at https://www.createspace.com/3663543.

This new work is a must read for any printer looking to embark on a Lean journey and improve their cost efficiency to more effectively compete in today’s conditions. This title follows in the footsteps of Lean Printing: Pathway to Success and Lean Printing: Cultural Imperatives to Success, which are both available and bundled with the new title as a set through the PIA/GATF Press bookstore http://www.printing.org/store. Lean management continues to be one of the primary ways printers can compete and improve their results consistently.

Setup Reduction is how companies increase value to their customers. Yet it is not a simple process. Setup Reduction for Printers outlines a method for reducing setup times by using the proven techniques developed as Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED). In their book, the authors outline a ten-step process that can reduce setup times by 50% or more by focusing on reducing internal makeready tasks and moving those to external tasks. Setup Reduction for Printers goes in-depth by focusing on all aspects of your makeready, from standardizing fasteners, to minimizing adjustments, to incorporating parallel processing, to error-proofing your makeready.

Using practical printing examples, Setup Reduction for Printers shows how you can engage your team, utilizing Lean principles, to methodically work through the process of makeready reduction. Using a motorsports pit crew analogy, your employees can work through the strategies discussed in this book to lower your costs and improve your bottom line. Setup Reduction is vital for your success in the competitive landscape of print manufacturing.

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December 14, 2011

Growth in Printed Electronics

By Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Technology Analyst, IDTechEx

At end of November, IDTechEx held the world’s largest printed electronics and photovoltaics conference and tradeshow in Silicon Valley at the Santa Clara Convention Center. This show brought together more than 1300 attendees from 28 countries. Players active across the entire value chain were present; covering the full range from research organisations to end-users, and from small start-ups to multi-billion internationals.

Mr Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx, opened the show with his keynote speech, arguing that there lies a great untapped market opportunity in offering final integrated products. Indeed, product integrators are in the privileged position of being able to cherry pick the best materials from an ever expanding range of options. This conclusion is supported by IDTechEx statistics showing that 97% of all companies profiled are currently offering only materials and/or components, and not final products. Therefore, IDTechEx is excited to see the printed electronics world evolve towards its next step, which will witness more and more final solutions and/or products appearing on the market.

New printed electronics products
Indeed, things are already moving quickly, as testified by a range of end-user companies including Proctor and Gamble (P&G), MWV Packaging, Boeing, Decathlon SA and more. A notable example was from P&G, the world’s largest consumer packaged goods company with sales of more than $80 billion, which unveiled a decorative tissue box featuring an electroluminescent (EL) display. Here the product consisted of two parts: an interchangeable tissue box featuring the display and a fixed base providing the circuitry and power required to drive the EL display. This will be in stores this season. Also interesting was the novel anti-theft packaging produced by MWV Packaging in collaboration with Vorbeck. This product, which won IDTechEx’s Best Product Development award, features a low-cost printed flexible graphene conducting layer and will be used in Home Depot stores in 2012.
Boeing discussed their current use of printed electronics as a bird strike detector in aircraft.

Rollable Displays
System and device manufacturers also presented their latest progress. PolymerVision showcased their truly rollable display capable of showing animated images. This is good news for printed electronics as flexible displays could provide a platform for a plethora of printed components, enabling large new markets. These include flexible Indium Thin Oxide (ITO) replacement, printed thin film transistors (TFTs), printed OLEDs, etc. However, replacing vacuum processed devices still remains ambitious, not least because printed TFTs will struggle in the near future to match the performance of the mature organic and the emerging metal oxide TFT technologies. For more information on Thin Film Transistors read the report from IDTechEx; “Printed and Thin Film Transistors and Memory 2011-2021″ www.IDTechEx.com/tftc.

Sensor Technologies
Printed sensors and actuators are also showing very promising signs of rapid improvement. PST Sensors offered a printed silicon-based temperature sensor that could be employed as a touch screen. Peratech offered a quantum-tunnelling ink that would change its conductivity by as much as 16 orders of magnitude when pressed with a finger! The Peratech ink can be formulated in opaque, translucent and transparent formats. This technology, which won IDTechEx’s Best Commercialisation Award, could extend touch screen capability to a vast array of substrates and products. Artificial Muscle, Inc showcased their morphiepulseTM technology in the “Demonstration Street” area. This technology can bring a high definition feel to touch screens by printing voltage-controlled actuators. This means that touch screens can respond back to users in a fun and intelligent way, giving rise to different vibration modes for different events.

Conductive Inks
A large variety of different conductive inks were also on show. The inks were differentiated on the basis of their conductivity and price. Nanoparticle inks (Nanogap, Nanomas, Intrinsiq, PChem, Applied Nanotech etc) claimed the higher conductivity ground with higher cost. Traditional flake-based polymer thick films (Dupont, Dow International, etc) offered low-cost and familiarity, but that came at the expense of conductivity at the same temperature. All have an opportunity depending on the application. Copper oxide nanoparticles (Novacentrix) offered truly low-cost inks suitable for high-volume applications such RFID tags, but mandate the use of special equipment to provide high-intensity light pulses. Graphene inks (Vorbeck) were also presented, plugging a gap in the market which requires low cost, moderate conductivity and flexibility.

ITO replacements
Conductive inks offering high levels of optical transparency are also becoming a viable ITO replacement option. Most notably, Cambrios announced that their silver nanowire inks are now in hundreds of thousands of Android cell phones. This represents a significant endorsement of their technology and a clear leapfrog towards capturing a portion of the $3 billion ITO market. Moreover, Evonik brought an exciting nanoparticle ITO ink to the play that could be printed only where needed thus doing away with the subtractive and wasteful sputter-etch process predominantly used today.

There is currently no one-size-fits-all solution on the conductive ink market. They are a variety of technologies, each sitting in its own niche based on its own attributes. Breaking into mature multibillion dollar markets traditionally served by polymer thick films is one strategy – the other is to deploy the new functionality (such as better conductors on flexible substrates) to do new things. This however still remains a challenge.

While such presentations bear testimony that printed electronics is indeed fast making significant progress and inroads into markets, they also highlight critical challenges that lie ahead. From the end user prospective, these include the fact that the current state of the market largely requires them to take on the challenge of product design and integration. And from the prospective of material/component providers, these include the delay in the realisation of high-volume markets that would enable printed electronics to realise its ultimate promise of being truly low cost.
We at IDTechEx anticipate the next few years to be fast moving as more and more partnerships are formed from across the value chain to realise products that not only attempt to substitute an existing product, but add a new functionality or concept into the market. That was certainly clear at the event.

The next event in the series, also focusing heavily on market needs and adoption, will be in Berlin, Germany on 3-4 April. For more about Printed Electronics Europe 2012 see www.IDTechEx.com/peEurope. For more information on printed electronics market research please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research; until 2 January there is a 20% discount on all market research reports.

Events:
Printed Electronics & Photovoltaics Europe 2012 | April 3-4 | Berlin, Germany| www.IDTechEx.com/peEUROPE

Energy Harvesting & Storage EUROPE 2012 | May 15-16 | Berlin, Germany | www.IDTechEx.com/eh

Printed Electronics & Photovoltaics USA 2012 | December 5-6 | Santa Clara, CA | www.IDTechEx.com/peUSA

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December 6, 2011

Line Counts

“What’s the Buzz?” – Sonic Solutions

Occasionally we will get asked questions about an anilox roll’s line count and how long we recommend using the ultrasonics to clean the rolls.

It’s pretty clear that as the line count goes up that the thickness of the cell walls goes down. They surely get dirty and plugged up pretty quickly too.

I understand what the roll manufacturers say about minimal ultrasonics, but I think they are a bit too conservative. What I think is most important is as the line counts go up is a stricter adherence to the “90/10 – Max 5″ rule. It will be even more important to thoroughly soak the roll to make sure the cell contents are as soft as possible. Then a quick application of ultrasonics should do the trick.

Don’t forget to keep the ultrasonics at 5 minutes or less. Make sure that the cleaning solution is in good condition too so that the soaking time is being best utilized.

I also recommend that you don’t go too long in waiting to clean a high count anilox roll. In fact, right after the print job, take the roll out of the press and clean it right away. The contents of the roll will still be pretty soft and the ultrasonics won’t have to work too hard to clean the cells out. Plus, the next time you grab the roll, you’ll know it’s ready to go. Just remember the “90/10 – Max 5″ rule.

“90/10 – Max 5″   90% Soaking – 10% Ultrasonics – No more than 5 minutes of ultrasonics each time.

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November 11, 2011

When Dirty Rolls Get Clean

From What’s the BuZZ? by Sonic Solutions

We are often asked the question, “How often should I clean my anilox rolls?” That’s a great question. Over the years, we’ve asked our customers how often they clean their rolls and have found that they vary from one end of the spectrum to the other. We have some customers that will clean their rolls after every press run and we others that clean their rolls once a year – whether they need it or not! Where are you on this spectrum?And, where should you be on this spectrum?

Here are a few things to take into consideration in deciding where you should be. Is you company Proactive or Reactive? Can you risk loosing a job because of poor quality? Do you want to minimize the setup time for your print jobs? Do you want to run your print jobs more efficiently – saving time and money? If you wait too long to clean your rolls and it impacts your printing, then you’ve put yourself into a losing situation already.

It’s our opinion that you should clean your rolls after each print job. The ink and resins will still be soft in the cells, so cleanings will be quick. Minimal ultrasonics will be safer for your rolls. Every time you start a job, you will know that one variable (ink volume) will not be the problem for your printing so setup time will be less. Because your rolls won’t be as dirty when you go to clean them (as opposed to being fully plugged), you won’t use as much cleaning solution, and your cost per cleaning will go down.

We’ve found that those customers who clean more often tend to be the larger companies, have multiple shifts, have plenty of work and are more profitable. Where are you in this spectrum?Where do you want to be?

Don’t forget.   “90/10 – Max 5“   90% Soaking – 10% Ultrasonics – No more than 5 minutes of ultrasonics each time.

Visit Sonic Solutions for more cleaning solutions

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October 29, 2011

The Simple End Seal

By Dave Southall, Northeast Regional Sales Manager, Max Daetwyler Corp.

Ah, the End Seal. I mean how hard can it be? A piece of foam, felt, neoprene or rubber designed to seal up the ends of a doctor blade chamber. There really can’t be that much to it. In fact, it actually sounds rather simple.

Well if it’s that simple, why do so many presses have big issues with leaking chambers, full messy drip pans, and expensive down time to address these leaks. What about the not-so-obvious issues such as scored rollers due to the extra loads press operators put on chambers just to stop leaks? Why are there printers who would rather save $.25 on a seal but end up throwing away many dollars in ink that has leaked from the end of a chamber? (How much is that opaque white ink per pound these days?) What about the cost of extra time spent on change-over’s just to clean up?

Look Familiar?

Well, I would be happy to tell you that there is one end seal that will fix all of your problems! Well, to quote famed Persian Gulf War General Norman Swarzkopf, that statement is Bovine Scatology or plain B.S. There are so many different conditions that can affect how well an end seal performs that it’s impossible to have one type of end seal fix everything.

For starters, a common issue some printers have is that the end seals that are being used are often not even the correct size and shape for the chamber. When the press was new, the OEM sent a couple of week’s supply of end seals with the press. A sample of the end seal was given to a supplier who had the end seal drawn up and some samples made. Maybe the drawing were off just a bit, maybe the radius changed ever so slightly, or the shoulders were made a tiny bit longer. After a few years, you gave a different supplier an end seal to match- up, the same minute changes were made by mistake and so on and so on. If your seals have bolt clearance holes, it is possible the hole centers have changed over time.

Take a few minutes with your current supplier to look at your current end seal(s) to make sure you have a proper fit. Have a chamber cleaned up and set up on a table and then install new end seals. Check to make sure it is a snug fit on both sides and on the bottom. You shouldn’t have the seal so tight that it distorts when it is put in. Check to make sure the face the seal fits squarely against the chamber. After years of use and cleaning a chamber with a metal putty knife, the side of a chamber that provides the sealing surface can become less that a 90° surface for the seal to butt up against. If you have a side plate that you bolt up to keep the seal in, that plate should not distort the shape of the seal when tightened down. A firm hold is all that is needed.

Install your Dr. Blade. The Dr. Blade needs to have some upward pressure from the seal against it to ensure an adequate seal is made between the shoulder of the end seal and the underside of the blade. A very slight rise in the Dr. Blade is OK. The firmer the end seal, the more prominent the rise will be. It should not rise so much that it will take extra loading pressure to get the Dr. Blades to wipe the center of the anilox clean when loading the chamber. Work with your supplier on this. End seals are available with different durometers or compression ratios to help with this.

Make sure the doctor blade comes up to the apex of the seal but does not extend beyond the apex of the seal. If the Dr. Blade does not come up all of the way, then the end seals can actually hold the chamber off of the anilox so the Dr. Blade does not wipe correctly. If the Dr. Blade overhangs the apex of the seal, the Dr. Blade might flex enough to create a small gap between the underside of the blade and the shoulder of the end seal when loading the chamber. Both of these scenarios are generally remedied by the operator by using extra loading pressure to help seal the chamber.

After you have the chamber all set up, set it on squarely on top of an anilox roller. Take a flashlight and closely inspect the end seal to make sure the radius of the end seal and the radius of the roller match up perfectly. If they don’t, there is a good chance that your press operators have had to add extra loading pressure to the chamber just to close that gap. Check to make sure the dead bands on the roller line up with the end seals. If they don’t line up, you will need to address this with your anilox supplier. If your end seal is running on engraved cells, there is ink being supplied to the radius of that end seal. This will cause an ink build up in a short amount of running time and will likely cause that seal to fail prematurely.

Check your ends seals for the proper radius.

Check your chambers to make sure the end seal slots are in good shape. As I mentioned above, after years of cleaning with metal tools, the slots can become chipped and damaged enough that an end seal just can’t seal up as it’s intended to.

Now that you hopefully have the proper size end seal, it’s time to take a look at what the end seal is up against; the anilox roller. The most common harmful issue here is chips on the ends of the rollers. Rollers get dinged while changing, cleaning, storing, moving, or just by sitting innocently on a cart and having something else banged up against them. (I strongly recommend roll covers; they can pay for themselves so quickly). These dings not only carry ink up to the end seal causing build ups, they can physically tear up an end seal rather quickly. The good news is that most small chips, and sometimes bigger chips, can be repaired without having to have the roller recovered. Your Dr. Blade company and some anilox roller suppliers should have an epoxy repair kit made for ceramic available to help you with this. There is an art to using the epoxy and certain materials are needed when smoothing it down to make sure you end up with a perfect radius. Again, check with your supplier. He or she can be a valuable resource.

Now let’s touch on the different materials used for end seals. The proper material for the specific type of inks used is a good start. Most end seal material will work enough to get by for just about all different types of inks but getting by is not what we are looking for. Foams generally are the cheapest material and for some printers they can be a good fit. Long runs, higher press speeds and solvent inks can be better suited for felt, neoprene or rubber seals. This is an area where you need to work with your supplier. I have observed an end seal fail using one type of ink where another company will have the exact same press and similar inks and the same seal works great. Another important thing to note is that different densities of the same material are often available to you. Sometimes a super-firm seal does a great job. Sometimes a seal that is more collapsible and conforms to the chamber is better suited for the job. Once again, work with that valuable resource; your supplier.

Lubrication is a key area that many printers don’t pay enough attention to. The proper type and amount of a lubricating agent can extend the life of the seal by obviously reducing the friction between the roller and seal but also by helping to repel the ink so that harmful build-ups don’t occur. Most felt seals will come pre-soaked with petroleum jelly. It is still a good idea to keep some jars of this available in case more lubricate is needed. I have seen a food- grade lubricant used with solvent inks with good success. Since they can be water-based, the solvent does not break them down as quickly. In most cases, all seals should have a lubricant applied to them before use.

It may take several attempts for you and your supplier to find the proper end seal for your application. It will take follow up and good communication and some patience and diligence on your part. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to modifying an end seal. Drawings have to be made. New dies might have to be fabricated. Material in the proper thickness and density has to be ordered. I can assure you that the effort put forth by all involved can have big payoffs. For example, I recently worked with a customer to modify their old Kidder chambers from the old plastic pieces used to seal the chambers to a proper neoprene end seal. With a few changes here and there, they were able to increase their press speeds noticeably, and just about double their Dr. Blade life while saving some money on parts. An extra bonus was much cleaner presses. All of this took some effort from both parties but it was worth it. Hang in there with your supplier.

Kidder Chamber end seal retro-fit

For something as simple as an end seal, we covered a lot of different areas in this article. Take a walk around your pressroom and look at your presses. If you track downtime, take a look to see if what you just read above is an area that needs attention and can have a good payback for your company. If so, then talk with you supplier to see what can be done. You noticed that I mentioned working with your supplier several times in this article. What I said was true; he or she can be a valuable resource. By the way, in most cases, they are a valuable, free resource.

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October 29, 2011

Innovative Drying Technology Can Improve Productivity

By Gene Plavnik, Heat Technologies, Inc.

In today’s mercurial economy, it is increasingly difficult for any printer/converter to remain profitable. Pressures come from multiple sources: the fluctuating cost of utilities, the rising costs of raw materials, and the continuous demand for better utilization of ecologically friendly resources from consumers and vendors. Therefore, it is important for the printers/converters of flexible materials—whether décor paper or aluminized film—to keep abreast of available and innovative technologies, which can help them satisfy their customers while conducting a successful and profitable business.

The choice of press operation is driven by the demand for quality and the specific end use of the printed material. That translates into using solvent or water-based inks, which require some method of drying versus using ultraviolet or electron beam inks, which are cured using mercury lamps or an electron beam. Solvent-based ink technology has its own Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO, or incinerator); associated maintenance costs; and environmental compliance requirements—which have become even more complex as the world moves towards the use of “greener” materials.

Comparing the Alternatives
The utilization of water-based inks in general does not require RTO, and thus costs are lower than the operational cost of solvent-ink-based printing equipment. Continuous improvements in the quality of water-based inks are noticeable, and they have broadened their applications. However, to have successful transfer from one type of ink to another, one needs to have efficient drying technology at his disposal. It is well known that drying water-based (or sometimes even solvent-based) ink is a challenge because of the increased residence time, when a heavy load of inks or coatings is applied. This really translates into slowing the web speed of a press to accommodate the drying.

The reason for more residence (drying) time is the formation of a boundary layer on the material during the printing process. What is a boundary layer? Imagine for a minute, a large lake. In the summer, the sun comes up and begins evaporating moisture off the lake. After a few hours, a sunny day turns into a cloudy day because as the moisture rises from the lake, clouds are formed. These clouds then act as a barrier. So later in the day the sun is above the clouds delivering the same amount of energy, but less of the sun hits the lake directly so less moisture is removed. Similarly, the boundary layer forms on the surface of the material as it moves through the production process and acts like an invisible shield against hot air coming from the drying station. This invisible shield does not allow air to penetrate the surface of the ink and start the evaporation process. Increasing heat and air increases the amount of moisture that is evaporated, but at a lower efficiency until the process flat lines. OEMs of printing equipment used increased volume of air, increased temperature, even angle of attack, to tackle this problem, but it had rather limited effect.

Figure 1: Front View of booster section for 63″ wide press (exhaust shroud removed)

 

Figure 2: Side view of 63″ booster section and exhaust shroud (top portion).

Using Acoustics for Drying
So how can sound technology benefit drying? First some background. Think of sound that you experience at a loud rock concert—sound that you feel as you walk closer and closer to a large speaker that is filling the concert hall with someone’s definition of music. That feeling is in fact a pressure wave brought about by the movement of air created by the speaker. Now, certainly, no manufacturing operation is looking to increase the amount of noise. However, that sound power can be harnessed in a very careful way, so it is harmless to human hearing and is safe in the workplace.

In addition, you might notice that the pressure as you approach that speaker wasn’t constant. Rather, it fluctuated or varied. The oscillation of pressure is another important thing to consider. Think of things where pressure is not constant—i.e., a jack hammer, hammer drill, and impact wrench. These devices make it possible to achieve a result that the same amount of constant pressure couldn’t achieve. It is the same with drying—the oscillation of ultrasound adds to the effect. Heat and air are more efficient at removing moisture in the presence of sound because the oscillating pressure wave affects the boundary layer.

Figure 3: Control Panel, Blower on a movable cart with dryer section in background on right.

Some Background
The acoustic technology developed by Heat Technologies, Inc. had its beginnings with pulse combustion that accelerates heat and mass transfer by appropriate utilization of acoustic oscillations with mean flow of the combustion gases. This was successfully applied in water heating, boilers, drying of minerals, sand, sludge, and so on. However, the company’s original technology cannot be applied in flexible packaging, converting and coating because of oscillating flame directly impinging on the material. The reason is simple—it is a fire hazard.

Driven by actual demand for accelerated drying of water- and solvent-based inks and adhesives, the company expanded its knowledge of combining hot air flow with strong acoustic oscillations and developed a product line of drying systems, Spectra HE ™ Ultra, for that specific application. The drying system is an advanced convective or hot-air-based system. However, in this case, the hot air acts like a skilled massager by providing the boundary layer formed on the material with micro massage to make it more pliable, and, as a result, it makes drying more efficient. These systems are energy independent—they can use hot air derived from indirect or direct heating process, as well as preheat the air by an inline electric heater. Most important and a key element of accelerated drying is its ability to efficiently disrupt the boundary layer formed on the material during the printing process and, thus, allow the process to be conducted with a lower operating temperature of the hot air at advanced web speeds.

Figure 4: Front View of a between-colors replacement section for 26″ side press.

Acoustic Drying Technology Benefits
The benefits of the technology are not marginal (meaning 5 to10%). Rather, they are considerable, as follows:

  • Up to a 70% increase in web speed—less residence time under the drying station means the press can operate at higher speeds.
  • Up to a 75% reduction in energy consumption
  • The same or lower process air temperature— even with increased speed, the process air temperature will be the same or less than your current operation.
  • Up to 50% less plant air for water-based applications. This means additional energy savings because plant air conditioning costs can be high. (Solvent-based solutions are limited by LFL considerations.)
  • Up to a 67% smaller footprint—generally, the length of the new drying system will be significantly less than the current system.

 

Web Width Dry Weight % of Solids Application Type of Installation Existing Technology Spectra HE Ultra
Inch(m) lb/ream (g/m2) % Adhesive, ink Replacement, b/c, add-on Max Speed, ft/min (m/min) Energy Used MMBtu/hr (kW) Max Speed, ft/min (m/min) Energy Used kw

16 (0.4)

2 (3.15)

30

Water based ink

Replacement, b/c

260 (81)

(37)

387 (120)

5.2

52 (1.32)

1.27(2)

30

Water based adhesive

Retrofit

700 (217)

(145)

1350(418)

20

26 (0.66)

 Overhead/
Tunnel Dryer

30

Water based ink

Replacement

600 (186)

1.0 (293 )

600

45

71 (1.8)

1.27(2)

30

Water based adhesive

Retrofit

700 (217)

(200)

1400(434)

50

20 (0.51)

1.9 (3)

30

Water based ink

Replacement b/c

580 (180)

(90)

806 (250)

18
Table 1. Summary of the major operating parameters when Spectra HE Ultra
replaced original drying technology, wide web.

The technology has application for both narrow- and wide-web operations as a replacement to existing between-colors drying sections (usually with heavy ink load or adhesive loads), or as a booster section, where physical space allowed an installation. In both situations, throughput increased from 50% to 85% with 17-20% of added energy. Accelerated speeds were registered on shrink film, thermally sensitive papers, with utilization of eco-friendly inks. It is important to note that other factors besides press speed must be taken into consideration. Improved drying is possible, but in most cases it was maxed out by limiting factors of maximum speed, wind and unwind, sufficient ink laying, etc. The Spectra HE Ultra drying systems can be adapted by any press that utilizes water- or solvent-based inks or adhesives, where replacement of the drying section is possible, or be added as an extended range, and of course, where drying, coating, etc. is a bottleneck.

It is important to note that the systems are very compact and they may be of assistance to the operators whose footprint could be improved. Additional savings may apply to the reduction of material cost, due to a more compact dryer, cost of labor to produce more material, less capital expenditures, etc. It is important also to note that maintenance managers become our best advocates, because our dryers are of advanced design, but low in maintenance, which is a subtle, but noticeable contributor to the operational cost.

Conclusions:
The innovative Spectra HE Ultra Drying systems can help printers increase their profit margins and meet production goals by improving drying as a bottle neck for increased speed operation of a flexo or rotogravure press due to the advanced nature of the design combined with low maintenance and high efficiency.

Copyright 2011 Gene Plavnik, President of Heat Technologies Inc. (HTI).

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October 29, 2011

Coating/Laminating – Stress Free

By Tom Kerchiss, RK Print Coat Instruments

Sometimes it can seem that converting is an exercise in correcting imperfections at every stage of the process; sometimes it can seem as though there are too many variables to contend with that one can be left wondering why you took this or that particular job on in the first place. Fortunately, at least when it comes to inline and out-of-line coating and laminating, many problems can be resolved or even avoided in the first place using an appropriate quality-control and product-monitoring device together with a modicum of care and attention.

For example, in an out-of-line application a heat-seal coating is applied to foil for the purpose of providing adhesion to polyester. The heat-seal coating is applied to one side of the foil using a standard coating unit. The coated foil then travels through an oven, and then the dried coated foil is rewound onto rolls. That roll is then stored until a subsequent operation takes place, whereby the roll is unwound and combined with the polyester foil by passing two substrates through a heated nip to effect the bond. Again, the material is rewound with the foil/heat-seal coating/polyester ready for shipment to the customer.

A number of factors can influence the effectiveness of the process in this example. To begin with, any coating or primer must be dried completely. Retention of any vehicle in which the coating was supplied could make the material tacky. When wound up on itself, this material will adhere to the backside making subsequent unwinding for further processing impossible.

Another problem arises when the coating material or primer is not fully compatible with the substrate. If any ingredients such as plasticizers or low molecular weight materials migrate from the substrate to the coating during storage, the coating may once again become tacky. This “blocking” effect will once again make unwinding a stressful problem.

The migration of an ingredient in a coating onto the surface of the substrate can also be problematic when rolls are stored. This will contaminate to some degree the backside of the material, in many cases rendering the substrate useless.
Laminating also throws up its own challenges. For example, in situations where solvents from the adhesive are being absorbed into the laminate inks, coating, or substrate, the solution generally is to change the adhesive system.

Although changing substrate is often the right way to go, usually this is not an option as the type of application dictates what type of substrate has to be processed. Experimenting and changing to a less aggressive solvent or water-based adhesive is the preferred option. If for any reason this option is unavailable, it may be possible to resolve the problem by increasing dryer air speed. This is generally regarded as the least favourable option as many substrates are temperature sensitive. When solvents are absorbed from an adhesive into the substrate they take a long while to dissipate.

Operators can come across a problem of a hazy appearance when a two-ply, dry-bonded laminate comes off the machine. This may be perplexing, especially if the same substrate and adhesive is being used as in previous runs. The tip off is the hazy appearance. If an inadequate amount of adhesive is applied to the primary substrate, high and low spots will allow air bubbles to develop in the laminate. If the adhesive coating weight is increased, more than likely the haziness will disappear.

A substrate’s physical characteristics impact on failure or success. Consider paper—depending on the grade or thickness of the paper, it might not be the best coating option as it may be prone to tear. Alu-foil is another example. Again, as with paper, if the thinnest foil is used, the slightest nick will result in web breaks. Metallized films may seem the best choice for a brand owner looking to make a big impact, but it can become badly abraded during travel through a laminator.
Substrates must have good planarity and not curl, otherwise damage will occur in the coating applicator or in the dryer. Substrates should also have straight sides and be free from telescoping.

The coating solution is of course important, meaning that mixing time and temperature profiles must be right. The correct raw materials must be added at the proper level and at the right points, and solution/dispersion properties—percentage solids, pH, particle size and purity—must be within defined parameters.

Other elements to consider include the selection of the correct coating applicator, which is not always immediately obvious, especially when undertaking research and development or when contract coating; or, indeed, when asked to print, coat, or undertake some other process on an unfamiliar substrate or one known to be temperamental, examples being co-polyester are non-porous and thus impermeable to liquids such as blood, water, and bacteria.

Coating uniformity, the desired coat weight, and the methods to achieve this are vital for many reasons, one of which is that when it comes to expensive materials, no one wants to apply more than is needed. All coating methods provide an inherent uniformity that they can achieve. If the wrong coating method is used, desired uniformity might not be achievable.

Coating has to be less of an art and more of a science. It’s not just a case of deciding whether to employ reverse gravure coating technology or meter bar; every element must function in unison and every component must work synchronously. For example, unwinding a web at one end of a machine, then drawing a web through the machine so that it can be printed or coated, then winding a web up at the other end for storage and final shipment needs to be considered and undertaken carefully. Rolls must not only be dried and wound, with the right degree of hardness; rolls must look good and be of the right shape and consistency; rolls must be wound carefully to avoid problems such as blocking, etc.

RK Print Coat Instruments Ltd are headquartered in the United Kingdom but their colour communication and print/coat/laminate product development and quality control systems are sold worldwide. Further information is available by visiting www.rkprint.com

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October 28, 2011

Score Lines, Dings, Dents and Corrosion: What’s a printer to do?

By Mike Huey, Technical Manager for the Western Division, Harper Corporation

Every seasoned flexographic printer should understand the value of aniloxes to their printing press. It is not just a matter of having the right specifications such as cell count, volume, and finished diameter; often the day-to-day operations rely on more mundane and overlooked values such as cell condition and damage. While the costs of replacing aniloxes are relatively nil compared to operating costs, material use, and ink, when aniloxes don’t perform you can waste thousands of dollars in time and material over the course of a year. The important concept of maintaining your aniloxes in good running order continues to be an afterthought in many shops due to the lack of knowledge of new operators and assistants, a demand for production, and complacency due to the perceived reliability of operator skills. When production numbers are reviewed, what stands out are the real dollars wasted when you can get 100 percent return on thorough review and maintenance of your anilox inventory.

When I started my career in flexographic printing, we had a few 1969-1971 CI presses that ran on two-roll systems. For those that have not run a two-roll system, these were made up of a rubber roll that was submerged into a pan of ink. These rubber rolls would turn in the ink pan, normally with side splash guards, back splash guards, and a cover to minimize ink/solvent evaporation. The aniloxes in these systems were normally surfaced with chrome. The rubber meter roll was pressed against the chrome roll forcing ink into the anilox, which would transfer to a rubber plate and then to the substrate.

During those days, it was uncommon to need to change the rubber roll and chrome roll; both stayed in until they were deemed to be worn out. The cleanup was quick and simple—drain the ink pan, pour solvent/water over the two rolls and spread them apart, and dry with a towel. I cleaned many two-roll systems, and it was a painless experience, a very simple system indeed.

Simple systems have their limitations, and the need for more sophisticated metering and anilox technology became apparent as print quality expectations were raised. Unfortunately, as it often happens with new technology, there are no good written instructions included.

As pioneers using new technology, it takes experience to develop good methods. Our company installed enclosed chambers that eliminated the side/back splashguard, but introduced a whole new array of variables. With these new chambers came steel blades, ceramic anilox rolls, more anilox changes, and an increase in anilox cleaning. The initial days of this change were golden in printability, ink control, and notable press speed improvements. The increase in profits and productivity masked the shortcomings in using the same old methods for the new technology. After the initial joy, it became increasingly obvious that we were dealing with completely different animals. The anilox volume on a bladed system was now critical and needed to be maintained, and damage was on the increase due to anilox changes in presses not designed for the new frequency of tooling exchanges. The ink film was thinning, and the margin for error also thinned as the amount of mechanical adjustment in color was essentially eliminated with a chambered system.

Many years after these changes were made, I made a job change from printer/manager to anilox supplier. One of my first customer visits was to an old-school printer that had spent the last 40 years in the business. I was there to make sure that they didn’t ruin the new rolls for that new press at startup. The printer looked at me and said, “Son, I have been in this business for 40 years, and we have never worn out an anilox; however, we have damaged or ruined over a million dollars worth of anilox rollers.” I realized at that point that what I experienced earlier was the same thing he experienced, and we all had to learn the hard way. It is my intention to pass along our hard-earned knowledge so that you can make the most of your production day. The lessons we have learned are outlined as anilox care maxims that every printer can follow.

Important Maxims for Any Anilox Care Program:
Aniloxes have great wear resistance, but poor impact resistance. Gravity, poor anilox storage areas, and poor anilox workflow contribute greatly to anilox damage potential. Have your press area reviewed by your anilox supplier’s technical staff to assess potential risks and eliminate them.

Better to clean an anilox before you need it so you do not waste production time cleaning it. Have cleaners and an off-press system that is effective in removing your particular ink. It is not enough to say that a cleaner is effective in general terms such as UV, water, or solvent. Test it on your particular ink system or systems. If they do not remain effective, then something may have changed with the ink itself. Whatever the case, the effectiveness of the anilox cleaning must be reviewed periodically to maintain desired results.

Do you see signs of pitting on the journals and journal headers? These are signs of a cleaner dissolving the metal construction of the roll. This can lead to blistering under the ceramic and ruin the engraving. Raised areas in the ceramic are telltale signs of corrosion underneath. If you use a corrosive cleaner, make sure to rinse it out of the anilox thoroughly. If you do not already know, find out what cleaners you are using and check MSDS and technical data sheets. Consider alternative non-corrosive cleaners if thorough rinsing proves to be a challenge.

Have a way to review your anilox rolls visually. This entails using a simple scope or perhaps a robust scope that measures volume as well. Either way, you want to confirm the condition before the roll is used again.

Make sure anyone who is going to come in contact with your inventory get the proper training on care and handling. Most of the damage we see is from care and handling from those unaware of the delicate nature of the engraved surface. Do training as often as you need to with your anilox supplier to emphasize the importance and how-to of anilox care.

One drop or slip with the anilox can be terminal for that particular engraving. Drag marks and scratches cannot be hidden unless the right plate demand comes along. Matching defective rolls to the right copy takes valuable time, so designate before going to press if you choose to use a damaged anilox and ensure that it will not be present in the imaged area.

Anilox handling includes potential abuse by the doctor blade system. These systems are precision instruments, and yet we see these systems shimmed with wooden paddles, excessively pressured for metering, dropped, and bent. These all contribute the most to rapid anilox wear/scoring/damage. If you are not sure of your blade metering performance, have your anilox and/or blade supplier examine the system.

Have your doctor blades checked periodically for running blade angle, scorching, uneven wear, etc. It is not just the blades getting abused; your anilox is also getting punished.

Make sure blade clamps are not worn. If the blades can wiggle or float inside a tightened blade assembly, the clamping system is worn and needs replaced. If the blade clamps were anodized and you can now see raw metal, this is a definite indication of wear. All bolts must be used. We have seen doctor blade assemblies threaded together with two bolts instead of five, and this just doesn’t hold the blade within the design tolerance. Many of these aspects in particular are overlooked by printers. It takes an awfully long time to develop these blade clamp problems, and it is, therefore, not easily recognized.

Higher cell counts mean thinner cell walls and an even more delicate structure. In many cases, these rolls are dedicated to process printing and are frequently exchanged in the press as print demands change. Be careful with all aniloxes, but especially this type of anilox.

Plan the press schedule as much as possible to minimize the frequency of anilox or other tooling changes; this saves both time and damage potential. The least amount of time handling these tools, the less likely they will be damaged.

Moving Forward
Over the last twenty years, we have learned the hard way that established methods no longer apply to the evolving manufacturing practices in flexography. We began by understanding the heart and soul of any press is the anilox. Quality aniloxes are often so reliable that they are underappreciated until one drop or ding ruins the engraving. Failure to maintain and verify anilox cell condition adds to the mystery and misery of ink and material waste when color matching.

Today’s flexographic printer must understand and embrace these challenges to be competitive with both domestic and international competition and alternative print methodology. Ignoring the condition of your anilox inventory can be perilous. Provide your people with the knowledge and skills to ensure the long life and endurance of your anilox rolls so the profitability you need can be realized in the savings of material and ink costs. Don’t allow a lack of training of new employees to damage your bottom line. Information is power and creates understanding. Your best resource for this information, training, and expertise is the technical staff of your anilox provider.

About the Author:
Mike Huey started his career in the printing and converting industry in 1990 working in manufacturing film and rotogravure printing for a company with a target focus on high-end bag manufacturing, most noticeably providing Pampers’ and Luvs’ diaper bags for Procter & Gamble. During these two years of employment, his focus was to learn the stages of bag making and various equipment used in the process—i.e., blown film, printing, tubing, bagging.

During the last nine years, he has been employed by Harper Corporation as the Technical Manager for the Western Division. His current role is to support and advise customers throughout the United States. Some of his accomplishments are: Certified by the National Council for Skills Standards as an expert flexography, published technical articles and spoke at the FTA annual forum in 2005, 2006 as well as other workshops and trade events. Throughout the last nine years, Mike has published countless technical articles in various trade magazines and online resources.

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