Category: Blogs

In Safe Hands with Polymer Doctor Blades Blog Series Part 2 “Steel Doctor Blade Risk Management”

Workplace hazards are present in almost every industry, and the printing industry is no exception. A press operator faces many dangers at work every day. One of the greatest is the risk of serious lacerations to his hands if he’s using steel doctor blades. He is exposed to being cut anytime he’s handling them – installing or removing them from the press, cleaning them, disposing them and when changing end seals. The blades are especially dangerous when being replaced – their edges become honed through contact with the anilox roll as they wear, leaving razor-sharp tips that can cause serious cuts.

Fortunately, printers have a variety of options to reduce or eliminate the risk of injuries from steel doctor blades without sacrificing print quality.

Wear personal protective equipment

When worn correctly, cut-resistant gloves can prevent injuries to operators when using steel blades. However, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012 figures show that about 70% of lost-time hand injuries occur on workers who aren’t wearing gloves. The remaining 30% are wearing gloves at the time of the accident, but the gloves are inadequate, damaged or the wrong type for the job. It goes to show, the steel doctor blade risk of serious lacerations to a press operator’s hands doesn’t just go away with wearing protective gloves.

Establish occupational health and safety programs

Companies with safety and health management programs reduce their injury and illness costs by an estimated 20-40% according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, an ASSE white paper by OSHA’s Office of Regulatory Analysis suggests that companies that implement effective safety and health programs can expect a return of $4 to $6 for every $1 invested. These programs lead to improved productivity and employee well-being in addition to reducing injury-related direct and indirect costs. Training employees and documenting handling procedures can also be beneficial in reducing the doctor blade risk of lacerations. In the pressroom, operators should be taught how to minimize their exposure to the risks from steel doctor blades by following standard protocols – for example by keeping blades in their protective packaging until they are ready to be installed and not changing blades on a machine while it’s running.

Switch to plastic doctor blades

The above options will certainly lower the risk of getting cut by steel blades but switching to plastic doctor blades will completely eliminate this doctor blade risk. Plastic materials are inherently softer and less sharp than steel. Even when plastic blades are worn, their edges are not sharp enough to cut a press operator.

Unlike in the past, a printer producing high-quality graphics now has the option of choosing a plastic blade for its safety benefits. Next generation polymer blades with MicroTip® technology can compete with the metering performance of steel in even the most demanding graphics applications while retaining the safety benefits of traditional plastic.

Next generation polymers with MicroTip®

Today’s advanced polymer material is stiffer than traditional plastic and can support a precisely engineered MicroTip edge. This tip design allows the blade to achieve and maintain a fine contact area with the anilox roll comparable to a steel blade. Next generation polymer blades are able to effectively meter line screens up to 2000 LPI or 785 L/cm and produce graphics of the highest quality. The MicroTip has a long and steady wear period which reduces the frequency of blade changes and delivers consistent ink film thickness for the duration of the print job.

Today’s printers have more options than ever to improve workplace safety. Protective gear and safety programs will no doubt reduce the risk of injuries from steel doctor blades. But if you want to completely eliminate these injuries, then completely eliminate steel blades from your pressroom. Switch to next generation polymer blades and get the best of both worlds – high performance metering and safety.

Look for part three of our In Safe Hands with Polymer Doctor Blades Blog Series – “Not the Sharpest Blade in the Pressroom.”

Part 1: “Numbers That Add Insults to Doctor Blade Injuries“ – Read about the frequency of hand injuries in the workplace and their impact on a company’s bottom line

Request a Free TruPoint Doctor Blade Sample
Eliminate the Dangers of Steel Doctor Blades with TruPoint® Blades

Every industry has its challenges, and for the flexo printing industry they include the dangers of steel doctor blades – anilox scoring and pressroom injuries. Fortunately, due to advancements in polymer materials and tip designs, press operators no longer have to trade the safety benefits of plastic doctor blades for the effectiveness of steel. Today’s next generation TruPoint doctor blades deliver the best of both materials – longer anilox roll life, enhanced pressroom safety and superior metering performance.

Anilox Roll Scoring Is One of the Dangers of Steel Doctor Blades

The anilox roll has been referred to as the heart of the flexo printing press. It is responsible for transferring the precise amount of ink required to create an image exactly according to a customer’s specifications. If the roll’s surface becomes damaged, the defects will show in the printed image.

The most common types of anilox damage are scoring and wear caused by steel doctor blades. All doctor blades must be installed correctly to work properly. But installing a steel doctor blade at the wrong angle, backward or with too much pressure can cause small fragments of the metal blade to break away. The jagged pieces become lodged against the roll and cause a deep scratch or “score line” that destroys bands of anilox cells as the roll rotates.

Steel blades also accelerate wear across the surface of the anilox roller. Friction between the blade and roll erodes the anilox cell walls over time. As a result, the cell volume is reduced and the anilox can no longer carry the precise volume of ink that it was designed to transfer.

When an anilox roll becomes scored or worn, the damage is permanent and the roll has to be resurfaced or replaced. There is loss of material and productivity as well – discarded substrate, ink waste and press downtime – all at a significant cost to the printer.

Pressroom Injuries Are Another One of the Dangers of Steel Doctor Blades

Another downside of steel is that the material is responsible for a large number of pressroom injuries. A press operator is exposed to being cut anytime he’s handling steel blades – installing or removing them from the press, disposing them, and when changing end seals. The blades are especially dangerous when being replaced. Their edges become honed through contact with the anilox roll as they wear, leaving razor-sharp tips that can cause serious lacerations.

Workplace injuries are not only traumatic, but also have a significant effect on a company’s bottom line. Printers spend substantial amounts of money every year on workman’s compensation insurance and medical bills which come directly out of hard-earned profits. In addition, there are a variety of indirect costs that are harder to quantify but still impact earnings – lost productivity, work interruption, machine downtime, equipment repairs, training of replacement employees and accident investigation.

TruPoint Next Generation Blades Eliminate the Dangers of Steel Doctor Blades

Flexo Concepts’ TruPoint polymer doctor blades provide smarter and safer alternatives in a wide range of flexo printing applications. All TruPoint blades are constructed from plastic materials that won’t damage the anilox roll or injure press operators. The materials don’t separate, splinter or crack and are inherently softer and less sharp than steel. Even when plastic blades are worn, their edges are not sharp enough to destroy a roll or cut a press operator. [Download our Safety white paper: “The Hidden Costs of Using Steel Doctor Blades.”]

TruPoint next generation doctor blades are engineered for printers who want to combine the best benefits of both plastic and steel in one blade. Unlike with traditional plastic materials, the TruPoint Orange® blade is constructed from an advanced polymer material that’s rigid enough to support a special MicroTip® edge. MicroTip is designed to achieve and maintain a fine contact area with the roll over the life of the blade. Orange is capable of metering line screens up to 785 L/cm as well as a steel blade and is a popular choice in flexible packaging, coating and label printing applications, where the blade also prevents UV ink spitting and start-up lines.

As graphics requirements grow in the corrugated printing sector, many printers are finding that standard UHMW cannot meter their mid-level line screen anilox rolls effectively. There is a “gap” between where UHMW is effective and steel is required on anilox line screens roughly between 120 and 200 L/cm. For printers who don’t want the safety and scoring risks of a steel blade, the TruPoint Green beveled doctor blade provides them with a good alternative. The material demonstrates better stiffness and twice the spring memory of standard UHMW, allowing it to maintain an effective contact area with the roll for the life of the blade. Green is an easy drop-in replacement for UHMW to enable printers to produce better print quality without resorting to a steel blade.

Printers, like people in other industries, struggle to find ways to reduce operational costs and improve safety. New polymer doctor blade innovations now give printers safer alternatives to steel blades that deliver the same level of quality. Choosing TruPoint next generation polymer doctor blades over steel is a simple way to prolong the life of anilox rolls, reduce lost-time accidents and deliver exceptional metering performance.

Request a Free TruPoint Doctor Blade Sample
In Safe Hands with Polymer Doctor Blades Blog Series Part 1 “Numbers That Add Insults to Doctor Blade Injuries”

OSHA reports, “Businesses spend $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses.” Also, “Employers pay almost $1 billion per week for direct workers’ compensation costs alone.” These statements by themselves are alarming. But even more concerning is the fact that these costs are “expenditures that come straight out of company profits.”

It’s not hard to imagine how traumatic it can be to experience (or even witness) an accident at work. But what not many people think about is the frequency that these injuries occur and the impact they can have on a company’s bottom line.

It’s true that government regulations have helped keep workers safer. But on-the-job accidents continue to be a big problem for many businesses – and the printing industry is no exception. In the pressroom, some of the most common accidents are cuts and lacerations that occur when operators are handling steel doctor blades. Their edges are incredibly sharp, and machinists need to be extremely careful when installing and removing them from the press to avoid seriously injuring their hands.

Hand injuries in numbers

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hand injuries account for 1,080,000 emergency department visits by workers every year in the U.S. (Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, May 1, 2015). In fact, hand injuries ranked second in number after back strains, sprains and other work injuries to the torso in 2015, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. BLS), and close to 20% of all workplace injuries involved cuts and lacerations to the hand and fingers.

Some other statistics assign dollars to these injuries. The U.S. BLS informs us that hand and wrist accidents, the most expensive of all emergency department injuries, cost $740 million every year; the average hand injury claim now exceeds $6,000, with each lost-time workers’ compensation claim totaling just under $7,500.

Hidden costs of hand injuries

Equally significant are the indirect costs associated with work-related injuries. A study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery indicates that productivity costs due to absenteeism contributed more to the total costs of hand and wrist injuries (56%) than did directly related health-care costs. The U.S. BLS recorded 124,540 on-the-job hand injuries in 2015 that resulted in recordable missed work time of 5 days each. These and other secondary costs – machine downtime, equipment repairs, training of replacement employees, accident investigation, implementation of preventive measures, not to mention bad publicity – contribute to the already steep costs of workplace injuries.

Like many companies, printers pay a high price for on-the-job injuries. Some of these costs directly affect profits while others have an impact on operations and employee well-being that’s harder to quantify. One thing is certain though – as OSHA cautions, “In today’s business environment, these costs can be the difference between operating in the black and running in the red.”

Look for part two of our In Safe Hands with Polymer Doctor Blades Blog Series – “Steel Doctor Blade Risk Management” to learn about ways to reduce or eliminate these risks.
3 Ways to Conquer UV Ink Spitting in your Pressroom

Ever seen your perfect print job turn into a messy, chaotic artwork? If you’re a label printer, you’ve probably faced the nightmare of UV ink spitting. But don’t worry, we’ve got the solutions you need to reclaim your sanity!

1. Start with Some TLC

Ensure your equipment is in top shape. Clean the anilox roll, inspect the doctor blade holder or chamber, and lower the doctor blade pressure for a perfect wipe. Minor tweaks can work wonders.

2. Opt for New Anilox Roll Engravings

Traditional engravings can hinder UV ink flow. Because UV inks have a viscosity of 5-7 times greater than that of water-based or solvent-based formulations, different anilox configurations may be required. New elongated hexagonal cell engravings, or even newer channeled engravings, can improve ink transfer and reduce or eliminate ink spitting.

3. Try a Different Doctor Blade

Doctor blades are an easy variable to change when up against UV ink spitting. It’s a low-cost part with a big impact. TruPoint polymer doctor blades are a fantastic choice for handling UV inks. Why? Our unique MicroTip edge ensures consistent ink metering but more importantly, TruPoint polymer materials have a lower surface energy than steel.

This lower surface energy reduces the attraction of the UV ink to the doctor blade and allows for a cleaner ink transfer. Steel’s high surface energy attracts UV ink, causing it to accumulate on the backside of the blade and then release. This is UV ink spitting!

Taming UV ink spitting can be easier than you think. Regular maintenance and the right doctor blade can make all the difference. Don’t let ink-spitting drive you crazy; we’re here to help!

Request a Free TruPoint Doctor Blade Sample
Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads Blog Series Part 4 “The Digital Printing Revolution”

Our first post in the Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads blog series looked at changes in the corrugated printing market, the factors driving them and how big-box retailers and CPCs are increasing their requirements of packaging suppliers. The major areas of change range from graphics quality to flexibility to velocity, and pressroom versatility is the name of the game.

The final post in our series will explore how digital printing is becoming a key player in the corrugated evolution, with added insight from Paul Aliprando, VP of Digital Technologies at Sun Automation Group. Expanding with digital technology can help printers meet demands for short runs, fast turnarounds, stunning graphics and customization without sacrificing efficiency or, more importantly, profits.

Sun Automation CorrStream® Digital Printer

A new take on old news

Digital printing is already being used in corrugated plants to produce samples, prototypes and other one-off or small-batch jobs due to its relatively cheap cost to produce shortruns compared to flexo. But the use of digital technology is ramping up as a growing number of jobs creep into its sweet spot – high resolution graphics, smaller order sizes, short lead times, fast turnarounds, customization and personalization.

Aliprando says, “some users are applying digital to increase value to their customers which allows higher product margins. Other users apply digital as an alternative to current methods for lower total production costs. Either way, money is the motivator.”

Let’s take a look at the ways digital technology is having the biggest impact in the corrugated post-print sector:

High resolution graphics

High-definition visuals, desired by today’s brand owners to create product differentiation and appeal, require high-resolution printing. A flaw with Flexo is as the sheet moves through each color station in the press, it shifts slightly, making it impossible to overlap every ink color and produce the image exactly as it was designed. Bleeds and traps have to be incorporated into the design to hide the registration issues.

Aliprando states, “In general, Digital has a higher resolution than ‘standard’ Flexo for corrugated. Although there are excellent flexo machines capable for printing Process work direct to corrugated, the cost, maintenance and operation knowledge is specialized.“

With a digital printer, images are printed in one pass. There are no registration issues and minimal dot gain, making digital printing a better option for reducing waste and producing images with high graphic resolution – especially with gradients and very detailed print that requires fine lines or images.

Smaller order sizes

The digital process offers an economical way to produce low-volume and custom print jobs. With flexo presses, high setup costs are offset by their faster speeds and lower production costs over a high-volume, long run job.

But digital presses are much more agile and a smarter choice for small print lots. The image is transferred directly onto a substrate, with no print cylinders, die-cut tooling, plates, ink tanks, anilox rolls, doctor blades or complex set up processes.

Short lead times and fast turnarounds

The quick and easy set-up of a digital press also makes it conducive to short lead times and fast turnarounds. Remember flexo’s cumbersome and expensive setup process – creating plates, filling the ink tank, assembling the ink roll and print cylinder? Digital files can be easily created, changed or updated so customers can request new or custom packaging on short notice or make changes on the fly. The full CYMK spectrum is readily accessible and producing gradients and other detailed effects is easy. Less waste…

Brands need responsive suppliers that can meet their needs for speed and versatility.

The flexibility that digital printing brings to the corrugated pressroom can also turn the package printer into a value-added service provider. With short lead times and fast deliveries, CPGs and big-box retailers can keep inventory levels low to save on warehousing and prevent outdated stock. However, Aliprando urges printers to consider the additional converting process with digital printing, stating “an added requirement for the corrugated facility is converting the printed sheet into a box. The digital printer is just that, a printer.”

Customization and personalization

Although, “Digital has its own ‘specialization’… it is offset by the variability and versatility digital allows,” says Aliprando. With digital, versioning is simple to execute – brands can customize graphics for multiple adaptations of the same package based on the audience, season, geography, event, market or any other segmentation criteria. The full range of CMYK colors are readily accessible for quick changes. Variable data – personalization with customer names, product expiration dates or any varying data used to personalize packages – is a snap to produce on a digital press.

Things to Consider

The Rise of Digital is a hot topic in the industry, and like many others, you may be hesitant to incorporate digital printing in your pressroom. Aliprando advises to “stay hesitant and get knowledgeable. Take the time to increase your understanding and knowledge of the complete digital process. You need to be comfortable about the technology and, once comfortable, decide if it fits into your current market or a new market you may want to pursue.” Aliprando adds,

“Ask yourself if your current manufacturing operation – order receipt to shipping – can accommodate digital. Digital is not for the faint of heart.”

By adding digital printing capability to the corrugated pressroom, printers can optimize efficiency and profitability by using the “right man for the job” every time. And that is just the tip of the iceberg – Digital press manufacturers are continually improving the digital print process with new technologies.

In October 2018, Sun Automation will introduce the new CorrStream®, which will have a new Aqueous ink set, capable of printing on standard white top sheets and clay coat for more “pop” to the printing. The new system allows 600dpi printing without any pre or post coating of the sheets and boasts a modular design, equipped to accommodate future system upgrades. “Obsolescence is not in our design”, comments Aliprando.

All in all, Digital Printing gives Corrugated Converters a cost-effective way to meet the market’s demands for flexibility and responsiveness. At the same time, the flexo presses are freed up to do what they do best – crank out large volumes of standardized products at fast speeds and low cost.

To sum up our Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads blog series, the logic is simple: what the consumers want, the manufacturers have to produce, and what the manufacturers want, the suppliers have to provide. The corrugated converting industry has responded to this market evolution with advancements in ink delivery, equipment, substrates, and digital processes to name a few. By adopting these market innovations, converters can embrace the market evolution as a great opportunity for not only survival, but future growth and prosperity.

For more information on Sun Automation and the new Corrstream Digital Printer, contact Paul Aliprando at [email protected].

We hope you enjoyed our Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads blog series. Click on the links below to view previous posts in the series:

Part 1: “The Consumer Is King” – Read about the forces behind the corrugated package printing renaissance

Part 2: “Necessity Is the Mother of Ink Delivery Innovation” – Read about ink delivery system innovations

Part 3: “This Is Not Your Father’s Pressroom” – Read about innovations in equipment and substrates
The Spectrum of Culture: From Employee to Customer
The Cultural Spectrum

As printers, or as suppliers to printers, we obsess in the pursuit of perfection– perhaps in no area with so much focus as on the spectrum of color. The perfect color match, the lowest Delta E, correct ink density and a flawless alignment of parts and plates from station to station. All to deliver the exact hues our customers demand. But there is a different spectrum that is perhaps even more difficult to master, and for which alignment is even more critical: the Cultural Spectrum.

People, and the culture they share, are the true core of our businesses. The owners and leaders of the organization who direct our businesses; the employees designing our packaging, running our presses; the vendors and partners supplying us with the tools we need to get the job done; our audience, the manufacturers buying our packaging—these people are all part of a complex cultural spectrum. Each group has its own standards and expectations, its own motivations, and its own collective personality.

Most people, when asked about their company’s culture, are unlikely to think in terms of this entire spectrum and may miss the opportunity to drive greater success. Seeking to create a culture that recognizes and fosters alignment across all of these interdependent work groups is a challenging path, but one with great rewards. We’d like to share with you the story of how our team identified the elements of its own spectrum, as well as the steps we took to pursue alignment across the spectrum.

Our Culture Journey

Rachel Acevedo and Phil Ryan of Flexo Concepts speak on The Spectrum of Culture at the 2018 FTA Forum.

In 2015, our company, Flexo Concepts, felt a need to work on and improve our culture. But what does that even mean? To us, we wanted to improve employee retention and satisfaction, but really had no idea how to get started. To help us, we engaged a cultural consultant and embarked on a journey so much bigger than just building employee morale. It started with one of those intensive 360° reviews typically done of individuals by persons from every part of their work sphere. For us though, it was a 360° review of our entire business. Customers of all sizes were interviewed to learn the market’s perception of our business. We also went about privately interviewing every single one of our employees—the owners, the guys running our equipment, our accounting team, engineers, customer support—everyone!

The result of this process was not just the most complete view of our business we have ever had. We understood our customers better. We learned firsthand about their perception of our brand, our strengths and our weaknesses and then used a simple Venn diagram to map our capabilities and also those of our competition against the wants and needs of our customers. The areas where our business uniquely supported the customer expectations were defined as our “Points of Distinction” [PODs]. We worked with this information to create a new focus and strategy for the business. For example, one of our PODs is centered around innovation. To grow this strength, we constructed an R&D lab specifically to support application testing and the development of new polymers.

While the PODs gave us a tactical roadmap, we had more work to do to understand and develop our culture. The cultural consultants had helped us to collect and compile information, but for the next 6 months we worked on our own to further grow the concepts. This process was done by way of a biweekly meeting held with the entire management staff. All departments worked together, taking a ground-up approach to write our Vision, Mission and Promise statements. It’s an exercise many organizations go through, but one we took a fanatical approach toward. We had a rule in these meetings that no one was ever to leave in silent disagreement. To say one thing during the meeting, but to act out of synch in the day-to-day would completely undermine the process and would not foster alignment.

People, Trust, Accountability and Performance

Another product of these meetings was a clear definition of our values, organized around four pillars—People, Trust, Accountability and Performance. These values closed the loop of a sort of “corporate operating system,” which we were ready to roll out not just to our organization, but to the rest of the spectrum as well. The efforts to understand and align ourselves to our audience were a good start, but we felt a more holistic approach would be more effective. To achieve this, we did more than work with our own staff; we reached out to our key vendors as well and educated them on our corporate values. We met with them to find common ground in our values and to get them to understand not just our needs, but the needs of our customers. We felt our own transformation would do little good without the support of our partners. Some suppliers got weeded out in the process, but our supply chain is as strong now as it has ever been.

With leadership, employees, and our upstream support network now closely aligned, we had to circle back to the final group: the audience. A strong, progressive and uplifting culture is a great asset for an organization, and we wanted to communicate it to our customers—especially because they had been so key in shaping the changes we made. To do this, we boosted our social media presence, opened our business for employee-led tours and started sharing our story: the day-in-day-out ways our culture shapes our business and our interactions with each customer; the journey of continuous improvement that we want our customers to enjoy and benefit from as much as we have.

After a year and a half of work, we found ourselves with the improved culture we had sought, and it extended beyond the sphere of ourselves and our employees. We feel

our culture and values are bigger than ourselves because our Vision and Mission are bigger than ourselves and they require more than what just the people in our building can provide. We recognize that our aspirations require a big-picture perspective, one aligned across the whole spectrum. It is not an impossible task, and though it is one that never ends, it also is one which never stops paying back. We would encourage any team looking to repeat this work for themselves to ask:
- Who is in your Cultural Spectrum?
- Does your Culture value what your Spectrum values?
- Is your Culture aligned through the Spectrum?
If you attempt to honestly and thoughtfully answer these questions, your own cultural reinvention will have already begun!
Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads Blog Series Part 3 “This Is Not Your Father’s Pressroom”

The third post in our Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads blog series will look at how some pressroom equipment and substrates have evolved to help printers keep up with the times.

Antiquated Equipment

Many of the corrugated post print presses running today were installed as long as a half century ago. How can box makers, running this equipment, possibly keep up with the graphics quality and turnaround times expected these days?

The answer is, they can’t. At least not without incorporating the latest machine technology in their pressroom. Advancements in the powertrain, sheet transfer systems, substrates, coating chemistries and drying methods have made a huge impact on the speed and efficiency of the printing process and the quality of the output.

Direct Drive Servo Motors

Conventional presses use mechanical gear systems to drive the anilox roll and plate cylinder in the ink delivery process. But as press speeds and the demand for higher quality print grows, these systems can’t hold sufficient registration and adjust for in-run variation. Wearing of the mechanical gears produce backlash in the system and cause deviations in the print registration. For this reason, corrugated OEMs have followed the lead of other flexo press manufacturers by substituting direct drive servo motors for gearing systems. These new direct drive configurations synchronize the transfer rolls with a much higher level of precision, removing the variability in the process, allowing for more repeatable registration and better control over in-run adjustments.

Vacuum Transfer

Similarly, new vacuum transfer technology removes the registration variation from the sheet transfer process. The original systems use a knurled pull roll to grip and pull the sheet through the print area of the press and, over time, create the same registration challenges. As the substrate’s abrasiveness wears the knurling on the roll, the sheet slips and the printed image becomes blurred and fuzzy. New vacuum transfer technology eliminates the mechanical pull rolls, instead using suction to smoothly move the substrate through the press. The system holds the sheet firmly in place and allows for a consistent and superior level of print registration accuracy, even at high speeds. (The elimination of these wear parts also makes set-up times faster, prevents jams and takes up much less space in the machine to make room for IR dryers which we will get to later!)

Coated Substrates

But the advancements in ink delivery and sheet control are meaningless if the substrate can’t sustain the improved graphics and high press speeds. Printing on corrugated board is challenging. Its absorption and surface tension qualities affect print density, drying, trapping and dot gain. Today’s brand owners are demanding not only eye-catching, differentiated products, but also precise graphical representation of their brands and messaging. So, the market has introduced semi-coated and fully-coated papers on finer fluted board that can support these requirements.

IR Dryers

Along with the market’s introduction of new substrates comes the challenge of drying. The new coated papers are difficult to dry at high speed, so dryers must be added to optimize press output. IR dryers heat the ink using infrared energy to accelerate evaporation of the liquid bases, leaving only the pigmented ink solids on the substrate. The technology significantly reduces drying time and allows for drying at full speed with coated papers and high-quality inks. As we mentioned earlier, the adoption of vacuum sheet transfer systems has freed up space in the press to install IR dryers between stations. The overall improvement in color brilliance, gloss levels and processing speeds more than justify the investment in this technology.

UV Curing

The final step is to protect the high-quality graphics on a semi- or fully-coated sheet with UV curing capability. When a corrugated box is being used only for shipment and protection, there is little need to apply a UV coating.

But as corrugated packaging is becoming more of a marketing tool, the coating delivers the same benefits as it does in other flexo markets – maximizing gloss, protecting the print, and improving water, scuff and rub-resistance at full speed. The same goes for UV-curable specialty coatings used to apply finishes such as soft touch, glitter and sand to create innovative, unique-looking packages.

Like ink delivery system OEMs, corrugated equipment manufacturers and paper suppliers have responded with innovations to help converters thrive in the current market evolution. From direct drive motor systems to coated substrates, these new products help optimize pressroom efficiency and profits.

In the next post in our Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads blog series, we will continue to look at how digital technology is expanding into the flexo pressroom and playing a key role in the converting industry. Watch for Part 4 – “The Digital Printing Revolution”

Click on the links below to view previous posts in the series:

Part 1: “The Consumer Is King“ – Read about the forces behind the corrugated package printing renaissance

Part 2: “Necessity Is the Mother of Ink Delivery Innovation“ – Read about ink delivery system innovations
Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads Blog Series Part 2 “Necessity is the Mother of Ink Delivery Innovation”

The first blog post in our Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads series looked at how new consumer buying behaviors are changing what is expected of corrugated packaging printers. Converters are being asked to step up their game, and how they do it will define their future.

But how can they get the most innovation bang for their buck? Ink delivery system innovations are a good place to start. Adding ease, automation and better control over the application of ink will improve press efficiency and enhance graphics quality.

Doctor blade chamber systems

Once made of aluminum, chambers are now constructed from strong polymer and composite materials which resist pitting and corroding and maintain their strength without warping or twisting. Newer models have simplified loading and mounting designs that allow for easier installation and consistent blade contact angles with minimal pressure. Also, the new equipment is engineered to accommodate multiple blade thicknesses without modifications or shim stock, so printers are not limited to only the doctor blade materials that the chamber will hold.

Doctor blade materials

UHMW is the longstanding traditional blade material used in corrugated applications. But as the demand for higher quality graphics creeps into the market (and anilox line screens rise), the blade material can’t effectively control the volume of ink delivered to the plate. As the blade edge wears, its contact area quickly becomes too large to effectively meter the roll – ink film thickness grows, ink mileage declines and blade wear accelerates, all driving the price of the box up.

Some newer chamber designs can hold thinner materials, such as polyacetal, steel and TruPoint Orange® with MicroTip®, without a shim or modification. But many of the early chambers were designed to hold only a specific UHMW blade thickness such as .060” (1.6mm) or .080” (2mm). In these cases, a next-generation polymer blade, TruPoint Green®, is a good solution. It can be made in .060” and .080” thicknesses, has 3 times better spring memory than UHMW and is about 20% stiffer – all while having an equal or longer blade life.

Anilox rolls

Until recently, about 85% of corrugated anilox engravings have been under 300 lpi (120 L/cm) and 60° angle. Like other flexo printers have done, corrugated printers are beginning to take advantage of complex anilox surface configurations, cell shapes and higher line screens. New technologies such as elongated cells, tri-helical cells and wave style engravings give printers more control over their ink delivery, so they can create eye-catching POP displays and other attractive packaging.

Plate materials and plate carriers

New performance-grade cushion mounting material is made from higher durometer foam that resists compression set and reduces plate make-ready time. Superior impact and deflection during the print run allows for stable print reproduction and a reduction in fluting or “washboard” phenomenon. Great advancements are being made with patterned photopolymer plates (often referred to as “plate on a plate” technology) to help the printer manage ink delivery volume and distribution from the plate.

Ink temperature control systems

Water-based inks run best between 66°-74° F. This is typically well-below the ambient temperature of the plant, so ink will often go to press above its optimal temperature. There is more energy (and heat) added to the ink as it is pumped through the hoses and chambers and transported by the anilox roll.

As ink temperature rises, pH levels drop and viscosity increases – impacting ink tack levels and flow characteristics – and affects print quality and making for tricky anilox and plate clean-up.

By installing an ink temperature control system, printers can maintain steady command over all the ink properties without using additives. They also enjoy better imaging, easier wash-ups and quicker job changes.

There is no question that basic market pressures are challenging today’s corrugated printers. But industry suppliers have responded with skill in refining their technology to help their customers meet these demands. As an integral part of the printing process – from blades, to chambers, to anilox rolls, to plate, to cushion, to temperature, to viscosity, to pH – the ink delivery system is a good place to start.

In the next post in our Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads blog series, we will continue to look at how the industry is responding to these big changes and evolving with new technology. Watch for Part 3 – ” This Is Not Your Father’s Pressroom“

Click on the link below to view the first post in the series:

Part 1: “The Consumer Is King” – Read about the forces behind the corrugated package printing renaissance
Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads Blog Series Part 1 “The Consumer is King”

Corrugated package printing is evolving. Lead times are shortening, order sizes are decreasing and pressure to reduce turnaround times is growing. At the same time, brand owners and big-box retailers are demanding high quality graphics, customization and flexibility – all with an eye toward sustainability and, of course, keeping costs down.

The savviest corrugated converters will use the tools at their disposal to meet these changes head-on. Our 4-post blog series, Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads, will not only examine the forces behind this evolution but also describe some of the “tools” that can help corrugated converters acclimate to these market changes.

Who is today’s consumer?

Demographics and lifestyles are changing – the population is aging, household sizes are decreasing and fewer families are eating together at the dinner table. Consumers are busy, finicky and impatient – they want convenience, quick satisfaction and competitive prices – and want to purchase in ways that fit into their fast-paced schedules.

People access information at their fingertips (or palms) so products are researched, reviewed, recommended, rebuked and requisitioned – all outside the scope (and power) of the brand owner. Manufacturers must make their products stand out on-line and on retail shelves to catch the consumer’s eye and “win” sales.

Let’s explore how these changes are affecting the job of corrugated converters.

High quality graphics

For years, corrugated converters were asked only to produce durable containers and packages with few embellishments and uninspired graphics. Now, in addition to protecting the products, secondary packaging is being used as a strategic marketing tool. Products must stand out from the pack and “speak” to the customer, and the way they are “dressed” is paramount. Box makers are expected to create enticing shelf-ready packaging and shipping containers that double-down as POP displays. The package design plays the important role of effectively and consistently conveying the manufacturer’s messages, differentiating the products from those of competitors and enticing the shopper to buy. The use of expanded gamut, finer plate screens, half-tones and higher anilox line counts is creeping into the corrugated pressroom, and predictable ink density and color control are essential for brand image and consistency.

Short Runs

As retail strategies take direct aim at the individual consumer, what used to be large jobs are being broken into smaller lots based on each “version” of the product. Globalization of brands requires that product packages be produced in multiple languages and “localized.” Variable data, where companies add a unique image or message to each package, has been found to improve the effectiveness of marketing and allows individual product skus to be “tracked and traced” through the supply chain. Customization and personalization are effective marketing tools that, by their nature, dictate shorter runs.

Faster Turnarounds

Everything in the marketplace is speeding up –today’s consumers are bombarded with messages, their attention spans are short, they get bored easily and they want products ASAP. Brand owners have to keep packaging fresh, interesting and relevant. They want to optimize their time-to-market and be able to test prototypes and make updates as fast as possible. The corrugated converter’s agility is key to his survival.

E-Commerce

Today’s consumers want to shop online from the comfort of their couch, desk, coffee shop (you name it!) in addition to conventional retail outlets. And shoppers expect not only convenient ordering but also quick and low-cost deliveries. Shipping boxes must still protect the contents but do so in the most efficient and economical way. People are also demanding environmental responsibility and “green” packaging from manufacturers and retailers which brings us to…

Sustainability

Even though corrugated waste is considered the most-recycled packaging material on the planet, eco-conscious consumers are demanding more from their manufacturers and retailers. The industry is undergoing pressure to not only reduce paper weights and streamline product packaging but also revamp its energy and water conservation programs and optimize logistics and transportation to reduce its carbon footprint.

There is no question that new consumer on-the-go lifestyles and buying practices are fueling the changes taking place in today’s corrugated package printing industry. To market to these “new” buyers, brand manufacturers and big-box stores need their suppliers to deliver high quality graphics, customization and fast response times in packaging that can serve on-line as well as brick-and-mortar demand in sustainable ways. That is a tall order.

In the next few posts in our Corrugated Converters at the Crossroads blog series, we will look at how the industry is responding to these market changes with new technologies. Watch for Part 2 – “Necessity is the Mother of Ink Delivery Innovation.”
The Environmental Impact of Doctor Blades

Generally, printers choose plastic or steel doctor blades according to their graphic requirements (or maybe blade life or safety). But, all else being equal, choosing the eco-friendlier material can help you reduce your facility’s carbon footprint.

This infographic compares the environmental impact of the two most common doctor blade materials: steel and plastic. For printers looking for innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint, this infographic may help you better understand the impact your choice in doctor blade could have on the planet. Take a look and complete the form to download the PDF.
Doctor Blade Installation

Back to the basics with this doctor blade installation and best practice infographic, created by Flexo Concepts. This infographic is a simple 3-step guide to proper TruPoint doctor blade installation in a chambered ink system. We also offer helpful insight on the ideal blade orientation and blade pressure to prolong doctor blade life and ensure effective ink metering.

Complete the form to download this infographic – with this download, you will also have an option at the bottom of the graphic to print the installation guide on standard letter size or poster size paper. This graphic is a great resource to print and post by your press operators to facilitate accurate doctor blade installations.
Doctor Blade Quality through Tight Manufacturing Control
From the moment raw material enters our building, Flexo Concepts® measures, analyzes and controls every step of the process of turning the polymer stock into high-precision, performance doctor blades.

Our Doctor Blade Innovation Lab is where ideas are born and developed by our R&D department. But it is our manufacturing folks who are responsible for bringing the concepts to life on the production line.

Quality control is a core value of our manufacturing team. Being able to execute blade fabrication day after day with high precision and repeatability is critical to our customers’ success. Printers have to be able to trust that every shipment of our TruPoint® doctor blades will deliver consistent performance – every time, in every application.

Tight tolerances and high dimensional standards

We establish and strictly maintain tight tolerances on all our cutting, beveling and finishing machines and set high dimensional standards for our doctor blades. To make sure our products meet these requirements, Flexo Concepts’ quality assurance team uses certain measurement techniques and analytical tools. Among them is statistical process control, or SPC, a method for managing and monitoring a process using data analysis.

10-Point inspection

We also apply a 10-point inspection, where blade material and tip table dimensions are measured in real time at various points in the manufacturing cycle. We certify:
1. 1. Material thickness
    
    Material width
    
    Material cupping
    
    Material camber (deviation from a straight edge)
    
    Tip table height
    
    Tip table thickness
    
    Tip table width
    
    Tip table length
    
    Tip table depth
    
    RA value (surface roughness)
Our engineers plot their measurements on a graph to see if they fall within pre-set tolerance limits. If there is a variance, the process is tightened up, and any deficient product is thrown away. This rigorous inspection system cuts down on variability in the manufacturing process and protects against blade irregularities.

Track and trace

To bolster our quality program, we track and trace every aspect of production: from raw material, to operator, to machine, to boxed shipment. If there is an issue down the line, our staff is able to easily go back and pinpoint the problem and correct it right away.

Flexo Concepts wants to help its customers be the most efficient organizations in their industry, and that starts with delivering products that they can count on. It’s important to us that our doctor blades increase the performance, quality and output of the printing press, its operator and the company as a whole. By putting systems in place to guarantee the consistent production of superior doctor blades, we make sure that our customers get exactly what they expect so their customers get exactly what they expect.
New, Improved MicroTip®

Since Flexo Concepts launched TruPoint Orange® with a MicroTip four years ago, it has been an overwhelming success in tag and label plants. Printers around the world have embraced the blade’s capabilities with enthusiasm. OEMs have endorsed Orange and are shipping the blade with new press installations, and industry co-suppliers have co-marketed the blade at trade events to demonstrate its unique benefits.

But despite the success, we haven’t stopped working to improve our revolutionary blade innovation.

By keeping our “finger on the pulse” of the industry, we continue to learn what issues today’s printers are facing. Using advanced equipment, our R&D folks experiment with blade materials and tips in our Doctor Blade Innovation Lab to come up with solutions, and our engineers deliver concepts that simplify life in the pressroom.

Flexo Concepts has expanded its range of blade thickness and MicroTip combinations on its Orange blade so printers can customize blades for their specific applications. Options range from material and tip duos that extend blade life in most process work to more robust alternatives for white decks and coarse anilox rolls.

Recently, our engineers modified the MicroTip design to further improve metering and blade life. A minor enhancement to the geometry of the tip doubles its stiffness at the contact point with the anilox roll. This refinement fortifies the strength of the blade and bolsters its impact resistance. The “new and improved” MicroTip delivers a cleaner wipe and lasts longer.

Our culture of continuous improvement also extends to manufacturing. Investing in advanced equipment allows us to achieve better precision and tighter tolerances in our blade production. In response to the industry’s struggle with start-up issues, we have improved finishing techniques to produce a smoother finish on the MicroTip. As a result, the blade requires no wear-in period and eliminates start-up lines.

At Flexo Concepts, we like to go above and beyond in what we do. Therefore, even after perfecting a new blade technology, we keep working to make it better. The latest design update to the MicroTip edge and improved “polishing” do just that. TruPoint Orange not only has the ability to replace steel in high line screen applications, but now meters even better and eliminates start-up lines. What was once used mostly as a “fix-it” blade (to prevent UV ink spitting for example) has proven that it can compete for best “all-around” blade in the narrow web pressroom.

Request a Free TruPoint Doctor Blade Sample
The World’s Most Innovative Doctor Blade Company

Flexo Concepts® wants to be the world’s most innovative doctor blade company.

How are we going to do it? By creating products, services and a brand experience that inspire.

Products that inspire

We start by crafting superior products and designs.

Our salespeople “have their finger on the pulse” of the industry. They are well-versed in flexography and stay up on market trends. When they report back printers’ needs and challenges, our engineers get right to work.

We partner closely with the world’s most advanced material suppliers and perfect designs in our state-of-the-art doctor blade innovation lab. New blade concepts are subjected to rigorous internal benchmark analysis and then sent out for advanced third-party testing with customers, industry associates, material labs and OEMs before being released to the market. Our premium, solution-based portfolio of innovative products ensures that customers have blades that meet their exact needs. Combinations of materials and tips present a large range of options so that blades can be customized for specific applications.

But we don’t stop there. Our culture of “continuous improvement” compels us to keep moving forward. Whether it’s experimenting with an interesting new material or working tirelessly to perfect the geometry of a new tip, we never rest. The same goes for our manufacturing processes. We regularly invest in new (oftentimes custom) equipment so we can produce our blades swiftly and efficiently while maintaining high standards of quality.

Services that inspire

We make doing business with us easy for our customers so they can focus on their businesses. As trusted advisors, our highly-trained salespeople and customer experience reps help printers find the best solutions, even if it means sometimes recommending a competitor’s product. Wait, what?? It’s true.

Providing support before, during and after each sale is important to us. Our company understands that printers need flexibility from their partners; we pride ourselves on providing quick responses, short lead times, inventory management programs and expedited shipments (even second-day or overnight guaranteed deliveries for those times that receiving blades ASAP is critical!).

A brand experience that inspires

Flexo Concepts wants to be the professor that’s helpful, collaborative and innovative, as well as the uncle who’s friendly, unconventional, guiding and cool. We promise to build meaningful relationships through exceptional experiences. We want our customers to feel comfortable working with us and trust us to have their best interests in mind. Having always been “different” as a niche manufacturer in the industry, we’re comfortable blazing our own trail – trying new things and coming up with unique innovations that set us apart from other doctor blade manufacturers.

Flexo Concepts works hard to consistently deliver products, services and a brand experience that inspire. It’s not just our understanding of the market’s needs, highly-focused R&D efforts, ground-breaking blade technology, sales “consultants” and adaptive support services. It’s also a culture throughout our organization that makes us always try to be better. These are the things that will make us the world’s most innovative doctor blade company.
Hybrid Printing Technology Combines the Best of Both Worlds
The TeaToaster. An appliance that makes tea and toast? How nice would it be to have the option of preparing your breakfast and morning beverage at the same time??! (It doesn’t actually make toast, but a good idea, right?)

There are also innovations in the printing industry that combine functionalities to make life a little easier for press operators.

Today’s brand owners are more demanding than ever, looking for variable data and versioned graphics, short lead times, fast turnarounds and, of course, competitive prices. These forces are driving industry innovation, and Mark Andy and Flexo Concepts® have led with hybrid technologies that bring flexibility and efficiency to the modern-day pressroom.

Hybrid press technology

In his 2016 article, Hybrid Presses – Combining digital and conventional printing offers converters the best of both worlds, Associate Editor of Label & Narrow Web Greg Hrinya compares hybrid press technology in the label printing market to that in other industries – a hybrid car which relies on multiple power sources or hybrid golf club that features the qualities of an iron and a fairway wood. Similarly, new hybrid presses combine the benefits of digital with the power of flexo in one piece of equipment. For printers, according to Hrinya, “The goal is to meet demand for large run flexo orders on the same press that is capable of handling a 500-label order from a local winery.”

Mark Andy’s Digital Series – best of flexo and digital

Mark Andy’s Digital Series, a 2017 technical innovation award winner, does just that. Built upon the industry-leading Performance Series architecture, these presses leverage the advantages of digital technology with the proven capabilities of flexo. The optimized hybrid platform is an efficiently designed, end-to-end workflow offering digital printing with in-line converting, decoration and finishing. This happens all in a single pass and any size converter or job can be accommodated. The machines run at printing speeds up to 240 fpm (73 mpm) and feature an intuitive user interface and consistent controls. Operators can customize and enhance their production process to:

Increase throughput

Minimize cost of operation

Optimize process for short to medium runs

Maximize versatility

Create a superior user experience

Obtain reliability of proven P-Series platform

Flexo Concepts’ TruPoint Orange® – best of steel and plastic

Just as Mark Andy’s Digital Series brings together the best of digital and flexo in one press, Flexo Concepts’ TruPoint Orange combines the advantages of both steel and plastic materials in a single blade product.

At one time, steel doctor blades were the only option capable of providing the fine, consistent contact area with the anilox roll necessary to produce high-end graphics. However, printers had to accept the risks of using steel – dangerous injuries and anilox scoring.

Although plastic is safer to handle and doesn’t produce metal fragments that can cause scoring, traditional plastic doctor blades must be engineered thicker to provide enough rigidity to meter the anilox. This thicker contact area can’t meter high line screens effectively, so plastic blades were ruled out as an option for narrow web printers.

That is, until the hybrid doctor blade came along.

A product of Flexo Concepts’ Doctor Blade Innovation Lab, TruPoint Orange is constructed from a next generation polymer material and engineered with MicroTip® technology in a combination that is capable of achieving a fine, consistent contact area with the roll. The blade can effectively produce high quality graphics as well as steel while retaining the benefits of traditional plastic – no dangerous cutting edge or metal fragments that will damage the anilox roll. Orange doctor blades are able to:

Effectively meter line screens up to 2,000 lpi (785 L/cm)

Reduce pressroom injuries

Eliminate anilox scoring

Prevent UV ink spitting even at high press speeds

Handle specialty coating chemistries

As the label and packaging market evolves, printers need products that can keep up. With their hybrid technologies, Mark Andy and Flexo Concepts are at the forefront in developing innovative solutions that combine the best of known technology to help printers operate efficiently and competitively. What the TeaToaster did for breakfast (in theory), the Digital Series and TruPoint Orange have done for printers: combine two technologies in one to bring maximum success to the narrow web pressroom.

Learn More about the Mark Andy Digital Series
Request a Free TruPoint Doctor Blade Sample
The 5 Ws of TruPoint Doctor Blade Tips
This infographic is a beginner’s guide to Doctor Blade Tips, providing a brief overview of the 3 main tips offered with TruPoint doctor blades. Viewers will uncover the following 5 Ws of TruPoint doctor blade tips:

Who – Who (which industry) predominantly uses this blade tip option?

What – What does this doctor blade tip look like?

Where – Where is this doctor blade found in a chambered ink system?

When – When a certain anilox line screen is used, which doctor blade tip is the best option?

Why – Why is this doctor blade tip used for all of the above?