Flint GroupA re-introduction

Rich EmmerlingTechnical ManagerFlint Group Flexographic Products

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A History

?

N

CQIB

Inks Chemicals

B&T

BASF

nternational Corporation

Temple Inks

Morrison Inks

News/Publication

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Flint Group Divisions

Print Media

Pigments

Packaging & Narrow Web

PlatesSleevesPlate Making Equipment

Offset InksBlanketsPressroom ChemicalsNews InksCommercial Printing

PigmentsCoatings

Flexo InksGravure InksOffset InksPackaging

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Quick Facts

• 140 Facilities, in over 40 countries worldwide• ~ 7,500 People• Revenues of $3.5 billion in 2009

100% derived from sales to the printing and packaging industry #1 or #2 in all markets served

• Flint Group was formed from the merger of XSYS Print Solutions and Flint Ink in 2005

• XSYS was the combined companies of ANI and BASF Printing Products (2004)

• Flint Group acquired Day International/Rotec in 2007

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North American Plates Facility

North American Technical & Training Center In Charlotte, NC with nyloflex® FV flowliner, drier, top lift exposure unit, image analysis systems, and ablative lasers.

Team of experienced Technical Service people for plates set up and equipment installation & training.

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Product Portfolio

Flexo Plates

Letterpress Plates

Equipment &

Solvents

Sleeves, Service &

More!

Differentiate to ThriveOffer something different to your customers

Rich EmmerlingTechnical ManagerFlint Group Flexographic Products

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Surviving in a challenging economy requires differentiating yourself in the market. Offering new products to your customers – ones that address their need for quality and value – set you apart from your competition.

In the spirit of differentiation, Flint Group is introducing two new products for the corrugated market, and a new, thinner plate that will address both quality and sustainability concerns.

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Corrugated Industry Focus

• For too long it’s been a " me too" world for corrugated post print plate products

• Everyone was after the formidable leader to duplicate the performance of the market leading product

• Each supplier has developed a product that is essentially similar to that market leader

• But now it’s time to do something different . . .

• Flint Group has refocused its product development on the corrugated post print market to introduce new products that take the print performance for corrugated to new levels

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nyloflex® FAC

• The premium, high quality plate for corrugated post print

• Available in digital and conventional• Wide market share globally• Proven high quality printing plate• Conventional up to 52x80" • 32 Shore A

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nyloflex® FCC

• The " economic" alternative to FAC• Durable, ideal for line and halftone

work on a variety of boards • Very good ink transfer and solids

coverage, even on coarse liners• 32 Shore A

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Requirements of Corrugated Post Print

• Print Quality Dealing with the trend to lower liner quality Lower board quality demands a plate that will work with

low impression to avoid compression of flute The market needs a plate that will provide excellent

solids coverage, print clean, open reverses, and minimize dot gain

Can these requirements be filled with one plate type? What would be the effect of using a harder plate? Would a softer plate be able to reduce impression while

still providing smooth ink lay down and still print with low level of dot gain?

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Introducing

• New products for the corrugated post print market

FSC – a soft durometer (25 Shore A) plate for excellent solids coverage with fine, detailed reverse and positive printing on A-, B-, C-Flute, rough surfaces, recycled, and low quality liners

FHC – a higher durometer (38 Shore A) product for high end post print applications on C-, E-, Micro-Flute coated and uncoated liners

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nyloflex® FSC – High Quality Print

Conventional and Digital • Excellent solids coverage, particularly

on low cost liners• Very good ink transfer • Deep, sharp reverses, for excellent

print results• Superior performance in line work• Also suitable for halftone work

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nyloflex® FSC Digital – Cost Efficient & Reliable

Standard solid plate processing• Superior durability and long lifetime,

no chipping• Processes in standard equipment• Established, proven technology • Easy handling – fast processing• Reduced plate cleaning • Excellent plate thickness tolerance

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nyloflex® FHC

Conventional and Digital• Excellent dot reproduction• Fine line and reverse printing• Excellent ink transfer• Wide exposure latitude• Longer press life• Excellent impression latitude

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Print Trials

• Two separate print trials were conducted with all products

• Trials were done at Clemson University on the Bobst press and at Fox Valley Technical College on their Grant International Workhorse press

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Print Results – Hard Plate/Coated Board

Tonal Values Coated Board (65 lpi)

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%

25

%

50

%

75

%

10

0%

Data

Pri

nt

FAC D

FHC D

linear

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Hard Plate – Coated/Dot Gain

Standard

Hard

Standard

Hard

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Hard Plate – Coated/Solid

StandardHard

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Hard Plate/Reverse Print Coated

StandardHard

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Print Results – Soft Plate/Coated Board

Tonal Values Coated Board (65 lpi)

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%

25

%

50

%

75

%

10

0%

Data

Pri

nt

FAC

FSC

linear

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Soft Plate – Coated/Dot Gain

Soft

Standard

Soft

Standard

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Soft Plate – Coated/Solid

Standard Soft

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Soft Plate – Reverse Print/Coated

Standard Soft

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Print Results – Soft Plate/Uncoated Board

Tonal Values Uncoated Board (65 lpi)

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%

25

%

50

%

75

%

10

0%

Data

Pri

nt

FAC

FSC

linear

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Soft Plate – Uncoated/Dot Gain

Standard

Soft

Standard

Soft

30

Soft Plate – Uncoated/Kraft/Solid

Standard Soft

Uncoated

Kraft

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Soft Plate – Reverse Print/Uncoated

Standard Soft

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nyloflex® Product Range

FHC/FHC D Pre-, Post Print Very High 38

FAC/FAC D Post Print High 32

FCC Post Print Standard 32

FSC/FSC D Post Print Basic, Low 25

Product Application Board Quality Hardness Shore A

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nylosolv ®

• Low odor• Rarely requires balancing• Low plate swell for shorter drying times• Low plate swell prevents chipping in washout unit• Largest market share of washout solvents in Europe

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Conclusions

• The softer plate produces excellent solids coverage at lower impressions levels, with clean, open reverses, and comparable dot gain to harder plates

• The harder plate prints as well as current 32 Shore A products but has the durability of a harder plate

• The harder plate provided a higher impression latitude without showing distortion of the finer detail

Ultra Thin Plates

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What are Ultra Thin Plates?

• Flexographic plates with a thickness of .030" (0.76 mm) Have a relief depth/polymer layer of .023" (0.58 mm) Have a base PET film thickness of .007" (0.18 mm) Have no " floor" polymer, plates are washed down to the PET

layer Typically a hard plate, 62 Shore A, (ASTM)

Polymer Layer

PET Base Layer

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Why Ultra Thin Plates Now?

• Flexo platemakers and printers are looking for technology/quality advancements

• Speed to press, up to color time, registration, print quality are at measured by higher standards

• Platemakers and even packaging buyers want to use eco-efficient technologies to reduce waste and carbon footprint

• Most wide web presses are fitted with sleeves, allowing for the necessary change in tooling

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So What Are The Advantages Of Going Thin?

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Weight

• Raw material has about ½ the weight 40% more plates per box = less packaging Less handling boxes, crates, skids Easier to carry sheets of material

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Weight

• Finished plates have 1/3rd the weight Easier handling Lower shipping costs

Example: 7 color job, 42x60" plates, shipped UPS Next Day from Chicago to Dallas:

• 0.067" plates cost $191.85

• 0.030" plates cost $138.70

• Savings per shipment of $53.15

• 5 Shipments per week @ 50 weeks would be a savings of $13,288

Source: UPS.com June 1 2009

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Productivity Comparison of a Single Plate

Solvent Processed .030"

Exposure – 8 min. Processing – 6 min. Drying – 30 min. Light Finishing – 6 min.

Total – 50 min.

Solvent Processed 0.067"

Exposure – 10 min. Processing – 8 min. Drying – 120 min. Light Finishing – 10 min. Total – 148 min.

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Even more flexible than .045" plates!

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Reduced Cupping, Thanks To Being Thinner

Cupping on solids happens more on thick plates

Thinner plates cup less,print more even,

require less impression

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Print Quality

In 1996, the FQC Program had leading suppliers and printers evaluate the optimum plate thickness for flexography in wide web printing.

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Print Quality

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Print Quality 2009: Equal or Better with .030"

SID 1.1

SID 1.4

Tone Reproduction Curve

0

0

0

1

1

1

1

0 20 40 60 80 100

Dot on File (%)

Prin

ted

Dot (

%) 0.030" 1920

0.067" 1920

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Print Quality: Conclusions

• As was concluded in the 1996 FQC Study, the 0.030" plates still print with less dot gain than 0.067“ plates.

• Medium to firm cushions tapes and sleeves are recommended for use with 0.030" plates.

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Eco Efficiency

• Eco Efficiency was calculated from 0.045" and 0.067" plates with a degree of solvent recycling at 87.5%

• Data was not specially optimised for better processing conditions (exposure) for 0.030" plates

• GWP incl. plate, packaging and transport contribution is estimated to be 32% lower for 0.030" plates compared to 0.067" plates

• Energy consumption incl. plate, packaging and transport contribution is estimated to be 40% lower for 0.030" plates compared to 0.067" plates

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0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

GW

P [g

CO

2-eq

/m²]

  

170 076

Solvent Solvent

Plate DisposalSolvent Development & DryingSolvent Production & RecyclingAblation & ExposurePackagingTransportationPlate Production (manufacture)Plate Production (material)

GWP of 0.030" plates (.76mm) versus 00.067" plates (1.70mm) extrapolated estimate

Eco Efficiency

0.067" .030"

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-50

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

En

erg

y [M

J/m

²]  

170 076

Solvent Solvent

Plate DisposalSolvent Development & DryingSolvent Production & RecyclingAblation & ExposurePackagingTransportationPlate Production (manufacture)Plate Production (material)

Eco EfficiencyEnergy of 0.030" plates (.76mm) versus 00.067" plates (1.70mm) extrapolated estimate

0.067" .030"

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Summary of Benefits with 0.030" Plates

• Plates process about 60% FASTER than 0.067" plates• Lighter weight can save thousands $$$ per year in shipping• Flatter plates with less cupping = durability, fast up-to-color• Less packaging due to more plates per box• Perfect relief consistency, easier to process and print with• Estimated 32% reduction in Global Warming Potential• Estimated 40% reduction energy consumption• Prints with less dot gain than 0.067" plates

Managing the Plate Making Waste Stream

A new program in development at Flint Group

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nyloflex® Sustainable Solutions

• Thinner Plates to reduce time, energy and material consumption by up to 40%. Let Flint show you how and provide the materials and tooling, along with a detailed transition plan

• Compressible sleeves to reduce the waste and cost of disposable cushion tapes. Improves run consistency while allowing for higher run speeds

• Plate room and pressroom audits, plus technique training to reduce production waste

• High efficiency process equipment. Use less chemistry, energy and time

• Recovery of plate packaging. Services available to recycle empty containers

• Recovery of used plates and distillation material. Services to remove plate materials and convert them into energy will be available soon

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An offer to our Customers

In our opinion the least that should be done with products after they have done their job in the Flexographic Process is to get part of the energy back that has been put into them during manufacturing

Flint Group offers customized Solutions for a responsible way to handle Flexographic waste other than just land-fill

" Waste to Energy" is one of the solutions that Flint will be offering to customers in a "removal and disposal" service

Flint Group FP benefits from experiences with similar services that have been successfully offered to our ink customers over the years

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More information will be available soon!

nyloflex® Sustainable Solutions

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Wrap Up

• Doing something different for your customer A new, softer plate for direct print corrugated that offers improved

solid coverage, sharp and open reverses, and comparable dot gain to 32 durometer plates

A harder plate that demonstrates sharp detail, low dot gain Thin plates to improve print quality, reduce waste, minimize

environmental impact A proactive program to reduce the environmental footprint of plate

making operations

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Thank YouThank YouThank YouThank Youwww.flintgrp.com