How Afflatus exceeds expectations with flexo

First things first. Afflatus Gravures claims to have localised flexo technology. Praveen Singh, GM (flexo, ITR sleeves), Afflatus Gravures, says Asia has traditionally been a gravure dominated market. However, there has been growth in flexo adoption over the past few years with converters seeking solutions that offer both; efficiency and seamless printing.

The samples shared by Singh, underscore this point. Flexo printing has evolved to operate without joints, making it a suitable option for decorative printing. With the help of in-the-round (ITR) photopolymer sleeves, a variety of surfaces including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), paper and film can be printed seamlessly.

The company invested in ITR technology to make flexo printing accessible within the region. Earlier, procurement from Europe involved long lead times and high landed costs. Singh adds, by localising the technology, the company has enabled industries such as decorative laminates, wallpapers and liquid packaging to achieve seamless printing with improved productivity and cost efficiency.

Regarding the technical specifications of the photopolymer layer, the current production line supports a maximum print width of 1,450-mm with repeat lengths up to 800-mm. Higher repeat capabilities are also being facilitated with potential extensions up to 1,300-mm.

The imaging process is based on laser ablation technology similar to flexo plate imaging but with higher precision. The system supports resolutions up to 4,000-pixels per inch (PPI), enabling sharp detail reproduction for fine motifs, intricate patterns and high definition decorative applications.

According to Singh, traditional plate mounting involves manual processes including tape usage, air gaps, and alignment challenges which can impact registration accuracy. He says, "ITR sleeves eliminate these variables as they operate without mounting tape and function as a plug and play system similar to gravure cylinders. This ensures precise registration stability across long production runs provided adaptor alignment is maintained."

Singh explains that ITR technology delivers a reduction in ink consumption of approximately 35 to 40% as compared to gravure cylinders while maintaining comparable performance to flexo plates. This efficiency, he believes, is achieved through a micro screen pattern on the sleeve surface which enables uniform ink laydown. The result is consistent colour density across both matt and glossy finishes with improved surface coverage.

In terms of press downtime, the changeover and set-up time for a flexo CI press using sleeves is faster than conventional cylinders or plates. Singh adds, "A complete job changeover can typically be achieved within 15-minutes provided the ink stations remain unchanged. This reduces press downtime and improves overall production efficiency."

The next chapter

Afflatus Gravures targets decorative laminates and luxury wallpapers. But for decorative items, there are some challenges when replicating natural textures like oak grain or concrete finishes. Additionally, Singh says, "Decorative applications demand precise pattern reproduction on rough substrates where gravure faces limitations in fine grain detailing."

ITR sleeves aim to eliminate dot loss and improve registration accuracy which enables sharper reproduction of textures such as wood grains and concrete finishes. Reduced ink consumption and stable print behaviour allow converters to run at higher speeds improving efficiency.

He adds that the technology is also compatible with water-based inks making it suitable for these segments. This allows it to deliver stable print performance with consistent ink transfer and ensures durability across long runs making them suitable for sustainable printing applications without compromising quality.

Vis-a-vis substrates and materials, Singh explains, "The technology performs across a range of substrates including thin films and specialised designer materials. It ensures consistent ink transfer, stable registration, and uniform print quality similar to other advanced print solutions."

Many of these products were traditionally printed using rotogravure. But for a converter to make the capital or operational switch to ITR flexo, he points out advantages such as significant ink reduction and consumption, seamless repeat similar to gravure, and completely joint-free printing. ITR sleeves also offer higher mileage compared to conventional plates and cylinders. However, Singh continues, for shorter and high definition print runs, ITR sleeves offer a lower cost per print compared to gravure cylinders.

The ITR sleeve technology is based on a technology transfer aligned with global standards and specifications. This ensures that the product quality meets international requirements.

Ongoing development efforts are focused on further strengthening quality benchmarks and expanding certification coverage.

When talking about the future scope of the ITR segment, Singh says, "The focus is on awareness and continuous trials and demonstrations are being conducted to help converters understand performance benefits across applications."

He adds, "Further developments will be aimed at enhancing capability and expanding adoption across multiple substrate segments."