Flexographic printing presses continue to evolve by the day. What was customary prior to the Covid-19 pandemic is no longer the norm. While craftsmanship and artistry are still part of the process, printing press manufacturers are working feverishly to future-proof the process.

Automation, sustainability, and faster speeds continue to impact this market segment. Automation is no longer a buzzword either. With many facilities struggling to attract qualified workers to run their flexo presses, the machine must pick up more of the slack. The press must also speak to a generation of workers that grew up on smartphones. Getting one’s hands dirty doesn’t have the same cache as it did with the previous generations.

Sustainability has evolved from “nice-to-have” to a requirement. Going beyond the environmental benefit, the label waste that was once tolerated in label printing is now an arrow straight to the heart of the bottom line.

Flexo press innovation has targeted the latest pain points for converters in an effort to make the process as efficient as possible.

“Automation, automation, automation,” emphasizes Andre Blais, national account manager, Heidelberg North America. “Converters want presses to be as simple to operate as possible, so ease of use is critical. Operators that can be trained quickly – and with electronics – make this possible. We see more improvements being made to presses with even more automation for processes such as diecutting, use of automatic unwinds and rewinds, and quick changes for plate cylinders and the anilox.”

“In labels, key trends and challenges include skilled workforce shortages, reduction of run lengths, high demand for just-in-time production, product proliferation, strong focus on waste reduction, greater use of recyclable materials, and a higher cost of materials,” explains Emilio Corti, head of sales, Business Unit Sheetfed, Bobst. “Therefore, there is a growing need for more automated and digitalized solutions that can help converters stay competitive in this difficult market with such varied demands.”

Nilpeter has removed all mechanical intervention during setup and running of its FA-Line of flexo presses. The operator communicates with the whole machine via tablets, and when parameters are selected for a specific job they can be stored and recalled for future re-runs. “The new press operators are very familiar with tablets from work and leisure time, thus the training is simple,” explains Jakob Landberg, sales director. “They can operate the presses as naturally as all other daily things.”

However, while automation has become a hot industry topic, Mark Andy believes converters should understand exactly how automation will benefit them. They should rely on supplier experts to explain how automation will benefit their business – not just serve as a buzzword.

“Converters should understand how to automate intelligently and not pay for additional automation with no benefit,” states Tom Schelmbauer, executive vice president, CBO Flexo, Mark Andy. “They should understand the sustainability score of their piece of equipment in terms of waste and energy consumption, and they should ask for a consultative sales process like what we offer at Mark Andy and Mark Andy Print Products. These steps involve not only the equipment but the consumables that interface with it.”

To meet customer demand, Mark Andy has designed its Smartlink IoT solution along with low waste, low energy consumption machinery offerings. “When combined with our low waste, high productivity printheads, these new Mark Andy solutions provide not only the ability to revolutionize your cost structure but track and report it as well,” states Schelmbauer.

In the future, the modern flexo press will be more attractive to the next-generation workforce. Many flexographic improvements have been designed with younger employees in mind while also doing more with less.

“With the challenge of finding experienced press operators, manufacturers are tasked with designing equipment that’s very easy to run, with more automation, to make the learning and training curve more seamless with less experienced operators,” says Chris Baldwin, sales director, Omet Americas. “Features such as auto register, auto impression, job recipe recall, and countless others help seasoned – along with newer  – operators be more efficient.”

There are several considerations to take into account when investing in a press, though. “Converters are looking for versatile machines that are easy to operate and that offer a competitive total cost of ownership (TCO) while delivering consistent high quality,” states Corti. “Secondly, but an equally important aspect, they take into account the quality of the service and support from the supplier in order to minimize unwanted downtime if issues with the press arise. They may also consider the environmental impact by looking at wastage and energy consumption, and fourthly, many will look at how easy it is to integrate with existing finishing equipment and MIS/workflow software for inline production with an automated setup.”

And the reality is, the label industry is growing. Based on data from TLMI and LPC, Inc., 81% of 90 TLMI converter respondents saw an increase in growth in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2021, the global label market grew at a stable rate of 3.8%. And customers want their labels faster today than they did five years ago, especially as growth remains a constant. Depending on who’s asked, flexographic printing still accounts for 80-85% of the label jobs run today. Therefore, the technology must meet the demands, of which there are plenty.

“Conventional printing and converting might face competition from digital in the future, but flexo is surely very much alive still,” remarks Landberg. “The vast majority of sold digital machines are still under €200,000-300,000, which gives a digital alternative to conventional but with very low capacity. A guess is that only 10% of square feet/meters are printed digitally, and all of this is still converted conventionally.”

“I envision that flexo printing will be around for many years, as long as there are physical products that need labels and packaging,” adds Baldwin. “I believe that future presses will become more automated, or even robotic, and that will require less operator interaction. I’ve spent the last 35 years in the flexo industry and just when I think there’s nothing more to see… Surprise!”

What to know?

So, you’ve made the decision to invest in a new flexo press. There are numerous questions converters should ask, especially if they’re making the rounds at a tradeshow. When analyzing press demonstrations, at Labelexpo Europe, for instance, converters would benefit from knowing how that press impacts their unique jobs.

“Important questions to ask include: What is the average make-ready time on a press, how much waste is generated before the press is completely in register, and what features can be added to the press and how easy are they to integrate?” says Heidelberg’s Blais. “For example, our presses using screen units are not on a rail, which extends the web path. Our screen units replace a flexo unit, therefore keeping the web path extremely short while eliminating waste.”

According to Omet’s Baldwin, the financial stability of the equipment partner is also key, as is the “future-proof” nature of the press. Modularity and the ability to grow with the machine can be as important as the initial investment.

“When sitting down with machine suppliers, talk parameters for setup time and setup waste – this is where the ROI lies,” explains Nilpeter’s Landberg. “Low automation machines generate more setup costs on every job run through the new machine. Talk tooling – are they heavy? Are they supporting quick changes of jobs – now and in the future? Health and safety is a growing focus area for converters, but this investment pays off the whole lifetime of the equipment.”

Bobst’s view of the modern press starkly contrasts with your father’s flexo press. For example, Bobst Connect has been tailored specifically for Bobst machines to incorporate data sharing.

“Bobst’s vision for the future of the packaging industry includes the need to implement greater connectivity across the value chain,” explains Corti. “Connectivity means that customers’ machines are connected to a workflow, enabling very rapid and remote solutions to any issues while also optimizing the machines through the data they are generating. This is essential for obtaining better production performance and staying competitive in the future.”

In order to promote data sharing, MPS continues to tout MPSConnect, which allows label converters to dive into the printing press and see exactly what’s happening. The company’s sensor technology is combined with the internet (IoT) to make real-time data collection possible. According to MPS, hundreds of sensors in these intelligent flexographic presses collect data from hundreds of events per second in order to identify bottlenecks, errors and inefficiencies in the operator process, as well as optimize press performance while at the same time decreasing waste.

Plus, MPS has developed VirtualCoach, which is a real-time operator tool, driven by data and artificial intelligence, available on all new MPS presses. VirtualCoach gives the operator awareness on the quality and efficiency of all the activities they are performing on the press.

Room for growth, look to both

Many converters never thought they would invest in a digital press in their lifetime. They never thought the technology would be a viable alternative to flexo, but here is the reality: there’s room for both if you’re looking for growth.

“Digital has brought many benefits to production like no plate costs, faster setups, variable printing along with the ability to handle multiple SKUs,” notes Omet’s Baldwin. “For higher speeds, longer runs, embellishments, cold foil, rotary screen, multiple webs, diecutting, and so on, flexo still has the advantage. With newer advances in technology, such as servo motors, tension controls, plates, anilox rolls, inks, etc., flexography is still pushing the boundaries in today’s printing industry.

“Both printing methods have advantages over the other, but when you combine flexo and digital you get the best of both worlds,” adds Baldwin.

According to Bobst’s Corti, a converter needs to explore their book of business to fully understand what technology makes the most sense. “While Bobst’s All-in-One technology offers unrivaled opportunities, it is important to note that flexo on its own has an important role to play,” he says. “No single technology can satisfy all production needs, and Bobst believes that flexo and digital are complementary to each other, not competing for the same space. Again, this is where each converter must choose the press type and configuration that best fits their needs, whether that is flexo, digital, or a combination of the two.”

Even as digital has become a significant trend in the industry, analog processes remain pivotal to complete many of the jobs run today. “Very few labels are limited to 4-6 color ink deposition with no coating, decoration, converting, etc.,” explains Mark Andy’s Schelmbauer. “So, regardless of the workflow of the converter, analog processes are still required to complete the label construction. This can be done with our Rotoflex or Mark Andy off-line converting equipment with the added flexibility (at any point in the press’ lifecycle – if it is a Mark Andy machine) to go hybrid under a single controls platform and significantly improve quality, reduce waste and drive more efficient production.”

Despite digital’s proliferation, experts predict a prosperous future for flexo for some time. “Flexo is here to stay for a number of years,” comments Heidelberg’s Blais. “Many converters are getting into packaging, which is normally longer runs, and that fits the flexo world perfectly. Flexo and digital/hybrid also complement each other depending on the markets and run lengths.”

In fact, Nilpeter’s Landberg sees combination printing as the wave of the future for label printing. “We actually still offer hybrid machines, where FA-Line elements are combined with OEM digital printing equipment,” he states. “This can be for value adding to flexo-based machines and for converting inline for inkjet-based multi-color printing machines. We believe that combining printing techniques – and utilizing the advantages of each process while avoiding the drawbacks – will be the future in modern printing and converting.”

What’s new?

Manufacturers have gone into overdrive to deliver innovation at a rapid pace. For example, Bobst’s flexo technology increasingly includes digital inkjet technology to better leverage the advantages of each. Bobst works closely with its customers to optimize their production floor, so they can best serve their customers with exceptional quality and fast delivery.

“Bobst has successfully combined its expertise in digital and flexo in the All-in-One concept as proven by the recent launch of the Digital Master series in 340- and 510-mm print widths,” explains Corti. “This new series of label presses is an upgradeable, future-proof, and modular unison of digital and flexo printing.”

With that in mind, Bobst says it offers a range of inline pure flexo presses, starting with the entry-level Nova M1 for high-quality label printing at an affordable price point, and the Vision M1, a compact solution offering operational efficiency and flexibility, right through to the Master M5, a digitalized flexo press for both labels and flexible packaging, and the enhanced performance and flexibility of the Master M6 for labels, flexible packaging, and folding cartons.

Heidelberg has built upon its Gallus Labelmaster offering on the flexo side. “We offer this press in 13″, 17″, and 22″,” explains Blais. “The technology is highly automated to lower waste.  Our web path from station to station is extremely short (50″), which reduces setup and make-ready.  Our flagship is still the RCS 430 – 17″ and 570 – 22″, and this platform can be retrofitted with offset units and rotogravure along with screen units, hot stamp, cold foil and embossing.”

Mark Andy has continued to emphasize servo-driven technology that can be accessible to all customers across a wide range of configurations. Other than the company’s legacy 2200 offering, Mark Andy now only provides 100% high-precision, servo-driven web handling, printing, and converting motion control, which is showcased on Mark Andy’s versatile Performance Series line.

Meanwhile, MPS has promoted connectivity and data sharing with its newest press options. Most recently, MPS launched the EF next generation, which has been designed as a robust, reliable, highly qualified and fully automated flexo printing press ready for 24 x 7 operations. According to MPS, the press features two levels of automation, along with Crisp.Dot Technology, iControl, an Ultraflex Railsystem, Auto-Teach Pre-Register and more.

Most recently, Nilpeter introduced its new FA-26 flexo machine. This press has been engineered mainly for flexible packaging, and it is based on a platform that utilizes UV- , water-based and solvent flexo printing. “This can be combined with several forms of inline lamination, resulting in a highly effective foundation for value-added flexible packaging,” comments Landberg. “We offer solvent hot lamination, water-based lamination, UV-lamination and finally e-beam lamination. We can offer printing/converting of food-safe solutions for small runs based on highly advanced automation.”

Omet has a wide range of offerings, from narrow web flexo presses to mid-web flexo and offset presses. In the past few years, Omet has released three new press lines. XJet is a flexo/digital hybrid solution, offered in 13″, 17″ and 20″ widths and with speeds up to 328 fpm.

Baldwin says, “The X7 – a mid-web flexo press offered in a 26″ width – is ideal for converters that want to transition from PS labels to shrink and flexible packaging. Meanwhile, KFlex is our newest offering that allows converters to have maximum quality and production, along with unique flexibility for niche markets such as extended content labels. With the ‘Switch’ feature, the press operator can swap out a printing station with a die station anywhere that’s needed. It is available in 17″ and 20″ widths.”


Keys for efficient flexo printing
By Paul Lancelle, service manager, US&C region, Miraclon

The fierce competition between brands in the retail environment shows no signs of abating, and if anything is intensifying. Differentiation is critically important, and getting products to market faster, changing designs more frequently, and boosting on-shelf appeal are imperative for brand owners.

Meeting customers, we know there’s also a desire to grow as they respond to increasing market demand. One of the key trends identified by judges in the recent Global Flexo Innovation Awards, sponsored by Miraclon, was the wealth of entries documenting conversion to flexo from other processes.

Simultaneously, all players in the printed packaging industry are currently facing extraordinary and sustained inflationary pressure. That leaves the flexo community needing to find more ways to cut costs and boost productivity so there’s resilience in the face of price pressures, ideally right across the value chain.

Productive printing

In a print operation, every percent of uptime is highly prized. But, how can that efficiency be realized and that higher uptime be delivered? The answer lies in the flexo plate. Better plate processes and performance can reduce waste, maximize what printers put into the whole production process and limit press stops, yielding benefits across the whole value chain. For a printer, eliminating just one press stop a day can save up to $65,000 a year.

On the production floor, getting the press ready and on-point is a crucial step in profitable production. Better on-press performance can both increase press latitude and eliminate unscheduled stops. That doesn’t just make each job more profitable, it frees up time on the press for other jobs, making a significant difference to the whole ROI of an operation.

Productive prepress

It’s no different earlier in the value chain, in the trade shops and printers with in-house plate making capability. Using automation software, for example, to optimize plate layouts can drastically improve plate utilization, reducing the number of plates needed. This not only cuts cost but reduces energy consumption and solvent usage, helping to contribute to sustainability targets.

Automating plate layouts also reduces errors by minimizing human intervention while delivering consistent print results when the supplied plates roll through the press. This means the savings add up in reduced callouts for on-site assistance.

So, even as brands are putting increasing pressure on their suppliers to adhere to specific sustainability standards, printer converters and trade shops don’t need to absorb additional financial costs if their platemaking actively contributes to lowering the environmental impact of the production process.

Choosing the right plate solution

Choosing the right plate solution is critical to reaping these benefits. Ideally, you want one that delivers consistent image reproduction, produces predictable color, and enables quick job changeovers and “fast-to-color” performance that ever-shortening print runs demand.

We’re committed to working with the flexo community to keep driving equipment and resource maximization from platemaking to on-press performance. It’s at the core of what our R&D team is working on when it comes to continuing innovation within the Flexcel NX System, and what our technical support teams are focused on.”