Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) Forum 2018, themed “Bringing It All Together: Synchronizing Processes, People and Potential,” will officially begin with a session from the Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC) titled “Cultivating Our Future Through Research.”

The session, chaired by Jean Engelke, RR Donnelley and James Stone, VinEquities, Inc. will take place 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 6 and will host an array of speakers and data focused on providing important updates on current FQC projects and how looking to the future of flexo will impact today’s pressroom.

“We are very excited to highlight the power of research,” says Engelke. “This session will feature a multitude of topics, including the success of industry/education collaboration, insight into the future of printing through scholarship research projects, provide an understanding of standards that impact member pressrooms and, of course, discuss FQC project updates.”

The two-hour session will feature the following speakers and their presentations:

• Bobby Congdon, Clemson University; Jeffrey Schutz, Sonoco Packaging, “Sonoco FRESH at Clemson University: Partnership to Optimize the Fresh Food Lifecycle”
• Zachery Blackburn, Central Piedmont Community College; Dr. Malcolm Keif, California Polytechnic State University; Dr. Nona Woolbright, Clemson University, “It All Starts Here: The Phoenix Challenge Drives Student Awareness, Experience and Research”
• Thomas Koester, Clemson University, 2017 FFTA Rossini North America Flexographic Research Scholarship recipient, “Security Through Variability”
• Christopher Teachout, Central Piedmont Community College, 2017 Gary Hilliard FQC Scholarship recipient, “Correlation Between Minimum Dot Size and Floor Height”
• Dr. Danny Rich, Sun Chemical Corp.; Steve Smiley, SmileyColor & Associates, LLC, “What It Means to You – New Standards Explained”
• Mark Coffman, E.C. Shaw, “Plate Tape Optimization Project”

Forum 2018 will take place May 6-9 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in Indiana. Co-located with the event is INFOFLEX 2018, set for May 7 and 8 at the Indiana Convention Center. Every full Forum registration includes entrance to the INFOFLEX show floor, where 240+ of the industry’s top suppliers will be exhibiting their best technologies.

To learn more or register for Forum & INFOFLEX 2018, visit www.flexography.org. Early-bird rates offering a savings of up to $350 are valid through March 30. Special discounts are available for printer/converter registrants, including “Buy two, get the third free” or “Buy three, get two more free” promotions. Consumer product companies are entitled to complimentary registrations.

Diamond and Platinum sponsors of Forum & INFOFLEX 2018 include: 3M Company, Esko, Kodak, Anderson & Vreeland, Inc., DuPont Advanced Printing, MacDermid Graphics Solutions and Sun Chemical Corp.