Sandon Global, an winning British anilox manufacturer, has entered into a strategic partnership with XSYS, a prepress solutions provider, to combine its expertise to help flexible packaging printers achieve higher opacity whites at no additional cost.

Sandon Global and XSYS collaborated in the lead-up to drupa 2024 to leverage existing and new technology to deliver improved quality that brings operational, financial and sustainable benefits for flexographic printers.

In recent trials, Sandon Global’s High Volume Process (HVP) and Fluid FP anilox engravings combined with XSYS’ Woodpecker Nevis surface screening technology demonstrated that the same quality opaque white coverage could be achieved using lower volume anilox. Utilizing these technologies demonstrated a reduction in ink consumption, cost savings, more efficient operation and increased printing speeds.

Paul Mitchell, regional sales manager – UK & Ireland, Sandon Global, says, “White ink traditionally represents around 50% of a flexo printer’s ink spend and, with converters under pressure to improve quality while minimizing, or even reducing, costs, it made perfect sense for us to find a solution to address this challenge. Working in collaboration with XSYS, we have brought together our combined expertise in anilox engraving, imaging in combination with surface screening and plate technology to make printing high opacity whites at no additional cost a reality. With our support, printers can discover which anilox engraving is best suited for their needs, delivering high opacity whites and ensuring they can invest their time and money in efficiencies elsewhere.”

Sandon Global’s HVP engraving enables printers to combine good solids and tonal areas on one plate. It does this by combining high line counts and high volume through its cell design. This contrasts with conventional 60° engravings that are only capable of offering either a high volume or a high line count but not both, without compromising the crucial release characteristics of the anilox.

Fluid FP is the evolution of Sandon Global’s successful HVP and IPRO engravings – a semi-channeled engraving that allows an easier and controlled flow of ink between cells while maintaining a strong element of volume control. 

Mitchell adds, “We are delighted to partner with XSYS to bring the best of our technologies together to deliver high opacity whites at a lower volume, without compromising on quality. Not only that, but the sustainability benefits speak for themselves with a potential increase in printing speed, plus a reduction in ink and solvent leading to reduced energy consumption along with cleaning of exhausted air. It’s a winning and sustainable solution for flexible packaging printers.”

Stuart Robinson, technical account manager, XSYS, comments, “Printers are under constant pressure to look at productivity gains and cost reductions in a more sustainable way while not compromising on quality. Here at XSYS, we are constantly working on developments to offer all our customers leading edge technology and products to help achieve this. The Woodpecker Nevis surface patterns developed for our ThermoFlexX TFxX Imagers offer the printer an optimized white ink laydown and opacity. 

“For the complete trial setup, XSYS delivered nyloflex FTV printing plates (high-quality, inherent smooth flat-top dot plate) processed on a ThermoFlexX TFxX 80D Imager in combination with Woodpecker Nevis surface screening and UV LED exposed on a Catena E80. This enabled us to reduce the anilox volume from 10.5cm3/m2 to 6.5cm3/m2 without compromising quality and opacity,” he continues.

“This result has also been reconfirmed by our customers in day-to-day printing operations, leading to white ink savings of up to 20%, as well as the possibility to change from a two hit to a one hit white design. Due to the reduced white transfer, this solution combines savings in consumables and increased printing speed leading to improved Overall Equipment effectiveness (OEE) together with a reduction of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO),” Robinson concludes.