【Branch】 Indian Network reported in recent years, with flexo print quality, many other printed using the original print technology have turned Flexo technology, Flexo process continuously from the offset,凸印traditional territories to secure a more and more market share. From the whole, now more and more complex print requirements, while there have been many new processing technology, so manufacturers are seeking a print can be in the same access to a wide range of products on the effect of printing technology printing method. Usually a print two or more rarely used printing technology to processing, in order to achieve the purpose of the foregoing, once printed in the course of a wide range of printing technology at the same time to complete the processing is the best solution. Therefore, in recent years, multiple-line printing technology combined processing method (hereinafter referred to as combination printing) has become very common. Due to printing and finishing will be seen as a holistic solution, so combination of printing more and more popular. The development of many related technologies makes printing portfolio not only become a reality, but also a good economy. This article will address this aspect of technological progress, the focus is to introduce in the narrow web printing market, the use of UV-curable ink technology portfolio presses the background and future development trend.

     I. What is a combination of printing printing portfolio refers to all types of printing and finishing units, composed of assembly. Can be printed in the portfolio mix Flexo, silk screening凸印, offset, gravure, hot stamping, cold and hot stamping process, such as indentation. In the most common combination of the printing units usually include screen printing, flexo, and hot stamping, etc.凸印unit. At the same reason why the printing process used in a variety of printing and printing process after the reason is very simple, because a variety of printing processes have their inherent strengths and weaknesses. For example: screen printing can be the accumulation of a thick layer of ink, it has excellent hiding power and good, mainly used in printing materials printed on a layer of opaque white, as "no-look" as the sign. Color screen is suitable for printing thick, solid pattern and text. From another perspective, as opposed to several other printing processes, silk screen printing speed is the slowest one. Offset and the凸印have a good graphic clarity and higher printing speed, but their acquisition costs are high, compared with the screen there is a lack of sufficient hiding power. Flexo's hiding power than the screen was not so satisfactory, but more than offset the higher and凸印; Flexo printing speed and printing screen clarity than strong, but slightly worse than凸印offset and more, from the acquisition of cost point of view, it happens in a low-end and high-end screen printing and offset between the凸印.

     These types of technology used on their own when they have their inherent limitations, if they choose the best characteristics of each other and then they combine to form a narrow range of Web production line, users can get the best output efficiency the best image clarity provides a wide range of choice. The use of combination printing plate printing technology is a rapid increase in the number of reasons there are two fundamental factors. First, the end users always allow them to find some products in the supermarket shelves and raise the competitiveness decorating printing methods, and it is this difference with consumption and brand effect of the product areas the first a demand. Packaging and decoration on the novel concept of promoting technology innovation. In this innovation-driven concept, the market optimistic about the combination of the printing of this process, especially the use of UV-curable ink Flexo and screen printing process. Second, as a result of printing presses, ink, printing materials, as well as other support materials to improve performance, the combination of printing technology to promote rapid and highly reliable. It also promoted the signs in high-grade products to enter the printing industry finishing processes of all kinds of medium and small scale enterprises. It is no longer confined to a small number of large-scale printing plant in processing, thus opening up broader fields of application.
  
   Second, UV-curable ink advantage now, in particular, UV-curable ink ink technology development has become the printing technology to promote the development of one of the main factors. It promotes the market portfolio of printing technology on the increase in demand. UV-curable ink since 20 years ago to enter the market has been significant progress being made, in the screen printing industry has played a leading role, in some cases, become reluctant to adopt a kind of ink curing technology. To date, UV-curable ink quality and stability has reached a fairly high level and easy to use, so the printing process in other applications have also made significant growth. In fact, the current industry in Flexo each added 10 new presses are equipped with 8 at least 1 UV curing printing unit. Curing of inks and other methods, UV-curable ink strengths lies not only in the course of processing, but also in print quality, it can not be achieved in other process effects. From the processing perspective, the advantages of UV ink curing process is very stable, the whole process from the UV lamp had just about completed. This process results in the printing, hot stamping, die-cutting and any other finishing processes can be placed on a machine on-line production, so that processing can minimize the workload of maximum production efficiency. In addition, UV inks good bonding properties suitable for a wide range of printing materials, including the past it is difficult to deal with the plastic film, such as: BOPP, PET, polyethylene, polystyrene and co-extruded film composite materials. As a result of UV ink excellent bonding properties obviously reduced prepress supplementary working hours. UV ink does not contain volatile components, such as solvent or water, will not make color changes and printing features. UV ink in the printing in color and easy to maintain the stability of viscosity, once in the printing color adjustment before the good after the adjustments press the workload on the very small, but also no longer need to add other additives. Printing half-way down, in light Anilox roller and the ink will not dry. UV ink layer surface has a very high resistance to abrasion and chemical stability, which is the reason why plate products to the main reason for the use of combination printing.

     UV inks with high hiding power and gloss, printed goods is also high-definition, can fully reflect the end-user demand on product quality - allowing users of products in the market can stand head and shoulders above results.

     Third, the challenges of printing portfolio Obviously, such excellent quality and easy to use a combination of the printing process, if successful, any person who will follow the example of the market will be flooded with a large number of similar products. While this process has become very reliable, but in fact, still in the hands of a certain degree of difficulty. For printing operator, surviving in a series of controversial points, but a considerable number of variables need to be effectively controlled, such as:

  1. In choosing a combination printer, the printing must ensure that the order between print unit has sufficient variability to adapt to a variety of printed materials required for a combination of printing technology. In general, the heat烫印机Group has always been placed in the printing unit of the terminal areas, to screen to print color version, what is the silk screen unit placed in Flexo unit after the first or even in the middle, This involves the printer configuration to take into account the various units should be fixed or variable decisions.

  2. Different ink printing technology used in the composition is different and different between the ink is not always compatible with each other because of different technologies is subject to different chemical principle to support. So that two different systems used in printing ink will result in overprint between the rate and adhesion problems. For example: no silicon UV Flexo Ink often silicon to produce the silk screen printing ink overprint poor performance; in different manufacturing production between the ink, and is often incompatible with each other will happen, or even in the same factory between different product lines will also not compatible with the problem occurred. In such cases are not compatible, it is usually by the operator in the printing ink machine to be adjusted to solve. But the best way forward is in the printing ink before compatibility testing, and from the ink suppliers to obtain technical support.

   3. Ink sometimes with other postpress finishing processes, such as: hot stamping, inkjet and laser printers and other graphic incompatible, prior to carry out proper testing or from ink suppliers to obtain technical support to overcome this The key types of failure.

  4. With a different color ink color printing technology, because factories tend to choose different color to the substrate preparation, which means that a different ink technology, such as screen printing ink for color ink and Flexo often be a problem. Any formal color after factory trained personnel or the lack of advanced color type used by colorimeter like devices with a color error is considerable.

  5. In combination speed printing presses on the button is always subject to the slowest pace in which a unit, such as heat or round烫印机screen printing unit. For example, the use of UV inks Flexo machine speed can reach 300 feet / min, machine烫印机even if the speed is only 100 feet / min, when the need for printed materials Stamping, it can not be 300 feet / min speed operation .

  6. Factory operators to carry out a variety of printing technology training is important because different processes require different types of operating skills. A wide range of skills training to ensure operators have a variety of technical operation as well as fully understand the technical parameters of various processes are necessary measures.

  7. When the first printing press printing technology into the portfolio, another training goal is to plant the sales staff, not only in order to enable them to supply customers with the sector to deal with customers Institute also called for creative designers exchanges, and in the final product design process is closely linked to each other work.

     Fourth, the future development trend of newly developed varieties of ink has been demonstrated many improvements, particularly in the silk screen and UV Flexo UV ink products. In the UV Flexo Ink has been introduced with high color density, low viscosity of water-based ink, which for high-capacity network Anilox hole, which can reproduce the effect of the fine print, lower ink consumption rate and higher printing speed. Screen printing is now a round of even directly from the barrels of ink drawn Unadjusted Flexo Ink. This new development makes the first combination of printing companies with greater variability and differences, and make the printing process more stable and reliable. In a relatively short period of printed copies, the digital printing will start on the combination of printing to show support for a positive trend. Digital printing has long entered the short version of the signs the market, but also a large number of personalized print an ideal tool. But in the near future is likely to screen printing or flexo printing unit length version of the background pattern, and jet printing to digital printing unit of personalized content.

   The future, as another direction of development of the electron beam (EB) curing ink to enhance the potential trend. EB ink that is not only the advantages of both UV technology, but also has high hiding power. Today in the use of combination printing ink EB curing equipment still appeared too costly, but once the prices of such technology, EB curing inks will become a driving force for the next leap forward, it will make the ink layer hiding power and the printer's higher speed to meet the requirements of good fast processing.

    With the continuous advancement of technology, and end-users on the difference between the requirements of the ever-increasing trend is obvious, the prospect of combination printing is also bright. In fact, according to industry market forecasts to 2003, the signs printed in a combination of printing processing of income ratio is expected to reach 80%. After a few years ago the development of combination printing is no longer the kind of used to a small number of people from the mysterious master of technology, but has become a kind of reliability, repeatability mainstream type of process technology, the future with more advanced The introduction of technology and materials, the development trend will continue.