Flexographic printing - the pride of green packaging printing
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First, green packaging, leading the trend of modern packaging
The so-called "green packaging" refers to packaging that is harmless to the ecological environment and human health, can be recycled and recycled, and is sustainable. In foreign countries, the development of green packaging has been for decades, and many countries have established relevant institutions and have developed environmental protection signs.
In 1975, the world's first "green" logo for green packaging came out in Germany. In June 1993, the International Organization for Standardization established the "Environmental Management Technical Committee" (TC207) and developed a set of environmental management standards such as quality management - ISO14000. After that, the US business community and the packaging industry have implemented the ISO14000 standard and formulated relevant “environmental report cards” to evaluate the life cycle of packaging and improve the environmental management system of packaging enterprises. In October 1994, an environmental audit certification organization was established in Japan. The European Community also proposed the European Environmental Management and Environmental Review in March 1993, which was implemented in April 1995. Our country has also developed its own corresponding logo.
It can be said that green packaging has become the world trend of product packaging.
Second, flexo printing, creating a green ace in the packaging industry
1. Solvent ink, environmental pollution, difficult to carry out environmental responsibility
At present, many printing enterprises in China, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, mostly use offset printing, gravure printing, silk screen printing and other printing methods. In the process of printing, post-pressing, etc., the environmental pollution caused by it has attracted more and more attention.
The inks used in offset printing, gravure printing, silk screen printing, etc. are mainly solvent-based. Solvent-based inks contain organic solvents that are volatile and can easily harm the health of operators during printing. In addition, for printings with thick ink layers, some solvent remains in the ink layer. These residual solvents are more difficult to run off after processing such as film coating. Once these products are packaged as packaging materials, the solvent will be slow. Slow migration and penetration directly harm human health.
2. Water-based ink, green, and flexo printing
Water-based ink is recognized as an environmentally friendly ink in the world. It does not contain or contain a very small amount of organic solvents, thus avoiding the contamination of volatile organic compounds, improving the printing environment and beneficial to human health. In addition, the water-based ink completely eliminates the harm to the human body and the pollution of the packaged products, and is particularly suitable for products such as foods, beverages, and medicines.
In the United States, water-based inks are the only non-toxic inks approved by the American Food and Drug Association. The products are widely used in flexible packaging such as food and pharmaceuticals. According to reports, at present, 40% of plastic printing in the United States uses water-based inks. In Japan, Germany and other countries, more and more water-based inks are used in plastic film printing. The UK has already banned the use of solvent-based inks for printing packaged foods. film.
Flexographic printing is widely used in water-based inks. Therefore, it is also known as green printing. In foreign countries, applications are becoming more and more widespread.
Third, flexographic printing, creating a new field of China's packaging and printing industry
1. Flexographic printing, the call of the times
In China, the output of green products is growing at a rate of about 30% per year. However, in the understanding of “green packaging”, many people have a misunderstanding: that paper packaging is “green”. I personally think that such understanding is one-sided.
If you pay attention to major supermarkets and shopping malls, you will find that most of the so-called “green products” do not meet the requirements of green packaging: the packaging materials used, the printing inks and adhesives used are not environmentally friendly. The requirements, after such packaging, may cause pollution to the packaged products, which will greatly reduce the "green".
In China, many green foods do not have green packaging, and many examples of opportunities for many companies to lose their participation in international competition are numerous. According to the Oriental Morning Post, Chen Junshi, a researcher at the Center for Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and a leading expert in food safety in China, said that the US Food and Drug Administration publishes the types and quantities of illegal foods detained from China every month. However, the vast majority of these foods are detained because of unqualified labels, and there are very few toxic and harmful products that really affect the health of consumers.
How to get rid of the situation of "first-class products, second-class packaging, third-class prices"? How to break through the "green barriers" set by developed countries to go abroad? It has become the current era requirement for China's packaging and printing industry.
2. Flexographic printing, the choice of products to go abroad
At present, environmental protection issues have increasingly become the focus of attention around the world. People are not only paying more and more attention to the safety of food and medicine, but the environmental protection of product packaging has also begun to enter people's field of vision. Product packaging has received increasing attention and has become an important means for many western developed countries to set up trade barriers.
Our products have to enter the market of developed countries. Because they have strict requirements on the environmental protection standards of products, and we must break through this 'green barrier', we must standardize the products according to internationally unified standards. For Christmas cards exported to the United States, we need to test the samples to the relevant personnel in the United States for testing, in line with their environmental indicators. If we use ordinary ink to print products, it may not be recognized by foreign users, but it will meet environmental protection requirements when printing with water-based inks.
Fourth, flexo printing, creating a new era of China's packaging and printing industry
China's flexographic printing is still in its infancy, no matter from the market share of products or the maturity of process technology, it can not be compared with foreign countries. However, in the printing industry, especially in the packaging and printing industry, in the process of more and more product packaging to the direction of high-end, multi-color, multi-color, it has already shown tenacious vitality.
1. Flexographic printing, the focus of national policy
The state attaches great importance to the development of flexographic printing technology. In 1998, the China Printing and Equipment Industry Association conducted a demonstration on the direction and focus of the special product structure adjustment. The development of flexographic printing technology was listed as one of the six topics. When the China Printing and Equipment Industry Association formulated the printing industry's "10th Five-Year Plan", it is planned that printing by flexographic printing will account for about 30% of the entire printing method by 2010.
The market is changing rapidly, but there are laws of its development and change, grasping the pulse of the times, and understanding the market context has become the key to advance and retreat in the industry competition.
2. Grasping opportunities, reviewing the situation, developing flexo
Now, the United States and some European countries have banned the use of solvent-based inks containing benzene. China has also ordered to stop using benzene-containing inks within a limited time. It is necessary to seize the opportunity and actively introduce the flexo printing process.
China's flexographic printing started late, equipment maintenance and other supporting work is not perfect, enterprises must have a global consideration and long-term vision in the upper flexographic printing process. First of all, we must do a good job in market research, investigate and study market demand, and secondly, we must clarify product positioning and propose a feasibility report for developing flexo printing. So as to avoid rushing, blind development, and causing losses.
In addition, we must always pay attention to the development trend of flexo printing, choose the right time, and update the equipment.
3. Looking for opportunities, catching matching, and actively exploring new industries of flexographic printing
The process, equipment and plate of flexographic printing are a unified whole, and there is a close internal relationship between them. However, the current flexographic printing industry still lacks its own printing experts, plate making experts, water-based ink experts and other professionals. The lack of business opportunities, the lack of flexographic experts, provides a good opportunity for the development of new industries.
1) Build an aircraft carrier for modern flexographic printing equipment manufacturing companies. At present, China's domestic flexo printing machine, plate making machine and supporting equipment (such as plate, anilox roller, ink, glazing oil, etc.) have a certain gap compared with foreign countries. Relevant equipment manufacturers should seize the opportunity to become bigger and stronger, and narrow the gap with their foreign counterparts as soon as possible to meet the needs of flexo printing, and then gradually replace the goal of eventually going abroad.
2) Form an internationally competitive water-based ink manufacturer. In general, the flexographic printing water-based inks produced in China are relatively complete. However, the requirements of characteristics such as water-based ink, fluidity, viscosity, etc. vary with different substrates. Therefore, the development of corresponding inks for specific printing materials has become an era requirement for water-based ink manufacturers in China. In addition, there are many large and small printing companies in China, and the competition is fierce. The ability of each enterprise to bear the cost of ink is not the same. How to produce different types of water-based inks of various grades to meet the needs of different manufacturers. It has become the key to the survival of China's water-based ink production enterprises.
3) Strengthen technical training, cultivate flexographic printing professionals, and establish a new industrial chain.
For most printers, it is familiar with the printing process of offset printing and gravure printing, but it is relatively unfamiliar to the flexographic printing process; many companies apply the whole process of flexographic printing from product design, plate making, printing to post-press processing. The operation has not yet been fully grasped, resulting in the current operation of some flexographic printing enterprise equipment is not normal, the product quality is not stable enough, and the scrap rate is high.
In view of this, various training institutions, such as vocational schools, can set up various forms of training courses. Systematic training from design, plate making, printing, post-press and auxiliary equipment materials (such as anilox roller, ink, etc.) to improve the overall quality of the operator, thereby improving the level of process operation and management of the flexo practitioners, making the flexo Printing production has reached a new level.
We believe that with the broad demand of the market and the strong support of national policies, with the rapid development of China's packaging and printing industry, especially the rapid expansion of new application areas, flexographic printing will have a broader development prospects. Will lead the packaging and printing industry in China into a new era.