Flexible Packaging Capabilities

Elevating Your Print to the Next Level

THE FLEXIBLE PACKAGING MARKET

INDUSTRY LEADING SOLUTIONS FOR FLEXIBLE PACKAGINGPrinting plates for this market must print clean, high-quality graphics for long periods of time. The flexible packaging printing market traditionally uses medium to hard durometer plates. These plates must be able to print on a variety of substrates with requirements including solid ink coverage, expanded color gamut, and crisp, clear text. MacDermid is a global leader in plate technology for the flexible packaging market, our portfolio consists of analog and digital sheet photopolymer. Our digital sheet portfolio for flexible packaging printing is outlined in the following table:

The flexible packaging printing markets consist of a variety of applications and substrates. Flexible packaging is manufactured from materials including film, paper, plastic, foil, and more. This category includes pouches, bags, blister packs, overwraps, wrappers, and other packages for both food and non-food use.

According to the Flexible Packaging Association’s, “State of the U.S. Flexible Packaging Industry Report 2018”, 75% of flexible packaging in the U.S. in 2017 was printed using flexography. As the dominate supplier in the Americas’, printers and brand managers turn to MacDermid Graphics Solutions for innovative print solutions to ensure their products and graphics stand out in today’s crowded market place. From photopolymer plates to processing systems, MGS offers a comprehensive line of solutions for today’s flexible packaging needs.

Industries that utilize flexible packaging:• Food and beverage• Beauty and personal care• Pet food and care• Medical and pharmaceutical

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

UV INKS

WATER-BASED INKS

NON

-RIG

ID

PLASTIC

INNOVATION

VIBRANT GRAPHICS

THERMAL

SOLV

ENT

FOILUV LED

EXPANDED GAMUT

SHEL

F IM

PACT

POUCHES

WIDE WEBVERSATILE

PHOTOPOLYMER PLATES

BAGS

FLEXOGRAPHY

FILM

PHARMACEUTICAL

PAPER

VIVID

EYE-CATCHING

COLO

RFU

L

BLISTER PACKSANAL

OG

CUST

OMIZ

ABLE

DIGITAL

PROD

UCT

IVIT

Y

RESEALABLE

LON

G RU

NS

HIGHLIGHTS

PRINTABILITY

SUST

AIN

ABLE

CONSISTENCY

STRETCH WRAPSSTRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

CONVENIENCE

FOOD

BEVERAGES

SNACKS

FLAT-TOP DOTSHELF-LIFE

BRANDS

CPGQUAL

ITY

RECYCLABLE

BIODEGRADABLE

STRIP PACKS

Product DurometerClean Plate

Tech. (1)

Flat-Top Dot

Round Top Dot

LUX Process

(2)

UV LED (3)

UV ink (4)

Ozone Resistant

Thermal (5)

Solvent (6)

LUX® ITP™ 60 Hard

LUX ITP M Medium

LUX ITP EPIC® Medium

Digital MAX Hard

Digital MVP Medium

Digital RAVE Hard

UVR Medium

Digital MWW Soft 1. Patented2. Flat-top dots with MGS exclusive LUX Lamination process3. UV LED compatible

4. UV Ink compatible5. Thermal plate processing6. Solvent plate processing

When you need high-quality print results for flexible packaging, trust the #1 provider of photopolymer solutions in the Americas’ market - MacDermid.

Printed Plate Comparison

Plate A Plate B Plate C with clean plate technology

High-quality, consistent print, and long runs are common demands in the flexible packaging market. LUX ITP plates feature our patented clean plate technology allowing printers and converters to meet the demands of their customers. Our clean plate technology reduces the number of press stops and ensures a cleaner print and better ink laydown. This technology increases quality and consistency enabling printers and converters to stay competitive with competing print methods.

The below images are selections from plates run on press for the same amount of time. Plates A and B have significant ink build-up remaining on the plate, while Plate C with our patented clean plate technology has minimal ink build-up.

Proven Clean Plate Results

LUX ITP 60 plates featuring MacDermid’s patented clean plate technology were used at Andrew Kohn for a print run of the flagship ALDI carrier bag. The plates were produced by Brandpack, a division of Graphic Packaging International Australia, using Esko Crystal XPS imaging technology. The job ran for 850,000 lineal meters at 370 mpm without plate cleaning even after stopping the press for lunch break and shift change. The plates showed zero visible dot gain change from the first impression to the last, and the job came up to color and matched the hardcopy proof first pull. The first job at 850,000 lineal meters was stopped as the bag forming conversion line could not keep up. Brandpack Operations Manager, Dean Scales noted, “The results of the LUX ITP 60 clean plate technology led to significant production productivity increase and less press consumable usage.”

A second print run started after the bagging machine caught up and ran an additional 550,000 lineal meters at 370 mpm without having to clean the plates. The plates are still in good condition, ready for the next print run. A total of 1.4 million lineal meters have run successfully without any visible dot gain change from the first impression to the last.

SUSTAINABILITY WITH QUALITY FOR FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

PATENTED CLEAN PLATE TECHNOLOGY

The MacDermid Graphics Solutions R&D team innovates with both sustainability and increasing print quality in mind. From plate material manufacturing, to platemaking, to on press consumable reduction, to used plate disposal, we keep all aspects of the supply chain in mind when developing new plates and platemaking technology. Our sustainable solutions to increase quality include:

Patented Clean Plate Technology LAVA® Thermal Processing Synergistic Partnerships• Increase productivity• Reduce consumable waste• Longer running plates• Consistent print results

• Eliminate VOCs in platemaking• Less energy usage• Shorter platemaking time• Blotter recycling program*

• UV LED exposure technology• Decrease energy usage• Increase quality

• Screening technology• Increase quality • Increase consistency• Reduce consumable waste

*contact MacDermid for information

Your work is our passion. Our sales and service teams are experts in flexo platemaking and print analysis. We offer a full range of services at our Atlanta Innovation Center and your location.

Contact your MacDermid Account Manager for comprehensive plate and equipment solutions to optimize your workflow and meet your customers’ demands.

FLEXOGRAPHIC PLATEMAKING EQUIPMENT

LUX Laminator is the core of the LUX Lamination process used to create flat-top dots. The laminator is a simple device with a small footprint easily added to any digital platemaking workflow. The LUX Laminator is available in two formats: 38” max. working width and 62” max. working width.

EXPERT SERVICE & SUPPORT

LUX Laminator

• Full suite of plate analysis• Betaflex / XRite• Multiple microscopic tools• SEMs for detailed dot by dot analysis• Surface profilometer for detailed surface analysis

• Training center for external or internal training• Print analysis• And more!

Capabilities

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©2019 MacDermid, Inc. All rights reserved.

http://graphics.macdermid.com

Fast and easy to use, MacDermid LAVA thermal plate processing systems are optimized for processing 25 in. x 30 in. to 50 in. x 80 in. plates for maximum productivity. LAVA integrates easily with the most popular front-end prepress systems and software, making it a plug-and-play solution for almost any workflow.

Thermal Plate Processing Systems