Narrow web printing technology has been developed for nearly 100 years. In the middle period, it was mainly for letterpress printing, and roller offset printing was added later. With the development of flexographic printing technology and screen printing and roller offset printing and other methods. Among them, flexographic printing is the most important one after all. In many fields of printing, it has developed into a mainstream printing method with offset printing and gravure printing. In the recent decade, it has attracted more attention with an annual growth rate of more than double digits.
As with other markets, the label market is also distinctly diverse. It shows that various printing and processing methods have their own living space. This is usually determined by the characteristics of the label itself and the development trend. People divide the label into seven categories according to the product objects they serve: 1. Drinks; 2. Foods; 3. Cosmetics and personal products; 4 , medical and pharmaceuticals; 5, chemicals and household products; 6, industrial products; 7, and other categories such as security and logistics management. According to the industry’s famous “Narrow-width Rotary Printing Technology†magazine, it is expected that self-adhesive labels using self-adhesive materials, ie self-adhesives, as raw materials will be the fastest in the next ten years: The growth rate will reach 10.15%, while the annual growth rate of emerging economies such as China, South America, Eastern Europe and other countries and regions will exceed 20%.
With this rapid growth, different printing methods have seen different growth rates. According to the “Narrow and Rotary Printing Technology†magazine, the market share of stamps in Europe has dropped from 41% in 1990 to 2000. At 12% of the year, multi-functional combined narrow web presses based on flexo printing, especially UV flexo and roller screen printing, are very suitable for the printing of self-adhesive labels, but the market share was 59 in 1990. % rose to 85% in 2000.
So, what are the characteristics of the multi-functional composite web rotary press?
1, a wide range of product adaptation. Modern window web presses continue to create remarkable results in the fields of labels, packaging and special printing. Avery Dennison, one of the world's largest manufacturers of pressure sensitive label materials, uses a large number of narrow web presses to print labels, of which nearly 100 machines are ordered from the famous Gallus, serving the rest of the world.
2. Increasing printing quality. With the development of science and technology, the ink, plate, plate making technology, ceramic anilox roller and other technologies required for water-based flexo printing, UV flexo printing, rotary screen printing, etc. have been fully developed and have been continuously developed, and have fully met the needs of label printing. , And the cost continues to drop.
3, sophisticated machine manufacturing technology. Good man-machine interface, durable body, unique high-precision gear processing technology, and operation of the machine are very stable. At the same time new models are constantly introduced. The Gallus RCS330 narrow web press, as exhibited at Drupa 2000, uses an advanced all-digital drive (shaftless, gearless drive) technology, full computer control, flexo/embossing/silkscreen/offset, and other printing units interchangeable And other latest technologies.
4, flexible and diverse on-line unit platform. Many narrow web presses are modular presses.
For example, Gallus can provide up to 100 different printing unit configurations for different needs such as printing, post-processing, and finished product handling. The Gallus EM260/410/510 series flexo presses provide up to 24 color printing units for water-based flexo printing, UV flexo printing, rotary screen printing and many other configurations that allow different printing units to be interchanged. On the other hand, it also provides a full-featured post-processing platform, such as in-line hot foil stamping, laminating, die-cutting, marking, punching, and crimping. It can realize various printing methods such as roll-to-roll, roll-to-sheet, roll-to-finish and so on. Provide users with a variety of flexible process configurations, and allows users to have a strong process route space. One user said: "This kind of printing press can bring me at least a dozen inventions, which will make our products so different. This is its charm."
5. Unique environmental advantages. Combined narrow web presses, especially flexographic printing, are known as green due to the use of water-based inks or UV inks, no contamination with oily inks or volatile VOCs from solvent inks with toluene or xylene as the solvent. print. Especially in the food packaging, labeling, packaging, and printing industries have become an increasingly important choice for printing. With the increasing emphasis on environmental protection, flexible printing is receiving much attention and favor from people.
The charm of narrow web printing (especially flexo printing) is not only reflected in the above points. A three-year market analysis of Heidelberg, a world-renowned supplier of printing system equipment, shows that the annual growth of flexographic printing technology is More than 10%. Far more than conventional offset and gravure printing.
Faced with new market challenges, the traditional single printing method can no longer meet the needs. Many well-known companies in the industry have noticed this and taken corresponding countermeasures. The comprehensive cooperation between Heidelberg Group and the Gallas Group further demonstrated that Heidelberg has expanded into a narrow-web rotary printing field and integrated advanced offset printing technology with flexographic printing technology. This resulted in the establishment of narrow-width rotary printing in Heidelberg (Narrow Web). ) The research department is dedicated to cutting-edge narrow-width rotary flexo, offset, letterpress, silk screen, and technology research and development and marketing. (Li Xin) ("China Packaging News and Printing Weekly")
Like our colorful and informative real life, high-quality labels for a wide variety of products are emerging as if springing up, and their printing requirements are getting higher and higher. This places very high demands on label printing equipment, narrow web presses.