Minnesota is the home of the Flexo Center of Excellence R&D and Applications for Kodak, so it is a regular place for me to visit. This is also the Kodak flexo center for customer support and demonstrations for the Americas, where customers regularly come to gain hands on experience and learn more about our flexo solutions.

Minnesota is an interesting place, but I am really glad the weather for my two visits over the last month was MUCH better than the -45 F plus wind chill In February, which was the coldest I have experienced anywhere.

One of my recent visits included attending a multi-supplier banded anilox test that demonstrated the ability of Flexcel NX Plates, with the right inks, tape and anilox, to truly match the densities of gravure for process and spot colors on wide web flexible packaging. There is a huge level of interest from flexible packaging buyers and printers to be able to match the capabilities of gravure with Flexo. It is clear that there are 3 components to this:

1. Resolution (around 175 lpi (70 lpcm))
2. Consistency
3. Solid Ink Density

With Kodak's latest technology, it is now possible to offer all three via the Flexcel NX System.

Realistically, to achieve this you do need the right press components, files, and application in combination. Some printers are ready, but many are not. The Flexcel NX System is capable of 300 lpi so 175 is no problem, and the flat top dot with 1:1 image transfer from the digital file provides the consistency, but without the right components for anilox, tape, and ink this is still beyond the capabilities of many in wide web flexo today. With the banded roll test results, which will be published as a white paper, it confirmed the requirements and procedure for successful implementation.

The challenge for flexo has been ink density, ink lay down, and visual impact on the shelf, without needing the high numbers of spot colors of traditional digital flexo. This is now addressed, allowing gravure-like high ink densities with process printing and spot colors. This promises to open up the capabilities of Flexo even further.

Not all flexible packaging flexo printers will want gravure quality. For those that have no need to move to higher screen rulings and don't want to make significant press room changes, the Flexcel NX System enables improvement in tonal range, contrast and density that will open up opportunities to grow the market. But for those willing to optimize their printing process the Flexcel NX System opens up a world of possibilities.

During the last trip I also visited Geoff Aker at SGS in Minneapolis, my first time in the facility, one of the largest and certainly one of the nicest I have visited. A clear signal of the investment and commitment required in the modern fast turn around flexo industry.

Minnesota is also home to Joe Tuccitto, FFTA Education Director and a place where we have worked and fished together in the past.

On a completely different topic, I will be the chair for the Emerging Trends & Technology Session at the FFTA in Las Vegas 2010, along with co-chair David Galton of Asahi Photoproducts in Europe. I encourage anyone interested in presenting a new technology, or anything else for this event to submit your up to 250 word abstract to www.flexography.org. If you don't submit an abstract then you have no chance of presenting, so get your thinking caps on and call David or I if you have any questions, or even if you have an idea and want to talk it through. Over the years I have worked for and been a member in many associations, and I have learnt that with associations the world over, the more you get involved the more you get out of it, so don't be shy in coming forward.

My next trip to Minnesota will be in the Fall, when the extra layers may be needed at night, but at least not the heavy winter coat and thermals!

See you next time

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