Flexography(Flexo Printing) is one of printing method by using flexible plates. This flexo printing method has been activated recently. In particular, the flexo printing method is being adopted because of environmental issues in the packaging market.
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Flexography(Flexo Printing) is one of printing method by using flexible plates. This flexo printing method has been activated recently. In particular, the flexo printing method is being adopted because of environmental issues in the packaging market.
The packaging industry continues to expand globally. It is expected to increase from $783billion(877 trillion won) in 2013 and $848.9billion(950 trillion won) in 2015 to $917billion(1027 trillion won) in 2019 to $1.5trillion(117.842 trillion won) in 2024.
In the case of the domestic market, the market was built around 45 trillion won in 2019, plastic material market include flexible packaging accounted for 45% of the total, paper packaging 33%, metal packaging 7%, glass packaging 2% and other packaging 13%.
Gravure printing is known to be suitable for mass production and high quality products traditionally and flexo printing is known to be suitable for low-volume production and low quality printing. However, flexo printing market has been developed so that quality is almost same with gravure printing in these 10~15 years. Among Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe, where gravure printing preference was high, the flexo printing market is rapidly expanding, especially in Asia.
The reason is first, environmental regulations which bans using toluene became strict. Since toluene is used in most gravure printing, the number of companies convert to flexo printing due to such environmental regulations is increasing. Second, there is increasing number of cases in which brand owners who want to solve environmental problems require flexo printing from printing companies. In the end, it was in accordance with the consumer’s demand (FMCG, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods), and as a result, the printing company was affected. In addition, there is a trend in which one company successfully switched to flexo printing and then another companies switched to flexo printing one after another. In particular, as many European flexo printing machines are installed in Asia, it can be seen as a phenomenon that follows the trend to survive the competition.
In addition, as the number of single-person households increases socially, disposable packaging products have increased, and the flexo market is expanding based on the calculation that mass production is more efficient than gravure. It is also a measure of change due to the need for an eco-friendly approach under chemical regulation(Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances‧Chemical Substance Management Act.) which has been in effect in Korea since 2015.
According to a survey by Smiths Pira, the global flexo printing market reached $147 billion (about 164 trillion won) in 2013. If it records an annual growth rate of 2.3%, it will be a market worth $187 billion (about 206 trillion won) by 2023. As the proportion of multiple varieties small-volume production increases, not only the scope of expansion of the flexo market varies, but the growth rate may also be higher than predicted.
In the case of lithography offset and gravure, CMS research was actively conducted since before. However, there are few studies that have applied CMS to flexo, so data is relatively insufficient.
Flexo printing is difficult to realize with ordinary method because its unique characteristic as anilox roller, etc. Therefore, in this study, I will find optimized plates making and CMS conditions at flexo printing that fits the printing conditions and implement printed materials in accordance with the international standard GRACoL G7.