Bringing Flexo Into the Fold

Webtron's Coddington describes an infinitely variable feed approach—the ability to drive the draw or pull cylinder at a different rate than the print cylinder to accommodate a wide window of substrate thicknesses. He also turns the spotlight back on flexo's newer-founded short-run appeal. "Web offset technology requires up to $100,000 of tooling per deck for a different repeat, while flexo's inexpensive one cylinder or one sleeve change per repeat can bust the paradigm, allowing printers to make money running a few cartons or many millions," he says.