You outta be in film

Experts say much of narrow-web flexo's growth lies in films, but converters must carefully choose technological tactics to combat the competition.

"Paper or plastic?" used to be a standard question grocery shoppers would hear on their way through the checkout line. These days, many store clerks don't even bother to ask for a preference. Plastic bags have captured more than three-quarters of the grocery and convenience store market, and are often the only type of bag seen at the checkout.

The grocery bag debate has long been closed, but "paper or plastic?" is becoming an ever-more-burning question for printers in the narrow-web flexo arena. Indeed, every expert interviewed for this article named filmic labels and/or flexible packaging as the top growth opportunity in the market. But are films a feasible fit for the product mix of every narrow-web flexo business?

According to one industry insider, four-color prime labels have become too price-competitive to yield significant growth, and even though more folding carton business is moving to narrow-web flexo, the carton market as a whole continues to contract. These market forces are among the key factors leading the average flexo label printer to take a serious look at growth opportunities in both unsupported and pressure-sensitive film applications.

Taking up the film trend

Press manufacturers that are fielding the growing number of film market inquiries identify a variety of motivating factors.

"Everybody's been talking about films," acknowledges Edgar Minino, sales director at Gallus. Minino says flexible packaging has been making steady narrow-web inroads for the past three to five years because of its better economic viability for shorter-size runs.

At PCMC, a key sign that flexible packaging is "the hottest growth area for narrow-web" is that many wide-web customers are building relationships with narrow-web converters, says Lisa Prunty, marketing specialist. Wide-web converters are turning over shorter flexpack runs to the narrow-web houses in order to stay competitive and retain existing business, she explains.

Ko-Pack Corp. of America offers another enthusiastic report. "We are getting a lot of calls from printers wanting to enter the film market," says Gerry Nigg, director of sales. Nigg identifies three major market trends that have been nudging narrow-web printers toward investigating films: the transition of paper to plastic within the general packaging market; growth in filmic beverage packaging, particularly soft drinks; and the expansion of film's role as an information carrier on the package (recipes, medical information, promotions, etc.). Package constructions that Nigg cites as holding particular promise include shrinkable sleeves, standing pouches, and clear plastic folding cartons.

Ken Daming, director of product management at Mark Andy, calls the movement toward more filmic labels and packaging "the single biggest trend we've seen." He sees solid growth opportunity in wrap-around roll-fed labels, shrink sleeve labels, roll-on shrink labels, and any application where "the label is the package."

Daming says attractiveness and cost-effectiveness continue to draw package designers to these label/packaging structures. While shrink labels allow the design of a distinct, more aesthetically pleasing container shape, the "label-as-packaging" design brings such cost savings as eliminating the need to ship truckloads of empty containers to a filling facility.

Turning enthusiasm into earnings

Narrow-web flexo printers who want to secure a profitable place in the film market should consider optimizing an existing press or purchasing a new machine to meet their objectives.

At Mark Andy, improvements in tension control and heat management on-press have been a major focus, Daming relates. The Comco ProGlide MSP multi-substrate printing and converting system incorporates a responsive tension system, as well as a chill drum system that prevents heat from getting to the substrate. This way, films that are made to shrink under heat don't shrink prematurely. The ProGlide MSP can accommodate unsupported films as thin as .001˝, and is available in widths up to 26˝.

PCMC is catering its narrow-web flexo equipment to provide high-quality graphics and quick changeovers for flexible packaging jobs. Its latest in-line flexo press, Evolution™, features the company's Deck x 2™ print deck design—a single impression cylinder operating between two color decks, allowing a shorter web path and add-on print modules and converting options. Automatic rack- out/rack-in features allow 30-minute changeovers for eight-color jobs. The new press is available in web widths from 18 to 30˝ and features line speeds up to 750 fpm.

Nilpeter recently introduced a "drop-in" UV rotary screen unit for its FA-3300 13˝ modular flexo press, which is designed for converting self-adhesive laminates and thin unsupported films. The Stork screen unit is said to work by replacing the anilox roll and rubber roller used in the standard flexo inking process with the drop-in unit, which acts like another impression roller. Individual units can be retrofitted at any stage in the production sequence.

Balancing challenges and benefits

Even amid all the positive industry buzz, experts are hesitant to categorize films as the absolute future of flexo, and caution printers about potential technical issues, possible larger-scale investments, and stiff competition.

"There is a 'Catch-22' with films," Minino says, explaining pressure-sensitive film materials are generally more costly, and ever-thinner films are harder to print. These jobs become more complicated and require higher-end equipment.

On the other hand, he notes, narrow-web printers that enter the film business focusing on more basic applications must prepare for a boatload of competition. "There is no free lunch," he sums up.

To help true narrow-web film beginners explore the market without breaking the bank, Gallus offers its EM280 Basis press, a six-color machine with water-based flexo, screen, and UV coating capability, at under $350,000.

Printers can use the Basis press to enter the film market at the "bottom," temporarily deal with the more intense competition, and then grow the capabilities of the press through add-on modules as their business grows, Minino adds.

Gallus has also recently announced new dual-drive print heads for its higher-end EM410 flexo/rotary screen/hot foil stamping press. The new heads offer the capability to transition from traditional pressure-sensitive substrates to unsupported films without the need for modifications to the press.

At Ko-Pack, technology developments have focused on helping the printer differentiate in the film market by becoming more self-sufficient. "Anybody can print on both sides of the web and roll it up," says Nigg. "If you are going to get into film printing, you are going to have to have converting capability. Converters have had to come up with additional press options to compete."

Ko-Pack's 15˝ 400F Flexo Twin CID Press features two central impression drums running clockwise that can print six colors on the front and back side of film without turning the web. The press can also be configured to add coating adhesive, over-laminating, rotary diecutting, slitting, and rewinding functions in one pass. The 400F is also capable of printing personalized information on either side of bottle wraps to create collectible items or consumer coupons.

This press was used to produce promotional beverage wrap labels carrying a four-color process with print on the front and back that were distributed during the 2002 World Cup soccer competition. According to Ko-Pack, the collectible images of soccer players featured on the labels pushed beverage sales up 7.6 percent.

By: Sue Friedman