Unique waterless offset printing technology (below)

The ink is uniform and the gloss is good. Waterless offset printing does not have the phenomenon of ink unevenness due to fluctuations in ink balance. After the printed product is dried, the ink layer is thick, colorful, and the quality is stable.

Overprint accuracy and high accuracy. Since waterless offset printing has no influence of the fountain solution, it will not cause the phenomenon of paper expansion and contraction, thus ensuring the overprinting accuracy and high precision of the printing product.

Plates are printed quickly, saving test paper. Since waterless offset printing does not adjust the ink balance process, after a dozen or more trials are printed, it can be officially started to print, thus saving printed paper.

High printing efficiency and short production cycle. Lithographic Offset Because of ink-water balance problems, colors tend to change, leading to unstable print quality. Therefore, operators need to have extensive experience to control complex ink-water balance. However, waterless offset printing does not have complicated ink and ink balance problems. Therefore, the preparation time for printing is short and the printing speed is fast. Moreover, the adjustment and downtime are reduced in the printing process, the production cycle is shortened, and the printing efficiency is improved. According to relevant publications, both types of printing are printed at the same speed and at the same time. Waterless offset printing is 54% higher than the total number of lithographic offsets.

Plate printing rate is high. Waterless offset sheet-fed presses can reach 100,000 impressions, while web-fed rotary presses can reach more than 150,000 impressions. Japan's "Toray" company's HG3 positive version can reach 400,000 India, DG5 positive version can reach 1 million India.

Conducive to environmental protection and save material consumption. Waterless offset printing does not use the dampening system, so there is no pollution of the dampening solution to the environment. At the same time, the consumption of material is minimized due to the elimination of water fountain solution, protective glue, and paper saving.

Suitable for new technologies of FM network. The network size of the FM network is the same, and the printing density is represented by the number of outlets. Because of the good reproducibility of the waterless offset printing dots and the small dot gain, the FM technology is suitable for waterless offset printing.

3, the development of waterless offset printing

As early as in 1968, the United States 3M company developed a waterless offset printing plate, and successfully trial production in 1972, at that time, had caused the world's printing industry was shocked. However, due to problems such as easy scratching of the plate during the plate making process, instability of the non-graphical part of the printing plate, and temperature rise caused by frictional heating of the printing machinery, 3M eventually gave up the research plan. In 1972, after purchasing a 3M patent from the United States, Toray Corporation of Japan, with the aim of practical application of waterless offset printing, continued to engage in research and development. In 1977, it introduced a watermarkless version to the market and at the DRUPA Expo that year. The Japanese Komori four-color offset press was used to perform the show, causing great interest in the world printing industry. In order to adapt to the development of waterless offset printing, thereafter, the water repellency of the water-free offset printing material silica gel layer was continuously improved, the viscosity of the ink was improved, and the cooling system was installed on the printing press, resulting in a significant increase in the quality of waterless offset printing products. Water offset printing has seen a booming situation.

Waterless offset printing in Japan has developed rapidly. It is understood that at the end of the 1990s, the largest three printing companies in Japan (Greater Japan, Letterpress, and Kyodo) used waterless offset printing products to account for 40% of single-sheet offset printing and over 10% of web offset printing. About 85% of Japan's Wenxiangtang Sanada Printing Co., Ltd. uses offset printing. In the beginning, Japan used waterless offset printing in high-quality albums, high-line art works, and exquisite commercial advertisements, but after many years of practice and development, printed products are now waterless offset printing. Due to the good quality of waterless offset printing products, simplified operation, and high production efficiency, it is now increasingly used by countries around the world. According to related publications, the current waterless offset printing market in the United States has a market share of 5-6%, Europe is 6-7%, and Germany is expected to increase to 10% by 2006. In addition to Japan, Asia has a certain proportion of Taiwan Province, Southeast Asia. Some countries also use a small amount. In China, waterless offset printing is still not well developed. The main reason is that the localization of consumables has not been resolved. The import price of waterless offset printing plates is 4 to 5 times higher than that of the PS version, and the import ink price is also higher. Times. In terms of wages, the water-free offset printing plate printing price per color is nearly 2 times higher than the lithographic offset printing (lower than the Japanese and other countries), such a high wage, from the current economic development in China, Most users are uncomfortable. In addition, at present, China's printing companies themselves have thin processing products, coupled with fierce market competition, business downturn, the original lithographic offset equipment can meet market demand, especially in the past 10 years, there are horizontal printing in prepress In terms of highly digitized aspects, computer-based computer-to-plate (CTP) and computer direct-printing (DDCP) technologies have gradually become more and more automated in the printing machinery, so that most companies will focus their efforts In the traditional lithographic offset.

Waterless offset printing has rapid development in Europe and the United States because of its advantages of good product quality, high production efficiency, convenient operation, low paper consumption, and low environmental pollution. In China, with the opening to the outside world, rapid economic and technological development, and an increase in export trade, especially foreign companies continue to enter the Chinese market, the demand for high-quality prints such as product samples, high-grade pictures, and exquisite packaging and decoration are increasing. In order to compete for the market, foreign commercial companies and a few domestic advertising companies are willing to use waterless offset printing for high-quality prints even if they spend more on work. For this reason, in China's major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, waterless offset printing has a good market prospect.

Source: "Packaging and Printing Online"