At the recent IFCA Star Awards 2022, Miraclon India bagged the award in the Innovation-Printing category for PureFlexo Printing. The award was received by the Miraclon India team during the ceremony held at the Bombay Exhibition Center on 15 September.

PureFlexo Printing is the latest and most advanced iteration of plate surface patterning technology for the Flexcel NX System. PureFlexo was preceded by the Digicap NX Patterning, which was launched in 2010, and NX Advantage technologies.

The IFCA Star Awards trophy
Photo Miraclon India

The sequence of advances has continuously improved ink lay-down, improving the quality, predictability, and consistency of flexo printing. The result of more than two years of development and testing, during which time it was used in production on over 20,000 commercial jobs, PureFlexo Printing specifically tackles unwanted ink spread during solvent-ink printing on flexible film.

Controlling unwanted ink spread

To develop PureFlexo Printing, Miraclon leveraged years of research and expertise in understanding ink transfer mechanisms to increase print latitude at all quality levels by controlling unwanted ink spread caused by the high-speed impression/decompression cycle between the flexo plate, ink, and substrate. PureFlexo Printing improves print latitude for flexible packaging and adds a critical tool to break the corrective action cycle for controlling unwanted ink spread. 

Essential to its success is the imaging accuracy and elimination of oxygen inhibition through lamination, which results in 1:1:1 pixel-for-pixel transfer from digital file to film to plate. This core Flexcel NX technology creates the basis for surface patterning capability to achieve the precise and consistent multi-functional surface engineering structures that enable PureFlexo Printing.

The final results on press mean substantial cost savings through greater press up-time, with additional cost savings and positive environmental impact through reduced material and energy waste, and finally increased scheduling effectiveness post-press in lamination and conversion processes.

PureFlexo Printing leverages developed advanced structures just a few microns in size, designed to distribute the impression load, hold ink, and deliver it more precisely to the substrate surface. This innovation results in the smoothest solid areas, with improved dot gains and bridging even at high press running speeds up to 600 meters a minute (2000 feet a minute). It extends press up-time and color stability for industrial numbers of press impressions.