During the conference, Dr Heylen will specifically discuss two recently launched, award-winning UV flexo coating products: Evolution deinking primer, designed to enhance the recyclability of shrink sleeves, and Evolution caustic-resistant OPV, which facilitates the recycling of PET bottles utilising pressure-sensitive labels.

Dr Marc Heylen, Flint

The LMAI Conference 2023 is scheduled to take place at the Hotel Leela in Jaipur from 20-22 July 2023, and over 450 delegates from the label and packaging industry are expected to participate.

Interacting with PrintWeek/WhatPackaging, on the presentation at LMAI Conference, Dr Sreenivas Goud, director for sales, India and exports, Flint, said that the company has been addressing sustainability while productivity and enhancing performance through its products. “A significant advancement in this field lies in curing methods, where LED (light-emitting diode) curing is gradually emerging as a superior alternative to traditional UV (ultraviolet) curing, outperforming it in many aspects. Additionally, applying Dual Cure technologies like those found in Flint Group's EkoCure product line further enhances these advancements.”

Converters today are focused on enhancing their operations to achieve global competitiveness and industry dominance through continuous refinement and improvement of their efficiencies. Fast presses need consumables which have the capability to run at good speeds.

Goud suggested that through UV LED lamps and Dual Cure inks, an elevated level of control and precision brings new possibilities for high-speed printing applications, particularly in the label and narrow web sector. “In turn, this enables businesses to meet ever-tighter deadlines and increase overall operational efficiency.”

What are the benefits? Goud explained, “UV curing systems require frequent maintenance and bulb replacements to remain productive, typically lasting between 1,000-2,000 hours. While UV has been a staple of printing for a long time, this is no longer sufficient for high-volume, high-performance printers and converters. LED curing offers numerous benefits that come into play, including long-lasting operation hours (over 20,000 hours), eliminating the need for maintenance. Additionally, it provides an instant on/off mode and enhances the certainty of achieving a complete cure while being mercury and ozone-free and reducing energy consumption."

PrintWeek/WhatPackaging? asked Goud about the big trends in flexo that could be a game-changer. He said, “The focus will be on sustainability, and reduction of energy will be the critical aspect of sustainability.”

There will be tips on what every label company should follow in their plant that Dr Heylen will share during the conference presentation. One tip in advance, PrintWeek/WhatPackaging? asked, “Focus on the rise of LED-based systems in UV flexo printing - explore the rise of LED-based systems in UV flexo printing by putting LED curing in the spotlight,” said Goud.