Kolding, Denmark and Neuwied, Germany - TRESU, the Danish supplier of flexographic printing lines and ancillary products and Lohmann GmbH & Co.KG, the German manufacturer of customised adhesive solutions for diverse industrial sectors, including the packaging converting and printing industry, have entered a strategic partnership aimed at optimising performance of mounting tapes for a range of high-speed flexo-printing situations. 

TRESU is building and supplying Lohmann with a flexo unit to simulate a range of mid-web printing situations. At the same time, TRESU will conduct research with Lohmann’s plate mounting tapes in its print tests at its demo centre. TRESU’s unit will be used for training and dry-run testing in Lohmann’s TEC Center, the technology centre that is currently under construction at the company’s Neuwied (Germany) headquarters.

The partnership allows both suppliers to improve the flexo printing process by monitoring the performance of the press and different plate and tape combinations with a wide range of hardness values.  The aim of the collaboration is also to optimise the performance of tapes for new printing machines, where speeds are high. The two companies will investigate ways to reduce vibration and improve stability, in order to reproduce high-screen rulings of offset quality, made possible thanks to innovations in printing form and imaging technology, with minimal dot gain.

Other areas of research are likely to include heat resistance, a concern when printing at high speeds during longer run lengths, elastic recovery and ease of mounting, removal and setting of printing pressure without compromising quality.  TRESU and Lohmann will also investigate how to minimise dot gain and maintain smooth, bounce-free production at high speeds over long periods of time. 

Lohmann´s graphics segment provides single and double-sided adhesive tapes for assembling printing plates e.g. used on a wide range of packaging materials from 5μm film to cardboard several millimetres thick. Lohmann’s offering for flexible packaging and carton printing applications is the DupoFLEX®plate mounting foam tape range. Available in different foam hardnesses, the tape easily regains original shape thanks to a closed cell structure and has high stable compressibility.

Søren Maarssø, Chief Operating Officer of TRESU, comments: “Thanks to developments in printing form materials and imaging systems, the construction of dots that reproduce finer linework, contrast and half-tones with greater consistency are now possible. This means that the key to improving the performance of flexo lies at the production stage. The installation of the TRESU unit at the Lohmann Research Center and the close collaboration between the two companies will enable us to look at ways of optimising tape material qualities and press performance, so that the flexo process can reach its true quality potential.” 

Dr. Norman Goldberg, Executive Board Lohmann, comments: “The partnership between TRESU and Lohmann is the perfect answer to the ever more demanding flexo printing requirements. The printing industry especially is faced with highly competitive pressure: complex print jobs, increasing demands on quality and narrow time-frames. This is a call for premium and efficient solutions and our collaboration will enable us to optimise our mounting tape products and to learn from each other. Together, we strive towards creating customized solutions for these increased demands.”