Development of a novel Hybrid Cylinder Technology prototype for use in the Gravure Printing Industry

印刷业是英国第五大制造业的一部分，雇佣了约14万人（BPIF）。包装是全球印刷市场的最大组成部分，到2016年将达到8200亿美元（Pira 2012），全球消费者购买的包装产品比以往任何时候都多。目前，凹版和柔版（柔版）是首选的印刷方法，占全球市场的45%和50%。然而，凹版印刷被大多数英国和欧盟软包装材料生产商使用，因为它可以产生数百万个印象而不会遭受图像恶化；它产生正确的色调再现和使用更少的能量/m²比其他方法。凹版印刷行业受到用于将图像转移到承印物上的雕刻镀铜中空钢印刷滚筒的费用和周转时间的限制。由于印刷量越来越小的趋势，减少更换工作所需的时间是重中之重。在这方面，凹版印刷目前是柔印所不能比拟的。而凹印滚筒平均交货时间为5天，柔印形式可在24小时内以低得多的成本提供。在完成了基本的原型设计以证明技术可行性之后，卡姆导电集团寻求推进新型混合气缸技术（HCT），这将有助于为凹版印刷行业提供未来。HCT是基于导电聚合物（ICP）热塑性塑料的电镀，创造了一种创新的功能性金属涂层塑料材料，用于凹版印刷滚筒。该项目旨在克服与表面电镀铜的导电热塑性聚合物的设计、规模扩大和制造相关的重大挑战。将开发一系列长度/直径范围内的原型气缸并在压力机上进行试验，以证明HCT凹印气缸的机械和功能可行性。预计2015年推出

The printing industry forms part of the UK’s 5th largest manufacturing industries, employing~140k people (BPIF). Packaging forms the largest part of the global printing market, set toreach $820bn by 2016 (Pira 2012), with consumers buying more packaged productsworldwide than ever before.Currently, Gravure & Flexography (Flexo) are the preferred methods of printing, constituting45% & 50% of the global market. However, Gravure printing is used by the majority of UK &EU flexible-packaging materials producers as it can produce millions of impressions withoutsuffering image deterioration; it produces correct colour tone reproduction & uses lessenergy/m² than alternative methods.The Gravure industry is hampered by the expense & turn-around time of the engraved coppercoated hollow steel printing cylinders used to transfer the image onto the substrate. Due to theon-going trend to smaller print runs, high emphasis is on reducing time required for jobchanges. In this regard, Gravure is currently outmatched by flexo printing. Whilst Gravurecylinders have an average delivery time of 5 days, flexo printing forms are available within24hrs at much lower cost.Having completed basic prototyping to prove the technical feasibility, Karm ConductivesGroup seek to advance the novel Hybrid Cylinder Technology (HCT) that will help provide afuture for the Gravure printing industry. HCT is based on the electroplating of conductive polymer (ICP) thermoplastic to create an innovative functional metal coatedplastic material for use as Gravure printing cylinders. The project aims to overcome thesignificant challenges associated with design, scale-up & manufacturing of the electricallyconductive thermoplastic polymer with surface electroplated copper. A series of prototypecylinders over a range of lengths/diameters will be developed & trialled on press todemonstrate mechanical & functional viability of HCT Gravure cylinders. Expected mktintroduction 2015