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

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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