Hybrid Cylinders Update and Outlook for 2018
2017 was an active year for the Hybrid Cylinder technology. A year in which also saw the advancement of the Roto-Hybrid Process® and the continued simultaneous development of complementary gravure and gravure cylinder technologies to better address the current and future needs of various gravure markets over and above the Hybrid Cylinder.
The Roto-Hybrid Process® is the culmination of several years of research and development to bring about a better, quicker and cheaper gravure printing process.
Chrome Replacement & Green Gravure
Whilst there is uncertainty ahead in the long term, in respect of the use of Chromium VI within the gravure industry as permitted by the European Chemicals Agency, the landscape is beginning to change despite the current and/or future regulatory challenges and pressure is being placed upon the industry from brand owners to remove chromium from gravure pre-press.
Despite the health, safety and environmental concerns with the use of chromium in gravure the RotoHybrid team have brought about a program of research and development not just to introduce a viable alternative to using Chromium VI in gravure, but with a replacement technology that offers better performance over and above the use of chrome with significant ink savings experienced on press.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon2020 programme for research, technological development and demonstration.
The Green Gravure project aims to bring to the market the state-of-the-art Roto-Hybrid Process which combines two novel pre-press gravure printing cylinder process technologies; Hybrid Cylinder technology to enable size variable printing cylinder production and a gravure cylinder coating process to replace chrome plating and other electrolytic processes like copper or nickel plating.
The Roto-Hybrid Process provides a unique solution to help address key challenges facing the global gravure printing industry, enabling faster, more cost effective and environmentally friendly cylinder production and processing to help strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of Europe’s gravure printing industry.
Through the collaboration of the Green Gravure project partners, this European Commission FTI Pilot project will advance the Roto-Hybrid Process to market, developing a final prototype system in an operational environment (TRL 8) and through trials with end users.
To this end RotoHybrid will shortly publish some updates on our new gravure cylinder technology as the Green Gravure research project enters the second half of its development, is nearer to market introduction and with relevant case study data to release.
For more information on this research project please see the RotoHybrid Research Projects page and register your interest.