The May edition of the GravurExchange
Your source for news and events!
Inside May’s GravurExchange:
- Article on Visual Management for Print Manufacturing by Greg Horney of BST North America
- Article on Transitioning From Chrome to Ceramic Coating Rollers by John Rastetter, VP of Sales & Marketing-Pamarco
- Information from Episodic Event Webinar
- EPA and Environmental News
- Upcoming Events and Other Gravure-Printing News
GravurExchange is always looking for interesting ideas to share:
In February, Greg Horney of BST North Amarica was the speaker for an FTA Webinar on Visual Management for Print Manufacturing and after attending the webinar, GravurExchange asked Greg to write an article so our members could learn his thoughts and methods.
Visual Management for Print Manufacturing
By Greg Horney, Central Region Sales Manager, BST North America
To understand visual management, we need to define it. Visual management is simple signals that provide an immediate understanding of a situation or condition of a process. They are efficient, self-regulating, and worker-managed. This is a circular process as part of our daily process to quickly identify problems or cues to perform tasks, understand the signal, fix the problem, or perform the task and repeat as necessary.
Examples include:
• Color-coded dies, tools, or pallets
• Lines on the floor to delineate storage areas, walkways, work areas, etc.
• Improved lighting
• Inline production inspection
Visual management tools create a visual snapshot of how well our processes are being controlled or how well they are performing and reducing waste in less than a minute through posted 5S audit scores, 1-point lessons, light trees, and posted key performance indicators (KPIs) at each process.
As an element of continuous improvement, visual management lends itself to the control phase of the DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) Six Sigma process. Posted 1-point lessons ensure tasks are done properly while the different levels of signals, live statistical process control (SPC), flagging, or inspection is critical within the control phase of the process. In the control phase, using visual maintenance management boards helps keep machinery PMs on track to avoid unscheduled downtime.
If you look around, visual management tools are all around us. They come in many forms but must be implemented in a way that is unique to each process and need.
Greg Horney
BST North America
Central Region
Sales Manager
greg.horney@bst.group
Greg Horney has more than 37 years of experience in the commercial-printing industry that encompasses flexographic, offset and gravure processes with a combination in operations and sales. Greg holds a Bachelor of Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and is an FTA FIRST Certified Implementation Specialist.
May 2023 Gravure Technical Article
The first in a series of Technical Overviews covering: Transitioning from Conventional Chrome to Laser-Engraved Cr²O³ in Gravure-Coating Station Cylinders
By John Rastetter, VP of Sales & Marketing, Pamarco
The gravure-coating process has become a critical component of industrial production spanning the medical, pharmaceutical, electronic, battery, and automotive fields, among others. Its unrivaled ability to apply a variety of materials such as adhesives, heat-resistant coatings, embellishments and texture-enhancing substances to a web surface has made it indispensable. Traditionally, this coating process has been accomplished using chrome rolls produced either by electromechanically or mechanically engraving, then hard-chrome electroplating. However, technological advancements have introduced the potential for using laser-engraved ceramic rolls, which may significantly improve service life and coatweight consistency over an extended period.
The transition from conventional chrome to laser-engraved Cr²O³ (Chromium Oxide) ceramic in gravure coating requires a thorough understanding of the implications for coatweight calculations based on volume. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on the considerations to be made during this transition and the methodology for calculating coatweight.
The shift to laser-engraved ceramic rolls is not a trivial one. These rolls are created using high-precision lasers that engrave a pattern into a ceramic-coated cylinder, thus allowing for a precise and consistent application of the coating. There are a variety of patterns to choose from that provide unique characteristics based on the rheology of the fluid being coated.
An example of a few cell designs would be Trihelical, 30-degree channel, 75-degree extended cell, and 60-degree. Choosing the ideal cell design will aid in applying the correct coatweight, ensuring consistency over time but just as important applying the coating uniformly. What I am referring to is the smoothness of the application, and the absence of pinholes and other visual defects. Selection is made based on the fluid being coated and the substrate it is being applied to.
One of the key advantages of laser-engraved ceramic rolls is their longevity. The hard ceramic surface resists wear much better than traditional chrome, leading to less downtime for roll changes and maintenance. Furthermore, the wide selection of cell designs combined with the volume consistency over time allows for a much higher degree of control over the volume of coating applied, leading to improved coatweight consistency.
However, transitioning to these advanced cylinders requires an accurate calculation of the volume required. The engraving volume, often referred to BCM (billions of cubic microns/in.²), plays a critical role in determining the coatweight, and hence, careful calculation is needed.
The coatweight is calculated by multiplying the cell volume by the number of cells per unit area. This is then adjusted by the efficiency factor, which accounts for the fact that not all the material in the cells is transferred to the web. The basic formula is as follows, but we also take into account the specific gravity and percent solids of the coating.
Coatweight = Cell Volume x Cells/Area x Efficiency Factor
In a traditional chrome cylinder, the cell volume is determined by the mechanical or electromechanical engraving process. However, in a laser-engraved ceramic cylinder, the cell volume is determined by the laser-engraving parameters.
Example of calculation for Volume (BCM)
Example of establishing Transfer Efficiency
John Rastetter
Pamarco
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
john.rastetter@pamarco.com
John Rastetter is a third-generation printer. He is an internationally experienced executive who has an appreciation for the global nature of today’s packaging business and its impact on clients. He graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, is a member of the FTA and a contributor to technical articles in various trade journals and has made presentations at the AICC, FTA and FPPA. In January 2023, John became Co-Chair of the (GAA) Gravure AIMCAL Alliance Committee of the Association for Roll-To-Roll Converters (ARC).
John can be reached at: 404-961-6378, Mobile: 856-278-0545
“Strategies for Managing Episodic Hazardous-Waste Generation”
Presented by Julie LaRose, Waste Management Specialist –
Senior, State of Wisconsin, Department of Natural Resources.
Those who were able to attend learned the US EPA on November 28, 2016, EPA issued a rule that finalizes an update to the hazardous-waste generator regulations to make the rules easier for those classified as “very small quantity generators” or “small quantity generators” to maintain their generator category. The updated regulation allows for an “episodic” event that could allow disposal of an excessive amount of waste.
“Episodic events” refer to an activity or activities, either planned or unplanned, that do not normally occur during generator operations and result in an increase in the generation of hazardous wastes that exceed the calendar-month quantity limits for the generator. The map shows which states have adopted the Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements final rule and which states have been authorized by EPA to implement it. Remember, only very small quantity and small quantity generators are eligible for episodic events.
You can download the Webinar slides and other Wisconsin DNR supportive materials such as PDFs to help you understand “episodic-event” regulatory requirements: https://aimcal.sharefile.com/d-sb3c1e2bf18ee4f2fac12291421441ef7
The following link will help you learn more: Where is the Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements Rule in Effect? | US EPA
“If your state has adopted or been authorized to implement the Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements rule, contact your state EPA agency to learn more about filing a notification for an episodic event.”
Articles from May edition: Proposal to Strengthen Standards for Synthetic Organic Chemical Plants and Polymers and Resins Plants
On April 6, 2023, the US EPA announced a proposal to significantly reduce emissions of toxic and other harmful air pollution from chemical plants, including the highly toxic chemicals ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene. The reductions would dramatically reduce the number of people with elevated air toxics-related cancer risks in communities surrounding the plants that use those two chemicals, especially communities historically overburdened by air toxics pollution, and would also cut more than 6,000 tons of toxic air pollution a year
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Latest Steps to Reduce Plastic Pollution Nationwide
On April 21, 2023, the US EPA released the draft titled, “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution,” for public comment, a significant step forward in the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to reduce pollution and build a circular economy for all. EPA’s draft strategy includes ambitious actions to eliminate the release of plastic and other waste from land-based sources into the environment by 2040.
EPA Takes Important Step to Advance PFAS Strategic Roadmap, Requests Public Input and Data to Inform Potential Future Regulations under CERCLA
On April 13, 2023, the US EPA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) asking the public for input regarding potential future hazardous-substance designations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as “Superfund.”
This request for input and information follows EPA’s September 2022 proposed rule to designate two PFAS—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and their salts and structural isomers—as hazardous substances under CERCLA. EPA is currently reviewing comments received on this proposed rule.
To download May 2023 SmallBiz@EPA issue, go to: SmallBiz@EPA May 2023 (mailchi.mp)
And send your member news to be featured on the association website and Converting Quarterly website. Login and use our quick Member News Submission Form.
There will be multiple technical-presentation tracks plus keynote speakers. Topics to include Web Handling, Coating & Laminating, Gravure (Printing), Sustainability, Vacuum Coating, and Breakthrough Markets (Printed Electronics/Battery). Presentations are 25 minutes with 5 minutes for Q&A.
Todd Luman of Interprint is the “Gravure Track” Coordinator for the 2023 R2R USA Conference, and the committee has put together a terrific agenda to bring current issue topics to the Gravure Track. Topics are focused toward “printers,” especially in the gravure process.
If you have questions, please contact Todd Luman tluman@interprint.com or Tim Janes tjanes@rolltoroll.org
The official technical journal of the Association for Roll-to-Roll Converters (formerly AIMCAL), is a great source of information and current news from members and the industry. Go to https://www.convertingquarterly.com/ to subscribe to the quarterly print magazine, the digital edition, the weekly CQ eNews…or all three.
For all the news you may have missed, go to Archived News.
If you are looking for new employees or are looking for employment, we encourage you to use the new resources on the ARC website: (Jobs: RolltoRoll.org). Members may post jobs at NO CHARGE. We invite you to see how easy it is to post jobs online today. To maximize your job posting, you should also post on the GAA website at Job Openings | Gravure Association of the Americas (gaa.org)
Go to the following link to: Meet the Team | Association for Roll-to-Roll Converters
Anyone interested in having their company become a member of this dynamic
association of companies that are promoting the Gravure Printing & Coating Process,
please go to: Member Benefits & Values | Association for Roll-to-Roll Converters
Questions? contact Tim Janes, Member Outreach Director: tjanes@rolltoroll.org
If you an idea or article for the GravurExchange
email them to Tony Donato at: tdonato@gaa.org
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