Industry News

Thanks to its green, eco-friendly, and pollution-free advantages, the flexo printing machine has been widely recognized as one of the fastest-growing and most promising technologies in the modern printing industry, and a preferred solution for various packaging products. In addition, the flexo press delivers high efficiency with relatively low investment costs, making it ideal for printing a wide range of materials, including ice cream paper bowls, hamburger paper boxes, perfume and cosmetics bottle labels, and more. This article explores why the flexographic printer has become the first choice for packaging printing from three unique perspectives: the origin and development of flexography, market trends, and application scenarios of the flexography machine.

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Origin and Development of Flexo Presses

The flexographic printing machine was originally known as the aniline printing press and first appeared in the United States in the early 1920s. However, the aniline dye inks used at that time were toxic, which significantly hindered its development. To overcome this limitation, ink manufacturers began to innovate and replace traditional inks with eco-friendly, non-toxic inks, laying a solid foundation for printing products such as breathable soft surface baby nappies, medical non-woven fabric gowns, surgical gown pouches, and other hygienic and packaging materials.

Later, at the 14th Packaging Conference in the United States in 1952, the aniline printing press was officially renamed the flexographic printing machine, marking a key milestone in the history of flexography. In the 1970s, with the rapid advancement of the materials industry, flexo printing technology achieved a breakthrough due to the emergence of polymer resin plates and ceramic anilox rollers, significantly improving print quality, speed, and stability.

Subsequently, the flexographic press experienced rapid growth in the United States and gradually gained worldwide recognition, becoming one of the fastest-growing and most widely adopted printing technologies in the global printing and packaging industry.

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The Market for Flexo Presses

According to relevant data, flexo printers currently hold a 70% market share in the US flexible packaging printing sector, 85% in label printing, 98% in corrugated paper printing, and 25% in carton printing. In Europe, the market share is 60%, 35%, 85%, and 3% respectively. In the US, even 20% of newspapers are printed using flexographic printing. These figures clearly demonstrate the strong vitality of flexographic printing presses in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, agriculture, cosmetics, and apparel.

Flexo Printing Machine for Sterilization Pouches

Applications of Flexo Presses

In recent years, various new technologies, materials, and equipment have emerged and developed, leading to a continuous expansion of the application scope of flexographic printing. Currently, the quality of flexographic products is further improving, resulting in a rapid expansion of its applications. Globally, application trends primarily include labels, flexible packaging, and high-end packaging.

Label Printing

Label printing is the fastest-growing area in the flexographic printing application trend. Pressure-sensitive labels such as supermarket labels are the fastest-growing type of label printing. Flexo printing machinery can be configured with die-cutting, slitting, hot stamping, and other technologies, achieving multi-functionality. Therefore, flexographic machines are rapidly replacing single-function die-cutting and direct printing machines.

In the consumer goods printing sector, the shift from pressure-sensitive labels to in-mold labeling and heat shrinking will drive offset, letterpress, and screen printing towards flexographic printing, thereby promoting the development of the entire flexographic printing industry. Printing processes are also shifting towards UV or water-based flexographic printing as pressure-sensitive labels move to in-mold labels.

Flexo Printing Press for Tissue Packaging Film

Flexible Packaging

Flexible packaging accounts for 20%-30% of the consumer goods market in the United States. According to statistics, flexographic printing's share of the US flexible packaging market for film materials rose from 75% in 1996 to 85% in 2000. Given that flexographic printing is the mainstream in the North American flexible packaging industry, this growth signifies a growing trend in the development of flexographic printing machines.

Currently, flexo printing machines are also widely used in gable-top packaging production, such as milk boxes, beverage paper cups, and tea milk paper cups for dairy and juice drinks. These packaging products have high requirements: they must meet environmental protection standards, be pollution-free, and recyclable. Flexo printing machines can also print Combibloc and Tetra Pak cartons.

High-end Packaging

The continuous improvement and development of flexographic printing technology, along with supporting technologies such as direct-to-plate making, high-precision anilox rollers, and servo motor drives, have greatly enhanced the performance of flexo printing machines in printing high-end products such as perfume stickers, cosmetic labels, and skin care face cream paper boxes. The production methods of flexo printing machines are gaining popularity among printing companies due to improvements in printing precision, enhanced environmental protection features, reduced downtime, and the integration of various printing and processing techniques.

Flexographic Printing Press for Ice Cream Paper Cups

In recent years, increased public awareness of environmental protection and growing market demands have provided enormous opportunities for the development of flexographic printing machines. At the same time, the adaptability of flexographic printing machines to various materials such as charcoal flour powder grain bags, salad paper bowls, and vitamin powder pouches has also contributed to enterprise development and led industry trends.