12/28/2015 InkMileage:Measure&ManagePaper,Film&FoilConverter

InkMileage:Measure&Manage
December01,2006,ByDavidArgentContributingEditor

ProcessManagement

InNovemberwereviewedinktransfer.Withthisbasicunderstanding,wecanmoveontoactualnumberson
thebasisofthatwhichcanbemeasuredcanbemanaged.Skepticsaboundwhobelievetherearetoomany
variablestogetusefuldata.Othersthinkthisisanopportunitytoisolateandminimizeprocessvariationand
thusimproveproductivityandreducewaste.

BacktotheprocessmodelshownintheAugustissue:Aninkmileageconceptcanbedevelopedasaninput
transformoutputequation.Ontheinputsideisinkofcorrectcolorandstrength.Itisthenmeteredprecisely
(moreorless)throughthepress.Ontheoutputsideisapredictableconsumptionfigure.

Theflexographicprintingprocesshasbecomeveryrepeatableduetoqualityandconsistencyimprovementsin
aniloxrollers,plates,chamberedinkingsystems,andpresscontrols.Ithasbeenshowninmanystudiesthat
flexoinktransferisverypredictable,canbequantified,andisdirectlyproportionaltotheaniloxrollervolume.

Between25%and30%ofinkinthe
aniloxrollisdepositedonthesubstrate,
atthelowendforfilmandatthehighend
forpaperandboard.Thewetinkfilm
transferredtothesubstrateisverythin
about2micronsfroma5bcmanilox
roller.Havingestablishedthereisa
predictabletransferrate,itisfairly
straightforwardtodevelopaccurateink
consumptionrates.Thereisastepwise
procedure:

1. Measurethegrossinkconsumption
onanactualpressrun.
2. Convertthefiguresto100%
coverage,basedonactualplate
coverage.
3. Converttoconsumptionrate:
lbs/reamorg/m2.
4. Aspreadsheetcanbedesignedforinkconsumptionforfuturejobs.

Theexampleshowsjusttwodecksonaflexopress.Thegreencellsareinputdataandtheredcellsareoutput
numbers,calculatedbythespreadsheet.Thisprovidesgoodinformationforjobcostingpurposes.

Itisinterestingthatondeck2,theinkconsumedonthejobislessthantheamountrequiredtoinkupthedeck.
Theoveragecontributestothereworkstream.Butmostimportantly,thismodelallowsthejobtobecosted
realisticallybeforegoingtopressandbeforepricing.Thebiggestvariableinthismodelisaniloxrollercare.
Theserollsaremadewithaccurate,repeatablecellvolumes,butlossofvolumecanoccurwithoutpreventative
cleaningmaintenance.

http://www.pffconline.com/processmanagement/5017paperinkmileagemeasure 1/4
12/28/2015 InkMileage:Measure&ManagePaper,Film&FoilConverter

Similarmileagemodelscanbemadeforgravureandlithopresses,althoughtheremaybemorevariablestobe
addressed.Ingravure,thechromewearsonthecylinderduringtherun,reducinginkvolumeinthecells.Thisis
addressedbyfeedingstrongerinktothepressprogressively.Inlitho,theamountofinkdeliveredtothe
substrateisinfluencedbyink/waterbalanceandrolleradjustments.

Onceagain,inkmileagemodelingisanexampleofthatwhichismeasuredcanbemanaged.

DavidArgenthas30+yearsofexperienceintheconvertingindustry.Hespecializesinprocess
analysisandimprovementwithparticularemphasisoninkandcoatingdesignandperformance.
Contacthimat636/3918180djvargent@sbcglobal.net.

ToreadmoreofDavidArgent'sProcessManagementcolumns,visitourProcess
ManagementArchives.

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12/28/2015
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