• May 5-8, 2024
  • Kansas City, MO
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Your Quality Is Our Concern

Session

FQC: Delivering the “Q” in FQC

Monday, May 6

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

City Beautiful Ballroom

Full Event Schedule

About This Session

The name says it all – Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC). For years, the FQC has been focused on improving print quality flexographic print buyers.

Hear updates on these current FQC projects:

  • New LED lighting requirements
  • Determining optimal print order to maximize the color gamut
  • Plate cross web stability
  • Measurable slur target

This year’s FQC session will conclude with the Phoenix Challenge College Competition winning team, who will engage the audience with a company rebranding solution utilizing flexographic technology.

Presentations & Speakers

The fleXo Factor: Solving for Dimensional Stability in the X Direction

Nathan Rank, Technical Sales Manager at AV Flexologic, and Alix Guyot, Application Solution Engineer at tesa tape

Presentation Details
The flexographic plate is subject to many factors before it hits the press. Some you can control greater than others. That being said, when you have plates that need to be used, what is the best way to get the most out of those plates when registration is tight across the web in the X direction?
Join Nathan and Alix as they provide an update on the project progress.
Speaker Bios
About Nathan: With 27 years of experience in the flexographic industry both in wide web flexible and corrugated, Nathan has a great understanding of the complete flexographic process. From design, to plate manufacture, to print, to understanding of the equipment and processes needed to accomplish it efficiently he is very well versed in today’s flexographic needs. Having a strong support background in mechanical equipment, as well as photopolymer and sleeve production, he brings this knowledge to the industry in sales, training and support sessions for customers throughout the country.
About Alix: Alix is an application solution engineer for tesa tape focused on flexographic, print and paper products. She has over 10 years’ experience in the print industry and is a certified FIRST implementation specialist. At tesa, she works to implement products at customers’ locations, analyze and develop new products with product development and assists sales as a technical resource for training and troubleshooting. She is the chair of the FTA’s Excellence in Flexography Awards Committee and a member of the Women of Flexo Mentorship sub-committee.

LED Impact on Lighting Conditions

Allen Sanders, VP of Technical Services at All Printing Resources Inc, and Steve Cooney, Graphics Manager at Starpak

Presentation Details
The project will be comprised of initial research on base light spectral and metameric effects on white points. After the initial conclusion and a base analysis of expectations and results there will be a live in-person analysis done at INFOFLEX 2024. This analysis will leverage the expertise of industry professionals and how they personally respond to lighting conditions on both printed samples and proofing targets.
Join Steve and Allen as they provide a project update and details of the live in-person analysis during INFOFLEX 2024.
Speaker Bios
About Allen: After graduating from Clemson University with a Masters Degree in graphic communications, Allen began his career in the packaging world. With over 25 years of experience in the printing industry, including screen printing, UV rotary letterpress, offset lithography, narrow web digital, and flexographic printing. He has held positions in prepress, press operator, production manager and technical sales support. For the last 16 years, he has focused on supporting customers’ prepress needs with hardware/software and flexographic plate making.
About Steve: Steve is the graphics manager for Starpak Ltd and is responsible for color management as well as prepress and graphic operations throughout the plant. Before starting at Starpak to help expand their premedia knowledge and offerings, Steve invested over five years working in color management and prepress for a variety of different print process and packaging products. Steve has extensive experience working to meet industry and brand requests, including extended gamut and altered process designs. In order to produce consistent and repeatable pressruns, Steve has partnered with both design and technical teams to develop color expectations and tolerances that can be matched from initial proofing through a production pressrun.

Optimal Ink Sequence Project

James Dye, Press Manager at Emerald Packaging, and Erica Kirinovic, MPI Engineer at Amcor

Presentation Details
The objective of this project is to develop a methodology for determining the print order which maximizes the print gamut. More specifically, this project will investigate the use of drawdown measurements of inks on a white/black Leneta card to quantify the two components of opacity: turbidity and absorbance. It is expected that turbidity is key. Inks with higher turbidity should be put down earlier in the sequence.
Join James and Erica as they share an update on the project progress.
Speaker Bios
About James: James started off in the cup and lid industry and fell in love with printing right away. From there, he aspired to learn every aspect of all printing platforms and that has granted him experience with many different types of presses—old and new—as well as plates, inks and substrates. James has participated in a few company startups as well and that gave him the opportunity to teach as well as learn new things and continue growing in the industry.
About Erica: Erica is a manufacturing process improvement engineer for Amcor PLC specializing in flexographic, digital and rotogravure printing technologies. With 6+ years in the printing industry, a B.S. in chemistry, and an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin (Oshkosh), she brings a unique blend of knowledge and experience to the project team.

Measurable Slur Target Project Update

Jinkai Qian, Application Manager at Techkon, and Kenny Tucker, Assistant Director at the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics at Clemson University

Presentation Details
For years, the flexographic industry has relied on a visual hexagon slur target to verify anilox-to-plate and plate-to-substrate impression. By adopting the slur/doubling target with the expected results this will be the first time the industry will be able to verify both impression settings via a measurement device. The impact this could have could not only increase setup times but also increase overall consistency and repeatability.
Join Jinkai and Kenny as they provide an update on the project status.
Speaker Bios
About Jinkai: Jinkai joined Techkon USA in 2015 as an application engineer providing consultation, training and technical support to clients globally. His goal is to bridge the gap between brand and print supplies for efficient communication and color fidelity. He is actively involved in the company’s research and development as well as TAGA paper and FTA’s FQC projects. Jinkai holds a master’s degree in print media from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
About Kenny: Kenny is the assistant director at the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics at Clemson University. He received his bachelor’s in graphic communications from Clemson in 2004. He started his career with Sealed Air Corp within a variety of roles involving prepress, color management, inkjet proofing, remote proofing, workflow automation, expanded gamut printing, press characterizations and management of graphic technologies. He also worked with Anderson & Vreeland as a technology specialist installing plate making equipment, rip software and inkjet proofing solutions. Recently, he worked for Frontier Label as production manager overseeing inventory purchasing, production of labels, projects and maintenance. He joined Clemson University in 2019 and coordinates projects, industry seminars, research and workshops. He spends his weekends fishing, camping and relaxing with family.
Phoenix Challenge

The 2024 Phoenix Challenge College Competition Winning Team

Presentation Details
The winning team from the 2024 Phoenix Challenge College Competition will present its project and results.

Session Chairs

Session Chair

Jean Engelke

Jean Engelke

FTA Hall of Fame

Session Chair

Joe Riccardella

Joe Riccardella

ABX Innovative Packaging Solutions

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