KYMC hosts Taiwan's first water-based flexo technology event

Kuen Yuh Machinery Engineering has hosted Taiwan's first water-based flexographic printing technology sharing event, attracting 89 participants from 46 printing companies in Taichung.

The event brought together KYMC with partners Asahi Photoproducts, Dainichiseika and Sinwa to showcase a complete water-based flexographic system for sustainable packaging printing as an alternative to gravure.

'This event represents a landmark on the global flexographic industry's journey to sustainability,' comments Eric Pan, general manager at KYMC. 'By partnering with Asahi, Dainichiseika and Sinwa, we are demonstrating not only that water-based flexographic printing is a viable alternative to gravure, but also that it delivers measurable benefits in quality, cost and environmental impact.'

KYMC presented its Smart CI Flexo Printing press alongside insights into smart production. Asahi Kasei and Asahi Photoproducts introduced water-wash flexographic plates requiring only water, advancing the company's Solvent Zero strategy. Dainichiseika presented eco-friendly water-based inks for flexible packaging films, while Sinwa shared expertise in high-quality prepress systems for flexographic plate making.

Live demonstrations highlighted the technology's capabilities in real production conditions. The first job demonstrated pouch printing at 200m/min and 150 lines per inch, while the second job showed high-speed printing at 250m/min and 150 lines per inch. Both jobs delivered positive results and received favorable feedback from KYMC and attendees.

Ryunosuke Inoue, sales and marketing representative at Asahi Photoproducts, outlined Asahi's vision for sustainable innovation. His presentation covered the company's Solvent Zero Roadmap featuring water-wash flexographic plates that require only water for cleaning with no detergents, reducing environmental impact and improving workplace safety.

Inoue also highlighted Asahi's CrystalCleanConnect automated plate processor together with Esko's CDI Quartz imager and XPS exposure technology. This integrated workflow enables production of Asahi's AWP water-wash flexographic plates, designed for precision, durability and efficiency. The combination ensures consistent plate quality optimized for high-speed CI flexo presses and fully compatible with water-based inks.

The presentation included a flexo versus gravure comparative analysis examining environmental, quality and cost perspectives. Cost simulation data from a Taiwan customer demonstrated potential advantages of flexo over gravure, including 30 to 40 percent cost reduction by switching from gravure to UV ECG and 40 to 50 percent cost reduction by switching to water-based ECG.

Pan added that the partners are taking steps toward Solvent ZERO and helping customers build a future more in balance with the environment. The successful debut demonstrates strong momentum in Asia toward water-based flexographic printing, with the partners providing a complete system that helps printers transition from gravure to flexo while meeting ESG requirements.