EGP to improve eco-efficiency of packaging printing

The dissertation evaluates the transition from spot color printing to EGP, a multicolor process in solvent-based wide web flexography. The method under investigation reduces the complexity of the printing process and produces spot color simulations in a simpler, more effective, and more sustainable way. This doctoral thesis is the first of a kind in this area and aims to fill the scientific gap and provide data and test results to facilitate the practical transition to EGP in flexography.

The study examines and evaluates the possibilities of color gamut expansion, and a novel EGP calculator was developed to describe and evaluate the potential of the method. Several key findings were made in the study, and the calculations show great potential for eco-efficiency in various areas. Linking these calculations with the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) CO2 values is also new. The EGP calculator estimate of the studied examples shows an improvement in the OEE of 42 to 85 percent and a CO2 footprint reduction by between 34 and 51 percent compared to spot color printing, which means greater flexibility, efficiency, and better sustainability.

The results show that the EGP system works in practice and enables accurate spot color simulations in a simplified way, increases sustainability and potentially also offers an improved quality level, as also shown by the brand product studies on Real Snacks OATIS and Fazer Puikula packaging. Therefore, the proposed method provides the basis for the industrial transition of packaging printing from spot colors to multicolor designs on branded packaging, even on a large scale. Based on the study results, Kai Lankinen has raised sustainability as a global topic in packaging printing.

The doctoral dissertation will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at Tampere University, Finland, at 1 pm EEST on July 1, 2021.