Application of flexographic printing on non-woven fabrics
Date: Aug 21 2024 From: Star Color
With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, non-woven fabric, as an environmentally friendly material, has been widely used in packaging, advertising, daily necessities and other fields. As an efficient and environmentally friendly printing method, flexographic printing, combined with the use of water-based ink, achieves rich colors and exquisite patterns on non-woven fabrics, meeting the dual demands of the market for environmental protection and aesthetics.
1 What is non-woven fabric?1.1 Non woven fabric, is a type of non-woven fabric that does not go through traditional textile processes, but directly uses high polymer slices, short fibers or long fibers to form a web through airflow or machinery, and then undergoes reinforcement methods such as water jet, needle punching, hot rolling, etc. This material originated from textile technology, but went beyond the traditional textile category, forming a unique material processing technology.
1.2 Characteristics of non-woven fabric
Lightweight: Using polypropylene resin as the main production material, it has fluffiness and good hand feel.
Soft: Made of fine fibers, lightly bonded by hot melt, the finished product has moderate softness and comfort.
Waterproof and breathable: Polypropylene slices do not absorb water, with almost zero moisture content, and the finished product has good water repellent properties; At the same time, it is composed of 100% fibers, with good porosity and breathability, making it easy to keep the fabric dry and easy to wash.
Non toxic and non irritating: Made from food grade raw materials, free of other chemical components, stable in performance, non-toxic, odorless, and non irritating to the skin.
1.3 Non woven fabrics are widely used in the medical field, which are widely used in the production of masks, surgical caps, disposable surgical gowns, disposable medical bed sheets, diapers, facial mask paper, wet face towels, sanitary napkins, sanitary pads and disposable sanitary cloths.
2 Water based ink flexographic printing technologyFlexographic printing is a printing method that uses a flexographic plate to transfer ink through a mesh roller for printing. It can print multiple colors on non-woven fabric with a printing accuracy of up to 150 lines/inch. The graphic and text layers are rich, the colors are vivid, and the visual effect is excellent. Flexographic printing is particularly suitable for printing soft materials such as non-woven fabrics, and the ink materials used in the printing process are environmentally friendly.
Technical characteristics of flexographic printing
Simple ink delivery system: The flexographic printing machine adopts a mesh roller ink delivery system, which is very simple and eliminates the need for complex ink delivery roller groups. The ink delivery control responds quickly and is easy to operate,
while also reducing the cost of the printing machine.
Simple plate making: The plate making process of flexographic printing is relatively simple, and it can perform plate loading, sampling, and registration testing on the plate cylinder outside the machine. In addition, flexographic printing has high printing resistance, generally reaching over 800000 prints, and is suitable for large-scale printing production.
Environmental Protection: Flexographic printing typically uses water-based ink, which evaporates moisture during drying, significantly reducing the emission of harmful substances such as VOCs.
Strong adaptability: Flexographic printing has a wide range of adaptability to substrates, not only suitable for common materials such as paper and plastic film, but also for printing on ultra-thin, extremely smooth surface materials and ultra thick, rough surface materials.
High production efficiency: Flexographic printing has a fast printing speed, with a general unit type narrow width flexographic printer printing speed of up to 150m/min and a satellite type wide width flexographic printer printing speed of up to 400m/min.
3 Application of water-based ink in non-woven printingWater based ink is mainly composed of water-soluble resin, organic pigments, solvents, and related additives, and is an environmentally friendly ink. In non-woven printing, water-based ink is highly favored due to its non-toxic, pollution-free, and environmentally friendly characteristics. Specifically, the application of non-woven water-based ink has the following advantages:
Environmentally friendly and pollution-free: Water based ink uses water and a small amount of alcohol as solvents, significantly reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which is beneficial for preventing air pollution and protecting human health.
Strong adhesion: Non woven water-based ink has good adhesion and can firmly adhere to the surface of non-woven fabric without easy detachment, ensuring the durability of printed patterns.
Colorful: Water based ink has bright colors, clear layers of printed patterns, and good visual effects, making it very suitable for advertising and other occasions.
Wear resistant and scratch resistant: Non woven water-based ink has good wear resistance and scratch resistance, and even after multiple uses and friction, the printed patterns are still clear and visible.
Fast drying speed: Water based ink dries quickly during the printing process, which is beneficial for improving production efficiency and reducing costs.
4 Operation steps of flexographic printing water-based ink on non-woven fabricPreparation stage: Place the non-woven fabric material flat on the printing machine, ensuring that the surface is clean and free of oil and dust.
Ink mixing stage: Mix the water-based ink evenly, and adjust the viscosity by adding an appropriate amount of diluent as needed. Note that the pH value of the ink should be controlled between 8.5-9.5 to ensure the best printing effect.
Printing stage: Fix the flexible plate on the plate cylinder, and evenly transfer the ink to the surface of the non-woven fabric through the mesh roller to complete the printing.
Drying stage: After printing is completed, let the ink naturally dry on the non-woven fabric or use drying equipment to accelerate the drying process.
Finished product inspection: Conduct quality inspection on printed products to ensure clear patterns, bright colors, and no defects.
5、 Case sharingThe following is the printing effect of flexographic printing water-based ink on non-woven fabrics:
The application of water-based ink in flexographic printing on non-woven fabrics not only achieves the dual goals of environmental protection and aesthetics, but also improves production efficiency and reduces production costs. With the continuous improvement of environmental awareness and technological advancement, the application prospects of water-based ink in flexographic printing on non-woven fabrics and other environmentally friendly materials will be even broader.
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