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GRAVIMETRIC INK DISPENSING: THE GREENER, WASTE FREE APPROACH TO INK LOGISTICSGavimetric ink dispensers help label converters to implement sustainable, eco-friendly business practices that also make sound financial sense, says Maarten Hummelen fom GSE Dispensing.
This year’s edition of LabelExpo will put more emphasis than ever on environmental issues, with a good proportion of Hall 12 at the Parc Des Expositions becoming a dedicated ‘Green Park’. We need to take global warming seriously – we should expect it of ourselves, never mind the fact our customers will penalise us if we do not.
When it comes to waste, sometimes we charge in the wrong direction. The setting of packaging weight targets is one example, which actually leads to greater carbon footprints. It was recently revealed that UK households throw away £420 of food per head each year. Ironically, much of this waste is attributable to poor packaging design which offers insufficient protection against damage or microbes for example. These tiny savings are dwarfed by all the resources and energy needed to grow, harvest, process, distribute, store and recycle the food, all for naught – some environmental policy, indeed!
The lesson from this, is that the key to reducing carbon footprints, is using only what you need. Take ink consumption – which accounts for about half of a typical printing house’s consumable costs.
There is no margin for error, when it comes to quality consistency: the pack must look identical from one job run to the next, across all territories. Any mistake means rejection. Manually preparing ink recipes is a slow haphazard process that requires a great deal of trial-and-error. Complex spot colours on a pack can take hours to get right, causing costly production bottlenecks. Excess ink is also deliberately prepared, to prevent the chance of a shortfall, which would cause production down-time.
Automated ink logistics, featuring a gravimetric ink dispensing system solve all these problems, and offer sustainability by focusing on reduction, reuse and recycling. With an automated system, the exact volume requirements are calculated for each job, often precise to an accuracy of within one gramme. The operator simply keys in the colour requirements, as well as variables such as order number and anilox roll type. The ink is then dispensed, within as little as four minutes.
The ability to reuse inks is an equally important feature of an automated dispensing system. Should any excess ink remain after the production run, it can be retrieved from the press and re-entered into the system. It is then effortlessly recycles, by being calculated into future recipes. With a powerful software programme, such calculations, normally too difficult for human brain power, are executed instantly.
The tough economic climate has encouraged printing houses to take a critical look at their ink logistics. It is not a surprise that we have experienced a greater level of interest in our ink dispensing systems in the last years. Over 40 label converters around the world have installed the Colorsat Match, a system designed to dispense small batches of up to 5 kg. Backed up with IMS (Ink Management Software), it offers many benefits, which have enabled some users to reduce costs by as much as 30 percent.
The greatest benefit is that the right colour is ready at the right time, in the right quantity, first time round. But there are a number of other benefits to consider, too!
With straightforward Windows-based menu navigation that creates a close virtual representation of the shop floor, the software is easy to master. It also offers time saving management tools, including real time stock control, historical data on inks used for every job, and cost control data. When a repeat job arises, the recipe is recalled from the database, and the ink is dispensed with the same accuracy as the first time round. Customers are assured they will get the same consistency every time they place their order.
Also, improved logistics are a given: there is no need to rely on an external supplier for complex recipes. All ink is formulated in-house, meaning a much simpler workflow and shorter lead times. Lower stock levels are possible, and warehouse space created can be put to productive use. Moreover, an ink dispenser for label applications takes up under 2m², less than the space needed for manual mixing of inks.
With creation of data-histories relating to each individual job, ink components can be traced, if required. This meets the need from end-users, especially food or pharmaceutical manufacturers, who demand traceability of all packaging components. Tighter legislation requires this information in certain cases. The ink from every lot code – the number that is ascribed to the contents of a specific barrel every time it is refilled - is logged with the mixed recipe, including return inks recycled in new ink batches. This data helps you immediately pinpoint any ink quality problems, should they ever arise.
The printer can cost the job accurately – that in turn gives his customer confidence that the job can be done within the agreed budget. Of course, for the printer, it means margins are better protected! Another important benefit is a cleaner, more presentable shop-floor, because minimal human input is needed to carry out the mixing.
To sum up, a sustainable, automated ink logistics programme is not only the greenest option – it means better cost control and quality consistency, faster production cycles, greater productivity and well managed stockholdings. Nor printer who wants to stay ahead of the pack, in a highly competitive, highly demanding marketplace, should be without one!
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