To be considered is quality and cost effectiveness. The choice have to be made on the value chain to improve prove packaging and create efficiencies. Can the method cut cost and increase revenue? And how efficient is the productive process? Are some of the questions that have to be asked; along with the consideration of the suppliers, and the volume-based cost structure are some of the major considerations in this respect. There must be chosen the least cost and high efficiency process for bulk printing. (Sand, 2010)
The question then is if it will be o-set, gravure or "exo" the consideration then is between these high-volume printing methods, the 'Web O-set, Rotogravure, and Flexography.' (Keif; Goglio, 2005) the three processes can be used for this purpose and the advantage sought must be in terms of quality, cost and efficiency. Considering the web o-set it is popular with the print of some folding cartons. Folding cartons use paperboard typically thicker than .018 inches. (Keif; Goglio, 2005)
Web o-set is quite not suited with printing material that does not use intricate color and layout. In this case we only need a simple print. The ideal thing then is to consider Flexography. This is based on using a raised polymer or elastomeric plate and is of lower quality but also of lower costs. Modern flexo printing has high quality and some Chinese printers have this type of printing facilities. Flexography is ideal because it can take rough surfaces. It is highly ideal for bulk printing of folding cartons,...
It can be employed for both the short run and the long run jobs but is cost effective in bulk production. (Keif; Goglio, 2005)
Thus for a bulk production the use of the Flexography printing is recommended. Further it is also true that paperboard is the biggest component which adds to seventy percent of the cost of production, and therefore inline, web-fed production system has more waste savings. Thus removing gripper waste, proper nesting and many more savings are possible by simply changing the process of printing. (Henson; Pfaff, n. d.) the waste reduction is achieved at a maximum in Flexo print as opposed to other types. Thus for the long run the company must change to flexo printing.
References
Keif, Malcolm G; Goglio, Tom. (2005) "Identifying High-Volume Printing Processes" Visual
Communications Journal, vol. 12, no. 1, pp: 42-47.
Henson, Jerry; Pfaff, Michael R. (n. d.) "The ABC's of Flexo for Folding Cartons: IDS
Packaging White Paper" Mark Andy Inc. Retrieved 22 February, 2012 from http://www.idspackaging.com/Common/Paper/Paper_36/the%20ABCs%20of%20Flexo%20for%20Folding%20Cartons.htm
Malenke, Dan. (2010) "A Comparison of Folding Carton Printing Processes"
Retrieved 22 February, 2012 from http://www.zumbielcpd.com/pdf/printing_process_whitepaper.pdf
Sand, Claire. (2010) "The Packaging Value Chain"
DEStech Publications.
