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Fall Technical Conference, at your fingertips.

2023 FTA Technical Innovation Awards in Action

Session 7 at Fall Technical Conference 2023.

Wednesday, October 11

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Marriott Ballroom VI-X

About This Session

The recipients of the 2023 FTA Technical Innovation Award reveal how they are continuing to pave the future for the flexographic industry.

Presentations & Speakers

Bruce Hinkel

Automation in Prepress and Mounting

Bruce Hinkel, Technical Sales Manager at AV Flexologic

Presentation Details
Labor availability and utilization are key challenges we all face, with experience lacking in many candidates. Use the data you already have in new ways to eliminate errors, save time, and deliver faster while using your experienced staff more effectively.
Speaker Bio
About Bruce: Bruce Hinkel is a Technical Sales Manager for AV Flexologic. He has 35 years of flexo industry experience in operations, prepress, sales, and management. He specializes in analysis of production and pressroom workflows and enjoys working directly with the end users to develop customized solutions. Increasing efficiencies and profitability, while improving safety are his driving principles. Bruce resides in Michigan and is married with two children and one grandchild. His passions are working with Sunday School children’s singing and instruction, and playing with his dog Bella.
John Anderson

PureFlexo Printing: Giving You More Addressable Process Colors

Dr. John Anderson, Director of Advanced Print Applications at Miraclon

Presentation Details
Over the last three decades, flexography has undergone regular waves of advancement in all of its components, plates included. Surface texturization has enhanced the ability to achieve better ink laydown and high color gamuts, but had not addressed the underlying issue of unwanted ink spread and its resultant gain characteristics and print defects. PureFlexo Printing is a patented next generation of micro-surface engineering that uses the improved ink laydown or prior generations, while for the first time addressing and reducing the unwanted ink spread for improved print, less issues for printers, and lower dot gain for greater control. This innovation enables greater addressability of the colors within the theoretical process color gamuts, whether printer CMYK or ECG, to enable printers to do more with less, and drive greater predictability and consistency for brand owners as they look to transition to flexography from other print processes. Process stability that enables greater implementation of co-printing, for greater economics even with short runs, fewer job changes, and greater sustainability as flexography transitions from traditional industry practices, to become a modern manufacturing process. This presentation covers the evolution of surface engineering, its benefits to process printer and matching certified proofs, and how it will enable flexography to do more with less!
Speaker Bio
About Dr. John: Dr. John Anderson, a mechanical engineer from the University of Wales Swansea, has been in the flexographic industry for 25 years, working for both the EFTA (UK) and FTA before joining Kodak in 2007. John has held various roles in Kodak and now Miraclon including marketing, sales, technical and business development. For the last four years, he has been responsible for the advanced print applications group, working on technologies and processes to improve print and accelerate the growth of flexography, including PureFlexo Printing and optimized flexible packaging solutions.
Brent Zurcher

Veritas: The Future of Anilox Process Control

Brent Zurcher, Director of Operations at MicroDynamics

Presentation Details
Anilox volume and other parameters have a significant impact on print quality, but many flexographic printers either don’t have in-house inspection capability or their quality control programs are inadequate. Learn how the Veritas anilox QC system, winner of FTA’s 2023 Technical Innovation Award, is an important innovation for an industry needing fast, accurate inspection that is easy for everyone.
Speaker Bio
About Brent: Brent Zurcher, Director of Operations at MicroDynamics, has led efforts in product development and customer success at MicroDynamics for over 10 years. A graduate of the University of Georgia in Biological Engineering, Brent has worked extensively with anilox manufacturers and printers to improve quality and efficiency by implementing the latest advancements in measurement technology. He can be reached at [email protected].
FORUM & INFOFLEX 2024
May 5-8, 2024 | Kansas City, MO
The can’t-miss conference and exhibition for every flexographer.