Current research projects (in the field "conventional printing technologies")

22.032
Production lifespans of thermally imaged CtP plates in offset printing

Timescale: 01.05.2011 to 30.04.2013
Funding:
Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the support of “Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)

The goal of this research project is to lay the scientific and technical foundations for a test process that will allow the wear of directly imaged plates to be simulated in laboratory trials.

Existing devices (eg. Fogra abrasion tester) will be investigated to see how far it is possible to simulate plate wear with them. In the event that they are not suitable, new devices will be developed The test process should allow plate wear to be tested in relation to the materials being used (substrate, ink, blanket, damping solution cleaning agent etc.). It is also planned to investigate the fillers used in paper making for their influence on plate wear.

32.164
Reduction of the colour fluctuations in sheet-fed offset printing with conventional and UV inks

Timescale: 01.02.2012 to 31.01.2014
Funding:
Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the support of “Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)

The goal of this research project is to clarify the causes of the tone value differences that are often observed over the printed format as well the fluctuations from job to job. It also aims to show how large these effects are under practical conditions. These findings will then be used in order to recommend sensible tolerance guidelines that could be incorporated into the ISO 12647-2 standard.

Methods are to be presented that allow a quantitative prediction of the tone value fluctuations to be expected on the basis of the motif. To this end, correlations with the printing dot area percentage and the material properties should be determined. Particular attention is to be paid to the differences between conventional and UV inks, damping solution with and without isopropanol as well as substrates with various absorption capacities.

A detailed analysis of the allowable damping solution latitude should allow detailed statements to be made about the stability of the printing under different prevailing conditions. This will allow practical recommendations to be made and difficulties to be avoided from the outset. When using relatively difficult UV inks in particular, established laboratory tests should assist in making an optimum choice of material.

32.171
Determination of short-term drying related colour changes as a foundation for the establishment of inline measurement in sheet-fed offset printing

Timescale: 01.04.2013 to 31.03.2015
Funding:
Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the support of “Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)

Depending upon the combination of materials used, some of the values that are measured and used to control printing undergo significant changes. Since, however, the aim values in the standardization concept relate to completely dry printed specimens, the printer has to take the anticipated changes into account when controlling the press on the basis of freshly printed sheets. Failure to do so may result in the desired colour of the finished printed product not being achieved.

The recently concluded Fogra research project on, “The impact of drying effects on the values that are measured and used to control sheet-fed offset printing” (Fogra No. 32.147) revealed that especially marked short-term changes occur that stem from the formation of tear threads during ink splitting. However, the findings were exclusively based on laboratory trials and cannot be directly applied to actual printing practice. Since increasing numbers of sheet-fed offset presses are today fitted with inline measurement systems, new investigations should reveal how the measured results change over time under practical conditions and clarify the influences of material, press and application parameters.

40.063
The simulation of coating concepts in order to improve the printability of coated papers by combinations of offset and flexo printing with inkjet printing

Timescale: 01.07.2010 to 30.06.2013
Funding:
Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the support of “Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” in the variation "Zutech" via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)
Partner: Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS)

There is increasing interest amongst many printers in digital presses as a supplement to the existing press park. The inkjet process is seen as having great development potential because the small size and high printing speed of inkjet heads makes them the ideal supplement to conventionally operating presses. This development will also have an impact in future on the grades of paper that are in demand.

Today, paper coatings are not able to able to accept the different kinds and quantities of liquid components of offset, flexo and inkjet inks within the necessary optimum time intervals in order to ensure rapid drying and high print quality. It is not clear which coating structures would allow improvements to be achieved in relation to this, what the cost would be and, finally, what benefits could be achieved in terms of the print quality.

The goal of this joint project with the PTS (the Paper Technology Institute) is the development of coating composition concepts that are suitable for the future through the creation of coated papers with improved printability and runnability when several processes – and, in particular, offset, flexo and inkjet printing – are used simultaneously. Fogra will carry out extensive printability examinations on papers developed by the PTS and develop the necessary test devices.

42.025
Modelling dimensional behavour of offset papers during printing

Timescale: 01.08.2011 to 31.07.2013
Funding:
Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the support of “Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)
Partner: Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS)

In conjunction with the PTS (the Technical Institute for Paper), the dimensional behaviour of publication printing papers during the sheet-fed offset printing process is to be modelled on the basis of the physical properties of the paper layers. The investigations will concentrate on the uptake of damping solution, since coverage of all the mechanical properties would go beyond the limits of the project.

The events that take place in the layer structures during printing (changes to Young’s Modulus (E) and stretching after brief damping, for example) should be recorded and fully modelled physically. This should reveal the parameters that are critical for dimensional stability and allow guidelines to be formulated for improved and achievable paper structures.

The models could help to improve print quality, since in large format presses in particular, register problems frequently arise. The stretching of paper means that it is often not possible maintain a satisfactory register over the whole of the printed format and the result is that flashes or colour fluctuations can occur that are particularly noticeable in grey areas where three chromatic colours are printed on top of each other.

42.026
Development of suitable laboratory test methods for improved communication between printers and paper and ink suppliers (PrintIP)

Timescale: 01.07.2010 to 30.06.2012
Funding:
Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the support of “Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” in the variation “Cornet” via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)

Reliable tests for the printability and runnability of papers and inks for offset printing are possible through trials on production presses but these kinds of trials are very expensive. Various test printing devices are commercially available for simplified tests in the laboratory. In the past ring trials consisting of various printability tests have not only resulted in a wide scatter of results but also to partially different rankings of the paper and inks. As a result, laboratory tests are not currently suitable as a means of providing independent, reliable and complete predictions of printability properties for offset printing. The qualification of various laboratory methods for forecasting printability would be desirable for improved communication within the paper and printing added value chain.

This joint European project involves German, Spanish and Belgian partners and is being supported by the device manufacturers prüfbau and IGT and the European federations INTERGRAF [printing industry] and CEPI (paper industry). It will develop laboratory methods for testing picking, absorption and mottling to the point that comparable results can be reliably achieved in different laboratories. This will involve the detailed identification and investigation of the factors that exert an influence and the quantification of the effects of changing parameters on the test results. Inks and papers with a significant presence in the market will undergo comparative investigations using these three laboratory methods and production run trials in order to translate the requirements of the production run into the results that need to be achieved in laboratory tests.

60.055
Proof-to-Print Match for media with different amount of optical brightener agents (OBA)

Timescale: 01.07.2010 to 30.06.2013
Funding:
Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for the support of “Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF)” via the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)
Partner: Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS)

The goal of this joint research project with the PTS (the Paper Technology Institute) is the development of a practical method that would be quick to introduce into the printing industry to overcome fluorescence related visual differences between optical brightener free proofing papers and production runs on papers containing optical brighteners.

Using proof and production prints, the project will use different colour measurement techniques and different UV components in the light sources of the measurement devices to determine the impact of pure fluorescence changes and simultaneous fluorescence and colouring changes on the colorimetric description of prints. This will also involve the identification of the UV component of the light sources in matching booths. Based on the actual UV component of the sample lighting, tolerance thresholds between proof and production prints whose substrates differ in terms of fluorescence will be determined for visual acceptance. It will be checked whether it is possible to adjust the fluorescence of proofing papers or proofs to production papers or prints through the application of transparent white inkjet inks containing optical brighteners and whether it leads to good visual matches between proofs and production prints. Digital proofs and production prints on papers with increasing levels of optical brighteners will be extensively described colorimetrically. This will be done using standard printing and paper industry measurement equipment with and without UV filters. Further data will be determined by means of the Allen Method.

Papers will be produced for this project with differing and defined levels of optical brightener but which are otherwise identical in composition. Once they have been printed, they will for the first time allow an investigation of the influence of fluorescence alone on the printed image and also the influence of changing the coloration of the production prints as a reaction to the fluorescence differences between proof and production papers. In this way it will be possible to unambiguously assign quantitative and visual differences to differing levels of fluorescence or to fluorescence and colouring differences. This will allow visual tolerance thresholds between proof and production prints to be determined as a result of different levels of fluorescence in the substrate and depending upon the UV content of the sample lighting. With newly developed colour measurement devices and standardized lighting booths this will allow the UV component of the measurement and viewing lighting to match the standard D50 illuminant for the first time. The effects of the use of these new devices on colour measurements and the visual appearance of proof and production prints is still unknown.

67.011
Measures for energy analysis and recovery in the production of commercial print

Timescale: 01.02.2012 to 31.01.2013
Funding:
Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology / Fogra

Reliable tests for the printability and runnability of papers and inks for offset printing are possible through trials on production presses but these kinds of trials are very expensive. Various test printing devices are commercially available for simplified tests in the laboratory. In the past ring trials consisting of various printability tests have not only resulted in a wide scatter of results but also to partially different rankings of the paper and inks. As a result, laboratory tests are not currently suitable as a means of providing independent, reliable and complete predictions of printability properties for offset printing. The qualification of various laboratory methods for forecasting printability would be desirable for improved communication within the paper and printing added value chain.

This joint European project involves German, Spanish and Belgian partners and is being supported by the device manufacturers prüfbau and IGT and the European federations INTERGRAF [printing industry] and CEPI (paper industry). It will develop laboratory methods for testing picking, absorption and mottling to the point that comparable results can be reliably achieved in different laboratories. This will involve the detailed identification and investigation of the factors that exert an influence and the quantification of the effects of changing parameters on the test results. Inks and papers with a significant presence in the market will undergo comparative investigations using these three laboratory methods and production run trials in order to translate the requirements of the production run into the results that need to be achieved in laboratory tests.