Discussion on cigarette packaging printing process (1)

Abstract : This paper introduces the general characteristics of the cigarette packaging printing process, analyzes several types of problems that are likely to appear in the cigarette packaging printing process, discusses the methods for solving problems, and has a certain guiding significance in production.

Keywords: cigarette packaging; printing process; printing

With the development of society and the improvement of people’s living standards, consumers have put forward higher requirements for the quality of product packaging. The function of packaging is no longer limited to containing products, but it is also given a deeper meaning. In particular, the packaging of cigarettes has almost become a symbol of product value and the basis for consumers to judge product quality. Therefore, cigarette manufacturers attach great importance to the production of cigarette packaging, cigarette pack printing naturally become a very important part of the cigarette production industry.

1 cigarette packaging printing process overview

1.1 Cigarette Packaging Printing Content and Features

The packaging and printing of cigarettes has features such as full color, multiple spot colors, concise pictures, and continuous pattern adjustment. In the visual effect must have a strong affinity or visual impact to stimulate consumer desire for purchase. The printing content of cigarette packs mainly includes the field, lines, dot maps, ordinary texts, and non-continuous patterns. In addition, anti-counterfeiting, embossing, hot stamping, cutting and the like are also common processes in cigarette pack printing. In order to adapt to the content and characteristics of cigarette pack printing, the printing and packaging of cigarettes need to use printing methods with high printing precision and strong color expression, such as gravure printing and flexographic printing. In particular, gravure printing has the advantages of thick ink layer and stable ink. It is suitable for printing large areas, spot colors, gold and silver, and pearl color. At the same time, gravure printing machine has high printing efficiency and good printing quality. Therefore, gravure has become the mainstream printing method for cigarette packs.

1.2 Cigarette Packaging and Printing Materials

In recent years, the packaging and printing materials of cigarettes have become increasingly diverse, and the packaging of cigarettes has become more sophisticated. Cigarette printing paper experienced a coated paper, a cardboard, a gold and silver cardboard, an aluminum foil, an aluminized film, a PET film, and a laser paper, so that the packaging effect of cigarettes became more and more luxurious, and the cost of packaging also increased. The higher. There are more types of cigarette printing inks, including solvent inks, water-based inks, spot inks, uV inks, pearl inks, etc. Currently, environmental protection and anti-counterfeiting inks have become the development direction of cigarette printing inks. In terms of printing, cigarette pack printing also develops from a single gravure or flexo printing to a combination printing. Combination printing A variety of printing methods are combined to print cigarette packs. The most appropriate printing method can be selected according to the different printing contents. This will surely increase the quality of cigarette packs and the packaging effect to an unprecedented level.

1.3 Cigarette Packaging and Printing Process

On a large scale, the printing process of cigarette packs is relatively simple. No matter which type of EI]~U method is used, the printing process is: unwinding, printing, cutting, printing, processing, and packing. The cigarette pack EI]~U needs to use web of small format, so the newly purchased web needs to be cut into a small format of about 400mm before printing on the machine. Unwinding is to unwind the web and obtain reasonable printing tension before printing. After printing, the continuous printing content is divided into individual sheets suitable for packing in a box or a small box by slitting. The post-printing processing of cigarette packs mainly refers to die cutting, embossing, bronzing, etc. This is a common process for cigarette pack printing, and is also a featured process. Finally, after quality inspection, you can pack and leave the factory. In cigarette pack printing production, printing units need to complete many contents such as ink transfer, accurate overprinting, and anti-counterfeit glazing of cigarette packs, and with the different materials, printing equipment, printing methods, and product features, the specific content of printing is also implemented. In order to change, the printing unit is the most difficult and most technologically important process in the entire process of cigarette pack printing.

2 Several problems in cigarette packaging printing process

2.1 Quality Control of Cigarette Packaging in the Printing Process

Cigarette packaging has very high requirements in print quality. In cigarette packaging and printing, in addition to the conventional quality control, new and more effective quality control methods must be excavated in the printing process to improve the printing quality of cigarette packs.

2.1.1 Adjustment of Paper Performance

The EOBU papers for cigarette packs are mainly coated papers and various types of cardboard. In order for the paper to have a suitably stable tension during the EOBU process, the web must be unwound from the web before the EOBU. Paper has a constant tension throughout the EE3BU process to ensure print overprint accuracy. After uncoiling, the paper needs to be dust-removed and swarf-removed so that the surface of the EOISU can be clean and free from missing or unclear printed sheets. The dust removal device is located in front of the EOBU after the decoiler and generally uses the principle of evacuation to remove paper dust and dust. In the use of coated paper EB J SUB~, because the paper is thin, after a number of rollers curled in the same direction, the single printed sheet obtained by EE3BU slitting will cause the phenomenon of paper bending, resulting in the inability to perform normal die cutting and other post-processing operations . In order to overcome the curl of the coated paper, a back coating process can be applied, ie, a back coating liquid is coated on the back (printed side) of the coated paper to correct the deformation of the paper. This method is very effective for eliminating paper curl. However, there is generally no special back coater on the printing press. Enterprises can use the device of a color set on the E~ISU machine (such as a flexo press) to carry out the transformation and adjust the paper making method so that the reverse side of the coated paper becomes the back coating liquid. The printing surface can be. Since the back-coating liquid only serves to correct the deformation of the paper by moisture absorption on the back surface, the range of selection is large, such as the stabilizing agent of the water-based ink. In the use of various types of paper jam for printing BUB, ~, also will appear the phenomenon of paper curl, because the paper is thick, and then use the back coating method is not enough to correct the deformation, you must use the rewinding device to correct the paper bending, A device is called a rewinding machine. The device is available on a high-end E0B machine. Gravure machines such as BOBST and KOMORCHAMBON are used to flatten the paper.

2.1.2 Control of Ink Viscosity The inks used in cigarette pack printing are mainly solvent inks and water-based inks. In the printing process, the viscosity of the ink has a great influence on the quality of the print. Only a constant ink viscosity will have a constant print quality. Therefore, the viscosity of the ink in the production is controlled very strictly. In the use of solvent-based ink viscosity, the composition of the solvent accounts for approximately 50%, and the strong volatility of the solvent is an important reason for the continuous change of the viscosity of the printing ink. In order to make the viscosity of the ink more stable, in actual production, the staff on the machine is required to measure the viscosity of the ink once every 20 minutes with the Zahn cup, and the viscosity of the ink with a larger amount is measured more frequently. By controlling the viscosity change instantaneously, the solvent is added to the ink tank at regular intervals to keep the ink viscosity constant. If the viscosity of the aqueous ink is used, the viscosity of the ink may also vary. However, since the volatility of the water is relatively small, the control becomes easier.