Flexo Process Control Standard Reaches Draft No. 8: Shanghai Meeting Sets Path to Public Comment

A recent working session in Shanghai has advanced the flexographic printing process control standard, with the drafting group producing a preliminary version of Draft No. 8. The group also set a one-week deadline for polishing and finalizing the document text.

The fourth meeting of the drafting group for GB/T17934.6-201X, Graphic technology — Process control for the production of half-tone colour separations, proof and production prints — Part 6: Flexographic printing, took place in Shanghai on 26–27 November 2012. More than ten specialists and technicians joined, representing the Shanghai Printing Technology Research Institute; Wuhan Huayi Flexo Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd.; the Flexographic Products Division of Flint Group; Shanghai Yingyao Laser Digital Plate Making Co., Ltd.; Bobst (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.; Shanghai Zhengwei Printing Co., Ltd.; Shanghai Ziquan Label Co., Ltd.; Shanghai Fancai Image Equipment Co., Ltd.; the Flexographic Printing Branch of the China Printing Technology Association; and Esko (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd. Esko (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd. hosted the meeting.

Discussions focused on the standard's technical provisions and data. Because China's flexographic printing capabilities have improved significantly in recent years, the group adapted ten technical items to domestic conditions, with eight of those changes raising performance indicators. The obsolete 'soft dot technology' content was selectively removed, while quality inspection requirements for hard dot colour separation film were kept. In translating terms such as 'three-component in the original electronic document,' 'mid-tone expansion,' 'error, deviation and tolerance,' and 'black composition in gray balance,' the group balanced professional accuracy with common industry usage and aligned the wording with Printing Terminology and GB/T17934.1.

After a day and a half of intensive work, the meeting arrived at the preliminary text of Draft No. 8. The draft must be revised and completed within one week, and the drafting group is also expected to prepare the explanatory notes for the standard. Both files will then be presented at the fifth drafting group meeting in Chongqing in mid-December, where they are due to be adopted as the draft standard for public comment. Once the Chongqing meeting concludes, that draft will be circulated across the industry to gather opinions and suggestions openly.

— Reposted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn); original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-361994.html