The eighth annual AFTA forum was held in Auckland last week, attracting a large turnout from among the New Zealand flexo industry. The forum, which was followed by dinner and the AFTA Flexographic Print Awards, featured 17 speakers, covering topics that ranged from on press issues to OSH and HR, pre-press and the industry’s future outlook.
There was a heavy concentration of New Zealand speakers covering important local issues, mixed with speakers from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
During the first session covering on-press issues, speakers analysed in-depth the key issue of waterbased inks vs solvent and solventless inks. James Dulong from the United States talked about the importance of viscosity and how best to measure it. The United Kingdom’s Craig Brawley discussed how best to keep the web clean and dismissed air-based devices with the memorable line: "You can’t blow the dust off your telly".
In the second session on OSH and HR, the PAITC’s Ruth Cobb gave an enlightening talk on legislation covering hazardous substances and employment relations, including the potential impact of the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill, currently before Parliament. Andy Beauchamp of Apprentice Training New Zealand covered the importance of apprenticeships to the industry, while Craig Sowerby and Murray Lewis discussed environmental issues, particularly relating to solvents.
The prepress session covered software, plate technology, plate-mounting tape and the emerging area of online proofing. Anthony Conway spoke of how best to overcome the limited tonal range of flexo, using improved software to expand the colour gamut. Bernard Labigang’s presentation focused on the benefits of themal digital plates in advancing production speed and quality, even beyond the realms of traditional digital technology.
In the afternoon, speakers looked less at technical issues, but more at business issues related to the flexo industry. John Webber of the New Zealand Packaging Council talked about the recently signed Packaging Accord and surprised himself when a show of hands revealed just how few attendees actually knew the Accord had been signed. Both Webber and Ian Piper mentioned the negative light that the public perceives the packaging industry in. Piper talked about striving for excellence in the face of adversity, and overcoming hurdles like diminishing returns and rising costs in the current climate. Rick Mix of the United States’ talked about drupa and the changes that it presented for flexo. He described it as ‘The packaging friendly drupa’ and said that everybody is now looking at packaging as a potential market, including the major offset players.
