Anilox cell geometries for printable electronics and flexible packaging

Manufacturing Advances Through Training Engineering Researchers

Swansea University

Briefly describe your vacancy (including relevant dates) in no more than 50 words. Ensure you have entered the URL to the full job description above.

The printing industry for many centuries had been a driver in the social and industrial revolution. Today, printing is a high volume, precision manufacturing process capable of accurately, selectively covering and curing as many as 15 materials up to speeds capable of covering a football pitch in 90s. Printing has had to adopt new materials and technologies to improve economic performance and meet the increasingly strict environmental legislation.  Flexographic printing is one of the rapidly growing technologies primarily in flexible packaging, a market which last year had an estimated value of $263M. This project is supported by a consortium of leading print companies and their suppliers.

The objective of this project is to develop the underpinning science and key definitions that can be used to describe the ink carrying characteristics of engraved cylinders. It will include the study of the ink transfer with a view to identifying the key parameters that effect ink release and how these interact with the physical properties of the ink, (viscosity, pigment size and shape, etc) and print process parameters. This project will be particularly important for printing of special effects, security and functional inks, such as for printed electronics. The long term aim is not to define the optimum engraving geometry, as this will be influenced by the application, but to produce an analytical model that would enable the
ink release to be predicted based on measurements of the engraving and ink properties.

Suitable Candidates:

This project is suitable for graduates with a 2:1 degree in Engineering, Physical Sciences or Mathematics

Sponsor:      

Advanced Printing Network