WHY SCREEN PRINTING IS STILL RELEVANT IN 2016

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1 WHY SCREEN PRINTING IS STILL RELEVANT IN 2016 MIKE RUFF, MIKE RUFF CONSULTING, LLC Chairman The Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technologies

2 WHAT WILL BE COVERED. Past predictions about where we are today. Disruption in the screen print industry in perspective. What is happening now, SGIA Report Highlights. What you think? What the experts said? Advances in digital print technology for industrial and functional printing. Conclusion

3 2012 PREDICTION: Mike Young, Screen Web Article 2012 Question: Will digital print take a significant part of the industrial print market like it did in graphics? There is an opportunity to coexist, playing off each other s strengths. There will be no outright disappearance or significant changes to current methods or known/accepted technologies of today. Yet one thing is certain, without the next generation of screen printers poised to take their place, there will be no future.

4 2012 PREDICTION Art Dobie, 2012 In my opinion, the biggest opportunity in screen-printing will be in industrial applications. Screen printing matches up better with the requirements of these types of applications than most other printing methods.

5 Mark Coudray 30,000 FT. PERSPECTIVE Mark Coudray s article, The Forth Disruption. Screen Print Magazine, August / September Postscript Desktop Publishing 3. Digital Printing 4. Venture Capitalist (This will affect industrial and functional very soon.) Markets are changing... FAST! Industrial is holding it s own... But don t get too comfortable. Digital printing is coming. Venture capitalist my soon be attracted to the industrial print industry.

6 MARK S WARNING The Forth Disruption. Screen Print Magazine, August / September 2016 As hard as I've tried, I have not found one instance where digital disruption has entered a market and the old ways survived. It is what I call Digital Darwinism. Adapt or die. * Question: Is industrial screen printing an exception?

7 IS DIGITAL TAKING THE INDUSTRIAL PRINT MARKET BY STORM?... NO. 2016: 90 percent of I.P. companies classify themselves as multi-technology. Digital is growing very slowly. Screen Printing is still growing fast in Industrial Print.

8 SGIA S INDUSTRIAL MARKET REPORT Challenging Year 2015 Median sales growth of 12.4 percent. (Slower sales growth than 2015) 2016 Only 46% reported increased sales (compared to 70 % in 2015) 2016 Only 60% reported increased production (compared to 80% in 2015)

9 CHALLENGES IN 2016 (SGIA REPORT 2016) Primary barriers to growth: 1. Finding new customers 2. Downward pressure on prices 3. Recruiting production personnel. Sales Strategy: Company websites, referrals and outside sales. Competitive Improvement plans: 1. Lean manufacturing/continuous improvement 2. Reducing operating costs. 3. Adding new product lines were the most common.

10 Why Screen Printing is still relevant in 2016? RELEVANT QUESTIONS 1. Is screen printing still the best choice for most industrial printing applications? 2. Is screen printing still a better choice for speed in industrial applications? 3. Is screen printing a still a better choice for more opportunities in industrial applications?

11 EXPERT INDUSTRIAL PRINTING ADVISORS Neil Bolding, MacDermid Autotype. 30 years and involved in the industrial printing industries Active in creating international standards for industrial and electronic printing. Laura Maybaum, Global Screen Product Manager for Nazdar Industrial Applications Internationally known writer and trainer and expert in industrial screen and digital processes. The Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technologies Joe Clarke, Clarke Product Renovations, International screen print consultants, inventor, training and technical writer. The Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technologies Mike Young, Imagetek Consulting International Mike is an internationally known industrial print production consultant. The Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technologies The Academy of Screen and Digital

12 Question: Is screen printing still the best choice for most industrial printing applications? Why?

13 MIKE YOUNG: Is screen printing still the best choice for most industrial printing applications? Screen is certainly not the only option because much depends of the need. Its about selecting the most viable process. Most if the time products still has to be screened if the ink layer has to be selective in where it goes on the substrate.

14 Laura Maybaum Is screen printing still the best choice for most industrial printing applications? Yes, absolutely. There is a lot of work to get more and more applications onto the ink jet side of things, but there are many applications that require solvent or UV screen inks. High opacity Smooth and solid spot colors High chemical resistance High water resistance Adhesive resistance Specialty surfaces such as high gloss or very low gloss Specialty formulations such as non-conductive, dead front windows, textures, ultra-clear windows, etc. Specialty colors: metallic, pearlescent, heat resistant, fade resistance, etc.

15 NEIL BOLDING: Is screen printing still the best choice for most industrial printing applications? The primary requirement in industrial parts is performance. Screen is better. Flexibility is a high priority needed. Digital inks just aren t as flexible as screen printed inks. Applications like membrane switches are an example. If the ink is not flexible, it will not provide the same level of actuation performance.

16 QUESTION: QUALITY? Is screen printing still a better choice for quality in industrial applications? Why?

17 Joe Clarke Is screen printing still a better choice for quality in industrial applications? Screen Print has an advantage in Industrial applications 1. Small parts require higher image quality. 2. Precise color matching for corporate colors challenge digital. Special colors: Metallic colors, Economical clear coats, Textures 3. Durability is better in screen.

18 Laura Maybaum: Is screen printing still a better choice for Quality in industrial applications? Yes. But it depends how you qualify quality. The more demanding or higher the specifications, the more you would lean towards saying yes to screen printing.

19 Mike Young: Is screen printing still a better choice for Quality in industrial applications? Yes. Out of the gate it is a better choice for industrial applications. Industrial printing needs significantly heavier coatings to perform other functions. Also Industrial printing requires many times greater accuracy and close-tolerance deposition. While most printing systems yield between micron thickness as standard in a single pass, screen can provide anywhere between 6 50 microns.

20 QUESTION: SPEED Is screen printing still a better choice for speed in industrial applications? Why?

21 It depends on run length and the performance requirements of the printed part. Laura Maybaum: Is screen printing still a better choice for Speed in industrial applications? Industrial printing lends to longer print runs because parts tend to be set up as a standard design. The graphic design and function design are more set in stone. Screen is the best choice in this case. There is room for personalization, like ad specialty, container printing, packaging, or smart device covering/packing. Digital works for short runs.

22 JOE CLARKE Is screen printing still a better choice for speed in industrial applications? After the press is setup. (Normally a 1 hour time line.) Semiautomatic 8x10 to 150 to 550 full sized sheets per hour Cylinder 20x40 typical 1000 to 3600 full sized sheets per hour Digital industrial printing has an advantage only in very short runs and variable data.

23 QUESTION Is screen printing a still a better choice for more opportunities in industrial applications? Why?

24 MIKE YOUNG Is screen printing still a better choice for more opportunity in industrial applications? Screen is a better choice for opportunities because digital cannot provide all the specifics the industrial prints must have. Immediately this puts that digital process at a disadvantage. Overall, screen has the advantage for more opportunities.

25 JOE CLARKE Is screen printing still a better choice for more opportunity in industrial applications? Screen is simply the best option for what industrial is today. Peak density, dead-fronts, homogenous windows, fauxchrome finishes. Conductive circuits, laminating adhesives, heat resistant coatings for in-mold label, in-mold decorating. Long runs and repeat orders.

26 Laura Maybaum: Is screen printing still a better choice for more opportunity in industrial applications? Screen is just one choice of a range of printing methods. Ink jet is gaining ground in specific areas and will continue to do so, but screen meets market requirements, certified or spec d in for many parts, and remains cost effective. In my opinion is that it is safe to say that screen print is the go-to method for a lot of industrial applications, especially as the list of requirements gets longer and the bar for performance is set higher.

27 WHAT IS HELPING DIGITAL BECOME MORE RELEVANT IN INDUSTRIAL AND FUNCTIONAL PRINTING. 1. SPICE Single Pass Inkjet Color Engines Major throughput Fast short runs Variable data on mass-market products. 2. Massive investment by major developers OCE, Fugi, Kodak, HP, Cannon, Mem-Jet, KBA-Kammann, Agfa, Durst, EFI, EFI, and others. 3. Advancement in print heads. Samba, Xaar, etc. 4. Advancement in ink technology. 5. Product targeting. Purpose Built Systems are not possible with the new SPICE technology and print head advancement. (Mark s Forth Disruption.)

28 CONCLUSION Industrial Screen Printing is not only alive, but it is growing nicely. There are segments that digital is adding new markets for the industrial printer. But it is not taking the legacy print opportunities like it has in graphics. Screen remains dominant in industrial and functional printing but digital will continue to advance.