In Hall 15, stand C34, the "Bonding Engineers" will display innovative adhesive solutions tailored to the needs of the graphics industry. For many years, Lohmann has also been renowned for its flexoprinting know-how and is a reliable partner for the printing industry. The successful DuploFLEX product range is playing a particularly important role in this respect by setting the standard for the mounting of flexoprinting plates.
 
There are far more options available in flexoprinting today than ever before. Customers also have high expectations and demand perfect printing results. Choosing the right plate mounting tape is a crucial part of the flexoprinter's job. The foam adhesive tape also acts as a substructure and cushions vibrations, and must be able to support an optimum print image. The DuploFLEX 5 product range consists of several compressible adhesive tapes that differ in terms of foam hardness and adhesive strength. The DuploFLEX HP 5 range is used for difficult and demanding printing jobs. The high performance foam (HP) employed plays a key role. It has a very high degree of stability and regains its original form perfectly. This enables it to counteract machine vibrations effectively, preventing vibration marks in the printed image. It can be used for both long and high-speed printing jobs.
The Lohmann adhesive engineers are also well-experienced in the printing of corrugated board. As a compressible substructure for high-quality post print, the DuploFLEX CB (Corrugated Board) product range guarantees the best possible print results. It also has two great strengths when it comes to the direct printing of corrugated board: improved print quality and improved cost-effectiveness. The DuploFLEX CB (Corrugated Board) is available to customers in two types.  Either a single-sided adhesive version, developed for laminating the PET film itself, or a version where this step can be eliminated by choosing a PET film carrier with a pre-laminated foam. Due to its closed cell structure, the foam regains its original shape perfectly and has a high degree of stability.

Speciality coatings for security documents constitute a new area in the graphics market segment. When it comes to high-security cards, such as bank, insurance and credit cards, the demand is for long-lasting, high-quality products. To meet these requirements, materials with different properties are laminated together when the cards are manufactured. These materials often respond differently to the lamination process and there are limitations in terms of the extent to which they can be bonded. The high degree of protection frequently required against counterfeiting cannot be guaranteed.
To resolve this problem, the Lohmann graphics department is presenting a heat-activated adhesive film that reaches its full adhesive strength at 120 degrees Celsius. The materials are protected from damage, allowing even sensitive materials to be bonded together. This means manufacturers can freely combine any materials, giving them greater design freedom in the card production process.
Not only does the adhesive film demonstrate high and long-lasting adhesive strength after activation - the key feature is that an inseparable bond forms between the adhesive film and the substrates. This means that it will not be possible to falsify a document by detaching the adhesive layer from the carrier material, ensuring the highest level of security for cardholders. Furthermore, the transparent adhesive film meets High Security Card requirements for improved quality, longer service life and security, thanks to its high coating accuracy.
Adhesive solutions for point of sale applications and displays are also new in the graphics market segment. Adhesive technology will in the future be able to replace conventional rivet, weld and screw processes, due to the many advantages of adhesion for users. For example, it enables products to be designed more freely, as complex materials and shapes can be bonded. Lohmann's adhesive tapes can also be used on painted materials and sharply curved geometric forms. Customers benefit from the "Bonding Engineers" decades of experience. Our adhesive experts have know-how in many industrial sectors, such as the electronics and consumer goods industry, and can draw on an extensive pool of knowledge.
In summary, the experts from the Lohmann Tape Group will present a variety of products for the graphics industry at Drupa 2012 and are also looking forward to more in-depth discussions.