Printing offset

Injection-molded articles can be decorated by in-mold labeling or by post-mold decoration. In the former method, printed film is inserted into the mold cavity before injection. The plastic forms an intimate contact with the graphic material. Post-mold decoration includes hot stamping, dry offset printing, and decal printing. 

Offset Printing Roll-transfer method of decrating. In most cases less expensive than other multicolor printing methods. Ranges from low-cost hand presses to very expensive automated units. Drying, destaticizers, feeding devices. 

Lettering and decoration can be applied to most materials using various printing methods. Offset printing, silk screening, and pad printing are among the methods adapted to plastics. 

Larsen FIF, Hansen MS, Hauschild M (2006) Ecolabelling of printed matter. Part II life cycle assessment of model sheet fed offset printed matter. Working Report No. 24. Danish Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, Copenhagen... 

Larsen FIF, Hansen MS, Hauschild M (2009) Life-cycle assessment of offset printed matter with EDIP97 - how important are emissions of chemicals J Cleaner Prod 17 115-128... 

The goal of the LCA case study on printed matter [8] was to identify the distribution of potential environmental impacts (hot spots) and resource consumption during the life cycle of generic sheet fed offset printed matter produced at a European model printing house. The functional unit is 1 ton of sheet fed offset printed matter (books, pamphlets, brochures, etc.). 

Fig. 3 LCA impact profile on sheet fed offset printed matter (functional unit 1 ton). Weighted potential impact (milli-person-equivalents targeted), shown on the x-axis. Only seven impact categories, i.e. human toxicity, ecotoxicity, etc. were shown here...

The conversion of the offset printing process for newspapers to other print systems. 

The primary sources for the mineral oil contamination in secondary fibre-based packaging materials are the coldset inks from newspapers because offset printing is the dominating printing process for this type of graphic paper product in Europe. Offset coldset inks consist of up to 30% of mineral oil as solvent. In general, offset inks are available which are based on mineral oil-reduced or mineral oil-free... 

Finally, the conversion of mineral oil-based offset newspaper inks to mineral oil-free inks is the most promising option. In the sense of ecological actions, it is now the time to work seriously on this conversion which requires for sure further research needs. The developments on mineral oil-free inks stopped about 15 years ago have to be adopted on the new generations of offset printing machines. The deinkability of those inks causes promise to find fast industrial solutions eventually via a first step with mineral oil-reduced offset inks. Nevertheless, the deinkability found to be all right at that time has to be tested again. 

Roll-to-Roll Printing Processes Gravure, Flexographic, and Offset Printing... 

Wadden RA, Scheff PA, Franke JE, et al. 1995. VOC emission rates and emission factors for a sheetfed offset printing shop. Am Ind Hygiene Assoc J 56 368-376. 

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