The 21st forum of the "Australian Flexographic Technical Association" (AFTA) took
place in the middle of August in Melbourne. 250 flexographic experts forgather for
two days under the title "The Key To Flexo" in order to provide technical information
and to exchange ideas and solutions for the advancement of the flexographic printing
industry. The company Lohmann/Germany was represented by the Lohmann Liaison Office
in Australia and the distribution partners Flexcor and GMS Pacific. This annual forum
is a fixed part of Australia´s Flexoindustry calendar and was finished with a print
award ceremony. For Lohman, as one of the worldwide leading manufacturers of plate
mounting adhesive tapes, it was a must to attend this forum. Wolfgang Wittmann,
manager of the Lohmann Liaison Office, showed the new standard of performance for
the compressible mounting of flexographic printing plates. After having reviewed
every single material component of its highly successful product series DuploFLEX
and DuploFLEX plus, the pressure-sensitive tape manufacturer has implemented
a multitude of additional and significant improvements. The adhesive system
is a completely new development capable of holding the plates firmly in place
during the entire press run even when using small diameter cylinders.
It virtually eliminates plate lifting caused by stress as a result of
the plate’s memory to return to its original flat geometry. The most significant
advance has been achieved  through the development of a new generation of highly
resilient polyethylene foams for the new DuploFLEX 5.11 – 5.41 series. With
the new Duploflex Lohmann offers a product focussing on the needs of the customer
and the overall promotion of flexographic printing.