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Our Main Services

  • Test sur presse

Printability Tests on Industrial Presses

You want to validate and optimize the quality of ink deposits or coatings with an industrial printing process or to validate the performance of your paper or plastic substrates on a press? The ICI can help you thanks to its complete fleet of printing equipment.

During each test, the ICI will help you with the design and layout of a customized test form that meets your needs and the prerequisites of the printing process that was chosen.

Here are the key features of our press testing services:

  • Possible in offset, flexography, rotogravure, flat-bed or rotary screen, or a combination of printing processes (flexography, rotogravure and rotary screen) on a multi-process press.
  • Performed under controlled conditions to give reproducible results that are relevant to the graphics industry.
  • Tests on various substrates (paper, cardboard, plastic, multi-layer film), inks and coatings (conventional or functional) or other consumables and printing devices (dampening solution, plates, etc.).
  • Relevant comments documented in a report and sample collection during the tests (linting, deposits in printing units, etc.).
  • Many types of analyses available for printed copies (Laboratory Testing).

For more information, visit the detailed page on our Industrial Equipment.

  • Case study

    For more than 20 years, paper manufacturers—or suppliers of chemical products for the paper industry—have been working with the ICI to test the print quality of new papers or additives they develop for rotary offset printing. Whether to test the addition of new component in a paper layer or the optimization of the fiber quality, the tests are performed on the M110 offset press under constant and reproducible printing conditions. These tests provide customers with essential information to assess the impact of their additions on the quality of printed copies as well as the printability and machinability of the papers.

    The players in the paper industry also benefit from the multidisciplinarity of the ICI’s team and the Varyflex hybrid rotary press to test the printability of papers (flexography and rotogravure).

Laboratory Testing

You have a problem with your print consumables? You want to analyze and compare the performance of your inks and substrates? The ICI will help you choose the right laboratory test for your needs before making a strict analysis—in a controlled environment—and giving you a clear and detailed expert report.

You need to test the sustainability of secure prints? Thanks to many years of expertise in that field, we can adjust the testing procedures to your needs and ensure confidentiality.

Here are our key analyses:

  • Physical and chemical characterization of liquid or paste inks (tack, rheology, dispersion, size of particulates);
  • Analysis of the ink-substrate interactions using the contact angle measurement;
  • Printability tests on proofing equipment that simulates on a small scale the various printing processes (offset, flexography, rotogravure, inkjet);
  • Characterization of other print consumables (paper substrates, dampening solutions, plates);
  • Analysis of print copies using specific techniques (spectro-densitometry, image analysis, profilometry, surface resistance);
  • Durability tests on prints (mechanical, chemical, thermal resistance), based on your reality in the field;
  • Test specifications that are consistent with ASTM or ISO standards.

For more information, download the full list of our laboratory testing or go to the detailed page about Our Equipment.

  • Case Study

    For more than 20 years, the ICI has offered a laboratory quality control program for printing inks. This process uses various techniques to characterize the performance (consumption) and consistency of ink batches delivered to printers. The ICI also uses infrared spectrometry to predict the performance of inks based on their chemical “identity card”. This predictive technique—patented by the ICI in 2001—allows a systematic control of the inks right after their production, before they are delivered to printers.

Technical Consultation

Our team is eager to confront challenges and help you grow by solving on-press problems, increasing your efficiency, improving your work environment, and choosing the best printing technique for your market!

Our experts are specialized in processes as well as consumables and are thus able to work directly at your production site. These actions can be rounded off with an in-depth analysis of your samples at the ICI’s facilities to give you a complete evaluation and a solution that meets your needs.

Here are examples of the support that we give to the industry:

  • Solving problems that influence quality and efficiency and can be related to the process, the consumables or the press devices;
  • Overseeing in-house on-press tests to solve problems or to develop new products;
  • Making analyses and recommendations to improve work methods and increase your operational efficiency;
  • Supporting you in introducing new colour management techniques;
  • Technical surveys to recommend new equipment or printing materials based on your constraints and your market;
  • Writing independent expert reports.
  • Case Study

    Here are examples of typical mandates that we can carry out for a flexographer.

    After a first meeting with the management team to define the needs and the recurring problems of quality and/or productivity, the ICI’s team uses an observation period to identify the problems and come up with recommendations to solve them. These recommendations can cover many problems seen during manufacturing, such as the lack of technical training, the management of the anilox, the management of inks—including the reuse of inks in stock—, the use and management of plates, as well as the choice of sticky back and other consumables.

    Furthermore, we can help you increase productivity by working on the work flow and task organization, to optimize set up and manufacturing time.

    In terms of quality control, we can help the company in setting up spectrophotometry for spot colour quality and improving the colour management in densitometry, which has a positive impact on the quality of printed products.

Did you know...

Did you know that the ICI is part of the index of experts recognized by the Fonds Écoleader? With Ecoleader, you can finance the services that will help you choose a technology or consumables that are more environmentally friendly. For more information, please go to our Financement page or go to the Fond Ecoleader website.

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