Feasibility Study of Transitioning From Thick Plates (0.250”) Mounted on 30-Point Pvc Carriers To Thinner Plate Technologies Mounted on Recyclable Foam and PET (0.155”) for Post-Print Corrugated

Author

• Nathaniel J. Poole, Clemson UniversityFollow

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Graphic Communications

Committee Chair/Advisor

Gerry Derksen

Committee Member

Amanda Bridges

Committee Member

Kern Cox

Abstract

In the United States, the most common press configuration for brown-box printing is a 0.280” undercut press. These press configurations have long relied on thick 0.250” plates mounted on 0.030” PVC sheets to print onto corrugated substrates. Each year, around twenty million pounds of waste are produced by the printing industry, through paper waste, plate waste, among other materials. One large factor of that waste is flexographic plate waste, which either ends its life in a landfill or is repurposed into other products. This study establishes a comparison between traditionally used 0.250” plates on 30pt PVC versus 0.155” plates mounted on 0.122” RENUFlex™. RENUFlex™ is a mounting material made up of a 0.122” thick sustainable polyurethane foam mounted to mylar polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This foam incorporates end-of-life flexographic plate material back into the printing process to reduce the waste that ends in the landfill.

Results showed that in 15 of 18 printing plant trials (83.3%), 0.155” plates mounted on RENUFlex™ produced better or equal print quality through both qualitative and quantitative analyses. A 95% confidence interval reveals a expected pass rate between 60.8% and 94.2%, supporting the recommendation of this technology. These trials happened in various printing environments and press configurations, and completed on various substrate types, such as Kraft and Mottled White paper on both B and C-Flute types. Statistical testing revealed that there was no significant influence on the paper or fluting type with very little influence only being shown in ink pH (Ink) and anilox volume (BCM) variables. These results support the idea that the plate material is the primary cause of this performance rather than press configuration or environment.

Alongside the print quality benefit, the transition from thick plate to thin plate highlights significant benefits in energy savings within plate creation as well as reduction in carbon footprint by utilizing products that repurpose print industry waste into print industry products.

This study concludes with an examination of the transition from 0.250” plates mounted on 0.030” PVC to 0.155” plates mounted on 0.122” RENUFlex™, which provides a meaningful benefit to brown box printing within the corrugated printing industry. This transition provides comparable or improved print quality while supporting more sustainable practices within the industry. Alongside proper training and added impression control, the benefits of 0.155” plates on 0.122” RENUFlex™ reveal a strong potential for further growth. Future research should focus on expanding sample sizes for C-flute substrate and exploring the behavior of 0.155” plates on a live production print jobs.

Recommended Citation

Poole, Nathaniel J., "Feasibility Study of Transitioning From Thick Plates (0.250”) Mounted on 30-Point Pvc Carriers To Thinner Plate Technologies Mounted on Recyclable Foam and PET (0.155”) for Post-Print Corrugated" (2026). All Theses. 4680.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4680