Resources
Spec Card
A specification card for South African flexo floors, covering press type, web width, substrate range, and key production requirements.
How Spec Card helps match the right press
The Spec Card is a compact planning page for defining a flexo press requirement. It covers press type, web width, substrate range, and the main production needs behind the job. Buyers can use it to keep technical discussions clear before moving into full machine specification.
Complete the Spec Card with the basics that shape the press decision: press type, web width, substrate range, repeat length, and the inks in use. Include whether the work is on PE, BOPP, paper, laminate, or light board, because drying demand and tension control change across these materials. South African sites should also note plant power stability and whether the machine must fit an existing print room layout in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, or a regional packaging plant.
Attach a few clear production photos when filling in the Spec Card, especially the current press, unwind area, and printed sample. Those images help show edge quality, colour coverage, and handling limits that a short written note can miss. Keep a copy with the job file so the same reference is available during budgeting, site review, and final machine comparison.
Spec Card details that matter
A completed Spec Card gives everyone the same technical starting point before discussing CI, narrow-web, or stack configurations. It sets out the substrate mix, target width, print application, and any restrictions around drying, curing, or available space. That makes press conversations more precise when production, purchasing, and management are looking at the same requirement.
Use the Spec Card alongside sample labels, pouches, sacks, or wrap photos so the production aim is visible as well as written down. Before sending it through the contact form, check that web width, substrate thickness, and colour count match the current requirement. If there is an existing press on site, add its main limits, such as maximum width, speed range, or drying arrangement.
- Press category noted for the application
- Web width and repeat clearly recorded
- Current machine limits added to notes
Checks for South African packaging sites
South African converters often have to balance export work, retailer deadlines, and mixed substrate demand on one press line. The Spec Card should therefore note shift pattern, available utilities, and whether the press must handle frequent changeovers or longer repeat runs. Site access and receiving constraints also matter where older industrial buildings limit machine length, crane access, or installation route.
Near the coast, salt in the air can shorten cleaning cycles on frames, guards, and exposed components. Inland sites often deal with dust around sensors, unwind sections, and web guides, so the Spec Card should note any weak points from current production. Load-shedding patterns also affect makeready timing, drying setup, and when first-pass approval is most realistic.
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What to include on Spec Card
Fill in the Spec Card with sample photos, production timing, and the machine limits already identified. Keep the subject line straightforward.
List the core production facts in one place: product type, number of colours, target output, substrate range, and finishing needs such as lamination, slitting, or rewind quality. If the job includes sample defects or recurring print issues, note them on the Spec Card so they are considered early. Treat it as a technical reference, not only an enquiry summary.