Analysis of the relationship of quality factors in the solventless lamination process

Abstract

The paper presents the necessity of establishing the priority ranking of factors which influence the solventless lamination process. The quality factors in the lamination process have been determined through the questionnaire survey of specialists experienced in the lamination of flexographic prints. To establish the priority of the quality factors in the flexographic prints lamination process, a ranking methodology was used which is based on the fact that the importance of the factor is determined by numerical indicators related to the number of influences and dependencies between the factors and their respective weight coefficients. The interconnections between the factors in the lamination process have been established and the model of the importance of quality factors in the solventless lamination process of flexographic prints was constructed with the help of the ranking method. In accordance with the obtained results, the following factors are of the highest priority: the construction of the section for adhesive supply, the type of adhesive, the complexity of the printed image, the type of material, web width, and the temperature. By the set terms, the fuzzy knowledge base of parameters in the solventless lamination process with the performance of the condition “if–then” has been formed. Based on this knowledge base, fuzzy logic equations for the calculation of the quality factors in the lamination process options have been built and defuzzification by the “center of gravity” method to get the quantitative quality parameters of the lamination technological process and to optimize the process.