The Butterfly Effect

AS GRAPHIC communications professionals, we must work within a global supply chain. In today’s industry, is that a problem?

Not all the time. But, even under the best conditions, there can be slight alterations in the chain, particularly with regard to material composition, that will create minor glitches or delays that affect the quality of the projects that come off-press—or, at least, the costs and the timing involved in moving those projects through the printing process.

It’s the graphic communications version of the Butterfly Effect, also known as the Chaos Theory, which holds that a small change in the manufacture of one component in, say, China, can have a negative impact on the print production of a product in New York.

The Butterfly Effect was coined in 1972 by American mathematician and meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz. Its applicability to graphic communications requires no stretch of the imagination, considering that prepress shops and printers use chemistry, ink, paper, plates, exposure units, software and other components from all over the world.

Without the necessary expertise in prepress and the press room, wider operating latitude, and tighter process control to achieve and maintain the highest quality, the Butterfly Effect can certainly weaken a product by the time it comes off-press.

There are basically three ways to avoid those supply chain glitches and delays. One, be flexible in your decisions to acquire the right products and technologies for your specific needs. Two, drive out as many variables as you can, so you render minor alterations in your processes insignificant. And, three, brush up on your knowledge of lithography. Press operators should consider themselves lithographers because, unlike some other processes, printing, with its increasingly higher speeds, is not getting any easier—it’s getting more complex all the time.

In addition, training must be given a top priority because all graphic communications professionals must truly understand how the entire process interaction affects their work and their business.

Let’s take a closer look at just one aspect of the global supply chain, aluminum, which of course has long been an integral part of the printing process. China is a major supplier of bauxite, which is eventually turned into aluminum. But China wanted to reduce the exporting of products that have high energy consumption, so the country reduced and, in some cases, eliminated tax rebates for exported goods. That affected their aluminum supply. Similarly, Guinea is also a major supplier of bauxite. But that country’s recent political unrest, which required Marshall Law to be imposed and spawned general strikes, caused massive production delays of bauxite.

Supply and Demand Chain Reaction

Combined with other world events, the end result has been a doubling of aluminum prices over the past five years. And, with such swings, some suppliers have exited the market, forcing some vendors to scramble to adjust their graining techniques. Thus, it has become necessary to look closely at the materials we use for some of our key printing processes.

Locally, paper mills have been closing, which will require us to reconsider our paper supplies, which, no doubt, will come from new mills opening in China. With regard to plates, electro-chemical graining processes use enormous amounts of electricity, which will further challenge our energy resources.

There are other issues, as well. For one, small- to mid-sized printers are finding it hard to keep up with CTP chemistry costs. For another, postal rates in some cases are increasing by as much as 40 percent, which, in turn, will require fewer page counts or lighter paper.

There are as many potential negatives to every supply chain situation as there are potential positives. As one example, calcium carbonate is the most widely used mineral in paper-making today, primarily because of its cost savings in raw materials. The move toward Chinese paper mills complements the untapped calcium carbonate resources there, estimated to be 20 percent of the world’s supply.

Yet, there are many calcium carbonate issues on-press, including progressively poor ink transfer and build-up, or piling, in the non-image areas of the blanket. As another example, some printers that are adopting the newer alcohol substitutes to respond to environmental concerns or mandates are finding newer problems on-press, such as foaming or surfactant build-up, which can cause ink transfer issues.

The impact of the global supply chain on prepress and printing can be found everywhere in the shop—from aluminum, paper, inks and chemistry, to automation, latitude, graining and maintenance. We must make smart, informed choices with regard to platemaking technology, paper and ink selection, and more. Even the ways in which suppliers are graining different alloys can have an effect, such as with the ink-water balance.

However, there is plenty of good news, too. Effective low-chemistry or no-chemistry CTP systems are becoming more common. Soy ink is making tremendous inroads. Today, approximately half of the soybeans grown do not even need watering, and soy inks have low levels of volatile organic compounds that help reduce air pollution by minimizing emissions.

Also, the impact of Earth Day has been very positive. As noted in the recent PIA/GATF Technology Forecast, for a mid-sized, 35-employee firm, Earth Day-inspired initiatives are responsible for a 62 percent reduction in water consumption, a 67 percent decrease in landfill usage, a 58 percent reduction in make­ready waste and an annual savings of $65,000.

As Thomas Friedman, author of “The World is Flat,” has noted, many companies overseas are new players, playing on new playing fields, and developing new processes of collaboration. In so doing, they become part of a complex supply chain that is reshaping global economies. However, our industry can conquer disruption through a heightened, proactive approach to all of our processes, as well as heightened expertise on-press.

When that next Butterfly event happens, being prepared will help us weather the effects. PI

About the Author
Steve Musselman, senior manager of corporate accounts in North America, Agfa Graphics, helped launch many Agfa technologies, including Sublima screening, Azura and Amigo plates, and Avalon platesetters.