Optimal air humidity is an important climatic parameter for the production of packaging and packaging printing, to ensure high product quality and a smooth production process. 

Meaning of air humidification 

Standardised production conditions are becoming increasingly important for printing and further processing of paper, cartons and foils.  Customer demand for sophisticated packaging with fine finishes and the ability to use new plastics and foils confront the packaging industry with ever new challenges.

Even small deviations from the optimum material properties or climate conditions can disrupt the production process considerably due to the ever increasing machine speeds. Limited machine run times, production down times and preventable additional cost are the result. An additional air humidification system is an effective measure of quality assurance with growing importance for the packaging industry.

Change in dimensions

Should the relative humidity in the room fall below the optimum intrinsic moisture content of the processing materials, moisture will actually be lost. The edges of the material will release moisture to an environment without added air humidification, they warp into the so-called "plate“. These dimensional changes can result in serious production problems during printing and die-cutting. For instance a constant relative humidity of 45-50% is necessary for the printing, die-cutting and gluing of Chromoduplex cartons to ensure the smooth production and absolute fit of the product.

Electrostatic charges

Triggered by friction processes in the rapidly rotating printing and finishing machines, electrostatic can significantly affect the production process in the packaging industry. Thin materials, labels and synthetic materials like polypropylene films are affected most by the undesirable electrostatic charges.  Depending on the process, an optimal material flow requires a relative humidity between 50% and 60%, which can be created  year round by means of a constant air humidification.