Watch: Why Better Coating Decisions Start with the Entire Workflow
Coating may happen near the end of the production process, but the decisions behind it can affect production speed, durability, application flexibility, and the value of the finished piece.
Harris & Bruno’s Paul Furse and Juan Soto recently sat down with DSCOOP for a conversation about coating technology, chemistry, and workflow. The discussion focused on why coating should be viewed as part of a complete production system rather than as an isolated finishing step. Watch the full recap above, or on the DSCOOP Website, here.
A Coating Problem Is Rarely Just One Problem
When a coated piece does not look or perform as expected, it is easy to focus on one component. The coating chemistry may seem like the problem, the anilox roll may appear to be transferring the wrong amount, or the chamber may become the first place operators look for an adjustment.
In reality, coating performance depends on the interaction between the entire system. The chamber needs to meter coating consistently, the anilox roll needs to transfer the appropriate volume, the circulation system needs to maintain stable fluid delivery, and the coating needs to transfer, level, dry, and perform correctly on the selected substrate.
Changing one variable without considering the others can create a different issue downstream. Effective troubleshooting starts by understanding how the mechanical and chemical sides of the process work together.
Start with What the Finished Piece Needs to Do
The right coating decision should begin with the application, not simply with a preferred chemistry or piece of equipment.
A book cover that needs to withstand shipping has different requirements than a direct mail piece designed for visual impact or a reusable printed product that needs added surface durability. Starting with the finished piece allows printers to work backward through the process.
What level of protection is required? Is the goal visual, tactile, or functional? How quickly does the product need to move through production? What substrate is being used?
Those questions help determine whether aqueous or UV coating makes sense, what anilox specification is appropriate, and what the overall coating workflow needs to support.
Bring Finishing Into the Workflow Conversation Earlier
If coating is treated as something to figure out after the press has already been selected, the finishing workflow may eventually limit what the press can produce efficiently.
Press speed is only one part of overall throughput. Coating speed, drying capability, substrate handling, fluid compatibility, and changeover requirements can all determine how quickly finished work actually leaves the building.
Bringing coating into the conversation earlier also creates an opportunity to think beyond current applications. The same workflow used for protection may also support soft touch, gloss, matte, or specialty coatings that expand what a printer can offer customers.
The goal is to build the printing and finishing workflow together so one process does not become the bottleneck for the other.
Mechanical Engineering and Coating Chemistry Are Connected
Modern coating applications sit at the intersection of mechanical engineering and chemistry. Viscosity, anilox volume, circulation, drying, substrate characteristics, production speed, and fluid formulation all influence how a coating performs.
A chemistry change may require a different anilox specification. A different substrate may affect coating holdout. Higher production speeds may require adjustments to drying or fluid delivery.
Harris & Bruno approaches these challenges as part of one coating system. Our team works across chamber-anilox technology, anilox rolls, circulation systems, coating equipment, and Synergy aqueous and UV coatings, allowing the focus to remain on solving the application rather than isolating each component.
Coating Can Expand What a Printer Can Produce
A well-designed coating workflow should support the work a printer produces today while creating room for new applications tomorrow.
Coating can add protection and durability, but it can also change how a printed piece looks, feels, and performs. Soft touch, gloss, matte, and specialty coatings can help printers create differentiated products and, in the right applications, provide an alternative to additional finishing steps.
That makes coating part of both the production and sales conversation. When customers ask for increased durability, different tactile properties, or new visual finishes, coating can become part of how those opportunities are engineered from the beginning.
Build Your Coating Workflow
Harris & Bruno works with printers to evaluate the complete coating process, from chambers and anilox rolls to circulation, equipment, and coating chemistry. If your production is ramping up for a new workflow, or just needing to fine-tune an existing one, We’re here to help.
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