Tingzheng Gravure Water-Based Ink Seminar Report

-- Joining hands with ecosystem partners across the entire value chain to build the path toward green transformation of flexible packaging

Recently, the "Tingzheng Gravure Water-Based Ink Solutions Seminar" was grandly held at Bobst (Changzhou) Xihu Lake Packaging Equipment Co., Ltd. The seminar, centered on the themes of "Green & Eco-friendly, High Efficiency & Low Consumption, and Smart Manufacturing," was led by Tingzheng Packaging and gathered core partners from across the gravure digital acquisition ecosystem - including printing equipment, platemaking, and consumables sectors - to jointly explore pathways for large-scale industrial application of water-based ink (hereafter "WBI") in flexible packaging gravure printing.

Tingzheng Packaging's General Manager Hua Zhixiang led a team to participate deeply in the event. Dr. Xie Qiang, Sales General Manager of Bobst & Xuheng for Greater China; Lu Dong, General Manager of Bobst Changzhou; Wu Xing, Service Director for Greater China at Bobst's Service & Efficiency Division; and other senior Bobst executives were all in attendance. Additionally, ecosystem partners providing full-value-chain solutions for gravure WBI - including Tianlong Ink, Kaixin Technology, Yinghong Laser, Pinguan IoT, Baishiyuan, Pake, and Fanhong New Materials - gathered together to witness this historic moment of the gravure industry's transition toward green and low-carbon operations.

At the opening of the seminar, Tingzheng Packaging's General Manager Hua Zhixiang delivered a keynote presentation titled "Tingzheng WBI Application Sharing." Mr. Hua stated that Tingzheng Packaging has always regarded environmental protection and sustainable development as core corporate strategies, firmly advancing the large-scale application of gravure water-based ink.

At the seminar venue, Hua Zhixiang delivers the keynote "Tingzheng WBI Application Sharing"

A set of data fully demonstrates Tingzheng's determination and achievements in green transformation: from January to May 2026, Tingzheng cumulatively used 655 tons of WBI, accounting for 31.5% of total ink consumption - a 200% surge compared to the same period in 2025 - achieving cumulative VOCs emission reductions of 1,100 tons and carbon reductions of 2,000 tons.

On this foundation, Tingzheng has established clear phased targets: WBI proportion to reach 60% in 2026 and 100% WBI substitution by 2030. These targets represent not only Tingzheng's requirements for its own development but also an active guiding force and commitment for the green transformation of the entire packaging industry.

In the subsequent technology sharing segment, Mr. Hua detailed Tingzheng's WBI technology innovations in PVC, composite, and surface-printing full-color applications, and prominently introduced the "Bobst Press with AI Captain" solution and the "Packaging AI Visual Inspection System." This system deeply integrates artificial intelligence with industrial manufacturing, providing a new paradigm for the digital and intelligent transformation of gravure WBI production.

Tingzheng has always maintained that green transformation is not merely a simple material substitution, but rather a systemic revolution encompassing equipment upgrades, process optimization, and digital empowerment. Through deep collaboration with Bobst and various ecosystem partners, Tingzheng is building a full-chain digital management system spanning from intelligent production scheduling to quality traceability.

Dr. Xie Qiang, Sales GM of Bobst & Xuheng Greater China (left); Hua Zhixiang, GM of Tingzheng Packaging (center); Lu Dong, GM of Bobst Changzhou (right)

In the past, gravure WBI technology suffered from inherent bottlenecks such as "slow drying, difficulty in fine-screen dot transfer, and insufficient color saturation," posing significant challenges for large-scale industrial deployment. As Tingzheng's strategic equipment partner, Bobst - through the precision engineering and intelligent control of its RS 3.0 PLUS gravure press - has perfectly resolved these difficulties:

A qualitative leap in production efficiency: Leveraging Bobst's high-efficiency dual-surface drying system specifically developed for WBI, the RS 3.0 PLUS has successfully achieved water-based ink printing speeds exceeding 300 m/min in Tingzheng's actual production, powerfully proving that green environmental protection and ultimate high efficiency can indeed coexist.

Print quality rivaling traditional solvent-based ink: Combined with the industry-leading "high-concentration, low-viscosity" formulation, Bobst equipment delivers remarkably smooth and natural performance in the notoriously challenging fine-screen transitions, with color saturation closely matching that of traditional solvent-based inks - perfectly meeting brand owners' stringent aesthetic quality requirements for premium packaging.

Precise waste control for cost reduction and efficiency gains: Thanks to the RS 3.0 PLUS's high-precision control system, this WBI solution keeps pre-registration waste within 120 meters and splice waste to no more than 10 meters. While significantly improving the overall yield rate, it also dramatically reduces raw material waste, truly achieving the dual-track parallel of "cost reduction" and "efficiency enhancement."

After the technical seminar, participants visited Bobst Changzhou's production workshop and technology center in depth. In the clean and efficient manufacturing facility, the Tingzheng delegation directly experienced Bobst's globally renowned lean manufacturing, European-inherited precision craftsmanship, and R&D innovation capabilities tailored specifically for the Chinese domestic market.

Visiting the Bobst Changzhou production base, observing the RS 3.0 PLUS gravure press up close

In the subsequent interactive exchange session, Tingzheng Packaging engaged in comprehensive and in-depth discussions with Bobst and other upstream-downstream collaborative partners. Participants unanimously agreed that the full-scale adoption of gravure WBI cannot be achieved by any single enterprise alone - it requires multi-party collaboration across equipment, ink, platemaking, IoT & visual inspection, and packaging material manufacturing. Only by creating an integrated "green ecosystem community" can the industry truly break through barriers and accelerate the high-quality implementation of WBI solutions.

The seminar concluded successfully, with all participants taking a group photo