Analysis and Quality Improvement of the UV Printing Process on Glass Packagings

Abstract The paper presents the results of qualitative analysis and improvement of the printing process with UV inks on glass packaging with the use of selected quality management tools and methods. The research was carried out in a glass factory located in the Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. The qualitative analysis included the risk assessment related to the printing process with UV inks, print quality, and the type of nonconformities occurring during printing. Based on the conducted analyses, proposals for improving the printing process with UV inks were determined. As part of the analyses, such methods and quality tools as fault tree, FMEA analysis, Pareto-Lorenz diagram, and tree diagram were used. It was found that the most common nonconformity of printing with UV inks on glass packaging is smearing of the emulsion covering the glass vessel and that most of the nonconformities resulted from errors made by employees, which were caused by non-compliance with the instructions for individual activities by people employed in production positions and quality inspection employees. It was proposed to implement employee training at individual workplaces, in particular the implementation of instructions for performing specific activities, as well as the introduction of additional employee supervision and implementation of changes in the management of the printing process and quality inspection of the decorated products.