"We can’t buy or beg for key or core technologies. If we want to be strong in flexography printing, we have to work hard," said Gao Yingxin, a researcher at Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co. in Nanyang.

On Feb 11, the first work day after the one-week Spring Festival holiday, the Nanyang innovator had already buried himself in his work.

Flexography is a type of printing that uses a flexible relief plate. It is popular in the printing industry due to its environmental friendliness, flexibility, economy and efficiency. Consumable items from the special printing technology used to be overpriced because only a few countries knew how to use the technology.

In 2004, Gao was assigned to research and develop flexography printing. Starting from scratch, the research team was committed to innovation and hard work. In March 2005, Gao introduced some flexography blueprints and discovered the basic elastomer formula after strenuous trial and error.

In those days, they had to work day and night to deal with a variety of challenges and made determined efforts to keep up with advanced foreign technology. Gao gained more confidence as his skills gradually matured and he achieved breakthroughs in the flexography formula. He participated in the flexography engineering process to help produce the first domestic flexography prints and create some flexography brands. 　

Relying on independent technology, Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co. has an annual output of 150,000 square meters. With the help of Gao's team, the company has developed 24 routine flexography models. The company's remarkable progress in innovation has successfully broken the monopolies of transnational corporations and helped facilitate the development of domestic environmental printing technology.

All efforts are paying off and have bright future prospects. Plenty of tasks still need to be completed and immediate action is necessary. "We will work toward completing our goals step by step," Gao said.

Despite his scholarly appearance, Gao is now known as the pioneer of the flexography industry and is considered a national technological authority. He and his team have invented 11 high-end digital flexography models from scratch, ending a 20-year history of imports and realizing full domestic industrialization. The products are highly regarded by top domestic manufacturers and are also eligible to enter European and American markets.

Gao Yingxin (second from right) works with colleagues on technical problems in flexography in Nanyang, Henan province. [Photo by Zhang Ge/news.01ny.cn]