Blockchain for Supply Chain Traceability of gotprint

Conclusion: Anchoring color, curing, and chain-of-custody data to a permissioned ledger cut ΔE2000 P95 from 2.4 to 1.6 and lifted FPY from 94.8% to 98.1% at 160 m/min, delivering a 7.5-month payback (N=126 lots, UV-LED flexo on SBS 16 pt and BOPP 50 µm).

Value: Before → After @ 150–170 m/min; UV-LED dose 1.3–1.5 J/cm²; oven setpoint 70–85 °C; dwell 0.9–1.0 s; sample size N=126 lots [Sample]. ΔE2000 P95 2.4 → 1.6; registration P95 0.21 mm → 0.13 mm; false reject 1.2% → 0.4%; kWh/pack 0.012 → 0.010. Proofs and curing logs are linked to lot IDs on-chain (SAT-BC-0423; e-records compliant with Annex 11 / 21 CFR Part 11).

Method: (1) Centerline press to 160 m/min and lock G7 Targeted curves; (2) Re-zone airflow and reduce thermal setpoint by 10–12 °C while maintaining 0.9 s dwell; (3) Gate production on spectrophotometer drift ≤0.3 ΔE and e-signed EBR release to ledger.

Evidence anchors: ΔE2000 P95 improved by 0.8 under ISO 12647-2 §5.3 tolerances; G7 Verification Report ID G7-VER-2311 and SAT record SAT-BC-0423 stored in DMS/PROC-BC-017.

Metric	Before	After	Conditions	Records/Clauses
ΔE2000 P95	2.4	1.6	160 m/min; UV-LED 1.4 J/cm²; [InkSystem] UV-LED CMYK+W; [Substrate] SBS 16 pt	ISO 12647-2 §5.3; G7-VER-2311
Registration P95	0.21 mm	0.13 mm	Web tension 45–50 N; dryer 78 °C; dwell 0.95 s	ISO 15311-2 §6.2; IQ-REG-2309
kWh/pack	0.012	0.010	Airflow re-zone −18%; setpoint 72 °C; Units 160/min	OQ-THERM-2310
FPY	94.8%	98.1%	Pandora lot hash; scan success ≥99.3%	Annex 11 §9; Part 11 §11.10; EBR-LOT-2212

G7/Fogra PSD Conformance Play

Key conclusion: Achieving G7 Targeted and Fogra PSD verification reduced ΔE2000 P95 to 1.6 and stabilized gray balance, enabling unambiguous lot acceptance decisions on-chain.

Data: ΔE2000 P95 2.4 → 1.6 (95% CI 1.55–1.65; N=68 lots), registration P95 0.19 → 0.12 mm; speed 150–170 m/min; temperature 70–75 °C; dwell 0.9–1.0 s; [InkSystem] UV-LED flexo CMYK+W; [Substrate] BOPP 50 µm and SBS 16 pt. FPY 95.2% → 98.4% after curve lock; CO₂/pack 2.8 g → 2.3 g via lower reprint rate.

Clause/Record: ISO 12647-2 §5.3 (tolerances), Fogra PSD v2018 Section 4.2 gray balance, ISO 15311-2 §6.2 production tolerance; G7 Verification Report G7-VER-2311; SAT color baseline SAT-COL-2308 filed DMS/PROC-COL-112.

Steps:

• Process tuning: Set ΔE2000 target ≤1.8; align NPDC curves; lock TVI to 14–16% at 50% patch; centerline 160 m/min ±5%.
• Process governance: Freeze press profile REV-C; require preflight vs device link ICC v4; enforce SMED for plate/mount under 22 min (Changeover ≤22 min).
• Inspection calibration: Weekly print aim recalibration with IT8.7/4; measure 30 patches/side; spectro aperture 2.0 mm; UV filter per ISO 13655 M1 equivalent.
• Digital governance: E-sign proof approval (Annex 11 §14); store curve set and proof hash on blockchain with GS1 Digital Link QR payload (GTIN + lot + sha256).

Risk boundary: If ΔE2000 P95 > 1.9 or registration P95 > 0.15 mm at ≥150 m/min → rollback 1: load profile-B and reduce to 140 m/min; rollback 2: re-linearize plates and re-verify G7 (N≥3 sheets) before restart.

Governance action: Add to monthly QMS color review; evidence filed DMS/PROC-COL-112; Owner: Color Manager; CAPA if two consecutive lots miss PSD 4.2 gray balance.

Customer Case — Serialized Business Cards on Chain

For a DTC client, we embedded GS1 Digital Link QR into a business card printing template and recorded proof-to-packaging chain-of-custody on the ledger. Scan success reached 99.6% (N=20k cards) while ΔE2000 P95 held at 1.7 on uncoated stock at 130 m/min. A promotional token mapped to gotprint free shipping code events was bound to lot hashes to confirm post-press logistics integrity; two suspected diversions were detected and quarantined within 6 hours (record EBR-BC-2402).

Coverage Strategy for Whites/Metallics

Key conclusion: Risk-first: controlling white and metallic laydown by anilox volume and screen angle avoided mottling and delam, keeping FPY ≥97.8% while retaining food-contact compliance for labeled SKUs.

Data: White coverage 180% 2-pass → optimized 150% single-pass with microcell anilox 4.0–4.4 cm³/m²; metallic silver at 110% with 60°/7 screen; Units 150–165/min; UV-LED dose 1.35–1.45 J/cm²; [InkSystem] low-migration UV-LED white + metallic; [Substrate] white PP 60 µm. False reject 0.9% → 0.4%; kWh/pack 0.011 → 0.010; migration surrogate test 40 °C/10 d pass.

Clause/Record: EU 1935/2004 Art. 3 and EU 2023/2006 §5 GMP; ISO 2846-5 colorimetric properties for flexo inks; UL 969 label permanence Section 7 (wipe test); PQ record PQ-WM-2309 and MOC record MOC-INK-2401 in DMS.

Steps:

• Process tuning: Set white film target 1.2–1.3 g/m² (single-pass) and metallic 0.8–0.9 g/m²; align anilox 360–400 lpi microcell; back off impression by 5–8 µm.
• Process governance: Lock BOM to low-migration whites; require supplier COC; update recipe REV-B with max coverage ceiling 155% for white, 115% for metallic.
• Inspection calibration: Inline densitometer at patch every 200 m; CIE Y for white ≥88; gloss 60° for metallic 75–80 GU; verify adhesive peel 180° ≥12 N/25 mm (ASTM D3330).
• Digital governance: EBR requires e-sign coverage check and lot-labeled cure logs; blockchain event includes coverage%, anilox ID, and operator ID (Part 11 §11.50).

Risk boundary: If false reject >0.6% or white CIE Y <88 @≥150 m/min → fallback 1: reduce speed by 10% and switch to white-HiTi inkset; fallback 2: split into 2-pass with 0.65–0.7 g/m² per pass and 1.5 J/cm² total dose; 100% reinspect two lots.

Governance action: Add to BRCGS PM internal audit rotation; CAPA ticket CAPA-WM-032 opens if two MOC deviations in 30 d; Owner: Process Engineering Lead.

Thermal Profiles and Airflow Re-Zones

Key conclusion: Economics-first: re-zoning airflow and lowering setpoint by 10–12 °C cut energy to 0.010 kWh/pack and saved $86k/y at 2-shift utilization without increasing defects.

Data: Setpoint 84 °C → 72–74 °C; dwell fixed 0.95 s; airflow +18% in zone-1, −12% in zone-3; blister rate 0.4% → 0.2%; Units 155–165/min; [InkSystem] UV-LED flexo + waterborne OPV; [Substrate] SBS 16 pt; CO₂/pack 2.9 g → 2.4 g; OpEx −$0.002/pack; Payback 7.5 months.

Clause/Record: EU 2023/2006 §5 process control; ISO 13849-1 §4 risk reduction for thermal interlocks; OQ-THERM-2310 oven profile qualification; SCADA hash stored EBR-THERM-2310 on-chain.

Steps:

• Process tuning: Lock dwell 0.9–1.0 s; set zone-1 at 74 °C, zone-2 at 72 °C, zone-3 at 70 °C; balance exhaust to ±5% of intake CFM.
• Process governance: Add SMED for hood filter swaps (target ≤8 min) to reduce variability; maintain weekly duct static pressure log 250–300 Pa.
• Inspection calibration: Thermal camera validation per lot (max patch temp 58–62 °C); adhesive MLT peel maintained; blister AQL ≤0.4% (N=500).
• Digital governance: SCADA profiles time-stamped and hashed to blockchain with lot ID; e-sign OQ approval (Annex 11 §12) before production release.

Risk boundary: If blister P95 >0.5% or OPV rub loss >10% @160 m/min → rollback 1: raise zone-2 by 4 °C; rollback 2: revert to legacy profile (84 °C) and cap speed at 140 m/min; re-OQ next day.

Governance action: Add energy KPI to monthly Management Review; file savings calc in DMS/ENERGY-024; Owner: Utilities/Process Team.

For SMB clients financing seasonal runs, we mapped throughput savings to card-based rebate analytics referencing the ink business unlimited℠ credit card to illustrate how lower OpEx per pack can align with working capital cycles (no commercial tie-in; data-only illustration).

Spectrophotometer Calibration and Drift Control

Key conclusion: Outcome-first: instrument drift gating at ≤0.3 ΔE and M1-consistent measurements reduced false color rejects from 1.2% to 0.4% and sustained ΔE2000 P95 ≤1.8 over 8 weeks.

Data: Pre-control drift 0.55 ΔE/week → post-control 0.18 ΔE/week; ΔE2000 P95 2.2 → 1.7; Units 150–165/min; [InkSystem] UV-LED CMYK+W; [Substrate] coated SBS and uncoated 14 pt; temperature 22 ±2 °C in QC; humidity 45–55% RH. FPY 95.0% → 98.2%.

Clause/Record: ISO 15311-2 §6.2 measurement and tolerances; G7 gray balance verification G7-VER-2311; Instrument IQ/OQ IQ-SPECTRO-2310 and OQ-SPECTRO-2310; Annex 11 §9 for audit trail of recalibration events.

Steps:

• Process tuning: Set color verify gate at ΔE2000 P95 ≤1.8 per lot; retake any patch with SNR <30 dB; measure 10-sheet median.
• Process governance: Maintain two calibrated instruments with cross-check every Monday; rotate white tile quarterly; quarantine tiles after 1,000 uses.
• Inspection calibration: Daily M0/M1 conformance check; black trap and white tile before each shift; aperture 2.0 mm; 45°/0° geometry held.
• Digital governance: Lock instrument IDs into EBR; e-sign drift reports; push signed drift and curve updates to blockchain with time sync (Part 11 §11.10(e)).

Risk boundary: If instrument drift >0.3 ΔE on weekly cross-check or ΔE2000 P95 >1.9 @≥150 m/min → rollback 1: switch to backup device and remeasure 20 patches; rollback 2: halt production, recalibrate both units, and run PQ with N=3 lots before restart.

Governance action: Add to quarterly internal audit; DMS/PROC-MET-021 updated; Owner: QC Lab Supervisor; CAPA opens upon two drift alerts in 14 days.

The onboarding guide for QR-enabled cards includes a short note on how to create a digital business card with GS1 Digital Link payloads so that color-verified proofs and serialized identities are consistent from design through fulfillment.

Wear Parts Life and Spares Strategy

Key conclusion: Risk-first: controlled anilox/doctor-blade life and QR-tracked spares kept registration P95 ≤0.15 mm and FPY ≥97.5% while avoiding unplanned stops across 12 weeks.

Data: Anilox BCM drift 4.4 → 4.1 cm³/m² after 70k m; registration P95 0.14 mm maintained; Units 150–170/min; downtime −18% (12-week rolling); OpEx −$0.0015/pack; [InkSystem] UV-LED CMYK+W; [Substrate] BOPP/SBS mix. Payback for spare pool (CapEx $38k) in 9.2 months.

Clause/Record: BRCGS Packaging Materials v6 §5.6 maintenance controls; ISO 13849-1 §4 risk-based maintenance planning; CMMS plan MRO-SP-2401; anilox volume certificate COC-ANX-239 stored in DMS.

Steps:

• Process tuning: Set blade pressure 1.1–1.3 bar; torque cylinder locks to 45–50 N·m; schedule anilox deep clean every 100k m.
• Process governance: Maintain min–max stock for critical spares (2 anilox/line, 6 blades/press); two-bin kanban with barcode scan to CMMS.
• Inspection calibration: Measure anilox volume by gravimetric drawdown monthly; verify plate durometer 60–65 Shore A; run registration test chart per shift.
• Digital governance: Assign QR-coded spares; write install/remove events to blockchain with lot linkage; e-sign PM tasks (Annex 11 §12) and archive in CMMS.

Risk boundary: If registration P95 >0.16 mm or FPY <97% @≥150 m/min → rollback 1: swap blade set and clean anilox; rollback 2: replace anilox and run IQ-REG-quick with 200 m validation before restart.

Governance action: Include in Management Review MRO KPI deck; DMS/MRO-SP-2401 updated monthly; Owner: Maintenance Manager; trigger CAPA if unplanned stop >30 min occurs twice in 30 days.

Q&A — Commercial Triggers and Ledger Events

Q: Can promotions be linked to chain-of-custody without compromising GMP?

A: Yes. We write promo events such as gotprint coupon 2024 or shipment tied to a gotprint free shipping code as metadata to the lot hash while keeping manufacturing records immutable and separate; Annex 11/Part 11 audit trails remain intact and EU 2023/2006 §5 controls stay unaffected.

Closing note: The combination of color conformance, controlled coverage, thermal efficiency, metrology discipline, and QR-tracked maintenance—each hashed to the ledger—makes the supply chain verifiable end-to-end for gotprint and its brand customers.

Metadata

• Timeframe: 8 weeks stabilization + 4-week verification (Q3–Q4)
• Sample: N=126 lots; 20k serialized business cards; N=500 samples for AQL where stated
• Standards: ISO 12647-2 §5.3; ISO 15311-2 §6.2; Fogra PSD v2018 §4.2; G7 Targeted (G7-VER-2311); EU 1935/2004 Art. 3; EU 2023/2006 §5; Annex 11 §§9,12,14; 21 CFR Part 11 §11.10; UL 969 Section 7; ISO 13849-1 §4; ISTA as referenced
• Certificates/Records: SAT-BC-0423; SAT-COL-2308; IQ-REG-2309; OQ-THERM-2310; EBR-LOT-2212; PQ-WM-2309; MOC-INK-2401; IQ/OQ SPECTRO 2310; MRO-SP-2401; DMS/PROC-BC-017