Maintaining the print quality of every print run is imperative to any printer. Inconsistent print leads to rejects, which has a detriment impact on your productivity, leading to reduction in your profits.

Clean anilox rolls will ensure high quality and consistency of print, and will pro-long the life of rolls. This results in less print press downtime and cost savings for you. It should therefore be part of your print process to maintain and clean your anilox rolls. However, are you damaging your rolls by not using the correct cleaning solution?

The main purpose of a print cleaning solution is to remove the ink, varnish or coating from parts of the press in readiness for the next print run. Whilst there are only 3 main types of ink used extensively in the Flexo print industry (UV, Solvent and Water based) there are literally thousands of products on the market that appear to do this fundamental task. Unfortunately, all cleaning products are not the same, but too often they find their way into the print sector, sometimes with devastating consequences.

Whilst a product may be first class at removing paint from spray booths, grease from engine blocks and graffiti from walls, they are normally unsuitable for use in the printing industry. There are many considerations that are often overlooked regarding care of anilox rolls.

Many people do not realise that laser engraved ceramic anilox rollers have a sealant impregnated into the ceramic coating prior to engraving. If exposed to unsuitable cleaning products this sealant can quite easily be removed leaving the roller base wide open to base metal corrosion and ceramic blistering or delamination.

Another common problem that we encounter is corrosion of aluminium ink chambers. We often see chambers that are so badly corroded due to use of unsuitable cleaning solutions that they are bent, warped and even swollen to the extent that they make contact with the anilox face – a very costly problem!

 

We have seen serious internal corrosion of ink pumps leading to parts of the unit snapping off! This type of problem will remain completely undetected until it is too late.

At Print Tech Solutions our products have been specially formulated to ensure anilox rollers are cleaned correctly, but with the care needed to ensure no damage is caused to the cells. Our cleaning solutions have been developed over many years, and have been formulated to be:

  • Non-caustic and non-aggressive
  • ‘REACH’ compliant.
  • Suitable for rubber rollers, print plates, pumps and chambers, so these parts aren’t damaged.
  • Compliant with water authority requirements and regulations.

Ensuring your print is maintained to meet the standards you set and your customers’ demand; we will support and guide you in the maintenance of your anilox rolls. We will provide the correct cleaning solutions, and become an extension to your team, providing regular on-site audits, to outline recommendations and actions to take. Keeping your anilox rollers in top condition is critical to maintaining high quality print.

Print Tec Solutions believe in working with you and your team to ensure they have the correct knowledge and understanding to maintain your print press process. Our on-site training will empower your team in identifying print issues early to prevent print deterioration and reduce unscheduled production shutdowns.

If you want to gain the best print quality and high productivity from your flexographic printing, contact us now.

Find out more about our specially formulated AQUASOL cleaning product click here.

T: 0161 366 6286  |  E: sales@print-techsolutions.co.uk  |  W: print-techsolutions.co.uk