Flexographic basics The number of lines and the amount of ink in the anilox roll

Flexographic basics  The number of lines and the amount of ink in the anilox roll

Today, I will discuss with you, in practice, how to determine the number of lines of the anilox roller and the amount of ink loaded?

The number of lines of the anilox roller depends first on the number of lines in the printing plate, and the number of printing lines is determined mainly in the product requirements. The higher the number of lines, the finer the print quality, but the overall requirements (anilox, ink, printing material, printing press, etc.) are also increased, the loss is increased, and the printing efficiency is lowered. Flexo printing does not use 175 lines/inch as a standard for offset or gravure printing. To know the difference between 120 lines and 175 lines for flexo printing, there are more than a few streets. At present, there are commonly used lines in the subdivision of flexo printing, such as paper cups 100 to 120 lines, carton preprinted 100 to 133 lines, labels 150 to 175 lines, flexible packaging 110 to 150 lines, and the like.

The number of lines in the plate is determined to determine the number of anilox lines. Generally, the number of lines of the anilox roller is 5 to 7 times or even higher in the number of printing plates. Basically, the higher the product, the higher the multiple of the number of lines.

This is a configuration suggestion for a German anilox roller supplier. The left side 40, 48, 54, 60, 70 refers to the number of lines (line/cm) of the printing plate, corresponding to 100, 120, 133, 150, respectively. 175 (lines / inches), these lines are the common classification of flexo. On the right is the recommended number of lines for the anilox roll. We can calculate that the number of lines of the anilox roll is gradually increased from 5 times to nearly 7 times. This table can be used as a reference for general situations.

The previous part is about the printing of the dot, but the graphic content will also have lines, solid, white or even mixed. The previous table also gives some suggested values. For the part of the line, it is recommended to be in the range of 400 to 450 lines (/inch), and the part of the field is in the line of 250 to 450 lines. Everyone should have discovered that the advice given here is a range, not an exact number. This is because the specific parameters also depend on the actual situation. Taking lines as an example, the lines are also divided into thicknesses. It is not necessary to use an anilox roller with a relatively large number of lines, but a fine line may be suitable for an anilox roller having a higher number of lines.

In practice, four basic colors (CMYK) are usually configured with a sufficiently high number of anilox rolls, and some will give the yellow configuration line a slightly lower number (because the yellow is weaker), but configure the same line for the four basic colors. The number of anilox rolls also has the advantage of facilitating the exchange between the anilox rolls. There is a practical secret here, the anilox roller will inevitably have damage, it is a pity if it is directly scrapped. If the damage is not particularly serious, it can be used in yellow and usually can be dealt with. In addition to the basic colors, prepare a spot color. The spot color will have the network cable and the ground, the line, etc. Usually, the spot color network cable will not be the main graphic part, and the number of the anilox roller can be adjusted one to two levels.

If you distinguish the network cable, the line, the situation on the ground, you should have a clear concept, but the most difficult thing in practice is the mixed situation. It often happens that there is a network cable with the ground or the line. If the anilox roller considers the network cable, it is not good for the field; if it is considered, the network cable is not printed well. In the past, it was suggested that the network cable and the field (and lines) should be split into two versions. This is a helpless solution. However, with the improvement of plate-making technology (printing field screening technology), it is now possible to make the network cable and the field on one plate, and the choice of anilox roller can also be biased towards the network cable. For this breakthrough plate-making technology, please pay attention to our company Jinan Jinchangtai Industry And Trade Co., Ltd. Website: http://www.jctprinting.com    Follow-up will be detailed.

Compared with the number of lines, the amount of ink is a deeper category of learning. Our company believes that the number of lines of the anilox roller is not a big problem, but the determination of the amount of ink is not simple. Let's take a look at the ink specification table of an anilox roller supplier in the UK. You can find a choice of the amount of ink in a line. The green part is the so-called general range, and then there can be a low and high ink load.

In general, the higher the number of lines, the lower the ink loading of the anilox roller, limited to the anilox roller laser engraving (the engraving of the deep mesh wall is easy to collapse) and the ink transfer ability (the ink in the cell can not be 100% transferred, the net The deeper the hole is, the less the transfer ratio is.) Although the amount of ink can be changed by adjusting the depth of the anilox roll cavity, there is always a limit.

The determination of the amount of ink is not as simple as the number of lines, and there are many factors that must be considered. For example:

1.Ink

If the color intensity of the ink itself is low or the fluidity is high, a higher ink loading amount is required to secure the printing density. If the ink has high color strength or low fluidity, only standard or even low ink loading is required.

2. Substrate

If the substrate is more ink-absorbent, the amount of ink carried by the anilox roller is higher. If the substrate is not very ink-absorbing, the amount of ink carried by the anilox roller should not be too high, otherwise it will easily cause the ink to accumulate on the printing plate, causing dirty plate and blocking.

3. Printing quality requirements

If the quality requirements are relatively high, such as the dot enlargement is small and the definition is high, it is not appropriate to use an anilox roller with a large amount of ink. On the other hand, if the printing density is high, and the large area is large and the printing cannot be performed, the low ink amount cannot be used.

4. Printing speed

The higher the speed of the printing machine, the higher the ink carrying amount of the anilox roller, otherwise the ink supply is insufficient and the printing is likely to occur.

5. Printing stability

Especially for orders with relatively large printing volume, the anilox roller with high ink loading is easy to cause dirty plate and blockage, and it is necessary to frequently stop the printing plate, which is unfavorable for printing stability.

Therefore, the decision on the amount of ink is not simple, it is not the same. There is no such thing as a "universal" parameter in practice. We recommend fine-tuning based on the standard amount of ink, depending on the situation, and may choose slightly higher or lower. (The decision of the amount of ink can be consulted by our company. Our company specializes in the production and customization of various roller products. We have more than 10 years of export experience and our products are sold at home and abroad. But the best ink load can only be used in practice. Looking for, this is a long-term job.

In addition, the problem of anilox roll wear must also be considered. Usually, the new anilox roller has a large amount of ink, and after a period of use, the amount of ink may be reduced due to wear or improper maintenance. Therefore, it is not advisable to order the amount of ink in the order of the anilox roller, so that the amount of ink will start to be insufficient soon.

If you need further consultation, please contact us at Jinan Jinchangtai Industry And Trade Co., Ltd. We are the manufacturer of various roller products including rubber rollers, anilox rollers, flexographic rollers, gravure rollers, etc. Rich export experience, the main products are rubber roller, anilox roller, flexo roller, gravure plate roller, inflatable shaft and so on. For more products, please click: http://www.jctprinting.com