Flexo printing and flat bed die-cutting inline process from freeamfva's blog
Flexographic printing uses a flexible relief plate to print onto a substrate, which may be a wood-pulp based, synthetic, or laminated material. When carrying out flexo printing and flat bed die-cutting inline, the printing process is directly followed by flat bed die-cutting of the sheet. The technology is predominantly found in the manufacture of packaging made from corrugated and micro-flute board, including uncoated, semi-coated, and coated substrates. Other applications of the process include the manufacture of in-store displays.Get more news about Flexographic Flat Printer,you can vist our website!
Flexo printing and flat bed die-cutting inline is particularly useful where complex die-cutting is required and/or high quality graphics combined with high productivity is needed, although the process is also often used for much less difficult work.
Today's flexo printing presses use photopolymer printing plates containing a mirror relief image of the required print. The raised areas on the plate have ink applied to them by an anilox roller and then transfer it onto the substrate.A typical installation may include a loader unit, a feeder, multiple flexo printing units with drying and quality control, a flat bed die-cutting section, a waste stripping unit, and a breaker/palletizer. This configuration may be created by the addition of several flexo units and peripherals to a central flat bed die-cutter, or may involve the linkage of an offline printer to a flat bed die-cutter and the addition of peripheral units.
Between the print units, driers may be installed so that subsequent colors can be applied to the substrate without merging into those previously printed. These driers may utilize hot air, infra red, or ultra-violet light, depending on the application.
During the printing process, the ink is pumped into the ink chamber of the doctor blade system. Two blades within the ink chamber, the barrier blade and the doctor blade, seal either end and confine the ink to the chamber while it is in contact with the anilox roller. As the anilox roller rotates, the cells in contact with the doctor blade system collect ink, and then any surface excess is removed as the roller passes under the doctor blade. As the anilox rotates, its surface comes into contact with the raised areas of the printing plates mounted on the plate cylinder, transferring the ink. The printing plate then rotates and transfers the image onto the substrate.By flexo printing and flat bed die-cutting inline users gain a number of advantages, not least that the process requires a single make-ready while ensuring excellent print quality and the ultimate in die-cutting precision in one pass.
Additionally the most readily available inks are water based and therefore easier to work with, faster to dry, and are more sustainable. The manufacture of both the flexo printing plates and the die-cutting tools is relatively straightforward.
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