Of Factors Influencing Ink Transfer in Flexographic Printing

Authors:
1
Lviv Polytechnic National University Institute of Printing Art and Media Technologies

This study analyzes the factors affecting the printing process on wide­format highspeed flexographic presses equipped with a central impression cylinder. This type of printing equipment is the leading solution for the production of flexible packaging, which makes up the majority of all packaging products.
Over the past decade, there have been significant changes in the manufacturing of such machines and auxiliary equipment, particularly printing plates and anilox rollers. These changes affect both the qualitative and quantitative parameters of printing, which requires adjustments in the choice of technological printing parameters and the introduction of new quality assessment standards.
Considering the relevance of this issue, the research identifi settings parameters for the ink feed system, taking into account modern trends in the design of fl
presses and additional options installed on most contemporary models. For instance, the presence or absence of an ink temperature stabilization system for printing plates and anilox rollers signifi affects process stability, including ink transfer effi ciency.
The study also examined the impact of new technologies for producing printing plates and anilox rollers, which ensure improved ink transfer in the systems ‘anilox roller — printing plate’ and ‘printing plate — substrate.’
The influence of the geometry and cell angle of the anilox roller on optical indicators reflecting the ink transfer process was investigated. The dependence of these optical indicators on anilox roller parameters was measured using spectral­optical equipment, including a spectrodensitometer and a 3D microscope.
A method was developed to select optimal anilox roller parameters using a zoned anilox roller, which makes it possible to create uniform experimental conditions when testing rollers with different characteristics. Additionally, the study analyzed the impact of the hardness of the printing plate and the type of printing (direct and reverse) on the optical characteristics of the print.

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