Back in the day, two- and three-roller coating systems made UV coating look as deep and smooth as a sheet of glass. Then it all changed with the introduction of the new closed-chamber, anilox style coating units. They were sold by the OEMs as “pressman proof.” They enabled management to have the ability to make sure that all of the pressmen apply the same amount of coating regardless of the individual or knowledge level.
The objective is to use a sufficient amount of energy to dry the inks correctly, but not to distort the plastic so it looks like a potato chip. Dyne levels of the plastics along with chemistry compatibility continue to have a large effect on successful adhesion and end result.
Have you noticed the increase in your supplies prices lately? All manufacturers are having a very hard time with their raw material suppliers.
I believe you would be surprised if you added up all of the potential production hours lost going back and forth. Not to mention the waste of supplies in doing so.
For Anilox rollers, one size doesn’t fit all. There are three factors to take into consideration when determining the proper engraving specifications—the angle of the screen (normally 60°), the LPI (lines per inch) and the cell volume.
Would you want to buy printing from a printer that didn’t spend the time and effort to print its own promo piece?
To achieve the best outcome possible, dry trapping is the secret to UV printing. But remember, having the correct amount of lamps in place is the, “Solution.”
So if heat affects various plastics in a variety of ways, why use self-adhesive plastic as underlay for your blanket cylinder?
Many printers have not made the total commitment to running UV inks on a full-time basis for one reason or another.
Are printers just as responsible for this business becoming a commodity as the buyers?