PFFC - March 2009 - (Page 56) SEMI-ROTARY PRESSES through the press to accommodate driers and pull groups. A straight-through web path also allows register to be maintained more readily. The overhead needed for running flexo presses—cleaning the anilox, mounting plates, etc.—is a cost that offset avoids. Most semi-rotary presses have web widths between 10 in. and 17 in. and generally repeat from 2–17 in., depending on which machine is being considered. Regardless, this size of machine is directed toward the short-run market, which starts at 1,000 ft and goes to 30,000 ft. The result is a press with one fixed size of print cylinder that can print a multitude of sizes without having to change anilox/ plates/gears. This not only reduces costs but simplifies the process. Depending on the manufacturer, both conventional and waterless offset are used. Waterless offset brings another refinement to the process—one less adjustment to make (the ink/water balance). It lets the converter print up to 300-line screens, as the dot is sharper and better defined. The most standardized process worldwide is offset. Consequently, inks and consumables are readily available, as are operating personnel that understand standard colors and how to maintain them. Technology has further enhanced the semi-rotary offset press with the addition of servo drives. As a whole, these drives have had a big impact on the industry and have provided basic platforms for lean manufacturing, quality standards, workflow, and so on. New Inking System For almost 50 years, A&V has been an innovative supplier of flexo platemaking equipment and materials and it just gets better every year. Supplying the best equipment and materials is only part of our mission. We offer custom press fingerprinting, internal audits, Flex-Sys training and more to improve your flexo operation. A recent development in the semirotary world has married the ink feed system of flexo to the stable image carrier of offset (see figure below), and in doing so, has removed all rubber rollers from the ink train and their incumbent setting/replacement/ maintenance costs. This system utilizes a temperature-controlled anilox, which feeds a form roller, and in the tradition of offset, inks a plate, transfers the image onto a blanket and then onto the web against an impression cylinder. A clear advantage is that ink profiles are fixed and do not need to be adjusted, and as there are no rollers, the press is up to color very quickly, thereby reducing waste. When you buy from A&V, it is the beginning of a relationship, not just a transaction. We’re committed to helping you make the best use of our products and your resources. Aniflo Inking Unit Anilox Roll with Temperature Regulation Ink Fountain Form Roller Equipped with Rubber Blanket Plate Cylinder Blanket Cylinder A&V sales personnel are all Flexo Level 1 certified. We’re committed to training our employees and the industry. Watch for co-sponsored events with the FTA including online training. Infrared Lamp to Control Blanket Temperature PFFC-ASAP 114 56 | MARCH 2009 WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM http://WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.