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cliche

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Daily we receive phone calls, emails and via our social networks related to the manufacture of Cliche.

Sometimes customers don’t understand the technical side of creating, photopolymer to cliche, and get stuck in a process step.

In today’s content we will shed light on many concerns!

´´It should be noted that the cliche is the result of the transformation of a photopolymer, which is contained in various reliefs which are those that at the time of printing will do the job of transmitting the information to achieve the printed packaging. It is a flexible material that can be adapted to any plate roller in a press or flexographic machine ”, Juan Pablo Tejada Jr – Woldflex Manager.

Gwendolyne Tejada, Grafiflex SRL Operations Manager, cites that for the elaboration of the photopolymer, at the process level´´, we must take into account the following steps, once all the technical part has been defined:

  1. Rubber thickness.
  2. Lineatura.
  3. Cylinder.
  4. Cylinder repetitions.
  5. Rows.
  6. Number of cliches per color.
  7. Measure.
  8. Distribution.
  9. Colors.

As well as other important considerations on the part of the client, once we have the final approval of the client, with this we proceed to generate the file so that it passes to the Production department.

The step by step:

  • The virgin plate is taken, without transformation.
  • The back process begins, which is an ultraviolet light that gives us the basis to obtain an optimal relief at the time of the final process.
  • Once the back process is exhausted, to obtain the base we proceed to engrave, with our ultra-technology equipment, CDI Esko Spark. Where everything that will be exposed to the relief is engraved with a laser, this engraving removes a black light protective film that will allow the ultraviolet light to sensitize that entire area so that in the subsequent process they remain in relief, since the photopolymer is a photosensitive polymer (sensitive to light).
  • Everything that is penetrated by ultraviolet light will generate a hardening effect, hence its name.
  • Once the laser has removed the black layer, exposing what we need to keep in relief, we take it to what is the exposure of the frontal ultraviolet light, this light penetrates the plate with a certain or sufficient time, so that it generates the activation of the molecules and these can be kept in relief.
  • Then we continue with the frontal exposure on the GLUNZ & JENSEN machine, where the plate is placed on the table of the exposure unit with the engraved areas facing up, the defined time to expose is selected, the exposure cycle for the exposure is activated. polymerization or hardening of etched image areas on the plate.
  • After that, it goes to Lavado, GLUNZ & JENSEN, where they are removed through an ecological solvent, suitable for photopolymer and friendly with the environment, everything that was not photopolymerized or sensitized by light, dissolves in the solvent, leaving exposed what the ultraviolet light could sensitize (what was generated in the initial file).
  • Now go to the oven, a drying process where the excess solvent that may have remained on the iron evaporates, this process lasts between an hour and an hour and a half.
  • After the transformation that the material underwent, we proceed with the rest, it is placed in a tray at room temperature for 6 hours so that the plate manages to migrate all the solvent and reaches its dimensional stability.
  • Finally we have the plate ready to take the last step, which is a finish with ultraviolet light which will create a seal or protective film, so that the ink or the printers’ solvents do not affect the photopolymer.

Before packing the plates, in Grafiflex SRL we carry out a Quality Control, where the inspector verifies the following aspects: Do they have any bumps or protuberances?, Does it have the height of the floor required by the client?, Does it have full slides?, Does it have stickiness?, Does the thickness of the plate coincide with the order?, Does it have holes or “air balls”?, Does it have a clean floor and substrate?, Does it have pitting in the relief?, Does it have all its complete records?, Are the cuts correct?, Do the clichés contain the elements against art?, Do the Production Order coincide with the Clisé set and the invoice?.

In this way we control the final product to send to our clients.

Our commitment time for the manufacture of cliches is 48 hours, once the client sends us the approval. At Grafiflex SRL, we have experience and quality processes for the manufacture of Clisés. Through our services you can count on an ally for all your business questions.

We’re here to serve you! Grafiflex SRL | WhatsApp: +1 (849) 451-4315