Flexographic printing is a high-speed printing method, ranging from 150 to 600 meters of substrate per minute, which means that a small error can cause large economic losses. For this reason, before starting a run, it is vital to carry out a series of verifications in order to have all the scenarios under control and take action before any eventuality.
Of all the variables involved in the process, these are the ones that we consider the most basic and important that you must carry out:
1.- Printing plates: Check them carefully and make sure there are no damages due to wear, missing elements or extra elements that should not be in the design. Next step, confirm that they are correctly assembled and aligned.
2.- Anilox and rollers: Check that they are free of residues or dry ink. Check that the pressure and ink rollers are in good condition. When mounting them in the press, make sure they are correctly positioned and aligned, to avoid misalignment problems and misregistration.
3.- Inks and additives: Check the quality and consistency of the inks that you will use, supervise that they are correctly mixed and adjusted according to the required color specifications. If necessary, perform viscosity tests and adjust as necessary.
4.- Substrates and adhesion: Perform an adhesion test between the ink and the substrate you will use. Make sure that the substrate is completely clean, free of dust, grease or other contaminants that could compromise adhesion, guaranteeing long-lasting, high-quality prints.
These checks, as simple as they may seem, should be a well-defined and established process. Having all the variables controlled will translate into optimization of time and effort of your work team.
Always keep in mind that the quality of your printing will depend on the preparation of each job and it is the factor that will make you stand out in a market as competitive and demanding as ours.
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