Flexographic Printing Basics Q & A

1. What is flexographic printing?

A: Flexo printing, as a special method of embossing, was originally called "animation printing". Its initial name came from the use of volatile liquid color inks made from aniline dyes when it was produced. With the advancement of science and technology, aniline inks that are bright in color but easily discolored are no longer used. Therefore, the name “aniline printing” has no practical significance. By the 21st of October 1952, the American Packaging Society’s 14th At the colloquium, the printing method was formally named: "Flexography", meaning a flexible printing plate, and the term "flexographic printing" was also introduced to China shortly thereafter.

The flexographic printing industry was officially defined by the American Flexo Printing Association in 1980 as follows: Flexographic printing is a direct rotary printing method that uses a flexible, convex image plate that can be adhered to a reproducible plate cylinder In the above, the printing plate is inked by a metal ink roller engraved with an ink hole, and the metal ink roller (an anilox roller) is controlled by another ink roller or a squeegee to control the amount of ink to be transferred. Transfer to virtually all kinds of materials.

China's printing technology standard term GB 9851.4-90 definition: Flexographic printing is the use of a flexible version, through the anilox roller transfer printing ink.

2. When and where did flexographic printing begin to be applied?

A: No one can say exactly when the flexo version was formally used. Some sources say that it originated in Germany. Some sources say that it originated in the United Kingdom in 1890, but the actual accepted first flexographic printer was 1905. Developed by British Howeville, this invention was granted on December 7, 1908, British Patent No. 16519.

3. What is the structure of the flexographic printing press?

A: The flexographic printing press is mainly composed of an inking unit, a printing plate, and an impression cylinder. The figure shows the two most common schematics of the flexographic structure (the difference mainly lies in the flexographic ink supply system). The black-and-white picture is a three-roller inking system, and the color picture is a chamber-type squeegee-type inking system.

4. What are the differences between flexographic printing and other letterpress printing?

A: 1 ink is a low viscosity volatile drying ink with alcohol as the main solvent, drying speed, to adapt to flexo printing high-speed multi-color printing. The application of non-polluting and fast drying water-based inks is very beneficial to environmental protection.

2 Flexo is a photosensitive rubber type printing plate that is flexible, flexible, and flexible. Shore hardness is generally 25-60, and it has good ink transfer performance, especially for alcohol solvents. This is a lead-free plastic plate with a Shore hardness of 75 or higher, which is unmatched by photopolymer.

3 Use light printing pressure for printing. In foreign countries, ink is said to be KESS PRINT (soft as kissing).

4 Printing materials for flexographic printing are very extensive.

5 has good print quality. Due to the use of high-quality resin plates, ceramic anilox rollers and other materials, the printing accuracy has reached 175 lines, and the level is also very full.

6 high production efficiency. Flexographic printing equipment itself is fast, plus it usually has multi-color group, on-line multi-operation operation.

7 Easy to operate and maintain. Including the upper version, maintenance, ink and other operations have become very simple. (to be continued)