What is an anilox roll considered to be?

An anilox roll is a hard cylinder, usually constructed of a steel or aluminum core which is coated by an industrial ceramic whose surface is engraved with millions of very fine dimples, known as anilox cells.

Why is the anilox roller so important?

The Anilox Roller is often referred to as the heart of the flexographic press. It is designed to deliver a precise and consistent amount of ink to the printing plate. The choice of the correct anilox roller is of central importance for an optimal printing result.

What is BCM anilox?

Anilox Cell Volume. Cell volume is the capacity of the engraved surface in a square inch, expressed in billions of cubic microns (BCM). Higher volume translates to higher solid ink density, more color or a heavier coating thickness.

What is anilox volume?

Anilox volume refers to the carrying capacity of an anilox cell, or the amount of ink held in each cell, during Flexographic Printing. It is one of the many factors that determines the amount of ink that is transferred to the print material, and therefore has to be accurately controlled and measured.

How do you clean anilox ceramic rollers?

For the daily cleaning of anilox rolls, use stainless steel brushes and water, or an alcohol-based roll cleaning solvent, recommended by Praxair or your ink supplier. After draining the system, apply solvent to the roll surface and allow it to set.

What is an impression cylinder?

: the cylinder of a rotary printing press that carries the paper and impresses it by counterrotation against the inked printing surface on the plate cylinder also : the cylinder of a cylinder press.

How do you wash an anilox roll?

Post-cleaning practices: Always thoroughly rinse and dry the anilox surface and ends of the ceramic. Flash off any residual chemicals or water with an alcohol wipe or “anilox surface cleaner.” When using compressed air to dry, be sure the line is oil-free.

What is fountain roller?

A metal roller found in the ink fountain on a printing press used in offset lithography. The fountain roller is in direct contact with the ink from the fountain, the amount of ink transferred to it being regulated by the gap between the roller and the fountain blade.

What do anilox rollers do?

The Anilox Roller is often referred to as the heart of the flexographic press. It is designed to deliver a precise and consistent amount of ink to the printing plate.

What does an anilox roller do?

Anilox (Roller) Anilox is a specially engraved roller, usually steel, commonly used to apply ink to a flexographic printing plate. The roller is engraved with a pattern of indented cells. The size and shape of these cells are carefully controlled to carry a precise volume of ink.

How do you calculate the volume of an anilox?

Anilox: convert linescreen and volume

  1. Volume: cm³/m² = BCM/in² x 1,55 (*) BCM/in² = cm³/m² ÷ 1,55.
  2. Linescreen: l/cm = lpi ÷ 2,54. lpi = l/cm x 2,54.
  3. Abbreviations and habits: Volume in imperial expression (BCM/in²) is usually indicated only with the acronym BCM.

What do you need to know about the anilox roll?

Jump to navigation Jump to search. In printing, anilox is a method used to provide a measured amount of ink to a flexo printing plate. An anilox roll is a hard cylinder, usually constructed of a steel or aluminum core which is coated by an industrial ceramic whose surface contains millions of very fine dimples, known as cells.

How many anilox rolls are on a printer?

No problem, there are six 800 line count anilox rolls available on the anilox roll storage rack. The printer installs four anilox rolls, selected randomly, pours some ink, installs the plates and proceeds to set impression.

What should the line screen be for an anilox?

It’s that simple. Line screen (or number of cells per linear inch) is the third major component to understand when specifying an anilox roll. Line screen is chosen in direct correlation to anilox volume. For example, an anilox volume of 3.2 BCMs, requires a line screen of approximately 500.

Do you have to clean Anilox rollers after use?

Anilox rollers that are used with water, solvent and oil based inks, which dry when left sitting out and unagitated, must be cleaned immediately after use or a problem known as plugging occurs, where minuscule amounts of ink dry in the cells.