So Many Secrets to the Doctor Blade in Flexographic Printing—Are You Using It Right?
[Introduction] If ink streaks appear during flexographic production, operators may check the following aspects: Are there scratches on the anilox roller? Are there contaminants in the ink? Is the doctor blade being used correctly? Is the ink reservoir leaking? Although such inspection methods are very effective, they greatly reduce work efficiency and also increase operating costs. In fact, many problems in flexographic printing can be avoided through the selection of the doctor blade.
Before starting printing on the press, first understand what type of job it is. Is it line artwork or process-color artwork? If a low-line-count anilox roller is used, the product may be rough because the doctor blade wears too quickly; in this case, a blade with a blunter edge should be selected. If a high-line-count anilox roller is used, a relatively sharp blade is required, as only this can scrape the ink cleanly.
The higher the line count of the anilox roller, the better the ink scraping effect. When different types of doctor blades are used on anilox rollers, it is found that applying a sharp blade to a high-line-count anilox roller and a blunt blade to a low-line-count anilox roller can both achieve a better ink scraping effect. Moreover, the doctor blade is not easily worn.
Once the type of blade to be used is determined, some simple but very important installation steps are very helpful for trouble-free production. First, confirm that the blade is straight; the standard tolerance for a 3-meter blade is 2 mm. If this condition is met, the installation process can be simplified.
The second step is to confirm that the blade holder is clean, not contaminated by ink; check whether the holder is vertical, whether any screws are missing, and whether it has been damaged during cleaning and operation; ensure that the blade is in close contact with the holder, with no gaps or notches. Otherwise, once the holder is tightened, the blade will develop a wavy curve. If there is a notch, it can be sanded with sandpaper or filed with a hand file. This can make the holder as smooth as possible. Finally, carefully place the doctor blade into the holder.
After placing it, the screws on the holder can be installed. When tightening the screws, ensure that the force applied to the screws at each position is uniform. A wrench can be used as an auxiliary tool. In addition, before formally starting production, a certain pressure must be applied to the doctor blade, which will affect the entire printing production process.
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