Designed for Top Quality Printing

Top-Quality Printing

Narrow-web flexo presses incorporate a variety of features that 'set the stage' for superior print quality.

THIS YEAR'S JUDGING for packagePRINTING's Excellence Awards had the judges working overtime. The reason: the overall quality of the entries was just so good, virtually each entry had to be analyzed with a fine-tooth comb.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the flexographic printing categories. It's obvious that the design improvements incorporated into today's flexo presses are being put to good use in the package printing industry. As usual, it is not just one upgrade that does the job, but a series of well-engineered pieces that make up the puzzle. And it all starts with the foundation.

Edgar Minino, sales manager for Gallus, Inc., says there are several factors that relate to superior print quality in narrow-web printing presses. As he points out, however, "It all starts with selecting quality materials and committing to tight tolerances both in the building process as well as in the finished product, i.e. the label. … The concept of the cost-value relationship comes into play—high-quality materials cost more, yet set the stage for an unsurpassed level of performance. Building presses with an emphasis on stringent quality ensures consistent performance under everyday conditions."

Ken Daming, Mark Andy's director of product management, points out a few design upgrades that contribute to the impressive improvements in flexo printing. These include self-teaching electronic registration systems, heavier plate roll shafts, higher quality gears to prevent gear marking, and non-stick coatings on idler rolls to prevent ink picking. "All of these additions allow the operator to achieve better and more consistent print quality with less effort," says Daming.

Servo drives are making a big impact on the ability to hold tight registration. They also eliminate many of the mechanical drive components that cause quality issues such as gear marks.