Fluid Movements

Flexo: chamber-made?

For many flexo printers, the decision to use doctor blades instead of a two-roll metering system has been pretty, well, cut and dry.

"There are not many scenarios where a two roll system will out-perform a doctor blade system," contends Matt Burie, account executive, at Printco Industries. Burie emphasizes doctor blades' strength lies in their basic function—metering excess fluid off the unengraved areas of the anilox roll or gravure cylinder. "By allowing the anilox or gravure roll to transfer as much fluid as it has been designed to carry instead of flooding the printing plates, sharper, cleaner print is achieved that is essential for process work," he explains.