The Magic of One

How important is it to have just one person in charge of cleaning, certifying, and inventorying anilox rolls? Very, according to experts.

"ONE" MAY BE the loneliest number, but it's also the magic number when it comes anilox roll cleaning. Regardless of the kind of cleaning system employed, the key to well and properly cleaned rolls is charging one, and only one, person with the responsibility.

Ask any roll cleaning system manufacturer. "The print quality of an anilox roll is only as good as the operator who's cleaning and maintaining it," said Dave Moulder, technical sales representative, Solutions Division, Pamarco Global Graphics.

Having one person to oversee the cleaning, inspection, and inventory of anilox rolls may seem meaningless but, in the long run, it will save money. Think about it—anilox rolls can make or break a print job, and keeping them spick and span will ensure today's necessary high-quality printing capabilities. "The anilox roller is the very heart of flexographic printing," said Mike Potter, president of Flexo Wash LLC. "If all other prepress conditions are perfect, but the anilox roller is not clean, you cannot produce consistent color and print quality. Keeping your anilox rollers clean after each job ensures the pressman's ability to produce repeat print jobs with consistent color and print quality in minutes rather than hours."

Benefits of "one"

Individuals have done great things alone. Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity. Galileo proved the Earth rotated around the sun. Marie Curie discovered radium. And, while not quite the same kind of feat, one person in charge of anilox roll cleaning will save thousands of dollars.

"We highly recommend a designated person to handle anilox roll cleaning," said Jim Harper, vice president of Harperscientific.com. "This person would also be in charge of inspection and maintenance of the rolls. After the press operator has cleaned the roll before taking it out of the press, we have found that the printers who have a designated person to oversee the inventory are much more efficient. This person inspects thoroughly, and cleans and certifies the roll press-ready. The companies that implement this method usually have anilox rolls that last longer and they save thousands of dollars because of less ordering of anilox rolls and decreased downtime due to loss of color as a result of dirty anilox rolls."