THE WORLD’S VERY BEST ANILO Use & Care of your Anilox

THE WORLD’S VERY BEST ANILOX

Use & Care of your AniloxThe anilox is considered to be the heart of the printing press. During

the production process we at Apex make sure its tolerances are within

micrometers. This counts for the body, the bearings, the journals

and just as much for the ceramic layer on top and its laser engraving

technology creating the volume. Once the roll or sleeve is delivered to

you, we expect you to treat it with the utmost care as well in order to

create the longest possible lifetime.

Treat your anilox in the best possible way.

3Use & Care of your Anilox

Table of ContentWhat is an Anilox? 5

Handling upon arrival 7

Installing into the press 7

Use & Care daily print/production process 8

Additional advice for anilox sleeves 9

Cleaning of anilox rolls/sleeves 11

Daily cleaning of the anilox rolls/sleeves 11

Cleaning procedure for (BioClean) liquids 12

Cleaning procedure for mechanical 15 deep-cleaning of anilox rolls/sleeves

Audits 19

Warranty Disclaimer for under-Corrosion 21

Who is Apex? 23

Apex products 25

Where to find us 27

Apex News, Articles and Technical Blogs 27

5Use & Care of your Anilox

The anilox roll/sleeve is considered to be the heart of the

flexographic printing press. It transfers a determined amount

of ink from A (ink reservoir / rubber metering roll) to B (printing plate).

This requires a high level of precision. If the surface of the aniloxroll/sleeve is damaged, an unequal layer of ink will be transferredonto a printing plate, creating poor quality print jobs. Therefore, itis of the utmost importance that an anilox roll/sleeve is treated inthe best possible way. When used/cared properly the lifetime of ananilox roll/sleeve is 2 years or even longer. A few simple steps can help you achieve this or even increase the lifetime of your anilox rolls/sleeves.

THE HEART OF THE FLEXOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESS

What is an Anilox

A

B

76 Use & Care of your Anilox

Handling upon arrival

Installing into the press

• When a new roll/sleeve arrives in your facility, inspect the crate to ensure there is no damage to the outside. If you notice damage occurred, notify the carrier to establish the responsibility.

• Remove the roll from the shipping crate and remove the protective wrap.

• Inspect the roll for damages such as dings, dents or scratches. These will affect the print quality.

• If you have a claim related to transport damage, do not throw away the packing material, but send this together with the roll/sleeve back to Apex. Also mention a transport claim on the delivery note. In case of a transport claim, please write on the transport documents that the crate is damaged and include the name of the truck driver + driver’s signature. Please also make a photo for physical proof.

• Use the roll/sleeve with care. Never leave the roll/sleeve resting directly on its surface, while this can cause damage to the engraved surface. Always support the roll/sleeve from the journals.

• When installing an anilox roll/sleeve into the press, cover the body with a roll wrap or covering blanket to protect the engraved surface from being damaged by impact against a hard surface (ex. The machine frame).

• Ceramic is not impact resistant and chips easily. Chipped ceramic on the ends of the roll/sleeve can eventually lead to inks and solvent leaching under the ceramic. This will reduce the lifetime of the roll and it may even cause the doctor blades to chatter.


Use & Care daily print/production process

Advice for Mounting andMaintenance of anilox sleeves

• Once the anilox roll is installed in the press, never run the roll dry with the ink chamber loaded against the roll. This will cause excessive wear to the doctor blades as well as scoring of the anilox.

• When ink is in the chambers keep the roll running so the cells do not become plugged with dry ink.

• If ink is dried onto the surface or the ends of the roll/sleeve never use tools to ‘chisel’ it off, you may damage the ceramic easily.

• Follow the proper daily and periodical cleaning instructions. Use chemical cleaners with a pH value between 6.5- and 10.5.

• Do not use chlorine, ammonia or 100% acidic as cleaning liquids. These means, will attack the ceramic layer and cause corrosion.

• Store anilox rolls/sleeves covered either in a rack or in its original crate. If a cover is used, make sure the surface of the anilox is 100% clean and dry.

• Sleeves are a highly technical advanced and delicate product that need to be handled very carefully. All sudden impact and high local pressure can cause problems with TIR or fitting.

• The mountability / TIR of the construction of the anilox sleeve manufactured by Apex International is thoroughly tested on a mandrel and approved before leaving the facility.

• Check if air mandrel diameter is within the original Stork tolerance, and not too badly damaged, especially in front of first air holes

• Sleeve should be mounted onto the mandrel without issues, be aware that any rocking / wiggling movements can have negative consequences for the tolerance of the sleeve construction

• The air pressure measured at the air cylinder should be between 6 and 8 bar (87-116 psi)

• The air volume flow should not fall below 12 litres per second (0.42 cubic ft/sec).

• The compressed air system and cylinder surfaces should be free from moisture, oils, lubricants and inks.

• Check for blockages in the air outlet holes from time to time, all air holes have to be open

• Sleeves should be kept clean, inside and outside: dried ink can cause damages and improper fit. The air mandrel should be clean and in good condition within OEM tolerances before mounting a sleeve. Also set air system to OEM specifications.


• A sleeve should be loaded in a straight horizontal line, without forcing the sleeve up and down. Only twisting or spinning the sleeve on the mandrel is allowed. Avoid hard impact on the back stop to prevent chipping of the ceramic.

• Do not submerge an anilox sleeve.

• All chemical cleaners should be washed off very well and sleeve should be dried thoroughly before covering.

• Avoid the use of grease or Vaseline, especially at the internal parts of the sleeve.

• Because of concentricity and TIR, anilox sleeves should be stored in a rack, vertically on a heavy foam pad, using a protection cover to avoid damage.

Cleaning of anilox rolls/sleeves

• Clean water with a maximum possible Dh < 7° or

• An alcohol based cleaning solvent or

• A chemical cleaner (pH value between 5 - 11). (Apex advices BioClean Liquids for daily or periodical cleaning of anilox rolls and sleeves.)

General notes:• Apex recommends the use of cleaning agents that are not

harmful to the environment, nor to our products. The potential Hydrogen (pH) is leading for the use of proper cleaning materials. All cleaning liquids must be in between 5 - 11 Ph. Note that when the value reaches < 5 the cleaning liquid will become acid and is dangerous for steel products. In case the value reaches > 11 Ph, aluminum can be affected. Cleaning liquids will have to be used in accordance with the requirements of the vendor. Please always read the cleaning instructions (SDS &PI) carefully. Apex cannot be held responsible for damage caused by cleaning liquids.

• Do not use chlorine, ammonia or 100% acidic as cleaning liquids. These means will attack the ceramic layer and cause corrosion.

• Always use the appropriate product with the specific brush. Steel brush for ceramic rolls and brass brush for chrome plated rolls.

During normal use and to ensure a long life and high print quality, anilox rolls/sleeves must be cleaned immediately after a press run to remove the ink. If ink is allowed to dry, the build-up of deposits inside the cell decreases the amount of ‘fluid’ ink to come out of the cell and be transferred onto a printing plate. Because your volume transfer is not consistent, your print quality will become inconsistent too. By using a regular cleaning procedure, you can easily avoid this.

Daily cleaning ofthe anilox rolls/sleeves


Cleaning procedurefor (BioClean) liquids:Apex advices for the (daily) cleaning of Anilox rolls/sleeves BioClean liquids. The following liquids are available for different purposes:

Product Type of ink Material to clean How to use

Daily cleaning:

BioClean DRAGON Water, Solvent, UV Anilox rolls Manually

BioClean UNIVERSAL Water Anilox rolls, Plates, Rinse through Machine print unit

BioClean SOLVENT Solvent Anilox rolls, Plates Manually

BioClean UV-2 UV inks, Solvent Anilox rolls Rinse through print unit Periodic cleaning:

BioClean GEL Water Anilox rolls Manually

BioClean SP Water, Solvent Anilox rolls Rinse through (especially GTT) print unit or use in cleaning machine

BioClean MICROCLEAN Water, Solvent, UV Anilox rolls Manually Specials:

BioClean MONSTER Water, Solvent, UV Anilox rolls Manually; very strong product

BioClean ACIDIC466 Water Anilox rolls Calcium remover

BioClean PLATE Water, Solvent, UV Anilox rolls Use in cleaning machine

BioClean GLUEROLL Coating/Starch Glue rolls Rinse through Glue print unit

BioClean ALU remover Remove aluminium Anilox rolls Manually

BioClean CIRCULATION Water Anilox rolls Use in heating tank

1 Apply the cleaning liquid of your choice onto the roll surface and allow it to soak

2 Clean the surface of the roll by using a steel brush (for a ceramic roll/sleeve). Brush the area in circular motion, using maximum pressure. Be sure that the roll stays wet during this step. By forcing the solvent into the cells with the brush, the ink will be removed.

3 After cleaning, rinse the roll with clean hot water (max. 40 °C and Dh < 7°).

4 Wipe it down (use a wiper or a lint free cloth).

5 Check the roll and repeat the cleaning cycle if needed.

6 Check that the roll/sleeve is dry, no drips should appear at the bottom side of the roll/sleeve. If drips appear, wipe them off.

7 Let the rolls/sleeves dry (sleeves > vertical!)

8 Store the roll/sleeve in a rack or in their original crate/package. Do not wrap into foil.

Additional information for cleaning sleeves:• Do not submerge sleeves• After cleaning, store in vertical position on a heavy foam pad (TIR

and concentricity!)

Additional information for cleaning Corrugated anilox rolls: Cleaning water based inks in Corrugated givesgood result if you rinse the roll in a bath with heatedwater + a cleaning liquid for 1-2 hours Max. 55°.


Cleaning procedure formechanical deep-cleaningof anilox rolls/sleeves Apex advices mechanical deep-cleaningby means of following possibilities:

1 BioClean Liquids Certain BioClean liquids can be used for periodical cleaning of

anilox rolls/sleeves. Following Bioclean liquids are suitable for periodical cleaning:

Product Type of ink Material to clean How to use

BioClean Gel Waterbased inks Anilox rolls Manually

BioClean SP Water- and Solvent Anilox rolls Rinse through based inks (Especially GTT) print unit or use in cleaning machines

BioClean MicroClean Water, Solvent- Anilos rolls Manually and UV based inks

Each liquid requires its own cleaning method, which is clearly described on the manual coming with the liquid.

2 BioJet In-Press or Cabinet > CLEANING INSIDE CELL The Biojet dry-powder cleaning system works with “dry” sodium

bicarbonate powder. A grain of sodium bicarbonate powder touches the anilox roll/ink layer with pressure and will be shattered. The impact this has on the anilox surface leads to the pollution coming loose from the surface, resulting in a clean roll.


All kinds of inks can be removed: water/solvent/UV based inks and even 2-components coatings. It is a safe method, hardly any chance on damages to the anilox rolls/sleeves. It is an environmentally friendly way, powder can be deposited with regular waste. The equipment is completely automated and therefore operator-friendly.

Immediately after cleaning, the roll/sleeve can be installed into the machine again (no cool-down time necessary). There are two options: the In-Press system and the Cabinet.

3 OptiClean system The Opticlean is a cleaning device with 2 rubber rollers at the

bottom of the cleaning tank where the anilox is rotating on. The perfect cleaning result is reached, because the cleaning agent is not only dripping off the roll surface with only little time for weakening the dried ink inside the cells – but it is sprayed between the anilox surface and the rubber rollers as well. This guarantees a full coverage of the surface – with a very homogeneous distribution – and the rubber ‘renewes’ the cleaning agent within the cells at each turn and brings also a kind of pressure to release the dried ink easier and faster. The OPTICLEAN is a good solution for very high screen anilox rolls.

This method follows 3 steps in one fully automated cycle:

1 Washing Wash the rolls/sleeves with heated chemical cleaner (universal

liquid for water-based, solvent-based or UV inks) in a closed circuit.

2 Rinsing Rinsing with high-pressure water in a closed circuit.

3 Drying Drying with pressured air to avoid calcic marks. There is no need

for any further post-treatments. Two rubber rolls (one is driven) are situated on the bottom of the washing machine, the roll/sleeve lies on top of these. Two adapters are used on the sides of the sleeve in order to avoid chemicals or water to get inside. As a chemical cleaning agent a plain waterbased liquid is used. Safe for rolls and sleeves.

Opticlean Unit


Audits

It is extremely important to know the status that your rolls are in, before you start your print job. Every 12 months you should perform an audit of your your roll/sleeve inventory. Our technical sales expert can do this for you, or your local cleaning service agent can support you with it.

The audit is done as follows:Option 1:Volume measuring by means of RAVOL. RAVOL simulates the ink-transfer process. A certain amount of ink is transferred from a pipette onto the surface of the roll, it is spread by a piece of doctor blade and ‘pushed’ into the cells of the anilox. A measuring device is used afterwards to make the calculation of the ink stain and measure the exact amount of ink that created the volume. Option 2:Volume measuring by means of the Troika ANICAM measuring device for a digital measurement of the roll surface and depth.

What is the result of an audit?• The current volume is stated• The screen count of the roll is stated• You receive a report with the measurement and photographs of

the surface of the rolls• An advice will be given on whether the roll is in good shape,

needs cleaning or needs reconditioning• Insight imperfections are researched, such as score lines, damages,

dents.• An overview is created for you to update your anilox inventory

(By means of cleaning, reconditioning or renewal of your rolls/sleeves).

Doing regular audit avoids surprises when printing a jobwithout having the right aniloxes in good shape available.


Warranty Disclaimerfor under-CorrosionApex International is committed to manufacturing all its products according to our customers expectations and OEM specifications. We take pride to ensure the highest quality standards are achieved and maintained at every stage of the production process through our QCA instructions , which includes daily calibration of our measurement tools ( microscopes, micrometers, etc) coupled with our internal calibration process we also send test samples of our materials on a regular basis to leading universities for independent assessment and validation.

Our production staff is fully trained on the QCA standards needed for full product tractability.

In the unlikely event that you receive a product from Apex that does not meet with the required standard , please follow the procedure below and as mentioned on the backside of our QCR report.

WarrantyThis Limited Warranty applies to physical goods Anilox rolls , Anilox sleeves, Glue sets , as well as other goods purchased from Apex International.

Apex will have the option to arrange transportation and after receipt of the product to make a full investigation and assessment of any claim. In the event that the investigation does not clearly identify a failure in manufacture Apex reserves the right to invoice for costs incurred such as inspection and/or cleaning including transportation costs.


What does this limited warranty cover?This Limited Warranty covers our products against under Corrosion provided that the product is used under normal industry working conditions with recommended maintenance, cleaning and storage adhered too during the Warranty Period.

During the Warranty Period, Apex International will repair or replace at no charge, products or parts of a product that are proved to be defective because of material failure or poor workmanship.

What will we do to correct problems?Apex International will either repair the Product at no charge, using new or refurbished replacement parts or replace with a totally new product at Apex discretion.

How long does the coverage last?The Under corrosion Warranty Period for our products is 1 year / 365 days from the date of invoice. Any replacement Physical Good or parts will only assumes the remaining warranty period of the original order.

What does this limited warranty not cover?This Limited Warranty does not cover any problem that is caused by:• Poor storage conditions, malfunctions or damage not resulting

from defects in material or workmanship

What do you have to do?To initiate a warranty claim, you must first contact your local Apex Representative to allow Apex International the time to follow the claims procedure and determine the most appropriate solution for you.

To begin the warranty claim you should follow the procedures at the back of the QCR report and provide us with our Work Order Nr. and provide us with detailed technical information (ideally photos, Videos, Print samples, etc)

Who is Apex?Apex International is a global leader of anilox, glue set, and metering products and print maintenance solutions. With five production facilities on four continents, a strong portfolio of clients in over 80 countries and a high-performance continuous improvement culture, Apex’s value proposition is founded on developing solutions to satisfy the complex challenges our customers face every day.

Watch the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m95ddjCnSE


Apex products

UltraCell Laser engraved and ceramic coated Anilox rolls

GTT Laser engraved and ceramic coated Anilox rolls

HD Anilox Sleeves

Carbon Fiber Rolls

Mechanically engraved and chrome plated Anilox rolls

Accora Glue- and Doctor Rolls

Bellissima DMS Screening

Products for Cleaning & Maintenance


WORLDWIDE PRESENCE

Apex Global

Where to find us5 production locations on 4 continents and120 technical professionals in more than 80 countries! https://apex-groupofcompanies.com/contact-us/

Subscribe to our blog page for information:https://blog.apex-groupofcompanies.com/apex-anilox-news

Apex News, Articlesand Technical Blogs

More information:www.apex-groupofcompanies.com

ABOUT APEX INTERNATIONAL

Apex International employs more than 300 people and serves over 8,000 active customers in all markets (corrugated, narrow-web, wide-web, offset and coating applications) on a global scale. Apex operates five production facilities and multiple sales offices worldwide, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and multi-national corporations. Apex anilox products are approved and deployed by all leading machine manufacturers in the flexo, offset and coating industry.

“Apex anilox products are approved and deployed by all leading machine manufacturers in the flexo, offset and coating industry.”

THE WORLD’S VERY BEST ANILO Use & Care of your Anilox

Documents