Total Anilox Management

The Best Practice of Anilox Inspection, Management and Maintenance

Total Anilox Management

WARNING

This presentation may lead you to review your anilox cleaning practices and equipment.

It will almost certainly lead you to having some of your aniloxs refurbished or replaced

Total Anilox Management

To meet these requirements, printers of all types have had to adapt QC procedures which enable them to achieve these targets consistently, whilst remaining profitable and competitive.

Over the past decades we have seen higher and higher demands come from the ‘BRANDS’ and other discerning customers to

produce more desirable print, with increased colour gamut, and more importantly achieve density variations of better than 3ΔE.

Total Anilox Management

Many improvements have been achieved through:

a) New developments and improvements on Press and with

Press controls

b) Improved Inks and inking methods and controls

c) Plate developments which have enhanced colour gamut

significantly (mainly with flat topped dots and HD Flexo)

d) Aniloxs; improvements in design and production

With the exception of aniloxs, the above items are regularly checked

and maintained by print technicians and their managers.

Total Anilox Management

Since the development of ANILOX MANAGEMENT printers now have QC tools that gives them empirical data that has proven to

enhance productivity, improve profitability and competitiveness……

Having control has proven to make savings of 1 to 3 hours of set-up time per press per day

(time dependant on press process type.)

Total Anilox Management

IMPORTANT STATEMENT

# Using an anilox with 4 bands,

# run on a narrow web press,

# engraved with 0.1cm³/m² steps, and

# run on all 4 process colours.

Has led to the following regularly achieved guide-line:

0.4cm³/m² approximates to 3ΔE

Total Anilox Management

Deep Clean Anilox See note 1

Note 1: Deep cleaning typically should be carried out every 2 to 6 weeks dependant on ink type and usage, and for new Aniloxs

With Anilox QCMeasure volume laterally.

Check for cracking & damage See note 2

If greater than 0.4cm³/m² or shows cracking

Refurbish

Note 2: Lateral measurements are typically taken in: 2 places for label aniloxs, 3 places for wide web and 5 places for corrugated and coating rolls. Compare volumes of rolls that

should be of equivalent value using AMS

Re-clean Anilox to ensure cleaning process is optimised

Total Anilox Management

In-house anilox management

Anilox Management System

Showing the roll history including images.

Shows the condition and indicates when the roll

needs intense cleaning, or refurbishing due to wear.

Total Anilox Management

Run Aniloxs on press knowing set up time is

minimised

If greater than 0.4cm³/m² refurbish lowest volume aniloxs

Note 3: A difference of greater than 0.4cm³/m² has been shown to display a visible difference in print density of approximately 3ΔE.

Compare volumes of rolls that should be of equivalent

value using AMS

Ensure difference is less than 0.4cm³/m²See note 3

Total Anilox Management

AMS Management Report

Management Report

Showing the inventory condition and volumetric and lateral differences between aniloxs.

Identifies the condition and

indicates when the roll need

refurbishing .

Total Anilox Management

Deep Clean Anilox See note 1

Note 1: Deep cleaning typically should be carried out every 2 to 6 weeks dependant on ink type and usage.

With Anilox QCMeasure volume laterally.

Check for cracking & damage See note 2

If greater than 0.4cm³/m² or shows cracking

RefurbishNote 2: Lateral measurements are typically taken in: 2 places for label aniloxs, 3 places for wide web and 5 places for corrugated and coating rolls.

Compare volumes of rolls that should be of equivalent

value using AMS

Re-clean Anilox to ensure cleaning process is optimised

Run Aniloxs on press knowing set up time is minimised

If greater than 0.4cm³/m² refurbish lowest volume aniloxs

Note 3: A difference of greater than 0.4cm³/m² has been shown to display a visible difference in print density of approximately 3ΔE.

Ensure difference is less than 0.4cm³/m²See note 3

Total Anilox Management

How is in-house anilox management achieved?

AniCAM: 3D scanning

microscope

Anilox QC software

application

Anilox Management

System

Total Anilox Management

How is in-house anilox management achieved?

AniCAM: 3D scanning

microscope with battery pack.

Used to capture the stack of images for

3D analysis.

Total Anilox Management

How is in house anilox management achieved?

Anilox QC application showing the scanned image; volume; average cell depth; screen count and angle.

Total Anilox Management

How is in house anilox management achieved?

AMS showing an inventory allowing the production manager to monitor anilox condition , the efficiency of the cleaning process and plan for refurbishment.

Total Anilox Management

CONSEQUENCES OF ANILOX MANAGEMENT.

In exactly the same way that a printer who fails to meet the demands of the BRANDS will not remain competitive. Some engravers have lost significant business by failing to keep up

with modern engraving techniques and honouring their stated volumetric tolerances.

Total Anilox Management

It is essential for printers to know their aniloxs are within an agreed and workable specification; whether new or old.

Therefore, discuss with your anilox manufacturer what their stated engraving tolerances are:

Some work in percentages:±10% of a 3.6 cm³/m² engraving is from 4.0 down to 3.2 cm³/m²(too large)

±5% of a 3.6 cm³/m² engraving is from 3.8 down to 3.4 cm³/m² (acceptable)

Total Anilox Management

Cost saving examples of ANILOX MANAGEMENT when used as part of the QC process:

Narrow web: proven time savings of 1 hour per press per day is frequent:Narrow web press time is typically £250/hour

For 4 presses that is 28 hours additional production time or £7,000 per week1,460 hours additional press time per year

Wide web: where proven time savings of over 2 hours / press / day:

Wide web press time is typically £500/hourFor 3 presses that is 42 hours additional production time or £21,000 per week

2100 hours additional press time per year

In almost every case the ROI is less than 4 weeks once implemented and in process

Total Anilox Management

Thank you for listening

Phil HallTroika Systems Limitedwww.troika-systems.com +44 1793 766 355