The anilox roll can be a gamechanger in your flexo folder gluer efficiency…or it could be the bane of your pressroom. Choosing the right partners for important press components (like aniloxes, dryers, inks, and plates) will make all the difference in the print quality, throughput, and profitability of your flexo folder gluer.
Apex International has a long history of assisting corrugated converters around the globe with quality anilox and glue roll solutions.
In this blog, the Apex Corrugated team explains how these standard FFG print components can impact the speed, quality, and savings of your corrugated converting process.
FFG Anilox Rolls
The impact of the anilox roll is felt far beyond the final print station. The volume, configuration, and consistency of the anilox cells will determine the amount and uniformity of ink transferred to the board. Due to the absorbent nature of corrugated, these sheets often require higher volumes of ink to achieve good coverage.
However, too much ink transferred, and you may have to slow down the press to extend drying times or risk smudging or offsetting your print. Uneven ink laydown across the board could lead to blotchy print and unappealing color variations.
A knowledgeable anilox provider, like Apex, will work with you to determine the right anilox engraving specifications to avoid these quality and performance issues in your unique processes.
Water-Based Inks
Corrugated sheets, being porous and absorbent, are well suited for water-based inks. These inks penetrate the board material effectively and dry quickly depending on the level of ink film thickness. Thicker ink films have more water to evaporate and thus take longer to dry. Water-based inks are also subject to aeration and foaming as press speeds increase. Printers may slow down the flexo folder gluer to allow time for adequate drying or reduced foaming or add chemicals to the ink to try and disperse the aeration, however these actions could result in excessive absorption and reduced print vibrancy.
In fast-paced production environments, having a trusted anilox solution that accurately controls ink laydown and minimizes liquid turbulence causing aeration will ensure you avoid production slowdowns and/or defects in the final print.
Drying Systems
In corrugated print applications, flexo folder gluer OEMs traditionally use forced air drying, infrared drying or a hybrid combination of the two. All these technologies have the same goal: evaporate the water from the ink efficiently and effectively, without impacting board quality or press performance negatively. The effectiveness of these drying systems is influenced by the amount and distribution of ink from the anilox roll. A common response to drying issues is to simply turn up the dryers to maintain speed, however this could impact the material causing warping and other board defects.
Making the proper adjustments with your anilox roll provider to match ink and environmental requirements with drying and substrate capabilities can improve your efficiency dramatically.
Apex for Ultimate Flexo Folder Gluer Efficiency
As you’ve now seen, the anilox roll doesn’t just impact ink laydown. From production speeds to print quality, it impacts all aspects of your flexo folder gluer. Choosing the right anilox engraving for your unique pain points and order mix is no easy task. There are a variety of shapes, volumes, and specifications to choose from. Apex 
customers have found success with roll engravings with both larger cell volumes and open channels that can handle higher ink volumes without over-depositing or foaming, like the GTT 2.0 and UltraCell anilox. UltraCell geometries are engraved ultra-shallow and precise for increased ink release and efficient film thickness. While GTT 2.0 is an Apex-exclusive open-slalom channel geometry that minimizes liquid turbulence and foaming, while effectively transferring a precise layer of ink for a wide variety of print applications - from block letters to process work. Not to mention the cleaning efficiencies too! (Learn how to master corrugated print with GTT in this blog) Both Apex anilox product lines are optimized for efficiency, savings, and print quality for incredibly profitable FFG operations.
At Apex International, we can assist in choosing the right anilox engraving for your production mix. Talk to your Apex representative to discover how your anilox rolls could further optimize your operations and get started with innovative anilox solutions from Apex, world leader in anilox, glue roll and embossing solutions.
Request a SuperBox filled with Apex corrugated samples shipped direct to you and discover the Apex Advantage!
