Apex | Articles & Videos

Flexo printers are facing many challenges every day, with the flexo printing process itself often being one of the biggest of them all. This is caused by the huge amount of variables involved. And printing on corrugated makes it even harder to achieve the required result. Keeping the flow of ink consistent is key to getting it right.

The anilox is considered to be the heart of the printing press. During the production process the 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.

Dot gain in flexographic printing has a variety of causes and shows up in enlarged halftone dots to derformed dots, which can print out fuzzy sometimes. There are several causes of dot gain that are related to anilox rolls, however, there are also solutions to overcome dot gain or decrease it. 

Labels and packaging producer Reflex is one of the largest companies of its kind in the UK: “We seek to be on the forefront of innovation, investing in technology and people for continuous improvement.” In an effort to standardize print quality at its label division, consisting of seven production sites with multiple presses, Reflex teamed up with Apex experts to aim for better process control.

Both Apex and its customers need to measure aniloxes - but for different reasons! Control and consistency are the foundation for process standardization, ECG printing and  improved productivity in flexographic printing. The anilox surface – where ink meets plate – has always been the foundation for achieving high print quality on a repeatable basis “ideally” without constant process adjustments. Apex focused on this challenge and reinvented the basics of ink-to-plate transfer by creating the Patented GTT engraving. This advancement has resulted in a far more consistent anilox which is proven, both in print production at customers and internally with the microscopic measurement control possible from both Troika and MD control systems. These two systems validate that Apex aniloxes are produced globally with the highest level of accuracy.

Apex takes anilox accuracy to the next level - Troika AniCAM microscopes bring further volume measurement control. 
Flexo printers around the world agree that productivity is key to their business success. To improve productivity, they need their printing process to be consistent and predictable. This is no easy task, given the amount of variables surrounding flexo technology. Apex’ anilox rolls take at least one important variable out of the complex equation. By adding Troika AniCAM microscopes to its worldwide measurement and control system, Apex even furthers the accuracy of every anilox it manufactures and supplies.

Apex International’s headquarters is based in Hapert, the Netherlands. Apex is the world's largest manufacturer of precision flexographic ink-to-plate transfer technology including anilox rolls and sleeves for narrow- and wide-web, corrugated, offset and coating applications. Have a look inside our state-of-the art facility.

Have you ever wondered what a hexagonal 60° anilox cell engraving actually looks like? Or considered what vital role it plays in achieving the best results in print on corrugated board? By organizing a one-day training, tailored to the corrugated industry, Apex is providing print professionals with answers to these – and many more – questions by sharing relevant insights, practical knowledge and important background information on the basics of anilox technology.

Providing the highest quality in flexographic printing has always been key to the rise of Uniflex, ever since its foundation in 1996. Based in Minsk (Belarus), it is now one of the biggest producers of flexible packaging of the CIS and Eastern Europe. Constantly looking for ways to further improve its performance, Uniflex recently decided to switch to Apex anilox rollers: “GTT rollers allow us to print at maximum production speed, while maintaining stable an invariable ink transfer at all times.”

In order to maintain the life and performance standards of your anilox inventory, 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 be transferred onto a printing plate during subsequent runs. 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.