Water based Flexo inks through an anilox coating tower?

[jools68]

Hi

Has anyone had experience of running water based flexo inks (colours & metallics) through a conventional anilox coating tower? I have a customer who is really interested in this concept and needs some help to get going. They have a Harris & Bruno chamber doctor system on a Ryiobi press with air knives and IR drying for conventional water based coatings. I believe they will need to substitute a flexo plate (45thou) with a closed cell compressible foam underblanket (1.70mm) and obviously look at anilox roller specifications. If anyone has nay info or advice I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers

[keldrewett]

YEP. Metallics.
BE WARNED! It is VERY messy and VERY tricky with regard to drying speeds. If it dries in the system you are goooone!

[arfamoe]

There is no difference between a Anilox 'coating' tower and a flexo print unit, we have a press with two application units as we like to call them that run flexo ink or coating as required, Litho guys have to become flexo guys for those units and that is an issue sometimes.

[jools68]

Thanks guy's that's great information and very helpful. Do you run a flexo plate? if so where do you get them made and where can we source the compressible foam under packing? Also do you run a separate pump and pipe system for the flexo products or the same and just clean them real well?

Appreciate your input!!

Cheers

[arfamoe]

We can use either blankets or Flexo plates on the application units. Plates i think they are Cyrel. We have a Persistaltic pump for the flexo products (Opaque whites, Heavy Metalics) and a Diaphragm pump for waterbase and UV coating

[keldrewett]

DuPont Packaging Graphics Asia : Cyrel Flexographic Photopolymer Plates