8 recommendations to follow when applying flexo plate mounting tapes/foams to ensure maximum print quality and repeatability.
Polymer assembly foams - best practices.
- Thoroughly clean the surface of the cylinder, bushing and polymer plate of any grease, oil or printing inks residue using mild, dedicated solvents.
- Never use printing inks solvents or a mixture of solvents for cleaning.
- Carefully inspect the surface for scratches, dents and other damage that may cause differences in adhesion. The surface should be uniform to ensure maximum adhesion of the plate.
- Make sure the surface is completely dry before installation.
- The polymer plate should be perfectly applied to the surface with a roller. Pay special attention to the edges of the plates to ensure proper contact between the tape and the polymer plate.
- Make sure there are no air bubbles.
- If you are using cylinders with small diameters and time passes between the installation of the plate and its use, protect it by wrapping it with foil immediately after installation. This maintains full strength and prevents the plate from peeling off at its edges.
- For large orders in which plates are repeatedly washed during printing, it is particularly important to protect the edges of the plate from the effects of Printing inks or solvent to prevent tearing of the plate and to ensure precision and repeatability of reprints.
Remember, automating the plate washing process increases production efficiency and ensures the highest print quality without downtime.
Polymer mounting foams - perfect adhesion of the die to the cylinder in all conditions is provided by Biessse foams. The compression system effectively prevents possible deformation of the plate during printing, and the unique high resistance formula enables perfect printing results even at very high speeds. Long-term high compression repeatability is also achieved during high-volume printing.
