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Estimating Flexo Ink Consumption: Calculator vs Reality

Last week, I corresponded with a fellow flexographer about the complexities of calculating ink consumption. He noted that different calculators produced varying results, which led me to explain that accurately predicting ink consumption for a given image and anilox volume is difficult. In fact, it’s more like “voodoo”. That’s why my approach combines using a calculator with tracking and analyzing actual consumption data over time. Let me expand on that here. READ THE FULL POST HERE:

flexo Ink Consumption: Calculator vs reality Last week, I corresponded with a fellow flexographer about the complexities of calculating ink consumption. He noted that different calculators produced varying results, which led me to explain that...

Corona Treater Indicator Light: Are you sure yours is set up correctly?

Ever found a stack of printed rolls ruined because the corona treater wasn’t running? I’ve been there, and it’s not pretty.

My first flexo press was in line with a blown film extruder, producing newspaper bags, printed or unprinted. It was a non-stop process, with film feeding directly into the press and onto a turret rewinder. When I wasn’t printing, I was extruding unprinted film for any one of 36 bag machines. We stayed busy.

Corona treatment was crucial for printing, and I quickly learned the pain of walking into work to find rolls with ink that wouldn’t stick. Back then, treaters made a high-pitched "eeeeeeee" sound when running, and a light bulb at the extruder indicated whether they were on or off. Every press I've operated or seen since has some kind of treater indicator.

But here’s something interesting: some treaters have lights that indicate when the treater is running, while others use lights to warn when the treater is off. Which setup is better?

If the light signals the treater is on, a bulb going out prompts the operator to investigate whether the treater is off or the bulb just died. Either way, it's a signal to check. However, if the light warns only when the treater is off, a burnt-out bulb might go unnoticed, leaving you at risk of printing on untreated film. This is problematic.

For many of you, this seems obvious—you wire the light to show when the treater is on. But if it were universally understood, every system would be set up that way. Yet, not all of them are.

So, if you want to avoid quarantined rolls and ink that peels off with tape, make sure your light is set up to come on when the treater is on. It’s a simple step that can save a lot of trouble.

How are your treaters wired? Have you ever faced issues with corona treating? Share your thoughts or tips in the comments!

Remember, the right setup can save you from a lot of headaches. Happy printing!

Change the Anilox if You Must But, Please, Follow Through

When I started printing, the last thing I wanted to do was change an anilox roller in any of the wide web presses I operated. Anilox rollers were heavy and cumbersome, often taking up to an hour, each, to change.

Over time, wide web presses adopted anilox sleeves, and narrow web presses introduced their smaller, more manageable anilox rollers. This made changing aniloxes on most presses much
easier. As a result, many operators became accustomed to adjusting anilox volume to alter color strength.

Under today’s guidelines and best practices, a flexo press undergoes a thorough optimization process. According to the FTA’s FIRST methodology, we:

 Optimize
 Fingerprint
 Characterize
 Produce and improve

When optimizing aniloxes, we determine the appropriate line count, volume, and cell angle for various conditions—such as coating, large solids, fine type, vignettes, and 4-color process printing. We conduct tests to achieve the thinnest ink film possible that still provides adequate color strength without issues like pin-holing or other defects caused by insufficient ink film thickness. If we deviate from these standards, we risk disrupting the delicate balance required to print predictably, consistently, and to a high quality standard.

In a production environment, deviations from standard practices are sometimes necessary to get the job done. If this means changing an anilox to adjust color strength, it's crucial to follow through by investigating the underlying cause. This should involve collaboration with prepress and ink blending teams. The final determination and solution should be a coordinated, comprehensive, and scientific process that informs—and gets input from—the entire production system.

Frank Burgos
Flexo Consultant, Trainer

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