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Plymouth, MA, August 14, 2009.  After twenty years of specializing in anilox system products for the flexographic printing industry, Flexo Concepts will now offer its expertise to sheetfed offset printers.  The company’s anilox cleaning solutions and consumable blade products promise to improve coating consistency, increase press uptime and lower costs in in-line tower coating applications.

Anilox system technology has been used by flexographic printers for many years to apply controllable and consistent volumes of ink or coating to the substrate.  The anilox roll is considered the heart of the press in these applications:  a well-maintained anilox roll will transfer a consistent ink or coating film thickness repeatedly.  On the other hand, an anilox roll that is not maintained will lead to press downtime, production waste and dissatisfied customers. 

A growing number of sheetfed offset printers are now using anilox system technology to apply coatings to their printed graphics by means of in-line tower coating units.  Flexo Concepts has tailored a line of anilox system cleaning and consumable products specifically for sheetfed offset coating applications.

According to Dave Burgess, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, taking a one-size-fits-all approach to press cleaning is ineffective.  “Cleaning ink from a rubber roll is different from trying to remove coating from anilox cells.  Sheetfed offset printers using a flexographic technology to apply coatings should look to a flexographic expert for cleaning advice on this section of the press.”   He also feels that ignoring anilox maintenance is risky:  “In order to be competitive, printers must do everything possible to maintain quality and consistency.  Inconsistent coating can lead to unhappy customers, and lost business is hard to get back.”

The company has designed a simple, three-step anilox cleaning program for sheetfed offset tower coating units.  When used together, these products ensure that anilox rolls continue to deliver precise, consistent volumes of coating:

Step 1: ReNew™ Green for Circulation Systems.  When added to the flush cycle as part of the coating system wash-up cycle, ReNew Green will prevent coating build-up in the anilox cells and throughout the system.  The company reports that sheetfed offset printers who were using only warm water to flush coating out of anilox cells are seeing better results after adding Green to their tanks.

Step 2: ReNew™ Orange for Manual and Spot Cleaning.  ReNew Orange is used to scrub coating residue that cannot be removed from anilox cells during the flush cycle.  The product is used with a stainless steel brush and restores cell volume between deep cleanings. 

Step 3: MicroClean™ Anilox Roll Cleaning Service.  When off-press deep cleaning becomes necessary to remove dried coating deposits, the company’s MicroClean roll cleaning service is available for customers to send their rolls to Flexo concepts for cleaning on its MicroClean System.  The machine uses dry plastic media pellets applied with air pressure to safely and effectively sweep the dried coating from the cells.  Rolls are then returned to the customer along with a detailed report and photos showing cell volume before and after cleaning.

The Flexo Concepts product family for sheetfed offset applications also includes a line of consumable blade products including doctor blades, containment blades and wash-up blades.  The premier TruPoint™ UltraFlex doctor blade allows for precision metering and up to four times the blade life of steel.  The blade is engineered from a high-density fiberglass material and is well-suited for work-and-turn coating and complex spot coating applications.  TruPoint™ Polyester is a durable, long-life containment blade designed to replace steel and reduce anilox scoring in chambered offset tower coating units.  UltraFlex and Polyester are compatible with Harris & Bruno and Tresu chambered doctor blade systems.  The company’s plastic wash-up blades have superior blade life and are an economical option for ink station wash-up. 

For more information about Flexo Concepts’ full line of consumable and cleaning products for sheetfed offset applications or to request a free product sample, visit www.flexoconcepts.com.

About Flexo Concepts
Headquartered in Plymouth, MA, Flexo Concepts manufactures MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems, TruPoint™ plastic and composite doctor blades and ReNew™ cleaning products and accessories.  All product lines are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers.  Flexo Concepts maintains distribution locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Russia, South America, Australia, and Asia.  For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.