Flexo Concepts™ announced its plans to exhibit at Label Summit Latin America 2014 (stand #15) on May 14-15 in Colombia.
Since its debut to the international market at LabelExpo Europe 2013, the TruPoint Orange® doctor blade has generated a great deal of interest as a replacement for steel. The blade was featured on ten presses throughout the show, and several major press OEMs are now shipping Orange with new installations.
With its unique MicroTip™ and exceptional metering ability, TruPoint Orange gives printers an alternative to steel doctor blades with the added benefits of longer blade life and safety. The next generation polymer blade has also been successful at eliminating UV ink spitting.
To learn more about TruPoint Orange or to request a sample, visit Label Summit Latin America Stand #15, go to www.flexoconcepts.com or call 508.830.9506. To access a complete press kit, go to www.flexoconcepts.com/aboutus/media.php.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Steel doctor blades used to be a printer’s only option to produce high-end graphics. It wasn’t because he didn’t want longer blade life and the safety benefits that came with using plastic, steel was simply the only material that could sufficiently meter a high line screen roll. Not anymore! Today’s next generation polymers and advanced tip engineering have at last resulted in a non-metallic doctor blade with the metering quality of steel. This blade can replace steel doctor blades in a full range of flexo printing applications from solids and lines, to reverses and fine print, to screens and process work. Here’s why.
Steel Doctor Blades vs. Traditional Plastic
Due to its thinness and stiffness, steel has been the only blade material that could achieve a fine point of contact sufficient to execute a clean wipe on a high line screen anilox roll. By comparison, the characteristics of traditional plastic doctor blades require them to be thicker to provide the same rigidity. While they have other benefits in terms of safety and blade life, their thickness prevents them from maintaining a fine contact area with the anilox. As they wear and their contact area with the anilox roll grows, plastic blades produce changes in tonal value and dot gain when metering high line screens. For this reason, they have historically been limited to jobs with low to modest graphics requirements.
Next Generation Polymers
Now, specially formulated polymer doctor blades can compete with steel in the most demanding graphics applications. Unlike traditional plastic, the stiffness of the next generation material with a precisely engineered MicroTip™ edge allows the TruPoint Orange doctor blade to achieve and maintain a fine contact area with the anilox roll. Orange can deliver effective metering on line screens up to 2,000 lpi (785 L/cm) and produce graphics of the highest quality. The following diagrams compare the contact areas of traditional plastic, steel and next generation polymer blades:
Doctor Blade Contact Area Comparison
As shown, the contact area of a worn traditional plastic blade grows to .060″ (1.52mm) compared to a contact area of .016″ (.40mm), for a worn steel blade. The next generation polymer is able to maintain a contact area of .012″ (.305mm), equal to or smaller than that of most steel doctor blades, throughout the life of the blade due to the edge design. The engineered tip wears slowly and evenly and delivers consistent ink film thickness for the duration of the print job.
Today’s innovations in polymer doctor blades offer printers a viable alternative to steel. A combination of advanced materials and new tip technology has yielded a blade that meters as well as steel on the highest line screens yet retains the benefits of traditional plastic. Printers no longer have to compromise on anilox scoring, blade life, and safety to fulfill the most demanding graphics requirements!
Flexo Concepts™ announced plans today to exhibit at INFO*FLEX 2014 on April 28-29 in Baltimore, Maryland. The company will promote the distinct benefits of its exclusive TruPoint™ doctor blades in flexo printing applications.
Specifically featured will be the company’s latest blade innovation, TruPoint Orange®. Orange is becoming widely adopted by narrow web printers to replace steel and resolve common pressroom problems. The blade eliminates UV ink spitting, doctor blade related injuries and anilox scoring. It is also compatible with specialty coatings and lasts longer than steel. Multiple OEMs are now shipping new equipment standard with the Orange blade.
TruPoint DuraPoint™ will also be a focus at the show. DuraPoint is marketed as a long-life direct replacement blade for UHMW in the corrugated sector.
To learn more about TruPoint blades or to request a sample, visit Flexo Concepts at the show (booth #909) or at www.flexoconcepts.com. To access a complete press kit, go to www.flexoconcepts.com/aboutus/media.php.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
A.B. Graphic International is now shipping its Digicon Series 2 and Digicon Lite machines with the TruPoint Orange doctor blade. The label industry finishing equipment OEM selected Orange over other blade products due to its extended blade life and safety.
Established in 1954 in the U.K., A B Graphic International is a market-leading producer of label and package printing converting equipment. The company’s fully-modular Digicon Series 2, considered the most advanced and diverse on the market, combines semi-rotary technology with accurate re-registration modules for a variety of digital converting applications. Capabilities include hot foil, cold foil, flexo coating, screen printing and lamination. The Digicon Lite, an entry-level model, provides varnishing, coating and converting of digitally printed webs.
Flexo Concepts’ TruPoint Orange blades are used in the Digicon Series 2 and Digicon Lite flexo stations, which apply basic coatings and varnishes. Orange was chosen over steel for its superior blade life and safety characteristics and has become the sole blade shipped with all new machine installations.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Flexo Concepts announced today that Nilpeter is now shipping all new FB Series press installations worldwide with the TruPoint Orange doctor blade. The prominent narrow web press manufacturer has replaced steel with Orange due to its superior metering performance and ability to eliminate UV ink spitting.
Available in 10”, 13” and 16” web widths, Nilpeter’s FB series models are among the fastest narrow web presses in the industry at 750 F/min. Designed for maximum efficiency and low production costs, the FB line is based on modular flexo technology for easy configuration.
The high performance FB-3 UV-press technology was introduced to the European market last year at Labelexpo in Brussels and featured the TruPoint Orange doctor blade. The blade’s successful performance on-press at the show inspired the company to replace steel with Orange on all new press installations.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Flexo Concepts™ announced today that it has expanded its reseller base in Italy after signing an exclusive agreement with Printgraph S.p.A. The Italian company will sell TruPoint doctor blades and the exclusive QuikWash System directly to sheetfed offset printers.
Used in offset coating applications, TruPoint doctor blades are able to maintain a fine area of contact with the coating roller throughout the life of the blades. This precision gives the printer more control over the lay down of coating on the sheet and the ability to deliver consistent, even coverage. TruPoint blades are also recognized for their safety benefits.
The QuikWash System is an exclusive retro-fit wash-up system that allows a printer to improve the quality of wash-ups and cut the frequency of wash-ups and press wash consumption. The system uses a TruPoint wash-up blade which can achieve a finer area of contact with the roller and complete a wash-up cycle in half the time compared to a conventional wash-up system. QuikWash is compatible with most press models and requires no modifications to the existing wash-up tray.
“We believe that Printgraph will be successful representing our TruPoint line given their history of innovation and distributing well-known, state-of-the-art brands,” said Brian Baker, Flexo Concepts Key Account Manager. “I have confidence in them to promote the unique benefits of our products to printers in the local offset market.”
Founded in 1961, Printgraph distributes consumable products for the offset printing market including the renowned brands: Vulcan®, Rollin®, Printec®, and Dyna® (manufactured by PCO Printing Chemicals, part of the Printgraph group). Under the direction of Levi Acobas family, Printgraph has earned a reputation for being a technical innovator and high-quality service provider. The company holds more than ten worldwide patents, the majority of which were obtained through internal R&D efforts leading to the Finito® and Finito NoStop brands; these products are considered revolutionary technology of the blanket and its underpacking.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Doctor blade chamber leaks are costly in terms of downtime and waste. While failed end seals are responsible for a large number of chamber leaks, ill-fitting doctor blades can also contribute to leaks. Ordering cut-to-length doctor blades from your supplier is a smart way to reduce leaks, maximize doctor blade and end seal performance and save a printer thousands of dollars every year.
Problems arising from Chamber Leaks:
Ink waste
Substrate waste
Excessive solvent consumption for clean-ups
Downtime for change-overs
Reduced doctor blade life
Scored anilox rolls
Increased end seal consumption
Chamber leaks are a nuisance in the pressroom that cause frustration and reduce press efficiency. When faced with a leaking chamber, a press operator has to stop the press and clean up the mess. Often, he will try to fix the problem by increasing the load pressure instead of looking for the basic cause of the leak. While this may work as a temporary solution, it can lead to other problems such as accelerated doctor blade and anilox wear. The increased pressure may also force ink out of the ends of the chamber, making the situation worse. Paying a little extra attention when installing doctor blades and ends seals can prevent many leaks from occurring in the first place.
Causes of Chamber Leaks:
Improper seal material
Bad seal design
Lack of proper seal lubrication
No dead bands on anilox rolls
Anilox roll chips
Incorrect doctor blade length
Failed end seals account for many chamber leaks. Using an end seal material that is not compatible with the type of ink being used, the length of the run or the press speed will allow ink to escape from the ends of the chamber. Ink build-ups can result from not using the appropriate lubrication to reduce friction between the anilox roll and end seal. If the seals are not a proper fit, they will not do their job at containing ink within the confines of the chamber. Working with your end seal supplier is a good way to work through these issues and ensure that you are using the correct end seals for your application. (View End Seal Brochure)
The condition of the anilox roll can also play a role in chamber leaks. If the roll lacks a dead band (an unengraved area) at each end, ink will build up there and cause the seals to fail. Chips on the ends of the anilox rolls can also create ink buildup and compromise the integrity of the end seals.
Incorrect Doctor Blade Length can cause Chamber Leaks
In addition to failed end seals and defects in the anilox roll, doctor blades that are too short or too long
Doctor blade is the correct length for the chamber
can be another source of leaks. When changing a doctor blade, it’s important to make sure that the new blade is the right size for the chamber and installed correctly. If it’s not a perfect fit, the doctor blade provides a gap through which ink can leak out of the chamber.
When properly installed, the doctor blade should have some upward pressure from the end seals to ensure a sufficient seal. A very slight rise in the blade is okay, however, extra loading pressure should not be necessary to get the blade to wipe the center of the anilox roll.
When a blade is too short or too long for the chamber, it prevents the end seals from doing their job. The blade should come to about halfway across the tops of the end seals when placed in the chamber. If the blade does not reach the seals, then the seals can actually prevent contact between the doctor blade and the anilox roll.
Doctor blades are too long for the chamber
On the other hand, if the blade extends beyond the outer edge of the end seal, it may create a small opening between the underside of the blade and the end seal which creates a path for ink to flow out of the chamber. If it’s too long, the blade may also become wavy and not lie flush with the roll, causing uneven metering and leaking.
Installing doctor blades that are a perfect fit for the chamber will eliminate this source of leaks. When ordering doctor blade material by the roll, it is important to confirm the proper blade specifications with your chamber OEM to make sure that press operators are cutting blades to the correct length. An easier way to ensure the proper size is to order cut-to-length doctor blades from your supplier that are ready to install right out of the box.
Cut-to-length Doctor Blades can Reduce Chamber Leaks
Doctor blades that are the incorrect size for the chamber can be a frustrating source of chamber leaks, downtime and waste. Installing blades correctly and making sure that they are the precise length according to OEM specifications is one way to prevent this problem. Ordering cut-to-length doctor blades from your supplier will not only speed up blade changes but also ensure a perfect fit to maximize blade performance and minimize leaks.
Sistemas Inelme has been named an exclusive distributor of TruPoint doctor blades in Spain and Portugal. The company is the latest in a series of exclusive resellers around the world signed by Flexo Concepts™ to represent its TruPoint brand.
Despite the ailing local economy, Flexo Concepts’ VP of Sales, Chris Nolin, is confident that Sistemas Inelme will help the company expand its blade business in the region. “Sistemas Inelme is well positioned to be successful selling our blades regardless of the economic climate,” said Nolin. “We felt that partnering with them made perfect sense given their solid track record, expertise and reputation in the industry.”
Sistemas Inelme developed its first ink concentration control system (SICCT) in 1996. The company followed with other equipment innovations including automatic washing systems, ink dispensing machines, two-component glue mixers, laser anilox cleaning systems and doctor blade chambers. The company is recognized as a leader in the global flexo market.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Flexo Concepts announced its plans to exhibit at Label Summit Africa 2014 (stand #38) to promote the advantages of using its TruPoint Orange doctor blade in label and package printing applications.
Orange was introduced to the international market at LabelExpo Europe 2013 and generated a great deal of interest as a replacement for steel. The blade was featured on ten presses throughout the show, and several major press OEMs are now shipping Orange with new installations.
With its unique MicroTip and exceptional metering ability, TruPoint Orange gives printers an alternative to steel doctor blades with the added benefits of longer blade life and safety. The next generation polymer blade has also been successful at eliminating UV ink spitting.
To learn more about TruPoint Orange or to request a blade sample, visit Label Summit Africa Stand #38, go to www.flexoconcepts.com/orange or call 508.830.9506. To access a complete press kit, go to www.flexoconcepts.com/aboutus/media.php. About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Flexo Concepts and Grupo Cosalco joined forces at Andina-Pack 2013 to announce their partnership in bringing the premium TruPoint Orange doctor blade to the Colombian narrow web market.
Cosalco will be the exclusive distributor in Colombia and is the latest addition to a list of exclusive resellers in the region.
As a premium product, TruPoint Orange fits well with the portfolio of 40+ leading brands represented by the distributor. “Grupo Cosalco was the obvious choice for us in Colombia,” said Chris Nolin, VP of Sales for Flexo Concepts. “We are confident that the team will do a great job spreading the word about how Orange outperforms other blade products and eliminates many of the challenges faced by narrow web printers.”
Grupo Cosalco was started in 1986 in Costa Rica to represent foreign companies that sell premium graphic arts products and flexible wrapping materials. The company has since expanded with offices in Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia and currently services all the countries of Central America, Colombia and part of the Caribbean.
To learn more about TruPoint Orange or becoming a distributor, visit www.flexoconcepts.com. To access a complete press kit, go to www.flexoconcepts.com/aboutus/media.php.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
As competition for shelf space heats up, brand owners are looking to create more compelling-looking products. That means prettier graphics, more vivid colors and unique packaging. Today’s narrow web printers, also facing intense competition, are turning to UV inks and specialty coating formulas to produce higher print quality, speed up turnaround times, increase throughput and reduce downtime. Unfortunately, using a steel doctor blade to meter these chemistries often result in the UV ink spitting onto your print job, causing a speckled appearance. Where steel falls short, the TruPoint Orange® next generation doctor blade may be the solution in these applications.
Eliminate UV Ink Spitting with TruPoint Orange
The surface energy and flexibility of a steel blade can impede a smooth transfer of ink to the plate. The dyne level of a steel blade is higher than that of TruPoint Orange, causing the ink to have a greater tendency to adhere to the blade. With Orange, the characteristics of the material give the blade a significantly lower dyne level than steel, decreasing the attraction between the doctor blade and ink and facilitating a more fluid movement of ink to the plate.
Also, UV ink has a normal viscosity of 5-7 times that of water and solvent-based inks, and its thixotropic properties (ability to thin out when agitated) make it transfer differently on press. This thicker consistency applies excessive pressure to a steel metering blade, often causing the ink to sling off, or “spit,” especially at high press speeds. The TruPoint Orange doctor blade prevents UV ink spitting. The blade’s tip provides enough stiffness to maintain a strong contact area with the anilox roll and prevent ink from sliding under the blade.
Specialty Inks and Coatings Are Abrasive
Specialty coatings and tactile finishes such as glitter, pearlescent, textures and soft touch, are being used to enhance the look of product packages, but the same challenging properties of UV inks also exist in these formulations. They have high viscosities and contain large particles, making it difficult to accurately control the volume being applied. These chemistries, and coarse anilox surfaces used to apply them, are extremely abrasive to steel doctor blades – printers consume blades faster which increases downtime and costs. TruPoint Orange next generation polymer blades are highly abrasion-resistant and chemically compatible with all ink and specialty coating formulas; they last longer and minimize press downtime for blade changes. Click Here to Read “5 Ways to Conquer UV Ink Spitting”
As the industry evolves to keep up with the demands of the market, printers are faced with new challenges. The ink and coating formulas being used to make products stand out on the retail shelf and improve pressroom efficiency are difficult to meter with steel doctor blades. Due to its material properties and tip design, TruPoint Orange can help by reducing downtime and costs associated with UV ink spitting and accelerated blade wear.
While steel doctor blades used to be the only option to produce high-end graphics, a printer had to deal with the shorter blade life and pressroom injuries that came along with using the material. No more! Recent innovations in materials technology and tip engineering have at last resulted in polymer doctor blades that can compete with steel and also resolve a number of common problems in the pressroom.
Steel doctor blades are thin and rigid which allows them to achieve a fine contact area with the anilox roll. A fine contact area is required for the blade to achieve an effective wipe on high line screen rolls used in more demanding graphics applications. Traditional plastic doctor blades, on the other hand, have long been preferred for their longer life in less demanding graphics applications. Plastic blades had to be engineered thicker in order to provide enough rigidity to maintain good contact with the anilox roll and achieve a sufficient wipe. The thickness and larger contact area prevented these blades from being effective when used to meter mid to high line screen rolls. While they lasted significantly longer and were safer to handle than steel blades, they tended to leave more ink on the surface of the roll; this produced dot gain and poor image quality in the printed piece.
Steel Blade Disadvantages
Despite its reputation for being the superior metering material, steel has many disadvantages. The blades wear quickly and need to be replaced frequently. Operators are also exposed to cut hazards when removing the worn blades from the press, and the metal fragments can come loose and score anilox rolls. The environmental impact of using steel can also be significant. There are huge energy costs associated with the manufacture of steel blades as well as anilox resurfacing, and additional station clean-ups generate a lot of contaminated waste. Despite these drawbacks, steel was believed to be the only doctor blade option to execute a clean wipe on a high line screen anilox roll, leaving printers no choice.
New polymer doctor blade contact area is smaller than steel
New Polymer Doctor Blades
Today, specially formulated polymer doctor blades offer the best of both steel and plastic. Unlike traditional plastic doctor blades, the next generation material allows for a precisely engineered micro-tip which wears slowly and evenly throughout the life of the blade. The micro-tip edge allows the blade to achieve a fine contact area with the anilox roll and deliver effective metering on line screens up to 2000 lpi or 785 L/cm. The long and steady wear period of the next generation polymer doctor blade maximizes press uptime and allows for consistent ink film thickness for the duration of the print job.
Compared to steel, the polymer material does not develop a dangerous cutting edge after use, and the worn blades aresafe to handle. Also, the material will not separate, splinter or crack and produces no metal fragments that can lodge between the doctor blade and the anilox roll. A reduction in anilox scoring means better image quality, less downtime, less waste and lower roll replacement costs.
Polymer doctor blades have come a long way in recent years. A combination of advanced materials and a micro-tip edge has produced revolutionary new doctor blade option for printers: a blade that can compete with steel in the most demanding graphics applications while retaining the safety and blade life benefits of traditional plastic.
Flexo Concepts™ announced today that it has signed an agreement naming ACUS SRL its exclusive TruPoint™ Orange™ distributor in Italy. This partnership establishes the first agent to sell the premier doctor blade internationally.
The Italian company will sell TruPoint Orange directly to narrow web printers and will work to establish relationships with OEMs in the region.
Founded by Riccardo Savini in 2000, ACUS offers technologies solutions and expertise for the prepress and package printing markets. The former vice president and current technical coordinator of the Italian FTA, Stefano d’Andrea joined the company two years ago, bringing over twenty years of industry experience. He recently completed training to become a “Certified Implementation Specialist” under the FTA program, FIRST (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances).
Chris Nolin, Flexo Concepts’ vice president of sales, commented, “This agreement is important because it represents the first time that Italian printers will have access to TruPoint doctor blades. We are confident that ACUS will do an excellent job conveying the many benefits of our products by providing solutions that eliminate common pain points in the pressroom.”
One of Flexo Concepts’ primary objectives at Labelexpo Europe 2013 was to locate and train European distributors for Orange. Since signing with ACUS, the company is in discussions with several other prospective distributors in the area. Nolin remarked, “Our agreement with ACUS is only the beginning of what we hope will become a network of partners all over the world.”
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades, the TruPoint™ QuikWash™ System and wash-up blades, and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Flexo Concepts’ exclusive TruPoint DuraPoint™ blade is a next-generation UHMW doctor blade with a proprietary high-density formulation for superior blade life and enhanced graphics. Used in applications that require extended blade life, DuraPoint has been shown to last 25-30% longer than traditional UHMW products and is a direct replacement as both a metering and a containment blade.
Upgrade from UHMW to DuraPoint
DuraPoint’s construction makes it ideal for printers who produce moderate graphics but want the added benefit of longer blade life. The properties of the material allow it to maintain more consistent metering throughout the life of the blade for increased graphics requirements. By upgrading To DuraPoint, corrugated printers can increase press uptime while maintaining all the benefits provided by traditional UHMW.
DuraPoint is available in the same widths and thicknesses as Flexo Concepts’ UHMW blade and offers a drop-in replacement for standard UHMW. The blade fits in existing blade clamp configurations, requiring no shims or modifications to the holder.
Flexo Concepts is the leading global supplier of UHMW products. DuraPoint and Green are the company’s premier products for corrugated applications that demand longer blade life and enhanced graphics.
The TruPoint™ Orange™ doctor blade by Flexo Concepts™ generated a great deal of interest at Labelexpo Europe 2013 from distributors around the world wanting to represent the product. The company attributes a high level of foot traffic to its booth to the recent buzz in the industry about the new blade as well as the promotional support of OEMs and co-suppliers at the show.
Since its release to the market earlier this year, Orange is transforming the industry’s perception about non-metallic doctor blades and has earned the endorsement of several OEMs. In August, Mark Andy added Orange to its Mark Andy Print Products line of offerings and began shipping new P-Series installations with the TruPoint Orange blade. The Print Products team recommends the blade as a solution to common pressroom problems faced by printers such as UV ink spitting and anilox scoring.
A high point of the show was that TruPoint Orange was featured on ten presses including AB Graphic International, BAR Graphic Machinery, Focus Label Machinery, HP and Nilpeter. People who were interested could see the doctor blade in action and inspect print samples produced with TruPoint Orange on the spot.
As President of Flexo Concepts, Kevin McLaughlin’s reaction to Labelexpo was that it was “an overwhelming success” for the company. He reports, “It was great to see the industry confirming what we believed to be true: that Orange is redefining how people think about doctor blades.”
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Flexo Concepts™ will feature its revolutionary new doctor blade, TruPoint™ Orange™, at this year’s Labelexpo show in Brussels. Since its release to the market in early 2013, Orange has earned the endorsement of several OEMs and is transforming the industry’s perception about nonmetallic doctor blades.
Last month, Orange was selected by Mark Andy to join its Mark Andy Print Products line of blade offerings to provide customers with a solution to a variety of common pressroom issues. John Christiansen, Manager at Mark Andy University, is quoted, “I recommend TruPoint Orange doctor blades to any customer dealing with anilox scoring and UV ink spitting. Orange is an excellent all around blade and has exceeded my expectations.” The blade is also shipping with all new Mark Andy Performance Series installations as a product that will deliver maximum performance overall.
TruPoint Orange is constructed from an advanced polymer and engineered with a unique MicroTip™ to achieve fine and consistent metering over the life of the blade. The material is also safe to handle and lasts longer than steel.
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
Also, UV ink has a normal viscosity of 5-7 times that of water and solvent-based inks, and its thixotropic properties (ability to thin out when agitated) make it transfer differently on press. This thicker consistency applies excessive pressure to a steel metering blade, often causing the ink to sling off, or “spit,” especially at high press speeds. The TruPoint Orange doctor blade prevents UV ink spitting. 
