Every industry has its challenges, and for the flexo printing industry they include the dangers of steel doctor blades – anilox scoring and pressroom injuries. Fortunately, due to advancements in polymer materials and tip designs, press operators no longer have to trade the safety benefits of plastic doctor blades for the effectiveness of steel. Today’s next generation TruPoint doctor blades deliver the best of both materials – longer anilox roll life, enhanced pressroom safety and superior metering performance.
Anilox Roll Scoring Is One of the Dangers of Steel Doctor Blades
The anilox roll has been referred to as the heart of the flexo printing press. It is responsible for transferring the precise amount of ink required to create an image exactly according to a customer’s specifications. If the roll’s surface becomes damaged, the defects will show in the printed image.
最常见的网纹辊损坏类型有 scoring 以及钢刮刀造成的磨损。所有刮刀都必须正确安装才能正常工作。但是 
installing a steel doctor blade at the wrong angle, backward or with too much pressure can cause small fragments of the metal blade to break away. The jagged pieces become lodged against the roll and cause a deep scratch or “score line” that destroys bands of anilox cells as the roll rotates.
Steel blades also accelerate wear across the surface of the anilox roller. Friction between the blade and roll erodes the anilox cell walls over time. As a result, the cell volume is reduced and the anilox can no longer carry the precise volume of ink that it was designed to transfer.
When an anilox roll becomes scored or worn, the damage is permanent and the roll has to be resurfaced or replaced. There is loss of material and productivity as well – discarded substrate, ink waste and press downtime – all at a significant cost to the printer.
新闻编辑室受伤是钢制刀片的另一种危险
钢材的另一个缺点是，这种材料造成了大量的印刷车间伤害事故。印刷机操作员在任何时候都有可能被割伤。 
handling steel blades – installing or removing them from the press, disposing them, and when changing end seals. The blades are especially dangerous when being replaced. Their edges become honed through contact with the anilox roll as they wear, leaving razor-sharp tips that can cause serious lacerations.
工伤不仅会造成创伤，还会对公司的底线产生重大影响。印刷企业每年都要在工伤保险和医疗账单上花费大量资金，而这些费用都是直接从辛苦赚取的利润中支出的。此外，还有各种难以量化但仍会影响收益的间接成本--生产力损失、工作中断、机器停机、设备维修、替代员工培训和事故调查。
TRUpoint 下一代刀片消除了钢刀的危险性
Flexo Concepts’ TruPoint polymer doctor blades provide smarter and safer alternatives in a wide range of flexo printing applications. All TruPoint blades are constructed from plastic materials that won’t damage the anilox roll or injure press operators. The materials don’t separate, splinter or crack and are inherently softer and less sharp than steel. Even when plastic blades are worn, their edges are not sharp enough to destroy a roll or cut a press operator. [Download our Safety white paper: “The Hidden Costs of Using Steel Doctor Blades.”]
TruPoint 下一代刮刀是专为希望将塑料和钢材的最佳优点集于一身的印刷商而设计的。与 
traditional plastic materials, the TruPoint Orange® blade is constructed from an advanced polymer material that’s rigid enough to support a special MicroTip® edge. MicroTip is designed to achieve and maintain a fine contact area with the roll over the life of the blade. Orange is capable of metering line screens up to 785 L/cm as well as a steel blade and is a popular choice in 软包装, 涂层 and label printing applications, where the blade also prevents UV ink spitting 和启动线。
As graphics requirements grow in the corrugated printing sector, many printers are finding that standard UHMW cannot meter their mid-level line screen anilox rolls effectively. There is a “gap” between where UHMW is effective and steel is required on anilox line screens roughly between 120 and 200 L/cm. For printers who don’t want the safety and scoring risks of a steel blade, the TRUpointGreen beveled doctor blade provides them with a good alternative. The material demonstrates better stiffness and twice the spring memory of standard UHMW, allowing it to maintain an effective contact area with 
Green 可轻松替换UHMW ，使打印机无需使用钢刀就能获得更好的打印质量。
Printers, like people in other industries, struggle to find ways to reduce operational costs and improve safety. New polymer doctor blade innovations now give printers safer alternatives to steel blades that deliver the same level of quality. Choosing TruPoint next generation polymer doctor blades over steel is a simple way to prolong the life of anilox rolls, reduce lost-time accidents and deliver exceptional metering performance.
