Common Anilox Roller Shapes

The most common mesh shape is the regular hexagon of honeycomb type, and there are also shapes such as spiral triangle type and S type (Gulf manifold).The below picture shows the shape of the mesh under 400 times magnification.

The most basic requirements for regular hexagonal mesh are: regular mesh shape, smooth mesh wall, flat mesh bottom, uniform engraving effect, and good ink transfer ability.

S-type mesh has the following advantages:

(1) Best solid printing and coating effect. The S-shaped mesh can easily realize large ink transfer, and the solid printing and coating effects are better than the traditional mesh.

(2) Reduce ink consumption. The S-type open mesh structure makes the ink layer thinner, better transferability, and reduces ink loss.

(3) An S-type anilox roller of one specification can adapt to a relatively large range of printing plate screening lines, which reduces the inventory of spare rollers and reduces the cost of use.

(4) The S-type mesh has a larger opening and a shallower mesh depth, the mesh is not easy to be blocked, and the cleaning is easier.

(5) The thinner ink layer does not require excessive scraper pressure, and the scraper wear is greatly reduced.

The high cost of use is a major resistance to the rapid promotion of flexographic printing. Among them, too many anilox roller configurations are the main reason. The introduction of S-type mesh technology can greatly reduce the configuration and inventory of anilox rollers, effectively reduce the cost of flexo printing, and play a positive role in the promotion of flexo printing. Of course, the S-type mesh also has disadvantages. It cannot completely replace the traditional mesh. It is most suitable for printing with low line count and large coating volume.