Anilox Guide: Cell Volumes

During Flexographic Printing, anilox volume refers to the carrying capacity of an anilox cell or the amount of ink stored in each cell.

It is one of several parameters that govern how much ink is transmitted to the print medium, therefore it must be precisely regulated and quantified.

The Basics of Anilox Volume

When understanding the importance of cell volume considerations in your flexo printing process, it is first important to have a comprehensive knowledge of how the anilox functions

The anilox's job is to monitor and regulate the amount of ink delivered to the image carrier.

The size and quantity of engraved cells on the anilox, as well as the ink, employed, determine how much ink is transmitted to the image carrier.

This cell volume controls the amount of ink delivered to the image carrier as well as the density of the ink produced.

Volume measurements of anilox

The size of a cell is measured in billions of cubic microns (BCMs). Human hair is 70 microns thick in diameter, hence microns are very tiny units of measurement. Billion cubic microns per square inch, or BCM/in2, is the unit of measurement for cell volume.

Microscopic measurement and liquid volume measurement are two common anilox cell measurement techniques.

About Ink

"It is critical to recognise that anilox volume is the single most essential component in determining ink film thickness," the FTA says.

For the greatest outcomes in your specific sort of activities, printing with the thinnest ink film possible is frequently desirable, and this must be correlated with your anilox volume. Low anilox volumes transmit less ink to the image carrier, resulting in crisper images, while large anilox volumes provide higher solid ink density and greater colour.

It will be challenging to obtain optimal flexographic printing when printing with high anilox quantities. Wet ink films, on the other hand, are thin and easy to manipulate throughout the printing process. They help you create smaller dots, finer edges, and cleaner printing by reducing dot gain.

About Line Screens

The anilox volume and line screen interaction are two of the most significant elements to consider while printing. To meet the demands of their unique printing project, a printer must be able to acquire the proper combination of these two parameters for their anilox roll.

Print operators can use a banded anilox to test and determine the best set-up for delivering adequate colour strength while printing the thinnest ink film possible.

Printing operators may now employ higher line screen anilox rolls to make higher line screen images because of contemporary manufacturing of high-strength inks and tiny carrying capacity cells (such as using an anilox volume of 1.0 BCMs for a 1,000 anilox line screen).

Overall, having a basic grasp of line screen and anilox rolls is recommended in addition to knowing about anilox volume.

Note: When deciding on line count on an anilox, a good rule of thumb is to make sure the line count is at least 6 times the line screen in your image carrier design. However, because there is no "one size fits all" guideline, it is always better to consult with your anilox supplier to determine what is ideal for your print.

When Should You Replace Your Anilox?

The volume of anilox cells fluctuates over time due to variables such as dirt or anilox roll wear. It's critical to check the volume of your anilox regularly to check for wear and tear and ink clogging, which can influence performance.

Your anilox may simply need to be cleaned or resurfaced, resulting in poor print quality and other print flaws. A thorough cleaning can restore colour and cell volume if the cells are dusty or clogged.

However, if the damage is irreversible, it must be resurfaced or replaced to avoid poor printing quality.