They say it takes a village to raise a child. Similarly, it takes the collective company to avoid wasting resources.

This is especially and unfortunately true with the anilox roll and wasted ink. In order to improve or eliminate the amount of ink wasted through reduced volume in an anilox roll, it is necessary for many hands to be in sync controlling numerous variables that directly affect ink density. By reaching this level of control, however, there will be a reduction of associated expenses, an increase in revenue, and improved consistency in print.

So how can your business actually confront and drastically lower wasted ink levels? If that is a question you would like the answer to, this is the place for you. To find the answer, we’ll begin with an introduction to the concepts and deal with some of the issues that stifle volume efficiency. We will also discuss how people are involved in the process and go over some recent developments in the industry that can assist you in your goals. Now that you know where we’re headed, let’s begin with some details about the process.

If you’ve been in the industry for longer than a few days, you likely already know that the anilox roll is called the heart of the flexo process. Because of that very delicate and important position, the anilox roll requires the cooperation of many moving parts to function properly. Beginning from upper-level management, and flowing all the way down to press helpers, there must be cohesion regarding the methods behind anilox care and preventative maintenance to ensure that all those parts work together. It is critical that every actively-engaged member of the team is educated so that each one thoroughly and uniformly understands the processes and equipment involved.

The anilox roll is a finely-tuned piece of equipment with thousands of cells designed for carrying ink to the plate and ultimately the substrate. When those cells become plugged to any degree, there is less ink being transferred. In other words, waste occurs when ink builds up in the cells and lowers their ability to take on a maximum load of ink. Think of it this way: a new roll arrives in perfect condition and is immediately put on press, hard at work creating revenue. Over time, tiny amounts of ink get left behind as the roll works its magic. What occurs eventually is a loss in volume as those cells hold on to leftover ink. Without intervention, this is guaranteed to cause a loss in efficiency and, ultimately, a loss on the bottom line.