Corrugated carton printing water-based ink points and failure analysis (below)

Use points and common faults

Water-based inks are mainly used for the printing of paper, cardboard, and other absorbent materials, with corrugated boxes accounting for most of the time.

1. The use of water-based ink

(1) Confirm the color of the ink before use. And confirm the ink color.

(2) According to the design conditions of the printing plate and the determined printing speed, determine the viscosity of the ink on the machine.

(3) When the viscosity of the ink is high, dilute with water or a special diluent, but you must control the proportion of diluent added. If the viscosity is too low, it is best to use the original ink to adjust.

(4) In the printing process, it is necessary to always pay attention to changes in viscosity, detect viscosity, and make records.

(5) When there are more bubbles in use, add a small amount of defoamer (usually less than 0.2%), and prevent shrinkage.

(6) At the end of printing, the relevant machinery and equipment should be cleaned as soon as possible.

(7) After the unused ink has been put back into the barrel, it must be stored in a cool place. When using it again, it is best to filter it with a filter of 80 mesh or more.

(8) Do not mix and use different manufacturers' inks to avoid ink gelation and printing failures.

2. Printing common faults and solutions

Many failures in printing are often caused by inaccurate ink usage and misoperation of the machine. Common failures and solutions in the use of water-based inks are shown in Table 1. Water-based inks have been fully used in the flexo printing of corrugated cartons with the advantages of low pollution and low cost. Moreover, with the development of water-based inks with low viscosity and high concentration, corrugated box printing has gradually realized a shift from field printing to halftone printing. This has not only improved the color density and fidelity of print patterns, but also achieved the basic level of offset printing. , But also increased the carton factory production and work efficiency.

(author/Xie Jiayi Hanghua Ink Chemical Co., Ltd.)

"Printing Technology" corrugated box special issue 2005, 7