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INK MANAGEMENT SKEW and properly maintain them. These are
This is probably the most important quality This is an area that always needs attention. critical tools that are necessary for you
check that we can perform as we manage Whether you have a 15-year-old Flexo or to print clearly, in register and produce a
our plants. Color sells boxes and color sells a new design Flexo completely enclosed, corrugated box that will make you proud!
the products that we are shipping in our box squareness is still a requirement.
boxes. Many plants do not have the proper Many of our customers use automatic case
understanding of color or ink management. erectors and need quality boxes that are
If we ship an order to a customer and the consistently square.
colors that we are printing are not the
same, the order will be returned. Many of We have to be sure that the boxes are
our presses are printing three to five colors manufactured “square” with the same
on every sheet. Especially orders for the dimensions all the time. If the feed rolls in
display business. the feed section are un-evenly worn, the
box can and will travel through the press
The beer business is a good example. As out of square and will soon be returned
there are so many specialty beers that are by your customers. We all now how costly
being sold today, the corrugated box does that is!
the selling on the shelf and convinces the
customer to make that purchase. However, In modern presses, the operators may not Be sure that your crews are given proper
the color on the box must match the color see the problem until it is too late or not ink with the management tools for
on the label on the beer bottle!! see it at all. maintaining pH and alkaline properties.
Make sure that the correct detergent is
used in cleaning your plates (stereos or
clichés) after the order is completed. Be
careful to properly change the chemistry of
the residual ink left on the plates (stereos
or clichés) so that they can be cleaned
without changing the chemistry of the
photopolymer plate material. This can be
an expensive mistake.
Make sure they are mounted properly with
secure straps (NON-METAL CLIPS).

Depending on where the printing occurs
on the sheet, you can produce a large
number of boxes with poor printing due
With all of the on-line shopping that occurs Please, be sure to have an aggressive to improperly mounted printing plates
today, the printing on that brown box must preventative maintenance program so (stereos or clichés). Your operators may
be consistent and the same all the time. that you can track the condition and not see the poor printing due to the
Amazon, for example, is the company that performance of the wear items in our machine covers until too many boxes have
enjoys a great shipping business. They Flexos and Rotary Die Cutters, regardless been made. These boxes will then be sent
offer Amazon and Amazon Prime. Amazon of their age. The wheels in the lead edge directly to the Hogger!
charges for shipping and they use “Black feeders, for example, need constant
Printing”. Amazon Prime does not charge attention. The front row of wheels always Be sure that the correct offsets are used in
for shipping and they use “Black and Blue wear out first. Rotate them between the setting your impression rolls nips. Those
Printing”. It is a means of identifying the first and fourth rows to be sure the sheets requirements have not changed with the
type of service they offer their customers. are completely and uniformly fed into the introduction of the new designed covers
feed roll nips. I will discuss this further in on the print stations. Properly set nip
My point is that printing and color future articles. points will not only extend the life of your
management will always be important printing plates (stereos or clichés) but it
and a necessary part of our corrugated PRINTING PLATES will enable you to ship a better box to your
business. Please stay on top of your inventory of customer.
your printing plates (stereos or clichés)

The Corrugator | January - June 2020 17