CI Type Flexo Printing Machine
Xianghuai Machinery: Your Trustworthy CI Type Flexo Printing Machine Supplier!
What is CI Type Flexo Printing Machine?
A CI (Central Impression) flexo printing machine is a type of flexo printing press that uses a flexible relief plate to print onto a substrate. The substrate can be a synthetic, wood-pulp based, or laminated material, such as Films such as nylon, OPP, PE, andpolyester, Papers, Carton board, Non-woven textilesm, Coated or un-coated liner board. And they are ideal for large jobs and flexible substrates. The substrate is fed around a single steel drum impression cylinder, the printing plates are mounted on a central cylinder and the film moves around it. CI flexo printing presses are more efficient than other types of presses because the pressure applied at each station is uniform and evenly distributed across the width of the substrate.
Features of CI Type Flexo Printing Machine
Accurate Printing
Our CI-type flexo printing machine is equipped with a servo motor on the printing platform to ensure precise printing color registration and positioning, so as to control the printing pattern to within one micron to achieve printing accuracy.
User Friendly
These flexo printing machines are equipped with a touch screen interface that provides clear on-screen control function modules, allowing operators to quickly set parameters such as ink color, print positioning and quantity to achieve fast printing.
Easy to Clean
They have a built-in quick cleaning function for the ink supply system, which can automatically clean the ink regularly to avoid ink clogging and contamination problems, and do not require frequent shutdown maintenance when used for repeated printing operations.
Good Compatibility
Suit for solvent-based or water-based inks, these CI flexo printing machines are suitable for a variety of food and non-food flexible packaging and are compatible with a variety of substrates, including film, paper and laminate substrates.
Main Types of Flexo Printing Machine
Flexo printing is popular for food packaging, beverage labels, and corrugated cardboard. There are three main press design types for flexographic printing:
●Central impression press
●In-line press
●Stack press
Central Impression (CI) Press
The setup of a CI flexo machine is sometimes compared to the planets’ path around the sun, as the stations are set up around the cylinder. This particular setup is ideal for large jobs as the machine is set up for increased capacity. The defining feature of the CI press is the impression cylinder, which is the central point of the press layout. As the name suggests, the substrate is fed around the single steel drum impression cylinder at the center.
This cylinder supports the substrate during the printing process, while the substrate in other presses is left unsupported in between printing units. The printing plates are located on both sides of the web and print in a mirror image of each other. The CI printing machine works on various substrates and is particularly useful for wide widths. A typical CI press is a six-color press. The press maintains a consistent level of pressure with low vibration, which in turn provides reliable prints over the course of a high-capacity run.
The main benefits of the CI press include:
●Support for a wide range of substrates due to the drum-type design
●Consistent results for high print quality
●Easy modification for lamination or other post-press processes
●Ability to print on both sides of the substrate simultaneously
In-line press
An in-line press is the most common flexo press in print houses handling commercial product packaging. It also handles a variety of substrates and involves six components. As the name suggests, this press has stations in a sequential line rather than a circular configuration. The lineup is handled along a horizontal line instead of vertically (more on that later). The in-line press can seamlessly handle a large run of prints. The substrate is pressed between the image carrier and the impression cylinder, with sufficient pressure to maintain ink distribution in a balanced manner.
The color variety available is an advantage of using the inline press. The average availability is eight colors, but a maximum of 20 can be used, depending on the setup.
Stack press
The stack press is set up with stations arranged vertically. Most stack-type flexographic printing presses average between six and eight decks. They can be set up to allow both sides of a substrate to be printed during the same trip through the stack-type flexo press. However, the stack flexo press is less effective for thinner substrates, as it fails to hold a high level of precision.
While the stack press is not as precise as some other types, it can be more efficient. The substrate can move from station to station quickly because the stations are arranged vertically. This type of flexo press is often used for printed materials that do not require a high level of precision, such as corrugated cardboard or chipboard. The main advantage of the stack press is its high efficiency for certain substrates. When working with thicker substrates, this type of flexo press is also very advantageous as it provides a quick way to move from station to station.
Benefits of CI Type Flexo Printing Machine
Flexographic printing is particularly suitable for this type of product, since there are some specific advantages of this processing method that are worth exploring.
Versatility
Flexographic printing can be used to print solid colors and patterns on a wide range of substrates, including materials that are porous, non-porous, flat, rough, absorbent and non-absorbent. In addition, if a C.I. configuration is used for the print setup, it allows for superior color-to-color registration on extensible substrates.
Performance
Flexographic printing is known for being a fast process. Once the initial setup is complete, the combination of quick-drying inks and automation result in very high performance. In addition, this method gives you the possibility to preset the amount of ink used in the printing process. Thanks to the doctor blade chamber, only the necessary amount of ink will be applied uniformly on the printing plate, minimizing ink consumption (as mentioned above), saving resources and reducing process costs.
Wide Variety of Inks
Speaking of versatility, flexography allows the use of numerous ink types for the printing process. They are also chosen according to the type of application and the processes that follow the printing (heat sealing, lamination, etc.). However, it is crucial to select the ink primarily on the basis of the final product you want to obtain. Available ink types are:
●Water-based
●Solvent-based
●UV-curable
Ink drying is another important factor in the printing process. Flexography makes it possible to use inks with a lower viscosity, allowing the printed images to dry more quickly. Last but not least, flexographic printing requires low ink consumption.
High Quality Image Reproduction
Despite the high speed of the flexographic printing process, over the past decade, the quality of the images that come off a flexo printing press have grown to match that of rotogravure printing. Past image problems, like the halo effect or dot bridging, have been replaced with images and text that are clear and detailed and colors that are bright and crisp.
This improvement in print quality is thanks to the newest developments in flexo printing technology. With finer anilox line screenings, improved inks, repro tools that can create sharp shadows and highlights, and better plate exposure and ink transfer, the images obtained are of the quality that consumers expect from a top of the range product.
Low Production Cost
Flexography printing has lower operating costs than other printing methods. This is due to the lower cost of materials (the ink is less expensive and the plates are cheap to replace), the durability of the plates (they last for millions of impressions), and the lower labor cost given by the fewer steps needed for the printing process. Furthermore, there are now technologies - like the ones you can find on the A.Celli IRIDIUM® line - that help reduce the waste of material that usually occurs whenever a setup change is made or whenever any necessary setting is not stable or set precisely.
Eco-sustainability
Since the printing industry is usually under scrutiny for its negative effects on the environment, flexography provides the needed tools to address this growing concern. In fact, this method reduces the reliance on platemaking solutions, solvents based inks and cleaning materials that contain Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). Given the fact that in many areas of the world solvent-based inks are being banned, the capability of obtaining high quality printing using water-based inks is an advantage that cannot be underestimated.
There are several benefits associated with using a central impression flexo printing press. A CI flexo printing press is more efficient than other types of presses. The pressure applied at each station is uniform and evenly distributed across the width of the substrate. This creates less waste as well as reduced set-up times compared to other types of presses.
Central impression presses are also more reliable than other printing press types because of their design and construction. Many CI presses feature automated components that allow for faster job turnarounds and higher-quality prints.
Each CI press has eight main components that operate in tandem for seamless prints:
(1)Infeed Guide
(2)Nip Roll
(3)Central impression roll
(4)Inter station dryer
(5)Fine Impression adjustment
(6)Metering roll
(7)Anilox Roll
(8)Plate cylinder
Each section plays a role in the production of the final product:
Infeed Guide: A roll of the substrate is fed into the printing press. Tension must be maintained in order to prevent slack and avoid any wrinkling, misregistration, or web breaks.
Nip Roll: Also referred to as guide rolls, nip rolls guide the substrate into the press and through the printing process. This is where fine-tuning occurs if needed.
Central Impression Roll: Used to support the substrate as it moves through a series of adjacent plate cylinders during the print process.
Interstation Dryers: These dryers are located between colors to ensure each layer of color has time to set before the next color is applied. For a standard six-color press, you would have five station dryers between each color station.
Fine Impression Adjustment: Oftentimes, fine adjustments to the nip pressure need to be made. While these adjustments affect the pressure being applied from the image carrier to the central impression roll, having too much pressure can damage your substrate.
Metering Roll: The metering roll is a device that delivers a precise amount of ink to the cells of the anilox roller.
Anilox Roll: The anilox roller contains microscopic cells carrying a thin ink layer from the inking system to the image carrier.
Plate Cylinder: CI flexo printing machines can utilize several different image carriers, including plate mount cylinders, engraved elastomer-covered rolls, and air-assist mandrels with engraved (ITR) sleeves.
Looking for a perfect match? Buying a flexo press is very different compared to deciding what you want for lunch. It is a big investment that will affect your company’s operation in the short, mid, and long term. Therefore, in here, we have laid out a few directions that you can consider when making a flexo press investment.
Know What Substrate You Want to Print on
You can start by understanding what substrate you would be printing on. Different substrates behave differently during printing. For instance, when applied with tension a film is more prone to stretch than paper. Print ink is easier to dry on paper than on film. Foil is more prone to tear than paper and film…etc. These different substrate characteristics will require different press designs. Not all presses work with all substrates. Even when you choose a substrate that you are going to print now. It is always a good idea to think in the mid and long term. To consider what other substrate you may target in the future and will your printing press be able to support you during the product line expansion. Some of the common substrates that you should consider are film, foil, tissue, non-woven materials, paper, and corrugated boards.
Operation
From an operational perspective, you should look into how skilled your current workforce is. Is it easy to find skilled printing operators? Is it expensive to find more help? Is it easy to train a person? These factors will affect the amount of automation that you will need in your press. Also from a facility standpoint, how much space do you have to fit the flexo press? This may limit the number of color decks that you can have and the drying tunnel capacity that you are able to consider. You should identify whether your printing press will run in line with other machines on the production line. This will affect how you decide on the required maximum press speed needed.
Functionality
It is recommended that you don’t just go for the bare minimum when it comes to functionality. Once again, think five years down the road about how much potential capacity you might need. Just like a car, a flexo printing press can come with many additional features such as web cleaner, auto wash, auto viscosity control, auto registration and impression setup, corona system…etc. These add-ons can make your operation smoother and more efficient.
Quality
From a machine perspective, quality is about how stable and durable your printing press is. Try to go for a well-known and reputable flexo printing press manufacturer to ensure better quality. Furthermore, you should consider not just the press quality but the service quality as well. Will the manufacturer be able to support you at the beginning to get you started? Will the manufacturer be able to provide training for your workers if needed? How mature is the supply chain of the manufacturer? How fast are you able to obtain spare parts? Are remote diagnosis and connection available? Having a good quality press and a good quality service will really make a difference in your operational efficiency.
Cost
Many times, cost is the most important factor for many investments. Big flexo press manufacturing brands make you pay extra for their brand names. If you are a finically robust company with lots of extra cash, then this might not be a problem. However, if you are an SME with relatively less cash, a reputable mid-size flexo press manufacturer may be a more economical choice for you. You can reduce your equipment’s function to save cost but do not sacrifice quality for cost. If you sacrifice quality for cost, in the long term the machine downtime and fixing cost may outweigh your initial press investment cost.
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Frequently Asked Questions of CI Type Flexo Printing Machine
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