What Are The Different Types Of Flexographic Printing Presses?

Flexographic printing presses (flexographic presses) can be divided into many types according to different classification standards, and their design features and application scenarios are different. The following are common classifications and descriptions:
I. Classification by the arrangement of printing units
1. Stacked flexographic press (Stack Type)
Structural features: Printing units (plate cylinders, impression cylinders, etc.) are arranged in a vertical or horizontal stacking manner, usually sharing a frame, and the units are synchronized through gear transmission.
Advantages: Compact structure, small footprint, low cost, suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises or simple printing needs.
Disadvantages: Relatively low overprint accuracy (especially for multi-color printing), and it is cumbersome to change the plate and adjust the process.
Application scenarios: Commonly used for single-color or two-color printing, such as cartons, paper bags, simple packaging materials, etc.
2. Satellite flexographic press (Central Impression, CI Type)
Structural features: All printing units are arranged around a large central impression cylinder (CI cylinder), and the substrate is passed through the central cylinder at one time to complete multi-color printing.
Advantages: extremely high overprint accuracy (error can be controlled within ±0.1mm), suitable for high-demand multi-color continuous printing; uniform printing pressure and good color consistency.
Disadvantages: large equipment size, high cost, complex plate changing and cleaning.
Application scenarios: high-end packaging fields (such as food packaging bags, pharmaceutical packaging, plastic films, etc.), label printing, exquisite color printing, etc.
3. Unit Type Flexographic Printing Machine
Structural features: each printing unit is independently set (including plate cylinder, impression cylinder, inking system, etc.), connected by conveyor belt or guide roller, and the number of units can be flexibly configured (such as 2 colors, 4 colors, 6 colors, etc.).
Advantages: high flexibility, printing units can be increased or decreased according to demand; suitable for switching of diversified products, convenient replacement of printing plates and adjustment of processes.
Disadvantages: overprint accuracy is slightly lower than that of satellite type (relying on high-precision transmission system), and occupies a large area.
Application scenarios: label printing, flexible packaging, paper product printing (such as paper cups, paper bowls), plastic films, etc., especially suitable for small and medium batches and multi-variety production.
2. Classification by degree of automation
1. Manual/semi-automatic flexographic printing machine
Features: Manually complete operations such as feeding, plate adjustment, and registration, and some links (such as inking and printing) are automatically operated.
Application scenarios: small printing plants, laboratory proofing, small batch customized production (such as personalized labels, handmade product packaging).
2. Fully automatic flexographic printing machine
Features: integrated automatic feeding, automatic registration (such as photoelectric detection, servo motor control), automatic cleaning, online quality inspection (such as visual inspection system), automatic winding and other functions, with high production efficiency.
Application scenarios: large-scale industrial production, such as food and beverage packaging, daily chemical product packaging, express bags, etc.
3. Classification by applicable substrate type
1. Paper flexographic printing machine
Applicable materials: corrugated paper, cardboard, coated paper, kraft paper, etc.
Application scenarios: carton printing (such as logistics boxes, home appliance packaging boxes), paper product decoration printing.
2. Plastic film flexographic printing machine
Applicable materials: PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PET (polyester) and other films, composite film materials.
Application scenarios: food packaging bags (such as potato chip bags, frozen food packaging), daily necessities soft packaging, agricultural mulch, etc.
3. Metal foil flexographic printing machine
Applicable materials: aluminum foil, aluminized film, etc.
Application scenarios: tobacco packaging (such as cigarette box lining), pharmaceutical packaging (such as aluminum foil tablet packaging), high-end food moisture-proof packaging.
4. Special substrate flexographic printing machine
Applicable materials: non-woven fabrics, textiles, composite materials (such as paper-plastic composite, aluminum-plastic composite), etc.
Application scenarios: environmentally friendly bags, clothing labels, industrial composite materials products.
IV. Classification by printing format and width
1. Narrow width flexographic printing machine
Width: usually less than 500mm, commonly 200-400mm.
Application scenarios: label printing (such as self-adhesive labels, daily chemical product labels), small packaging (such as condiment bags).
2. Wide-width flexographic printing machine
Width: greater than 500mm, up to 2000mm or more.
Application scenarios: large packaging materials (such as container lining bags, industrial tarpaulins), carton printing linkage lines (online with die-cutting and box gluing processes).
V. Classification by whether it has online processing function
1. Single printing type flexographic printing machine
Features: only complete the printing process, and subsequent processing (such as die-cutting, slitting, laminating) needs to be processed offline.
Application scenarios: simple printing needs, or combined with other equipment into a production line.
2. Online processing type flexographic printing machine
Features: integrated printing, die-cutting, slitting, laminating, hot stamping, punching and other functions into one, forming an integrated production line of "printing + post-processing".
Advantages: reduce manual turnover, improve efficiency, suitable for products with high precision and complex processes (such as special-shaped labels, three-dimensional packaging bags).
Application scenarios: high-end packaging, customized labels, pharmaceutical packaging (strict hygiene standards required), etc.
Summary: How to choose the type of flexographic printing machine?
Precision requirements: high overprint accuracy (such as multi-color gradient, fine pattern) → satellite type or fully automatic unit type.
Production scale: large batch of single product → satellite type or wide-width fully automatic model; small batch of multiple varieties → stacked type or narrow-width unit type.
Substrate type: select the corresponding model according to the material characteristics (such as thickness, ductility) to avoid material stretching or wear.
Process requirements: online post-processing (such as die-cutting, lamination) is required → select a unit type with a multi-functional module.