II.
EXO
An"lax
Tanl}Etnt to End
of Doc
CONTACT, ANGLE, WEAR, AND RAT
MWUREMENT ANALYSIS
'LEXO BLADE ANALYSIS
DOCTOR BLADE TERMINOLOGY
ILEXO CONTACT ANGLE DEIINITION
lOR ILEXO INICERS
Web -travelsup side of
ce ntral
impression
flexo press
SHIMS
Shims are needed where the inker
clamp bar was designed for stee l
blades, but thicker plastic or composite
blades are being used.
Shims let you clamp the thicke r
blade without distortion or squeezing it
out of the holder.
Shim thickness sho uld at least eq ual
blade thickness.
FILLERS
Webdown
side
of C.I.
press
Fillers are needed when the clamp
bar, (or the inker itself), was made with
an undercut or slot to accept thick
plastic blades . When using a thin
co mposite or stee l blade, say .0 10"
thick, in an .0 90 " slot, a filler is
needed. The inker must be initially set
slightly closer to the anilox than it
wo uld with a thicker blade.
A filler on the underside of the
blade sho uld be used only when it is
necessary to use a thick containment
blade with a thin doc tor blade, or if
moving the inker a little closer to the
anilox (to use two thin blades) in not
practical.
T
i
The contact angle of the
doctor blade and the anilox
cylinder is described here. The
following microscope ph otos
show the contact angle of the
samples sent for anaylsis.
MICROSCOPE PICTURE LOCATIONS
BACKUP BLADES
In Ilexo, a stee l back-up blade
gives spring support to plastic doctor
blade.
"PES
I
Composite:
0.011" - 0.040"
Metal:
0.004" - 0.012"
Plastic: 0.050" - 0.125"
* Use wherever possible to reduceparticle trapping,
anilox scoring, andto save money. Make 1/8" longer
than doctorif inkerpermits.
Caution : Installation or removal of doctor, co ntainment,
fillers, shims or back-up blades represent a cut hazard since
hands ma y co me in co ntact with sharp edges. Use of cutresistant gloves is recommended. Follow all plant safety
rules for handling and disposal of blades.
SIGNIFICANCE OF FLEXO DOCTOR BlADE
CONTACT ANGLE
b d
\ I p h-I/ d\
P!' -lip <ide
0/
ce ntrsl
IIII PI P"; OIl /! P\ O p iP "
Less than 30 = Not OK*
Fluid dy nam ic effects un der a large, flat blade footp rint
can result in anilox surface ink . .. a "shiny" anilox .
*usually
CONTACT ANGLES ALONG A WORN BLADE PROVIDE IMPORTANT INIORMATION
ABOUT INKER ALIGNMENfI BLADE STABILI~ AND INKER SErrlNG.
CONTACT
ANGLE=X
=X
=Y
=Z
DOCTOR BLADE
.?
MICROSCOPE PIcrURE ANALYSIS - SAMPLE 1
Company Name ~
"@
T~Jt Qg6
SMnph!---=9_
Dare
oth ,.ldentifiIH 123 Bfa
Side Two
Contact Angle
is .26 D
Sample
Center
Contact Anyle
it JI.Or'
Sample
Side One
Contact Angl
is Jl,f2 0
5 mple
ALLISON SYSTEMS GETS THE EDGE,
MICROSCOPE PlcrURE ANALYSIS - SAMPLE t
Company Nam
Date
Test
Other
X97
2, J
Pi
Samp
12
entifier R'" Bt~3
LeftSide
Contact
1$
8.6e.
Contact Angle
is t5.()O
alf~
~/ffaf"
Right SIde
Contact Angle
0
. 9.0
,
fS
GETS THE QUALIfY, AND DOCUMENTS IT.
FORCE
Ex cessive \\ '(\11 on the cioctot IJ/,)(/c usu,Jlly tn c.in s th.it tnn mu ch
The It) II() \vin,~ picture. illustt.in : the \\'(\J( on ,1 ctoctot IJI,1c!c':
Sid
t!)ICC
is being dpplicc! to thc bl.ulc,
The contact angle of the doctor black: and the
anik:: cylinc!el is closcribocl bolow. The microscope
photos ale examples of sample blados that we have
analvLcc! tor contact an~/('s.
Tf1C' chert bclov contains sample wear calculations:
Wear Celculeiions
Origin I
Sample
Original Width
Leftside
Center Side
Right Side
2.7555
2.7480
0.0075
2.7500
0.0055
2.7500
0.0055
2.7610
2.7525
0.0085
2.7555
0.0055
2.7570
0.0040
Wear
Doctor Blld
2
Wear
All measurem ents are in inches
Rig
S ~d
Inal Bev
The tip of the
blade that actually
contacts the cylinder
is referred to as the
flat of the blade. The
picture at left
illustrates the flat.
Sample flat measurements are shown in the table
below:
Flat Measurements
Sample
Left Side
Center Side
Right Side
0.0021
0.0032
0.0025
0.0030
0.0022
0.0029
All measurem ents are in inches
Systems Corporation
LEADING THE WAY IN DOCTOR BLADE INNOVATION SINCE 1968.
220 Adams Street, Riverside, NJ 08075
Tel: 856-461-9111 Fax: 856-461-9373 Toll Free: 877-461-9111
Website: www.allisonblades.com
