Apex’ Smart Anilox solutions enable innovation at Labelexpo

Apex, will be exhibiting at Labelexpo 2017, stand B20, Hall 11, and will act as a knowledge centre for label printers looking for solutions to challenges.

With further announcements and more details scheduled in the run up to Labelexpo 2017, Apex have already made two main announcements for the forthcoming show:

Reinventing Anilox to solve UV ink spitting

UV LED technology is promising to bring many advantages to flexo printers. The UV LED lamps provide stable UV output at low energy consumption, generating low heat emissions, thus allowing for instant curing even on heat-sensitive and thin substrates. UV inks are known to cause problems such as ink spitting, due to their (much) higher viscosity. By reinventing the very concept of Anilox ink-to-plate transfer, Apex is providing a unique solution to prevent this problem from occurring.

Apex uses a constant beam laser to create its patented GTT Open Slalom Ink Channel Anilox geometry that allows the ink to flow uniformly and calmly onto the plate. This not only prevents pin-holing, mottling, haloing or dot gain to occur in print, but also makes GTT one of the only guaranteed Anilox solutions against ink spitting.

Smart Anilox results in more Connectivity

The Internet of Things is triggering the next industrial revolution by connecting machines, software and systems, and Apex is making sure to explore the opportunities this trend of automation and data exchange can provide to flexo printers. By developing Smart Aniloxes, rolls will be able to automatically share status information with intelligent systems. This will allow operators to have better control over cleaning cycles and more control over when to perform maintenance. Smart Aniloxes will thus enable further improvement of process control, up time and productivity.