METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE QUANTITY OF PRINTING INK AVAILABLE FOR TRANSFER FROM AN ANILOX ROLLER, RECONDITIONING OF USED ANILOX ROLLERS, AND RECONDITIONED ANILOX ROLLER STRUCTURE

摘要

To maintain required or desired ink transfer capability of an anilox roller (6)after wear and tear caused, for example, upon engagement of the surface of the roller againsta doctor blade (7a, 7b) of a chambered inking unit (7), the ink receptor depressions or cells(14,514) in the surface of the roller are formed with a depth which is substantially greaterthan that necessary for the volumetric dimension for required or desired retention of inksuitable for transfer upon printing with a predetermined print density. Before application ofprinting ink thereto, the cells are filled with a removable filler material (20), for examplecopper, plastics such as polyethylene, epoxy, wax or the like. After the surface of the stripsor ridges or cell walls becomes worn, a portion of the filler material is removed, for exampleby vaporization, by a laser, etching or the like, to reconstitute the original volume for inkretention. The change in print density upon printing, as the surface wears, is abrupt (Fig. 4:tB) and, when that change is determined, the volume-reconstituting step is carried out. Ifthe surface of the roller itself is a layer which is readily machinable, for example made ofcopper, the initial depth of the cells (14,514) may be for the initial requirement of inkretention. The layer thickness is then originally made thick enough so that, upon sensing ofthe abrupt change in print density, for example based on time or on printing results, thedepth of the cells still present in the roller can be increased, e.g. by a laser, to obtain andreconstitute the volumetric dimension for desired ink retention.