FLEXOGRAPHIC PRINT CYLINDERS | ELASTOMER COVERED CYLINDERS
When it comes to flexographic printing, there are multiple materials, technologies, and methods to choose from to ensure a high-quality print. Take, for example:
- Elastomer sleeves
- Photopolymer plates
- Patented Load-N-Lok technology
- Elastomer covered cylinders
Which flexo printing method is right for you? Here’s a bit more about elastomer covered cylinders.
What Is an Elastomer Covered Cylinder?
Unlike other conventional printing methods, elastomer image carrier products:
- Eliminate unnecessary waste & promote sustainable printing practices
- Decrease setup time
- Reduce cost
- Improve print quality
Depending on the type of print or any customer-specific needs, different varieties of elastomer covered cylinders may be necessary. Printing cylinder manufacturers should be able to provide:
- Coating/flood coat cylinders (& sleeves)
- Pressure cylinders
- Backup cylinders
- Ink pickup and transfer cylinders
- Hot and cold stamp cylinders
- Tinting cylinders
Elastomer Covered Cylinders | Flexo Printing Applications
Much like elastomer sleeves or photopolymer plates, elastomer covered cylinders work on a variety of substrates, for a variety of applications.
- Flexible packaging
- Labels
- Pressure-sensitive materials
- Embossing
- Hot-melt adhesives
- School / office
- Tissue / non-woven
- Gift wrap / ribbons
- Shrink products
- Medical & pharmaceutical
- Corrugated
Luminite’s Elastomer Print Cylinder Blend
At Luminite, we like to do things in-house, because frankly, outsourcing can cost our partners unnecessary time and money. That’s why we offer in-house roll building/covering for elastomer products.
We also stock 31 standard elastomer materials that are designed with ink compatibility in mind for your print. And if we don’t have the material you need, we offer special, non-standard elastomer materials.
When it comes to our elastomer cylinders, we mean business, which is why our cylinders feature:
- A finish diameter standard tolerance of +.002″/-.000″
- A durometer range from 30 Shore A to 75 Shore D (+/- 5 points)
Flexographic Printing Cylinder Considerations:
At Luminite, we’re able to produce seamless, in-the-round (ITR) flexographic cylinders that are laser-engraved to meet your specific needs.
To provide optimum print quality, all integral shafts and cylinders to be engraved at Luminite must be received in balance. Out-of-balance cylinders must be balanced to Quality Grade G 2.5 at 2500 RPM prior to processing.
Our capabilities include:
| Overall Lengths | |||
| Minimum | Maximum | Max Engraving Width | |
| Luminite Processed Cylinders | 1.000” | 124.000” | 112.000” |
| Customer Covered Cylinders* | 1.000” | 145.000” | 128.000” |
* If grinding is required, maximum length is 124.000”
| Diameters | |||
| Minimum | Maximum | Repeat | |
| Standard Engraving | 1.900” | 19.685” | 6.000” – 61.842” |
| High Resolution 5080 DPI | 1.900” | 17.000” | 53.407” |
| Non-Engraved | 0.000” | 24.800” | 0.000” – 77.911” |
| Standard TIR | To 0.0005” | ||
| Maximum Weight | |
| Engraved Cylinders | 1,600 lbs. |
| Non-Engraved Cylinders | 2,500 lbs. |
Explore Flexographic Printing Resources
4 Ways Direct Laser Engraving Aids Flexo Printing Quality & Efficiency
Direct laser engraving (DLE) elastomer sleeves help printers obtain the ever-important high-quality print while also decreasing waste, cost, and setup time.
Elastomer Blend Sleeves Eliminate Plate Issues In Flexo Printing
Looking to stop the excess costs from issues like plate lift, mounting problems, or ink incompatibility when printing? Well, elastomer sleeves are just for you.
Care and Maintenance of Flexo Print Sleeves, Cylinders, and Plates
Repeated use on the press, cleaning, and exposure to volatile chemicals will eventually weaken and damage your flexo sleeves. Learn more about essential care and maintenance!
Your One-Stop Shop for Flexographic Printing Image Carriers
Whether your job is big or small, there’s a way to incorporate elastomer flexo printing solutions into your press room. To learn more about Luminite’s elastomer image carriers, shoot us a question or check out our FAQ page!
Ready to Explore Elastomer Printing Solutions?
Know what you need? Let’s get started.
