How to choose a plate sleeve
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There are currently three digital photosensitive resin sleeves available for flexographic printing manufacturers, namely: seamless plate sleeves, plate sleeves and thin sleeves. In the face of three kinds of sleeves, what should the printing factory do? Here, we will focus on a comparative analysis of the characteristics and platemaking costs of these three types of sleeves.
1. Seamless plate sleeve
There are two types of seamless plate sleeves to choose from.
(1) Padded type: This sleeve does not require a plate material. Depending on the density, there are many types of liners that can be selected for different combinations of plates and substrates. This kind of sleeve is more suitable for the rendition of mesh lines with more than 100 lines/inch. It has a thickness range of 0.185 to 4.0 inches; a minimum repeat length of 10 inches and a maximum repeat length of 48 inches; a minimum width of 12 inches and a maximum width of 69 inches.
(2) Non-cushion type: The sleeve does not require a tacky material. Applicable to net drafts, field drafts and line drafts with screen lines below 100 lines/inch. Most background colors are suitable for use with such sleeves. The thickness ranges from 0.085 to 4.0 inches; the minimum repeat length is 10 inches, the maximum repeat length is 48 inches; the minimum width is 12 inches and the maximum width is 69 inches.
2. Plate sleeve
The plate sleeve technology is no longer a new technology. Many paper processors use this type of sleeve. It requires a base sleeve (with or without liner) on which a digital single-plate is pasted with a stencil tape before exposure and development. Since it is imaged on the drum, high registration accuracy is guaranteed. It can be combined with a seamless plate sleeve to optimize equipment performance.
The most common application forms for the plate sleeve are: 0.04 inch thick sleeve, 0.02 inch thick imprint material and 0.067 inch thick digital plate. The downside is that there is still a problem with the plate.
3. Thin sleeve technology
Thin sleeves are the latest technology in the current flexo sleeve technology market. The production process and features are the same as the seamless plate sleeve. Thin sleeves are available in two thicknesses: 0.085" and 0.125". Thin sleeves are relatively inexpensive, can be thrown away when used or damaged, and can greatly reduce the inventory of the sleeve.
Thin sleeves are a great choice for users with limited repeat lengths. Since this type of sleeve does not appear for a long time, it cannot be accurately evaluated.
Table 1 lists the cost comparisons for six-color jobs with an area of 1000 square inches (repetition length 20 inches, width 50 inches) using different platemaking methods, excluding equipment costs associated with plate loading. This cost is based on the US market, so for domestic users, it is for reference only.
Table 1 Comparison of plate making costs (US$)
Sleeve type Plate sleeve Jointless sleeve Sleeve combination
(2 sets of seamless sleeves
and 4 sets of sleeves)
First printing
Labor cost 75 0 50
Glue tape 120 0 80
Digital printing plate 1920 0 1280
Sleeve 1200 7200 3200
Prepress preparation costs 875 250 667
The total cost of the first printing 4190 7450 5277
Labor cost (unloading) 0 0 0
Plate loss (average 20%) 698 0 698
Second printing
Labor cost (installation) 0 0 0
Sticky tape 0 0 0
Digital printing plate 0 0 0
Sleeve 0 0 0
Prepress preparation costs 250 250 250
The second printing cost total 250 250 250
Two printing costs total 5138 7700 6225