F1

F1: printability tester for flexo inks. Can also be used for gravure prints.

The F1 is universal flexo tester for use with solvent based inks, UV inks and water inks on a range of substrates. The F1 is available with facilities for printing on corrugated board and for gravure printing. lso available as the F1-UV with integrated UV dryer.
•High reproducibility
•Simple to operate
•Consistent results

Worldwide the best printability tester for solvent based, UV curing and water based flexo inks.

Includes gravure mode!

NEW: Now pre-inking of the anilox roller for even better results!

Makes colour strips with flexo or gravure inks which can be used for many purposes.
Specially designed for computerized colour measuring and colour matching systems.
Saves costs because colour matching tests on the printing presses are no longer necessary.

APPLICATIONS
The F1 printability tester produces colour strips suitable for many purposes, such as:
•Measuring colour with colour measuring systems or spectrophotometers.
•Use in colour matching systems, visual appraisal, density measurements, including establishing colour and density tolerances and determination of coverage, wear resistance, scratch resistance, flexibility, adhesion and gloss, ink transfer, light fastness and resistance to chemicals
• Testing print quality.

The F1 tester prints all sorts of coated and uncoated materials:
paper, board, plastic film, cellophane, laminate, labels, textiles etc.

The F1 tester is used in the following industries:
•printing ink, paper and board, printing
•plastics, packaging and labelling
•resins, lacquers and coatings
•raw materials

PROPERTIES
The principal properties of the F1 are:
•Simple to operate and easily movable; very reliable and of sturdy construction for intensive use over a long period; easy and quick to clean
•Extensive processing possibilities for various substrates and inks; substrate, ink, engraved roller (available in many sorts) and printing form simple and quick to change
•Makes a two anilox revolution print
•Can ink the photopolymer up to twenty times before making the print
•Excellent reproducibility, high degree of simulation of actual practice Electronic printing force and speed control

OPERATION
The F1 tester consists of a combination of inking section with engraved anilox roller and doctor blade and a printing section with printing form (photopolymer) and an impression cylinder. The substrate is attached to a carrier and placed on the substrate guide, between the printing form and the impression cylinder. When the F1 is activated, the anilox disc and the substrate come into contact with the printing form and the doctor blade contacts the anilox.

With the aid of a pipette, a few drops of ink are applied to the nip between the doctor blade and the anilox. During the print the ink is wiped off and transferred from the anilox disc to the printing form and from the printing form to the substrate. Doctor blade, anilox disc and impression cylinder are then lifted automatically. In the multiple revolution mode the substrate is brought in contact with the printing form after the preset number of revolutions are made.

The substrate is removed for appraisal. The anilox disc, doctor blade and printing form are cleaned. In flexography the printing quality depends very much upon the printing speed, which is therefore adjustable from 0.2 to 1.5 m/s.

A two revolution print is made because this fills the engraved disc as well as possible with ink. The second part of the print is most suitable for evaluation. Between impression cylinder and printing form there is about 4 mm space, so that thick materials, like corrugated board, also can be printed.

The force between the anilox and the printing form and between the printing form and the substrate can be set independently between 10 and 500 N.
In case of the gravure mode the print is made on the substrate which is mounted directly on printing form cylinder.