CHARLOTTE, NC—Teachers and students at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC have been sharing the positive effects on their flexographic projects after the arrival of a Melanie DUO Anilox Cleaning system from Alphasonics USA.
The donation of the equipment comes after a chance meeting between students and the company’s vice president, following a presentation on ultrasonic anilox cleaning systems at FTA’s INFOFLEX 2017 exhibition.
Chris Jones shares more: “I completed a small presentation at the INFOFLEX Solutions Theatre in Phoenix, AZ last year and ended up in a really positive Q&A session afterward. Following this, two very enthusiastic CPCC students came to our booth and were keen to learn even more. I was really impressed by their knowledge, eagerness, and drive for the industry and for the projects they were completing. Both myself and Alphasonics are extremely passionate about nurturing and encouraging young talent in this industry and I wanted to contribute to their development by giving them the very best in cleaning technology. It all went from there. We’ve ended up with a great relationship with Central Piedmont Community College and we’re looking at what we do next to help and assist these bright young minds in their development.”
Upon donation of the equipment, Chris also completed an informal session on the importance of anilox cleaning and how the right equipment, coupled with a cleaning regime, will ensure the very best production quality. The aim of of the session was to gear the students for the world of work and to ensure they embark on their careers with best practices firmly in mind.
Zachery Blackburn, lead instructor on CPCC’s graphic arts course, notes that the system has brought a whole new dimension to the campus’ equipment and the students who use it.
“It’s been a great opportunity for students, firstly, because it’s just so easy to use. One of the things I think is exciting is that we have old aniloxes that haven’t been thoroughly cleaned or resurfaced for years and have been maintained by novices, so the buildup on the rolls is considerable. What’s really cool about the Alphasonics machine is you see it cleaning as it’s happening… years and years of contamination coming out of the roll and within minutes, they come back to life. When it’s done, it looks and prints like it’s just out of the box, which means much more predictable color and much better results. Students being able to see what a clean anilox looks like puts them on the right path for their careers and creates a cleaner culture.”
Students themselves have even written messages to the company thanking it for the donation and to show the positive usage of the system. Alphasonics plans to continue education on the importance of anilox cleaning through demonstrations and educational presentations throughout the academic year.
“Our relationship with CPCC will only serve to benefit the future of this industry and we’re only too happy to contribute,” Chris continued. “The students I’ve met are a credit to the college and to our industry, so I feel we are duty bound to give them a helping hand. If the next wave of flexographic professionals is learning the right way to work and learning the importance of quality cleaning equipment, then I’ll do whatever I can to bring that through, both now and in the future.”
CPCC staff and students are now gearing toward their new semester which includes their upcoming design and print projects and also their participation in next year’s Phoenix Challenge.
Alphasonics will be exhibiting its full range of pressroom cleaning products with advanced ultrasonic technology at this year’s Labelexpo Americas in Chicago. The company can be found at booth 3010.