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Flash Poll Reveals Flexographic Printers’ Thoughts on Tape, Sleeves and Mounting Materials

Basic, yet essential—in flexographic print circles, the two regularly meet.

Think ink and substrate, anilox roll and doctor blade, and, of course, mounting tape/sleeve and printing plate. Disconnects between two such critical components impact on print quality, force press stoppages, compromise efficiency, cost money and get jobs rejected.

Printers familiar with that drill do everything possible to keep any parts of it from transpiring. That much is obvious. A recent FLEXO Magazine Flash Poll makes it clear. The survey, conducted in support of FORUM 2023’s Great Tape Debate session, speaks to the experience of selecting the correct mounting material for each job, applying it properly, changing it as necessary and monitoring the influence of other variables—press speed, substrate, complex graphics, on-press pressure settings—on its performance.

Conducted throughout Q4 2022, it drew some 100 responses to each of the 10 questions asked. Participation level equated to a full 23 percent of FTA’s printer member roster. And, where queries allowed an opportunity to step beyond the multiple-choice answers, printers polled got very specific in listing out what happens at their plant and why.

When it comes to mounting material selection: Are best practices followed? Does a single option reign supreme? Are specific protocols followed? Is everything left to the operator’s choice? Does chance enter into things?

Poll findings contain the answers to those and other questions. Keep in mind that in many instances multiple responses are appropriate and were tabulated. Printer comments and complaints point to the opportunity for management to capitalize on education and training, optimization, standardization, process control and continuous improvement. Findings identify where the need exists.

Simple Stats

Tape or Sleeve?

Do you use tapes or sleeves?

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Revelations start out concisely. Eighty-two percent of printers say they utilize plate mounting tape, and 20 percent rely on both tape and sleeves. No respondent points to exclusive utilization of plate sleeves.

Cushions in Toolkit

How many different tape cushions do you keep in your toolkit?

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Almost 30 percent of the audience keeps three backing tape choices in inventory. Similarly, better than 25 percent elects to have four options and 23+ percent is fine with two. Seventeen percent keeps more than five tape cushions on hand, while 5 percent is left with a singular choice.

Soft, Medium, Hard?

What durometer tapes are stocked?

[infogram id=”march-2023-tape-chart-3-1hzj4o378zeq34p” prefix=”aIa”]

Tapes inventoried—more often than not—have different durometer. Just under 30 percent of printers say the plant stocks soft, medium-soft, medium, medium-hard and hard durometer tapes. Most commonly applied, among the sample, is medium at 54 percent. It is followed by medium-soft at 43 percent; soft, 37 percent; hard, 32 percent and medium-hard at 31 percent.

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