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

Times Tape Is Reused

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Exactly how many times? Of those offering the answer, 48 percent says twice, 36 percent specifies three; 8 percent states five to seven times; 4 percent alludes to five to 10 times and 4 percent favors 15-20 uses.

Other options getting mention include: “each plate change,” “when gear marks appear” and “press operator determines tape lifecycle.”

Welcome Change

How often is tape changed?

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Logical follow-up to that question becomes, “How often do you change your tape?” FTA printer members offer response. “After every pressrun,” is the choice of just under 60 percent. Twenty-four percent prefers “as problems occur,” and 16 percent, “at makeready.”

Competitive Advantages

Tape’s Top Traits

What are tapes’ advantages over sleeves?

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Are tapes better than sleeves? Or, conversely, are sleeves superior to tape? Answers are subjective. Printers did not hesitate to comply with the request and discuss mounting tape’s advantages over sleeves, as well as the disadvantages of mounting tapes compared to reusable plate sleeves.

Advantage No. 1—“consistent print results”—29 percent of votes tally that way. Next, at nearly 17 percent is every option listed—tighter registration, faster press speeds, minimize photopolymer plate wear, relieve pressure, control vibration and mitigate bounce. Of the choices, mitigate bounce is most prevalent at just under 17 percent. Tighter registration, at just under 16 percent, follows with plate wear at better than 13 percent next, then pressure relief at 12 percent and press speed at 10 percent. Vibration control is an attraction for just 9 percent.

Printers point to other positives of tape use over sleeve. Specifically, “less occurrence of plate lift,” “no time-consuming cleaning,” “helps with chatter and bounce,” “optional durometer” and “process simplification.”

Sleeves’ Saves

What are sleeves’ advantages over tapes?

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Turning the tables on one question with the next, printers indicate sleeves have certain advantages over tapes. Forty-three percent of poll participants say plate lift is minimized with a sleeve option. Twenty-five percent of the sample audience believes air entrapment can be avoided with use of print sleeves as compared to mounting tapes.

Similarly, gear marks, dot gain, slurrying and haloing are less frequent with sleeves, according to a matching 13 percent of respondents. Nine percent says the same holds true for pinholing and ink transfer, while 8 percent claims banding incidences are reduced as well.

Survey findings indicate the major deterrent of sleeve use is—What else?—Cost!

Editor’s Note: Add your voice to the conversation! Attend FTA’s FORUM 2023. Be sure not to miss “The Great Tape Debate,” on Sunday, April 16. Participate in the live polls. Listen to explanations of the results. Gather expert advice on how to optimize the performance of mounting materials in your plant.

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