Is calibration of the printheads beneficial?

The Short answer is YES!

Flexographic printing today is a precise and very standardised printing median, after a year of running production, the mechanical adjustments of a printhead will almost certainly have moved by just a few microns, this can have a negative impact on the overall print quality and performance of the machine. The sleeve mandrel, anilox and impression roller all need to be aligned with the chill roller in the print unit. The tolerance between these components should always be within 0,02 mm of alignment of one another. When this tolerance is not maintained, the head must be realigned and calibrated to bring the print head back into its point of optimum performance.

Why is calibration beneficial?

Calibration does not only bring better print performance, it also reduces the amount of time and material required to set the head to its “print perfect” position. As previously mentioned, the sleeve mandrel and anilox roller must be properly aligned to the chill roller, if this is not set to the optimum position, them is alignment of the print will result in:

Register issues between colours
Print pressure deviation from operator side to drive side
Enhance the effect of bouncing during production
Decreases the effectiveness of job memory
Increases the dynamic changeover time

How do I know if I need to calibrate my print head?

If the pressure settings on the print unit touchscreen display on operator side and drive side have a deviation of more than 0.12 mm(EFA& EXL-P) or on EFS, more 4 mechanical clicks

Or if you experience one or more of the issues mentioned above, calibration of the print head(s) should be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity to reduce the possibility of more wear or damage to component parts within the print unit.

MPS advises that calibration of the print heads should take place on an annual basis to ensure optimal print quality and perfect register performance (production demands placed upon the press will influence this timing, please speak to our service department if you would like further information with regard to recommended intervention intervals.

How we can help

We will check that the mechanical alignment of the print head is within the alignment tolerance envelope and adjust if necessary. After mechanical alignment, a software calibration is performed to ensure that the servo motors and drives are zeroed to the new settings created by the realignment procedure, this can only be performed by a certified MPS engineer.

Did you know?

If you are one of the many MPS customers around the world that has taken advantage of investing in one of our service agreements, you will already be aware that a yearly calibration is included in your service agreement with MPS. If you have not yet taken advantage of one of our service agreements, please contact your local representative or the MPS service department to discuss the service options we have on offer.