The gravure cylinder is image carrying cylinder for the rotogravure printing process. There are many ways the image can be made on these cylinders, and one of the most efficient ways is engraving. There are two major types of engraving that are currently being used, which are laser and electronic engraving.
To carry out proper gravure cylinder engraving, you will need to get a few things right. In this article, we are going to look at things that will enable you to make the proper engraving. Check out the following tips:
Prepared Cylinders
A properly prepared gravure cylinder is the first thing that you need to get right. The preparation of the cylinder takes several steps. First, you need to clean it thoroughly to remove the ink from the previous printing. The second thing you need is to remove the chrome layers that had been applied after the previous engraving.
Then you will need to remove the previously engraved copper layer and put on a new one for the engraving. This is what the preparation of the gravure cylinder should be all about. Without going through these steps, you cannot have the right engraving.
Right Engraving Machines
The engraving machine is the next thing that you need to get right. The first thing that you need to get right about the machine is the size. Make sure that you have invested in the right machine, and this means the physical size as well as beam capacity.
The engraving should have the capacity to handle the various sizes of the cylinders you will be using for printing. The laser or electronic beam should be able to handle various engraving needs. So, there should be a large range.
The Image to Engrave
With the gravure cylinder and the engraving machine ready, you need now to check on the image to engrave. This is will partly have a thing to do with the machine. The machine should be able to convert a printed image into an electronic image using its computer. Before that, you should have an easy way of making the image.
Trained Operator
The last bit is the operator. No matter how good the things we have mentioned up there are, they may not be useful if you have a trained and experienced operator. This is an important factor to consider. If you are the one engraving, make sure that you have gotten the necessary training.