Blade Trade-offs

For carbon steel blades, corrosion is a major durability foe, especially in conjunction with water-based inks, says Clark. Leon Beaudoin, president of FlexoExport, Trumbull, CT, adds corroded steel can cause a damaging sawtooth effect on the anilox roll, while plastic's edge stays cleaner, actually slowing down its wear. He projects that steel blades last about a day in continuous use, while plastics such as nylon last longer, though the latter can be damaged just as easily as steel. Any nick in the blade will cause ink beading, he says.