It's the Little Things That Count

The evaluation and approach turned out to be accurate. By incorporating the Soft Blade into its process, this W/S Packaging facility has realized a $350,000 cost savings during the last three years.

Clear Lam Packaging, Elk Grove Village, Ill.

MDC began working with Clear Lam Packaging to resolve its scoring issues in 2006. When Daetwyler initially went into the Clear Lam plant, the presses were developing score lines on three to five rollers per month. Because Clear Lam was printing high-end graphics with high anilox line screens and low volumes, the company was printing with thin ink films to achieve optimized graphics. The process to troubleshoot and diagnose the proper solution began by altering many of the variables, along with Clear Lam’s respective suppliers. MDC and Clear Lam investigated anilox rolls, end seals, and doctor blades as either individual or as a combination of factors that were magnifying the vulnerability of the anilox roll scoring. Upon initial consulting with Clear Lam’s pressroom technician, MDC found that the company’s presses were in great shape. All decks were within the OEM specifications and the washing systems worked correctly. At this point it became evident that the doctor blade was a much more crucial element in the process, so Daetwyler set out to develop a solution. Over time, MDC has performed numerous doctor blade tests within the flexo printing market. It discovered that while magnets and filters are necessary for keeping the inking system clean and free of debris, this variable alone will not prevent excessive blade wear and contamination from the steel. MDC’s answer to the problem was its Soft Steel doctor blade.