Roll Up Your Sleeves

Easing into a routine

Converters must make a conscious effort to avoid sweeping roll cleaning practices under the rug—and suppliers offer several approaches to making roll cleaning as automatic as breathing.

"The most common mistake by far is that, regardless of method, anilox rolls are not cleaned frequently enough," observes Mueller, who adds that there is no easy frequency formula—the appropriate time frame can depend on inks used, line screen count, length of time in the press and other variables. Printers' best bet is to simply integrate anilox roll cleaning into their regular maintenance routine, she says.