One of the major issues facing gravure printing today is the reduction of job replacement time for presses. One of the key steps is to reduce the weight of the gravure cylinder. The bulky gravure cylinders caused great inconvenience to the logistic management service work, resulting in high storage and transportation costs.
In addition, bulky gravure cylinders increase the time, labor, and expense involved in the replacement of jobs.
Current cost-effective registration drums are available. However, such gravure cylinders cannot be separated from new auxiliary equipments, so that light-weight and easy-to-handle sleeve cylinders become common production tools instead of novelty devices, otherwise it will be difficult to make continuous progress.
The new drum is not a copper-plated or chrome-plated engraving drum, but a rotating image carrier with specific work functions. The lightweight sleeve type roller can play a role, but it is not enough to change the competitive strength of the gravure printer. There are many things that need to be done.
Gravure printers, roller engraving and processing centers, printer manufacturers, and users of gravure and paper products should intensify their cooperation to seek new gravure equipment and gravure cylinders that are lighter and more efficient. (Lee) ("China Packaging News and Print Weekly")