 Gravure history

 What is gravure printing?

 Printing process/How does it work?
 Cylinder structure
 Gravure cylinder preparation
 Cylinder construction/design
 Doctor blade
 Impression roller
 Typical press type
 Advantages and disadvantages
 Applications
 Gravure printing is a very old process started in China
in 100 AD.
 For the next 1400 year’s gravure progressed very
slowly
 In the 16th century chemical etching was invented
 In 1875 gravure was able to duplicate the
photographic films
 In 1880, the first laboratory rotogravure press was
tested in England
 Electronic engraving started in the late 1960's
 In 1981 the industry started engraving directly from
digital data
 Process mainly used for the high-speed
production of large print runs
 The gravure process prints millions of
magazines each week
 A large number of mail order catalogues are
printed in gravure
 Gravure is used for a vast range of packaging on
all types of materials in order to offer superb
printed results
 It is a very simple printing process and can
produce millions of perfect copies at enormous
speed.
 Gravure is the quality printing process producing
fantastic and constant reproductions
throughout the print run.
 It produces superb colours and good gloss on
relatively low quality paper
 Today's rotogravure presses for publication
gravure run at 15 m per second and more, with
paper reel widths of up to 4.32 m.
 Surely the only way to produce consistent
quality for the mass publication market.
 The image to be printed is formed by
cells
 Gravure applies the ink in controlled
doses from different sizes of cell
 Image carrier (cylinder) is flooded
with liquid inks.
 Ink fills the recessed image cells
 The excess ink is scraped away by a
doctor blade
 Substrate is then pressed against the
image-carrier’s surface.
 Under impression the ink in the
recessed areas is transferred to the
substrate.
 Gravure transfers ink from
small cells that are
engraved into the surface
of the cylinder. The cylinder
rotates through a fountain
of ink. The ink is wiped
from the surface by a
doctor blade. The cup-like
shape of each cell holds the
ink in place as the cylinder
turns past the doctor blade.
 Thin layer method
 Ballard skin method
 Thick layer method
There are four basic means of engraving
the image into a gravure cylinder:
1) Diffusion-Etch Process
2) Direct-Transfer Process
3) Electromechanical Engraving.
4) Laser-Cutting Process.
Diffusion-Etch Process
A special mask is prepared
 Exposure through a special gravure screen
 Exposure through a film positive of the
printing image
The mask is applied to a copper gravure
cylinder
Developed on the cylinder
 Thick in the non-image areas
 Thin in image areas
Diffusion-Etch Process
 The cylinder is placed in an
acid bath.
 The acid penetrates through
the thin areas of the mask and
eats or etches away the
copper.
 Electroplating: A thin layer of
chrome is applied over the
entire cylinder.
 The purpose of the chrome is
to extend the life of the
surface areas.
Direct Transfer
 Light-sensitive coating is
sprayed over the cylinder
surface and dried.
 The mask is exposed by
directing light through a
halftone positive as it moves
past the cylinder.
 Then the cylinder is
developed and etched with
single-strength acid bath.
 The cylinder is chrome plated
to add strength.
Electromechanical
 A clean copper cylinder is mounted in a special
engraving machine.
 The original copy is read by a beam of light.
 The information from the light is stored in a
computer and is then translated into the motion
of a cutter head.
 This method uses a unique computer controlled
machine which uses a diamond tipped stylus,
and is called the Helio-klischograph.
Electromechanical
 A special diamond stylus actually cuts into the
surface of the copper as the cylinder rotates.
 After cutting, the cylinder is chrome plated and
is then ready for the press.
 It produces variable size, variable depth gravure
cells.
 There are 22,500 cells/sq. in. in a cylinder made
with a 150lpi/in. screen.
Electromechanical
Advantages:
 The cost of cylinder making is less due to a
higher output and lower labor costs.
 Predictable and consistent cylinder engraving
Laser Cutting
 A series of small holes or wells is chemically
etched over the entire surface of a clean
copper cylinder.
 The wells are then filled with a plastic
material until the cylinder again has a
smooth, uniform surface.
 Like the electromechanical
method, the original copy
is scanned by a beam of
light. This process uses the
narrow beam of a laser to
remove parts of the plastic
from individual wells rather
than a diamond tool to cut
away metal.
 The cylinder can be
sprayed with a special
electrolyte and plated with
chrome.
 The quality of the final gravure image
depends on the construction of the cylinder
 The majority of cylinder bases are made of
steel.
 Hot-finished and cold-drawn steel tubing are
excellent base materials.
Steel
 relatively close tolerances
 good surface finish
 generally free of material defects
 minimal deflection tendencies
 requires only a moderate amount of
machining & balancing
 easily plated
 available in choice of wall thickness
Aluminum
Aluminum cylinder bases are used less
frequently for packaging and product
printing.
Nickel sleeves and synthetic sleeves
 The lighter weight reduces shipping cost and
makes cylinder handling easy.
 But they are subjected to more deflections.
Parts of Cylinder
 Axis
 Shaft
 Diameter
 Circumference
 Face length
Integral shaft
 The shaft is permanently mounted in the
cylinder
 The cylinder is first formed and then the shaft
is either pressed or shrunk in place
 The shaft is permanently attached by welding
and is not removed during the life of the
cylinder
Mandrel or sleeve or cone cylinder
 Designed to have a removable shaft
 Most holes are tapered so that the shaft can
be pressed in place and then easily removed
 Integral shaft cylinders are more expensive
than mandrel cylinders - produce higher
quality images
 The device that removes the
excess ink
 leaving ink only in the cells.
 The doctor blade is normally
made of thin spring steel.
 Mounted in a rigid mechanism
 The wear on a gravure printing
cylinder is caused by doctor
blade wiping action.
 Most doctor blades oscillate
 0.006 inch and 0.007 inch thick
 Doctor Blade Wiping
 Positive Angle doctor blade
 Reverse Angle doctor blade
Doctor Blade Holder
Types
Setting the Doctor Blade
Setting the Doctor Blade
 Doctor Blade Loading
 Mechanical
 Gravity
 Spring
 Pneumatic
 Hydraulic
 Impression roller is a friction
driven rubber covered metal
cylinder.
 Obtain proper ink transfer.
 Maintain the web tension.
 Propel the web through the
press.
 Rotation of the impression roller
is not uniform.
 The inability to transfer ink from
every engraved cell to the web.
 Impression roller with ESA system
 Electrostatic assist system
 ESA charges imp. Roller & Gr. cylinder
 The ink lifts electro-statically from the
cylinder to the substrate
 Roller covered with conductive material.
Typical design
Types of ESA system
 Publication presses
 Packaging presses
 Sheet-fed gravure presses
 Very high-quality
 Very consistent
 Relatively low waste
 Fast drying liquid inks
 Variable repeat length
 High production speed
 Cost of Image carrier is higher
 Lengthy cylinder making
 Higher cost for short run
 Legibility of text and line image
 Poor quality on rough surface
 Magazines and catalogues
 Flexible packaging
 Shrink sleeves
 Labels
 Folding box cartons and cigarette packets
 Postage stamps.
 Decorative paper for furniture, wrapping
paper, flooring and wallpaper.
Enough
is
Enough