TruPoint™ doctor blades by Flexo Concepts™ received a strong endorsement from worldwide leader in adhesive technologies, Henkel, for use with its specialty coatings. TruPoint™ blades are the company’s number one recommendation to customers using special coating formulas to decorate their packages.
Founded in 1876, German-based Henkel is a global producer of top brands across the laundry and home care, cosmetics and adhesive technologies industries. The company is the leading supplier of UV coatings to the package printing market along with a full range of overprint finishing and coating products used to enhance consumer product packaging.
Dennis Drummond, Senior Key Account Manager and John Bervoets, Business Development Manager for Henkel, promote the use of TruPoint™ doctor blades in a wide variety of coating applications in the package printing market.“TruPoint™ is our number one recommendation to customers looking to apply not only standard gloss and matte finishes but also special coating effects to their packaging.” Henkel insists converters use TruPoint™ blades with its raised, textured, MBoss, glitter and pearlescent coatings.
Mr. Drummond and Mr. Bervoets maintain that TruPoint™ products are superior to other doctor blades in terms of their ability to effectively meter the anilox coating roller and deliver exceptional results. “TruPoint™ blades are able to effectively wipe and contain high viscosity coatings with no spitting or slinging.” UV chemistries, common in specialty coating applications, have a viscosity of 5-7 times that of water and solvent-based formulas. This thicker consistency applies excessive pressure to the metering blade, often resulting in hydroplaning or “spitting” and contamination of the finished piece. Coatings like Henkel’s MiraFoil® is a heavier viscosity than most coating technologies but can be applied in an extremely thin layer with TruPoint™ blades to optimize coating consumption and minimize waste. According to Drummond, “The TruPoint™ blades do a remarkable job of wiping the cylinder and containing the MiraFoil® at high press speeds. Other blade technologies allow the coatings to push under the blades at high speeds.”
Finishes such as glitter, metallics and pearlescents contain larger particulates, and a customized blade solution is often necessary to meter these chemistries and control the volume of coating applied to the blanket. TruPoint™ blades can be engineered to a full range of size and profile combinations to meet the precise needs of the printer. In addition to standard coatings, the TruPoint™ blade’s thickness and tip can be modified to improve its metering performance with the higher viscosity and large particulate formulas. Drummond and Bervoets appreciate that Flexo Concepts™ can customize its blades for any situation: “We have always been impressed with the company’s ability to deliver the correct solution with the proper blade composition and thickness for all special applications.”
Drummond and Bervoets continued, “Compared to other blades on the market, the TruPoint™ blades not only perform better, but also last longer and are easier to install.” The blades are compatible with all coating types and resistant to aggressive chemistries. Other benefits include safety to the anilox roller and a lower risk of injury to the operator handling the blade. TruPoint™ blades are suitable for work and turn, complex spot and high-end coating applications. To learn more about the TruPoint™ doctor blades please visit www.flexoconcepts.com or email [email protected].
About Flexo Concepts™
Headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Flexo Concepts™ manufactures TruPoint™ doctor blades and MicroClean™ dry media anilox cleaning systems. All products are designed to improve print quality and reduce operational costs for flexographic and offset printers. Flexo Concepts™ maintains distribution locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. For more information about the company and its products visit www.flexoconcepts.com.
