Process Integration
Printing press units configured to apply functional or decorative fluid formulations in a single continuous machine run eliminate off-line converting stages. Surface treatment during sheet-fed offset or flexographic printing constitutes an inline coater pass, transferring aqueous overprint varnishes or barrier coatings directly to printed paperboard. Applying liquid coatings immediately after ink impression units protects wet ink films from scuffing during delivery stacking.
Single-pass processing reduces turn-around times and avoids extra material handling costs.
Coating Application
Dedicated coating stations feature anilox rollers and chambered doctor blade systems that meter fluid film thickness onto a rubber blanket cylinder. Executing an inline coater pass with water-based acrylic varnishes requires immediate warm air blowing and short-wave infrared radiation to drive off liquid before sheets reach the delivery pile. Precision engraved cells on the anilox roll deliver precise wet film volumes, typically between four and ten cubic centimetres per square metre.
Uniform coating transfer relies on matching board surface tension with liquid varnish viscosity to prevent orange peel texture or pinholing.
Drying Efficiency
Extended press delivery sections allow sufficient dwell time for water evaporation before sheet stacking. Incomplete drying during an inline coater pass causes blocking, where adjacent sheets stick together inside printed piles.
