The gravure printing cylinder manufacturing process is an intricate process that requires very accurate data input to make an ideal product. The failure in just a single unit could greatly affect the product’s quality, which means substandard output. How does the process work, and what do you need? Well, in this guide. We have provided some of the crucial things you need to consider for a perfect gravure printing cylinder manufacturing process. Check out the following steps:

Design

The first step in the gravure printing cylinder manufacturing process is the design of the product. Depending on the kind of printing you want to do, you need to have a design of the cylinder that will meet these needs. The design takes everything about the gravure cylinder, including the length and the diameter. These are very crucial elements to look out for. The other thing that you need to consider is the weight of the cylinder. For proper gravure printing, you must get the recommended weight of the cylinder.

Base Material

Once you have the design complete and all the factors are taken into consideration, you can start with the materials. The base material should be the first and most crucial thing to consider. This material forms the largest part of the gravure cylinder. It also determines the overall weight of the machine. There are not many materials used, but steel and aluminium are currently the most popular. However, there has been an emergence of plastic in the manufacturing of gravure printing cylinders. The choice of the base material is determined by the kind of engraving you want to do.

Copper Layer

The coating material is placed on the base later to five the gravure printing cylinder a finer and fine appeal. The layer is also crucial because it holds other coatings that will be needed for etching. There are many materials used for layers, but copper is the most recommended for engraving purposes. But you need to get the right quality and size based on the cylinder specifications. The copper layer is usually 1 mm thick for standard cylinders.

Chromium Layer

Once you have completed the copper coating, you need to apply one more coating to protect the copper layer. A thin layer of chromium is highly recommended to keep the cylinder in perfect condition. This layer should be about 6 to 8 μm for standard cylinders.