Abstract
Doctor blade is one of the critical machine part of the gravure printing press that controls the amount of ink transfer on the substrate. The angle of the blade can be varied; however, an improper angle may cause major problems. In this study, the doctor blade angle was positioned at three different level to address its effect on the printed dot quality. Print trials were made on a web-fed gravure press at the speed of 650 ft./min. A high-resolution overhead camera was used to analyze the key dot attributes. The results showed that measuring only the density of printed dot –a traditional quality control method– is insufficient. Incorporating the camera was assisted capturing missing dots, as well as quantifying dot area, perimeter and circularity. Print trials showed that the image quality was undesirable, when the blade angle exceeded or fell behind the optimum position.
Recommended Citation
Altay, Bilge N.; Pekarovicova, Alexandra; and Fleming, Paul D.
(2017)
"Printed Dot Quality in Response to Doctor Blade Angle in Gravure Printing,"
The Hilltop Review: Vol. 10:
Iss.
1, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/hilltopreview/vol10/iss1/12
