60° engraving
The 60 degrees hexagonal pattern has been until recent years the most common engraving in Anilox rollers. The reasons behind its standardization had been its performance advantages over previous cell patterns namely, 45 and 30 degrees engravings.
The 60 degrees hexagonal pattern allows for more cells to be compacted in an area and provides the most efficient distribution of volume. There is less wasted space (less land area) if compared to diamond shape patterns (traditional 45 deg. engraving).
This is the reason, the most uniform distribution of ink of why the 60 degrees hexagonal engraving became the norm in flexo printing.
Things have moved on since then and todays advanced laser technology has enable Anilox suppliers to develop new engravings that have surpassed the performance advantages of the conventional 60 degrees hexagonal pattern. Engravings such as the MaxFlo and MaxFlo+ offer better transfer efficiency and an improved ink laydown than 60 degrees.
30° Engraving
30° conventional engraving is used for laying down viscous ink and coatings in a controlled manner.
However this pattern is rarely used and has been superseded by MaxFlo+ and EasyFlo HD as these engravings offer greater versatility and transfer efficiency.
45° Engraving
TRIHELICAL engraving
This screen is engraved as a continuous line around the roller at various angles from 30 to 60°. Its open structure allows for excellent ink release when using viscose solutions at high volumes, used widely in glue and lacquer applications.