THE DATA FRONT

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sleeves
composite sleeve, this is a separate
piece, but in a ribbed sleeve the cladding
is integrated with the ribs. The ceramic is
applied directly to the cladding.
The best way to understand the
differences between a composite and
a ribbed sleeve is to understand how
each supports the expansion foam. The
composite sleeve can be compared to
a concrete floor that fully supports the
foam. The ribbed sleeve is like a floor
supported by joists – the ribs support
the foam, which limits the amount of
foam doing the work of compressing
and expanding. The ribbed sleeve
has advantages in lighter weight and
integrated end rings, but it also has
drawbacks: fluid can find a home in
the space between the ribs, and when
mishandled, the ribs can bend like
an accordion. On the other hand, the
composite sleeve supports the foam
better, but it also requires separate
end rings to protect the foam from the
printing environment. When properly
handled, both types of sleeves will
perform to the needs of the printer.
Sleeve handling
The differences in a sleeve’s construction
introduce handling issues different from
conventional anilox rollers. In most cases
sleeves can be hand-carried, which is
convenient but offers a greater chance
that the ceramic surface can be bumped
and sustain damage.
Think of this in terms of carrying a oneor
two-meter plank of wood through your
house: The section of plank behind you
crashes into walls and furniture more
often than the part that you can see in
front of you. The same is true with an
anilox sleeve. The ends can be chipped
very easily simply while loading and
unloading a sleeve from the storage
rack or press mandrel. The best solution
to these bumps and chips is to make
the pressroom damage-proof. Walk
out into the pressroom and watch the
staff as they handle the sleeves. Note
everything that may come in contact
with the sleeves, including hand rails,
storage post stops, floor set-down areas,
press cross frames, staging areas, wash
sink edges, etc., and put foam padding
on these areas. This simple measure
can cost less than going out to dinner,
but it will save thousands in anilox
reconditioning costs.
Sleeves are vulnerable to damage
even after they are mounted on the
mandrels. Check carefully for any item
that may rub on the rotating sleeves.
We receive sleeves that have 3 to 5 mm
of the length removed from one end or
from both ends as a result of chafing on
sling guards, evaporative covers, ink drip
pans, ink chambers, long doctor blades
and other items. Sleeves are primarily
made of aluminum and almost everything
else around them is harder, so look
for anything that can come in contact
with your sleeves. And always use a
ladder or lift when loading or unloading
sleeves, so they move perpendicularly
to the mandrel. Pushing or pulling them
overhead causes damage.
Cleanliness saves sleeves
Because the anilox sleeve is completely
dependent on the press mandrel for its
rotation, the cleanliness of the mandrel
is a significant factor in the sleeve’s
TIR. Ink sticks to ink, and when given
the opportunity to accumulate on the
mandrels and in the sleeve bores, ink will
glue a sleeve to its mandrel. In addition
to the serious TIR problems this can
cause, dirty mandrels also increase the
likelihood of damage to the foam layer
and to the structural integrity of the
sleeve itself, because when a sleeve is
stuck, we all know that the pressman is
inclined to jiggle and rattle the sleeve in a
manner similar to shaking coconuts out
of a tree. In addition to real damage, dirty
mandrels and bores simply cause costly
nuisances like delays in loading and
unloading. In other words, keep press
mandrels and sleeve bores clean!
It’s easy to remove ink from the sleeve
bore by making a bore cleaner that
looks like a canon ramrod or chimney
sweep device. Air duct brushes are
available in different diameters, or round
Ran without end ring and end rubbing
End wear with delamination of layers
Advantages of anilox sleeves
• Lower freight costs and lighter weight
• Easier and safer to handle and are
reprocessable
• Reduce setup times for the printer: the
process of changing out sleeves takes
a fraction of the time it typically takes to
change out conventional anilox rolls
• Tooling costs are reduced because you
do not need a separate set of gears and
bearings for each anilox
• Storage systems can be manufactured from
lighter weight materials because they have
to support less weight
may 2009 | L&L