CARTON PRINTING
Although installing the printing dies in this position restricts how close to the leading edge of the carton you can register the print, it is one of the only ways to ensure a good imprint on every carton. Since the fastest drying non- porous inks will dry in approximately 2 seconds at 75 Degree F. ambient temperature, the ink will also dry on the die face within 2 seconds after it is applied by the transfer roll. If the dies have not contacted the carton surface before then, no imprint will be transferred to the carton.
If the cycle rate of the production line is very fast and the ambient temperature is relatively low, the printing dies could be positioned rotationally downstream of the transfer roll so they print much closer to the leading edge of the carton. When the coder completes one printing cycle, a portion of the die or all of the die may have already passed the transfer roll and picked up ink in preparation for printing the next carton. The machine can remain idle like this for only a second or so before the next carton must contact the print drum or the ink will dry on the die face and not be transferred to the carton.
If your production cycle rate is not fast enough but you still need to print close to the leading edge of the carton, the only alternative is to use a slower drying
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