Intact Demounting of Flexographic Plates

Your workplace expectations are constantly increasing: shorter print runs, faster turnaround requirements and increased product differentiation are driving change in printing today. Printers are constantly balancing customer print quality expectations with high labor turnover rates and cost constraints. Process optimization is essential in order to remain competitive and drive your business forward.

When a press run is finished, the print plate and tape need to be removed, or demounted, so the cylinder or sleeve can be used for the next job. High adhesion and aggressive plate removal can cause rips, kinks or tears, rendering the plate unusable for future jobs. Tape removal can also be a burden depending on the size of your job and the strength of the tape. Damaged plates and high adhesion forces are not only costly to the operation, they also increase the time getting product to shelf because the plate must be reimaged before running again.

This is where science and innovation can help improve the printing craft. The flexo community is a group of passionate, dedicated workers who proudly identify with their trade. 3M is honored to partner with such a highly skilled group of people.

Through this partnership, 3M has listened to customer challenges and developed innovative solutions. 3M™ Cushion-Mount™ L-series and Pro-series mounting tapes feature specially formulated adhesives. Both are optimized for strong hold to prevent edge lift, yet flexographic plates are up to 78% easier to remove* while the Pro-series tapes also reduce the required tape removal force up to 54%**. These innovations help protect your most valuable asset – your operators. They can also reduce costs incurred by plate damage, while clean removal reduces the time spent removing adhesive residue from the plate.

Our flexographic plate mounting tapes help reduce plate waste, save time and make your operations:
 

• Optimal: Easy plate demounting minimizes damage for longer plate life and lower replacement costs
• Consistent: Repeated use of the same plates promotes consistent print results
• Productive: Reducing the time required for demounting means workers can focus on other activities

In addition to our long experience creating tapes to meet specific demands, 3M has application engineers with flexo experience in locations around the world. Our team is excited to partner with your team to bring science and craft together to solve printing challenges, increase productivity and deliver high-quality print results on time, every time.

*Compared to 3M™ Cushion-Mount™ Plus H-Series Plate Mounting Tapes
**Compared to 3M™ Cushion-Mount™ Plus H-Series, E-Series, & L-Series Plate Mounting Tapes