Apex upgrades GTT anilox technology

GTT 2.0’s new engraving ensures up to 50 percent reduction in cell wall surface area across the anilox at the same time decreasing the required channel depth by an average of 25 percent. In addition to the fine tuning of the GTT wave technology, Apex has added additional volume options, making the benefits of GTT available to those who historically could not get the correct color on press, giving printers the flexibility they need to use GTT 2.0 for all print requirements.

Nick Harvey, technical director at Apex said: ‘The industry is evolving rapidly and historic thoughts of different suppliers providing conventional anilox engravings that transfer more ink form the same Anilox LPI / cm3/m2 or BCM is now being understood as simply volume variations.’

He continued: ‘To qualify this from the printer’s side, volume measurement system are more accurate and accessible than ever before which are demonstrating a notable variation on requested volume to supplied volume from supplier to supplier and anilox to anilox. GTT 2.0 is the most consistent engraving on the market today with its digital imaged pattern engraved with a constant laser beam.'

As an anilox wears, micron by micron, GTT engravings exhibit much greater levels of print consistency and color density compared to conventional anilox engravings, largely due to the 50 percent reduction in wall surface area.

'Put simply, all cell based anilox rolls are customized then made to order. The positive is that virtually unlimited options of LPI / volume are available for conventional engravings. The negative is that almost every roll is a new engraving making consistency of spec to spec extremely difficult resulting in anilox to anilox delta E color consistency variations. However, with the GTT 2.0 engraving, true standardization with improved flexibility becomes a reality,' Harvey said.