Flexo Concepts launches ‘green’ anilox circulation cleaner

Flexo Concepts has launched its ReNew Green anilox circulation system and general pressroom cleaner. The cleaner is designed to improve anilox performance and simplify anilox and general surface cleaning for flexographic and sheetfed offset printers.

Available in both concentrate and ready-to-use formulas, ReNew Green is said to effectively remove water-based inks and coatings. The cleaner is biodegradable, solvent-free and contains no VOCs. A buffering solution is added for safety and performance, ‘enabling it to outperform caustic cleaners yet remain safe to handle and non-corrosive to metal surfaces’, claims the company.

ReNew Green concentrate is designed for use in the anilox circulation system to enhance the effectiveness of the auto-flush cycle without interrupting press uptime or increasing labor costs. For flexographic printers, adding Green to the flush cycle daily as part of the press wash-up routine will prevent ink and coating build-up in anilox roll cells and all parts of the anilox system. Maintaining clean anilox rolls will ensure consistent color and coating results while reducing the frequency of deep cleanings.

The company anticipates a positive reception to the product by sheetfed offset printers which are typically using only warm water to flush coating out of anilox cells. By adding the cleaner to a flush cycle that is already being run, they can boost the effectiveness of the cycle and improve coating consistency without adding labor costs. The 64oz bottle was created with this industry in mind and is compatible with the size of the circulation tanks for easy measuring.

The ReNew Green ready-to-use formula is designed as an all-purpose product to simplify general pressroom cleaning. Available in a spray bottle, this formula requires no dilution and is recommended for quick, easy on-press cleaning of anilox rolls and other pressroom surfaces such as side rails and ink trays.

‘We have had good feedback from a group of printers who tested Green in a variety of applications,’ reported Dave Burgess, vice president of sales and marketing. ‘The cleaner outperformed its competitors in the corrugated, sheetfed offset, and tag and label markets. Customers are seeing better results from their anilox systems without having to shut down presses for cleaning.’ Trial users also cited the biodegradable and VOC-free features as key benefits over other cleaners in the market, says Burgess. ‘We wanted to bring a product to market that would meet the needs of printers looking for an effective, easy-to-use and non-caustic cleaner for their anilox systems. Based on this initial feedback, we are confident that we have found the solution in ReNew Green.’

The second product to be released under Flexo Concepts' new ReNew line of cleaning products, ReNew Green joins ReNew Orange and MicroClean in the company's line of anilox cleaning options. ReNew Orange was introduced last year as an eco-friendly manual cleaner for spot and weekly on-press anilox cleaning. The company's off-press deep cleaning system, MicroClean, is an economical and eco-friendly method for deep cleaning anilox rolls. The automated system uses a recyclable plastic media and operates without water or chemicals. The MicroClean Anilox Roll Cleaning Service is available through the company's Plymouth, Massachusetts headquarters for printers who prefer not to make the capital investment.

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