Gravure Printing Press

Overview

A gravure printing press lays down ink from an engraved metal cylinder rather than a raised plate. Each color's image is etched as millions of tiny recessed cells into the surface of a copper-plated, chrome-finished cylinder; the depth and size of those cells set how much ink each spot transfers, which is why gravure renders smooth tones and runs long, consistent jobs in flexible packaging, decor, and publication work. The web threads through the Unwind Unit under closed-loop tension, runs across one Print Station per color, dries between each, and collects on the Rewind Unit.

Because cylinders are expensive to engrave, gravure earns its place on very long runs where the per-impression cost falls below offset or flexo. A modern press is shaftless: every station carries its own servo and electronically locks to a master reference in the Main Drive System, so colors stay in register without a mechanical line shaft.

How it works

At each Print Station the engraved Gravure Cylinder turns through the ink in its pan, picking up ink in every cell and on the land between them. The Doctor Blade Assembly then wipes the land clean so ink survives only inside the cells, and the rubber Impression Roller presses the web hard onto the cylinder so the ink lifts out of the cells onto the film. An ink circulation pump keeps the ink moving and at viscosity.

Solvent or water flashes off in the Inter-Station Dryer between stations so the next color prints onto a dry surface. As the film heats, cools, and stretches it changes length slightly, so the Register Control reads printed marks with line-scan cameras and trims each station's servo to keep every color aligned. Tension is held constant from unwind to rewind by load cells feeding the drives, and the whole sequence is coordinated by the Control System through the operator touchscreen.