Ani-Check

The Ani-Check Anilox Volumetric inspection device makes it fast and easy to check your anilox cell volumes.

Sometimes spelled without the hyphen – AniCheck

Ani-Check is what every printer has dreamed of since the day that the anilox was invented.  This is a simple, affordable, quick, consistent device to measure the theoretical carrying capacity of engraved anilox.

To begin with, pure math was applied to calculate the volume of a sphere, pyramid or truncated pyramid.  This calculation was easy when the mechanical tooling was new and defined an accurate geometric shape.

The problem with early mechanical chrome anilox was that the cells plug with ink faster because the surface wore down rapidly.  The worn surfaces require replacement of the engraved surface.

With the development of the modern ceramic coated laser engraved anilox, the loss of volume due to wear is seldom the issue.  The loss of cell volume is most likely due to contamination of the coating and plugging of the actual cell.

Modern Microscopes for Anilox

Modern microscopes have enabled experienced operators to use basic math to calculate the volume of an individual cell.  However, because this is very dependent on the skill of the operator it is often inaccurate. In addition, one tiny cell can hardly be taken as an indication of the general plugging and loss of volume across and around the whole anilox.

What about 3d Interferometry Systems?

This led to the development of the 3d interferometry systems.  These systems provide a readout of the anilox volume from a larger area of cells and also may provide a 3D image of the area.  This is very nice but it comes at a hefty price.  It also requires considerable operator skill and experience to use and interpret the data.  3d interferometry systems also require regular re calibration. Because these 3d interferometry systems are fragile, they are also very susceptible to damage from vibration and generally can only be used off press.  The Ani-Check system does not have any of these issues.

Why Ani-Check?

Because Ani-Check is a rugged affordable device which is easy to use to provide fast accurate measurements of your anilox cell volumes people use them on-press and off-press.  This improves print quality, reduces waste and reduces downtime.

For many of the above reasons the Ani-check system was developed and provides exactly what the printers dream started with so long ago:

1. A simple to operate system that can be used by all personnel regardless of experience.

2. An affordable unit that is a fraction of the price of a interferometry system.

3. A consistent method of anilox measurement in all environments.

4. A quick method – the Ani-check only takes 40 seconds to give a reading.

Regular inspection of your anilox volume will also provide the printer with many benefits: