The plate is one of the most delicate and important elements of the entire flexographic process. Its photopolymer surfaces reproduce extremely fine detail — screens, reversed text, thin lines — that just a few careless washes are enough to compromise. Yet in many companies plate cleaning is still entrusted to brushes, cloths, detergents and solvents applied by hand, with results that vary from operator to operator and from day to day.
What happens to a badly washed plate
Manual washing that is too vigorous or that uses unsuitable chemicals causes damage that accumulates over time: micro-abrasions on the screen dots, surface cracking, swelling of the photopolymer, distortions that alter ink transfer. The damage is rarely immediate and visible; more often it appears as a slow loss of quality that forces the plate to be remade sooner than expected. Considering the cost of a set of plates for a multi-colour job and the potential press downtime, every premature remake is a significant — and avoidable — expense.
To this must be added the time factor: cleaning a set of plates by hand at the end of a run occupies the operator for a considerable time, precisely at the point when the priority should be starting the job changeover.
The automatic plate washer: gentleness and repeatability
An automatic plate washing system always applies the same parameters: controlled pressure, metered chemicals, defined cycle times. The FLEXOMATIC range from OVIT is designed for exactly this: removing inks and residues from flexographic plates effectively yet gently, preserving the integrity of the relief and extending the plate’s service life.
The benefits are the same ones that have made automatic washing systems a standard in the most efficient print departments: reduced operator time, optimised chemical consumption, a standardised process independent of manual skill, longer material life and less staff exposure to washing products. In a word: sustainability, both economic and environmental.
Not just plates: cleaning the entire printing ecosystem
Print quality does not depend on plates and anilox rolls alone. Ink trays, doctor blade chambers, splash guards and buckets accumulate ink and residues which, if neglected, contaminate colours and cause defects. This is why OVIT complements the FLEXOMATIC range with dedicated parts washing systems — the ANILOXMATIC, T-MATIC, LA MATIC, SL MATIC and LA-RO ranges — covering the entire cleaning and maintenance cycle of the flexographic department, with detergent-based or solvent-based solutions according to requirements.
Why choose OVIT
Active since 1964, OVIT designs and manufactures professional washing equipment for the printing industry in Italy. Its machines are used by printers all over the world, supported by a network of international distributors and by technical assistance recognised for its promptness and efficiency.
