Sodium hydroxide is the chemical name however, it may be listed under a different name on the label of your cleaner. This bears repeating: When using chemicals with sodium hydroxide, you must rinse thoroughly! If you have ever experienced a “blistered” anilox roll, chances are you may have used a sodium hydroxide-based cleaner and did not rinse properly. These types of cleaners should be handled with extreme care and rinsed immediately. If you are using a cleaner with sodium hydroxide to dissolve your dried inks, you may also be dissolving your anilox base or core, especially in sleeves. In this reaction, sodium hydroxide acts as an agent to make the solution alkaline, in which aluminum can dissolve. Sodium hydroxide reacts with aluminum and water to release hydrogen gas. However, it can also attack aluminum and cause corrosion to your anilox roll. The high pH dissolves water-based inks, cleans dirt and grime, and is very aggressive. For these reasons, it is a very common ingredient found in many cleaners in the printing industry. Sodium hydroxide is very alkaline (high pH) and is soluble in water, ethanol and methanol. Sodium hydroxide is used in many industries, mostly as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of soaps and detergents. This helps prevent the liquid penetration from attacking your base. Therefore, it is extremely important to rinse immediately after cleaning a roll and not allow cleaners to soak on the ceramic over a long period of time. The higher the porosity in a ceramic coating, the faster this penetration occurs. This coating, although hard and durable, has a certain amount of porosity by nature that allows for liquids to eventually penetrate to the core. Look for cleaners that state “aluminum safe.”Īnilox rolls are made by spraying a ceramic coating to the base and then laser engraving to form cells. More importantly, you should know what chemicals in different cleaners can cause damage to your anilox rolls, especially those made from aluminum. That’s true of mild steel or aluminum, the composites or the cladding.
It is very important to know the material from which your anilox is made, as different cleaners can cause damage or corrosion to the base. Be sure to use an anilox cleaner whose contents you know and understand, and use proper safety precautions when doing so.
If you are using anilox sleeves, these products are made from various composites encased by an aluminum cladding. To combat the weight issue, anilox companies are making lighter bases by substituting aluminum. Many anilox rolls are made of steel bases, which can be quite heavy. However, it is just as important to protect the base or core. As a printer, you are always taught to protect the ceramic coating of your anilox roll and to prevent chips, dings and scratches. If your job is to clean anilox rolls, how do you know which cleaner is the correct one, specifically to clean while not damaging? Know Your Makeīefore you apply any chemical to your anilox roll, it is important to understand its makeup and to review any chemical’s Safety Data Sheets. Other companies manufacture multi-purpose cleaners, advertising their products are great for any and all applications. Many chemical companies market cleaners that are great for dissolving ink, grime, grease and removing stains. Some manufacturers formulate for specific applications, such as anilox rolls or printing plates. There are thousands of different cleaners on the market, each with different formulas and ingredients. After several minutes of scrubbing, you finally have a clean roll. The results are better, but not to your satisfaction, so you grab another bottle. You reach for another and, this time, you spray an abundant amount of cleaner on the roll. You try one and you do not see good results. You go to your work station and see several bottles of cleaners. It’s time to clean your anilox roll as you prepare for your next job. Photos courtesy of Harper Corporation of America When in press, keep ink circulating to prevent it from drying in the cells. Prevent plugged cells (seen on the left) by keeping your aniloxes clean.
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