LLFlex Relies On Legacy Technology From Flexo Wash FlexoWash’s first FW 3000 FlexoWash Anilox Clean- er,which was sold and distributed in the United States more than 18 years ago, is still in continual use and reportedly performing well for LLFlex. LLFlex, a manufacturer based in Louisville, Kentucky, uses the product to clean one anilox at a time, and while it takes substantially longer than the newer mod- els, it offers reliability. Good things really are built to last, said FlexoWash. Liner Materials LLFlex manufactures various paper, board, foils, films, MET PET and holographic laminates for flexible pack- aging applications such as folding carton basestock, lotto/gaming board,convolute canister stock,gift wrap and various other applications. The company, accord- ing to Flexo Wash, is North America’s largest suppli- er of cigarette inner liner materials and also produces printed innerframe. LLFlex operates in a 100-year old building in the heart of Louisville. Clean anilox rolls line the plant, all carefully wrapped in craft paper and covered in a fit- ted tarp to protect them. Prior to the purchase of the Flexo Wash Anilox Cleaner, anilox rolls were cleaned on press with scrub brushes. Nothing was near the original cell depth, as it could not be cleaned as well by hand.Washing one roll was four hours of downtime. In addition, there was no assurance that the roll was truly clean, leaving opera- tors just to“guess and check”to see it that was in clean condition. Paying For Itself LLFlex’s Jessica Bradley was surprised to know that the FlexoWash Anilox Cleaner that they use every day was 18 years old. Even though the machine takes 45 minutes to clean an anilox roll, and it does not dry it (new models do) there is no comparison, in their opinion, to the cleaning done manually. It is still faster, more efficient and totally clean compared to manually cleaning it as they did before. Bradley cannot remember the last time something was plugged or bad after starting a job. They “always know it’s clean now” after a run through the anilox cleaner.As LLFlex has grown in the last few years, their bottom line has increased, as well.Taking all the down- time away and the guesswork of anilox condition, pro- duction has increased with the demand. The longevity of the Flexo Wash Anilox Cleaner is most notable, said LLFlex. It has more than paid for itself many times over.
Industry Events
TLMI Converter Meeting March 21-23, 2021 Windsor Court Hotel New Orleans, LA
drupa 2021 April 20 – 30, 2021 Dusseldorf, Germany
FTA InfoFlex 2021 May 3-4, 2021 Kansas City, MO
Labelexpo Americas June 8-10, 2021 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont, IL
SuperCorrExpo 2021 August 8–12, 2021 Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL
Labelexpo Europe September 21-24, 2021 Brussels Expo Brussels, Belgium
CorrExpo 2021 September 27 - 29, 2021 St. Louis, Missouri
FTA Fall Conference October 4-6, 2021 Frisco, TX
TLMI Annual Meeting October 17-19, 2021 Naples Grande Beach Resort Naples, FL
Flexo Market News December 21, 2020 13
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