The rubber platemaking is an essential process in other industrial and commercial printing settings. Most of the printing industry has moved to photopolymer and others, but still, rubber printing plates are important in long and heavy-duty printing processes. At the epicenter of this and still going strong is PlateCrafters, a best company that manufactures custom rubber printing plates with extremely high-caliber craftsmanship and precision in North America.
PlateCrafters has more than many years of experience and expertise in making traditional rubber platemaking by following the time-tested method of producing magnesium dies and vulcanization. Our commitment to it has earned them the title of being amongst the leading rubber platemaking manufacturers in the industry at present.
The Art of Rubber Platemaking
The fabrication of rubber printing plates is an exacting process consisting of mechanically engraved magnesium dies and high-pressure vulcanization in ovens. In contrast with digital, plates that are processed with a UV light, rubber plates are made through the use of a mold, which is engraved, and the image is then transferred to the rubber surface using heat and pressure. This conventional process produces very long-lasting (extremely durable) plates that work well in difficult print conditions.
PlateCrafters has continued this analog craft, and it has been coupled with modern production standards, where it performs to provide reliable, high-quality rubber plates. This is one of the distinguished differentiators in an industry where rubber platemaking is becoming very rare.
Benefits of Rubber Printing Plates
Rubber printing plates have a number of unique benefits, as compared to newer photopolymer versions. Rubber is a popular choice of the print runs to extremely difficult substrates. Rubber plates can handle aggressive inks and chemicals, thus, they are used on industrial and corrugated packaging lines.
The natural flexibility of rubber also allows for better transfer of ink on uneven surfaces as well. The latter is useful when it comes to printing on materials like rough and textured paper, corrugated board, or even plastic films. Rubber plates are still a good option to use when clients need bold and powerful prints with no compromise in consistency or print quality.
Mechanical Engraving Using Magnesium Dies
The production process of PlateCrafters is remarkable because a part of it is the creation of magnesium dies as the molds in manufacturing rubber plate making. This technique can result in clean detail and dimensional accuracy, in particular, high-impact printing. The dies used by magnesium are not laser cut, but they are engraved mechanically, which guarantees equality of depth and sharpness through the entire design. These molds are then vulcanized to give a final printing plate to the rubber.
It is such a careful process that every rubber plate that has gone through the care of PlateCrafters can achieve the standards needed for demanding print environments.
Special Measurements and Long-Run Results
The size of plates produced by PlateCrafters can be up to 24x36 in, with any thickness or backing, so you will have it in time. Whether a client requires a rigid plate to require heavy-duty industrial applications or a flexible one to require hand stamps or curved surfaces, the company has a wide range to supply the requirements.
Rubber plates are often able to last a great deal longer than photopolymer plates. Although polymer plates are noted to have a lot of detail, rubber plates outperform when it comes to resistance to wear, and this makes them the ideal plates to use when it comes to millions of impressions that a plate should offer without becoming weak.
Conclusion
With many of the industries being heavily digitized, PlateCrafters is a precious and uncommon auxiliary in quality printing rubbers and Rubber Printing Plates. Maintaining historically relevant processes like magnesium engraving and vulcanization, and providing adaptable and long-lasting solutions that suit a wide range of uses has helped PlateCrafters remain one of the best rubber platemaking and printmaking producers in the United States.
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