Traditionally, steel doctor blades were used in printing machines. However, everyone from the smallest printing shops to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing have noticed recent developments in this part. Now plastic blades are being used and are resolving many of the disadvantages associated with steel blades.

Steel Blades Have Many Disadvantages

Steel blades are rigid and have a fine contact area with your anilox roll. Although old school printers still claim steel is the best, this material has several disadvantages. For starters, these blades wear quickly, meaning you will have to replace them more often. To make this worse, while changing them, you will have to worry about breaking the blade, cutting yourself, and potentially damaging the anilox roll.

On a different note, these are not very environmentally friendly blades. You have to worry about the extra energy used in crafting the blades, resurfacing the cylinder, and frequently cleaning up the station of contaminants. Despite these inconveniences, steel has been a popular material for these blades because of the high-quality print it produces.

There Are Many Benefits of Polymer Blades

Today, plastic and polymers are being used to craft blades. Unlike steel, these materials wear slowly. They are also able to achieve a high-quality print, like steel. Therefore, you will save money by not having to replace your blades as quickly, and trust your machine to produce excellent prints.

Additionally, you do not have to worry about potential hazards while changing these blades. That is because these blades are less likely to break, cut you, or damage your anilox roll. This means less downtime, lower replacement costs, and superior print quality.

Polymer blades are a recent development with many advantages. The quality of the print they produce can compete with that of a steel blade, but they are safer to replace and need changing less frequently.