Specs
Ink Kitchen specs
Setup notes and briefing numbers for Ink Kitchen.
Ink room planning points
Ink Kitchen Specs sets out the practical requirements for an organised ink room. Review storage, dispensing, transfer, and clean-down considerations when planning the support side of a flexo operation.
Specify the ink types, daily colour count, and container sizes before laying out an ink kitchen. Solvent, water-based, and UV systems need different storage, transfer, ventilation, and wash-up arrangements. Include the route between the press line and the ink room so totes, drums, and return ink can move without crossing pallet traffic.
Record the dispensing setup in clear, usable figures. Metering accuracy, scale capacity, hose lengths, pump type, and labelled return containers should be listed with the handover notes. That gives operators a fixed reference when shade correction, viscosity adjustment, or end-of-run recovery is done on shift.
Ink room outputs to carry forward
The support side of flexo printing needs clear standards beyond the press frame itself. Define storage temperatures, bunding, mixing benches, wash stations, and the checks needed before ink goes to CI, narrow-web, or stack press production. Add site rules for hazardous liquids, waste drums, and fire control so the document matches the actual plant.
Use Ink Kitchen specs to tie stock holding, dispensing, and return-ink handling back to the press mix you run. Link container labelling, batch traceability, and pump selection to the jobs covered under Presses, Lines, and Web notes. If drawings need to be sent for review, use the contact form and include the current room layout, drum sizes, and the distance to the nearest press.
- Dispensing scales matched to batch sizes
- Wash-up points listed with drain controls
- Return ink marked by colour family
Site conditions that affect ink rooms
South African packaging plants often work around mixed building ages, limited service passages, and summer heat that pushes up solvent loss. Inland sites may need stronger dust control around lids, scales, and open mixing stations. Coastal operations should note corrosion risk on pumps, fittings, and stored metal containers.
Power interruptions matter in the ink room as much as they do at the press. If agitators, dispensing systems, or extraction stop unexpectedly, the spec should state restart checks, batch identification steps, and what must be reweighed before release to production. Keep forklift access, spill kits, and fire equipment visible on the room plan.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Information to gather first
Prepare room dimensions, ink families, expected monthly volumes, and photos of current storage and mixing areas. Note whether jobs run mainly on film, paper, or board, because the clean-down routine and ink return pattern can differ sharply between applications.
Add the number of presses served, the farthest walking distance to a press, and whether inks are moved by trolley, pump, or forklift. Include any buyer or audit paperwork that governs labelling, retained samples, waste handling, and batch traceability within the plant.
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