Health

Choosing Doctor Blades

Steel blades used to be the only option for the engraving and printing industry. This is because they were the only material that could achieve a fine point of contact. A fine contact area is necessary to produce a high-quality print. Therefore, other blades were only used when lower quality prints were acceptable. This is because plastics used to be made thicker to provide the rigidness needed to perform. However, this led to a thicker contact area. All of this has changed recently. Now plastic blades are just as good as steel blades. Therefore, printers have to analyze the benefits of both and choose the right one for them.

Steel

Steel has traditionally been considered a superior material for quality. However, the blades wear quickly. Additionally, operators and printing machines are in danger of one breaking. Furthermore, steel is not an environmentally friendly option. This is because it takes a lot of energy to manufacture steel blades, and they create additional cleanups, which use harmful chemicals. This type of blade is a good option if printers absolutely need a perfect resolution.

Plastic

Today, plastics are available that produce high-quality prints. These wear slowly and evenly as they’re used. This means you won’t have to worry about changing the blade as often. Additionally, many of them come with a carved tip option so that printers can get a finer point of contact. Furthermore, these blades are less dangerous for workers to handle during blade changes. This is because a used blade is less likely to shatter and harm the worker and printer. If you are looking to have less downtime and danger in your printing shop, plastic is the way to go.

Recently, plastics have been used to create blades that can produce high-quality prints. While steel is still the best option if you need a perfect print, plastic is better if you are looking to minimize downtime and improve employee safety.