Apex International will showcase its comprehensive approach to anilox lifecycle management at Flexo Summit 2026. The company will demonstrate how data-driven asset management and preventive maintenance can help flexographic printers achieve more consistent, predictable, and measurable print performance.
With Indian converters increasingly delivering high-quality applications across flexible packaging, labels and corrugated packaging, the industry is witnessing growing demand for finer screens, greater colour consistency and higher production efficiency. At the same time, printers are under pressure to reduce waste, manage shorter lead times and maintain quality while controlling costs.
“The flexographic printing industry is going through a significant transformation,” says Shivani Dhingra, marketing manager, Apex International. “As converters take on more demanding applications, the opportunity lies in adopting a more structured and measurable approach to process management. Better asset management, preventive maintenance, local technical support and data-driven decision-making can help improve consistency, reduce avoidable losses and deliver more predictable print performance.”
According to Dhingra, one of the most overlooked factors affecting print quality is the condition of anilox rolls and sleeves. She believes these should be treated as critical process assets rather than simply consumables, with greater emphasis on monitoring, maintenance and lifecycle management.
At the summit, Apex International will present its smart anilox management approach, which is designed to help converters know, measure and improve the health of their anilox inventory together with complete anilox solutions, bringing together high-performance anilox rolls, lightweight HD sleeves, specialized cleaning solutions, Anilox Armor sleeve protection covers, anilox audit services and local refurbishment capabilities in India.
“Our focus is to go beyond supplying anilox rolls,” Dhingra says. “We want to help converters build a complete, measurable system that combines technology, cleaning, refurbishment, sleeve protection and auditing to deliver consistent, predictable and measurable performance.”
Apex’s anilox audit program, enables converters to assess the condition and volume performance of their anilox rolls, allowing maintenance decisions to be based on measurable data rather than visual inspection alone. Combined with effective cleaning and refurbishment practices, the approach improves asset life and utilization while minimizing avoidable production losses.
Looking ahead, Apex International expects data-driven process control to play an increasingly important role in the evolution of flexographic printing. “As print quality expectations continue to rise, relying only on operator experience will no longer be enough,” Dhingra says. “The future of flexographic printing will be driven by technology, data, local expertise and preventive asset management, enabling converters to achieve consistent quality, reduce waste and improve overall productivity.”
