Resources
Care Card
A care card for daily handling of flexo plates, inks, and press-side consumables on South African packaging jobs.
How Care Card helps on a print week
The care card covers day-to-day handling of flexo plates, inks, tape, and other press-side consumables. It is intended for packaging floors that need simple handling, storage, and cleaning notes in one place.
Start the Care Card with the stock, ink system, and where the job is running. A paper label job in Johannesburg needs different handling notes from a film run in Durban, especially where humidity, dust, and power interruptions affect plate storage and wash-up timing. The card should fit the press area and be readable during changeovers, not buried in a file.
Capture a photo of the plate, anilox, or ink condition before the team wipes down or swaps parts. The Care Card works best when it is printed, laminated if needed, and kept near mounting, ink mixing, or wash stations for quick checks during the shift. That gives operators one place to confirm daily handling points without paging through job paperwork.
Plate and ink handling points
A useful Care Card sets out the checks that matter on shift, such as plate cleaning method, tape condition, ink container closure, and storage position after the run. It should also identify the job or plate set clearly so the right card stays with the right packaging work. Short, visible instructions reduce guesswork when crews rotate between machines.
Link the Care Card to the relevant press record and ink reference before extra notes are added by hand. Check that plate IDs, ink names, and cleaning materials match what is at the machine before plates or consumables are sent out. Name your press and the job on it, and we will put together the consumables for the run.
- Daily plate handling and storage notes
- Photo record before cleaning or changes
- Card kept with the current job
Conditions that affect the card
Care Card notes should reflect where the packaging work is done and how the consumables are moved. Plates sent through Gauteng warehousing and courier networks need protection from dust and heat, while coastal sites may need stricter notes on sealed ink containers, wipe-down frequency, and dry storage. Older presses also benefit from clearer reminders on tape removal, doctor blade handling, and manual cleaning routines.
Durban humidity can change how long plates, tapes, and opened inks should stand exposed near the machine. Inland sites around Johannesburg often need more frequent checks for dust on sleeves, guards, and stored consumables. During load-shedding periods, add a note for when first-off samples and wash-up steps were interrupted so handling records stay accurate.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
What to record on shift
Send a Care Card with press-floor photos, run timing, and the fault already checked. Use a clear subject line that names the plate, ink, or print issue.
Record the date, job name, plate or ink reference, and the exact handling issue seen during the run. It also helps to note which cleaner, tape, or storage method was used so the next shift can repeat or avoid the same step. A Care Card becomes more useful when each update points to one observable condition rather than a vague complaint.