Patent ID: 8794144

Claim:
An anilox roll adapted for use with a printing apparatus to transfer a fluid, such as an ink, to a printing roll, comprising: a cylinder having a surface, wherein the surface includes a fluid distribution structure for receiving the fluid, distributing the fluid over the cylinder and transferring the fluid, wherein the fluid distribution structure is arranged to transfer in a first operational mode for printing heavy layers of ink a relatively large fluid droplet and in a second operational mode for printing details a relatively small fluid droplet by a combination of restrictions in the fluid distribution structure, wherein the fluid distribution structure includes at least one channel formed as a continuous track in the surface for distributing the fluid over the fluid distribution structure, the at least one channel extending generally both in a circumferential direction of the anilox roll and being angled relative to said circumferential direction such as to be engraved on the complete surface, the at least one channel having a course and opposite channel walls positioned next to each other in a relative parallel oscillating fashion such that the course of said channel is meandering over the surface and both the course of the channel and the channel walls have the form of a wave with a repetitive pattern and the channel has a constant channel width between 10 and 150 μm in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation of said anilox roll, the meandering channel having a wavelength that is smaller than 4 times the channel width.