R/bak® Cushion Mounting Materials The Difference is the Cushion! R/bak® Cushion Mounting Materials are advanced microcellular urethanes with an open cell construction that offer exceptional energy absorption and resiliency. It acts as a pressure reducer and shock absorber for flexographic printing plates. Using the R/bak® system will improve registration, reduce dot gain, decrease plate deformation, improve ink transfer, and allow the use of finer screens for finer line work. With an open cell construction and high strength, R/bak® Cushion Mounting Materials provide consistent performance with virtually no cell breakdown. R/bak® Cushion Mounting Materials eliminate cushion fatigue. The result - longer plate and cushion life, and higher print quality. This means more impressions and lower costs for you.

The Best Available Cushion Mounting Material on the Market Higher Print Quality R/bak® materials provide a high degree of surface conformity with minimal increase in plate pressure. The result is less dot gain, improved registration, fewer dropouts, and higher quality impressions.  R/bak® Cushion Mounting Materials allow the printing of fine line work while increasing press speeds and prolonging the life of the flexo plate. Increased Press Speeds Without Bounce With the fast recovery of R/bak® products, you can increase press speeds. Because of their unique shock damping properties, R/bak cushions rapidly return to their rest position without bounce, increasing throughput and eliminating double-strikes.

Longer Plate Life
All R/bak^® products have superb memory characteristics. With 98% memory (less than 2% compression set), R/bak^® cushions return to their original form, impression after impression, without fail. There are no air bubbles to break and collapse because of its open cell construction.

R/bak^® cushions run like new from beginning to end, unlike many competitive cushioning products that may "tire" in the course of a production run.

Universal Plate Compatibility
With two specially designed adhesive systems, R/bak^® materials can be used with virtually any flexographic plate regardless of type or brand. Liquid or sheet photopolymers, molded natural rubber, nitrile, or other synthetic rubber plates all perform well with R/bak^® cushions. R/bak^® materials even improve the performance of laser engraved plates.

High-Quality Repositionable Adhesives
Rogers R/bak^® adhesive systems inhibit plate "lift". The two specially designed adhesive systems used in the R/bak^® PSA series provide easy repositioning of plates when mounting, yet hold plates fast while printing. And, they're reusable.  The PSA-HT system uses a high-tack plate-side adhesive for rubber plates; while PSA-LT uses a low-tack adhesive to mount photopolymers.

When using photopolymer plates in those difficult situations which require higher than normal adhesion, high-tack cushions are recommended.

Reduce Costs/Improve Profits
R/bak^® cushion mounting materials provide the quality and performance edge you require.  It decreases dot gain, improves registration, and allows you to produce a finer quality image. R/bak^® material also increases through-put, lengthens plate life, reduces waste, and lowers component wear by providing a more consistent and longer life cushion. This translates into improved profits for you.

R/bak^® Cushion Mounting Materials Product Family

R/bak^® SA 2000 (Thin Tapes)
R/bak^®  Series 2000 comes in three levels of compressibility to handle the complete range of flexographic printing, from process and fine screens to heavy solids.  

SA 2100 - Soft Combination - For combination jobs with demanding process and screen work.
SA 2300 - General Purpose - For combination jobs with screen, line and solid work.
SA 2500 - Firm Combination - For line and solid work with darker screens.

R/bak^® S 
This polyester-reinforced family of R/bak^® Cushion Mounting Materials doubles as a plate carrier and cushion. Mechanical or magnetic mounting hardware can be easily attached by almost any common method. The standard of the corrugated printing market, R/bak^® S is available in two hardnesses: R/bak^® SF (firm) and R/bak^® SS (soft).  R/bak^®  SF is a general purpose cushion for solids, line and process printing corrugated substrates.  R/bak^®  S is recommended for fine multicolor process on corrugated substrates.

R/bak^® U 
The basic R/bak^® cushion is noted for its versatility.  Designed for general purpose use, this high quality cushion is valued for its flexibility. Apply your own adhesives to create those special cushion products to meet your individual needs.  Extremely pliable, R/bak^® U can be cut, shaped and mounted to even the smallest diameter cylinder. As a plate cushion, cylinder cover or for spot cushioning, R/bak^® U provides superior performance at modest cost.

R/bak^® PSA-Series
R/bak^® Cushion Mounting Materials combined with Rogers special adhesive systems form the R/bak^® PSA line of plate mounting cushions.  PSA-1HT and PSA-2HT are specifically designed for those demanding print jobs requiring rubber plates. PSA-1HT is supplied with a single adhesive surface, plate side. PSA-2HT has adhesive on both surfaces.  PSA-2LT is designed for use with photopolymer plates. It exhibits high adhesion while allowing the plates to be easily repositioned.

R/Bak^® Mounting Instructions
R/bak^® Product Availability
Download R/bak^® Series 2000 Brochure (PDF)