About

Graymills was founded in 1939 as a pump manufacturer for machine tool coolants and added parts for cleaning equipment in 1944 to its products. In 1953 Graymills started working with the flexographic industry to create pumps, filters and accessories specifically for converters’ needs.

With 8,000 square metres of manufacturing space located in Chicago, Illinois, Graymills assembles its products with state of the art equipment. Graymills is committed to the success of their customers and are able to customize products and services to suit their needs, for both domestic and international use. They specialise in custom sizes and specifications for pumps and tanks.

Its products in the flexographic industry include: flexo/gravure ink pumping, filtering and conditioning systems for converters.

Centrifugal ink pumps are the workhorse of the industry. They are low maintenance, take a lot of abuse, deliver ink in a non-pulsating flow, and provide in-tank circulation to keep material blended. Most Graymills centrifugal ink pumps feature “Tri-Rod” open columns, stainless steel rods and shaft, and Teflon™ coating for easy cleaning. Flow is easily controlled by the use of valves, or in the case of air motor models, by the flow of air to the motor.

Graymills peristaltic or “tube” pumps are engineered specifically for flexo and gravure printing applications. These pumps easily accommodate a wide variety of fluids form inks and coatings to adhesives – water, solvent, and UV/EB. The innovative design features are valuable in the pressroom when short runs require frequent changeover and quick turnaround. Built for reliability, low maintenance, and long life.

These pumps operate by the movement of two flexible diaphragms which move back and forth, alternately filling and emptying two chambers. Flow is controlled with the air inlet valve, which then determines pump speed. A variety of applications are possible. Diaphragm pumps have a pulsating flow and are best use with a Graymills surge suppressor/filter. Suited for applications requiring controlled flow rates from a trickle to 150 litres gallons per minute.

Ink Filters

Graymills filters are specially designed for flexographic and gravure ink systems, providing effective filtration to eliminate quality problems from contaminants that can also damage costly anilox rolls. These ink filters are designed to overcome the typical pressure drop and reduced ink flow due to clogging that occurs with ordinary filters.

As an option, it is possible to add a magnet to the filter. Graymills magnets are earth magnets in a smooth stainless steel casing, with 10x the pulling power of a standard magnet. Graymills magnets are able to attract metal particles from within the filter body or ink tank. They are made in an domed end design with no crevices releases particles easily when cleaning.