For instance, it’s not unusual for operators to run excessive chamber pressures. This almost inevitably leads to ink control problems with blades and end seals, so we recommend keeping chamber pressures ĂƐ ůŽǁ ĂƐ ƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ĚĞĮŶŝƚĞůLJ Ă ƉůĂĐĞ ǁŚĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ͚ƐŽŵĞŝƐŐŽŽĚ͕ŵŽƌĞŝƐďĞƩĞƌ͛ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚĚŽĞƐŶŽƚ ĂƉƉůLJ͊ dĂůŬǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵƌ ƉƌĞƐƐŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞƌ Žƌ ĚŽĐƚŽƌ ďůĂĚĞĂŶĚĞŶĚƐĞĂůƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌƚŽĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĞƚŚĞŽƉƟŵĂů chamber pressures to use. KƚŚĞƌ ĚĞƚĂŝůƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŵĂƩĞƌ ŬĞĞƉ ŽŶ ƐŚŽǁŝŶŐ ƵƉ͘ ǀĞŶǁŚĞŶƵƐŝŶŐƚŚĞĐŽƌƌĞĐƚƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞƐŽŶĞǀĞƌLJĚĞĐŬ we’ve found that using chamber-wrap blades can ƐĂǀĞ ƟŵĞ ĂŶĚ ŵŽŶĞLJ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ďůĂĚĞƐ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ƉůĂƐƟĐ ĮůŵƚŚĂƚǁƌĂƉƐĂƌŽƵŶĚƚŚĞďůĂĚĞŚŽůĚĞƌĂŶĚŝƐĨĂƐ - tened in place with double-sided tape. This helps di- rect ink that would otherwise go to the doctor blade ĐŚĂŵďĞƌŽŶƚŽƚŚĞƉůĂƐƟĐĮůŵ͘dŚĞƌĞĂůŵŽŶĞLJͲƐĂǀŝŶŐ ƉĂƌƚ ĐŽŵĞƐ Ăƚ ƌĞŵŽǀĂůƟŵĞ͘ůů ƚŚĞ ĐŚĂŵďĞƌ ŚĂƌĚ - ware (pins, bars, bolts, and clamping assembly) stays ĐůĞĂŶ͕ƌĞĚƵĐŝŶŐĐůĞĂŶƵƉƟŵĞ͘ And don’t ignore end seals, perhaps the most in- ŶŽĐƵŽƵƐŽĨĐŽŶƐƵŵĂďůĞƐ͘ ŶĚƐĞĂůƐĐŽŵĞŝŶĂǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ ŽĨƐƚLJůĞƐĂŶĚĂƌĞŵĂĚĞŽĨĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐƚŚĂƚĐĂŶ ŵĞĂŶƚŚĞĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞďĞƚǁĞĞŶĚĂŝůLJŽƌǁĞĞŬůLJĐŚĂŶŐ - ĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚǁŚĞƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ůĞĂŬ Ă ůŝƩůĞ͕ ƚŽŽŵƵĐŚ͕ Žƌ ŶŽƚ at all. Talk with your favorite ink system specialist to make sure your seals will do what you need. We rec- ommend changing seals at weekly press maintenance ƉĞƌŝŽĚƐƚŽŵŝŶŝŵŝnjĞƵŶƉůĂŶŶĞĚĚŽǁŶƟŵĞͶůŝŬĞǁŚĞŶ a seal blows out in the middle of a long run. Keep your rolls clean The last point is one that you’d think would be ŽďǀŝŽƵƐďƵƚǁĞĮŶĚŝƐĂŶLJƚŚŝŶŐďƵƚ͘<ĞĞƉƚŚŽƐĞĞdž - ƉĞŶƐŝǀĞ ĂŶŝůŽdž ƌŽůůƐ ĂƐ ƉƌŝƐƟŶĞ ĂƐ ƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ͊tĞ ƐĞĞ ƌŽůůƐƚŚĂƚĂƌĞƌĂƌĞůLJĐůĞĂŶĞĚƚŚŽƌŽƵŐŚůLJ͕ƌĞƐƵůƟŶŐŝŶ a range of imaging and ink system problems. We rec- ŽŵŵĞŶĚ ĚĞĚŝĐĂƟŶŐ Ă ƚĂŶŬ ƚŽ ĂŶŝůŽdž ĐůĞĂŶŝŶŐ ŽŶůLJ͕ ĂŶĚ ƌĞůŝŐŝŽƵƐůLJ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶŝŶŐ Ă ĐůĞĂŶ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶ͘ ůĞĂŶ ƌŽůůƐ ĂŌĞƌ ĞǀĞƌLJ ƐŚŝŌͶŽƌ ĂŌĞƌ ůŽŶŐͲƌƵŶ ũŽďƐ͘ ŶĚ this doesn’t mean a casual wipe with a dirty rag. Im- ƉƌŽƉĞƌ Žƌ ŝŶĂĚĞƋƵĂƚĞ ĐůĞĂŶŝŶŐ ůĞĂĚƐ ƚŽ ĚŽǁŶƟŵĞ͕ ĚĞŐƌĂĚĞĚƉƌŝŶƚƋƵĂůŝƚLJ͕ĂŶĚǁĂƐƚĞĚƉƌŽĚƵĐƚ͘ZƵŶƚŚĞ numbers in your plant to see the impact improperly ĐůĞĂŶĞĚƌŽůůƐŵĂLJďĞŚĂǀŝŶŐ͕ĂŶĚŝŶƐƟƚƵƚĞƐŽŵĞƌƵůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞƐ ƚŽ ĂĚĚƌĞƐƐ ƚŚĞ ŝƐƐƵĞ͘ dŽŽ ŽŌĞŶǁĞ see printers sending rolls out for deep cleaning, to re-engrave older ones, and be poised to buy new ƌŽůůƐǁŚĞŶĂůůƚŚĂƚ͛ƐƌĞĂůůLJƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚŝƐŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ŽĨĐŽŵƉƌĞŚĞŶƐŝǀĞĐůĞĂŶŝŶŐƉƌĂĐƟĐĞƐ͘ KŶĞŽĨƚŚĞŐƌĞĂƚĞƐƚĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞƐďĞƚǁĞĞŶƐŚŽƉƐƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞŐƌŽǁŝŶŐĂŶĚĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶƚůLJƉƌŽĮƚĂďůĞŝƐƉĂLJŝŶŐĂƚ - ƚĞŶƟŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞƐĞ ďĂƐŝĐ ďĞƐƚ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞƐ͘ /ƚ ƚĂŬĞƐ ƐŽŵĞ diligence to make these habits, but the results are ones you can take to the bank.
Provident Group (Cont’d from Page 2)
forms provided by many blade suppliers. These pro- ǀŝĚĞŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶƚŚĂƚĐĂŶŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐƵďƚůĞĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ŝŶďůĂĚĞƐ͕ƐŽǁŚĞŶƚŚĞƌĞ͛ƐĂŶŽƉƟŽŶƵƐĞƚŚĞŵŽƌĞĚĞ - tailed version of the forms available. Your blade sup- ƉůŝĞƌŵĂLJĂůƐŽďĞĂďůĞƚŽƵƐĞƚŚĞŝŶĨŽǁŚĞŶĞǀĂůƵĂƟŶŐ other products in your facility. For instance, the forms may highlight document blade choices that could be ŝŶŇƵĞŶĐŝŶŐĂŶŝůŽdžƌŽůůǁĞĂƌŽƌƉŽŽƌŵĞƚĞƌŝŶŐ͘ On a related note, be sure you measure blade wear and life consistently across all your presses. They won’t all be the same, of course, but using a consis- tent measure, such as counters, on all presses, can lead you to a decision point based on a metric you ĐĂŶ ƌĞĨĞƌ ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ͕ Žƌ ƌĞǀŝƐĞ͕ ŽǀĞƌ ƟŵĞ͘ DŽƌĞŽǀĞƌ͕ don’t fall into the trap of assuming that all blades ƐŚŽƵůĚƌŽƵƟŶĞůLJďĞĐŚĂŶŐĞĚĂƚyͲƚŚŽƵƐĂŶĚĨĞĞƚ͘dŚŝƐ results in changing some blades too early, and oth- ĞƌƐǁŚĞŶƚŚĞLJĂƌĞƉĂƐƚƚŚĞŝƌƉƌĂĐƟĐĂůůŝĨĞ͘ŽƚŚĐŽƐƚ ŵŽŶĞLJ͘DĂŶLJ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů ƐŚŽƉƐ ďĂƐĞ ďůĂĚĞ ĐŚĂŶŐĞƐ on experience, such as counts when using a speci- ĮĞĚƐƵďƐƚƌĂƚĞŽƌƚLJƉĞŽĨŝŶŬ;ƐƵĐŚĂƐǁŚŝƚĞͿ͘^ŽŵĞŐŽ ƐŽĨĂƌĂƐƚŽƌƵŶĐĞƌƚĂŝŶƚLJƉĞƐŽĨũŽďƐŽŶůLJŽŶƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ presses because it takes one more variable out of the process. This is a ‘work smarter, not harder’ kind of thing that makes a lot of sense. dŽ ŐĞƚ ƐƚĂƌƚĞĚ͕ ƉŝĐŬ Ă ĐŽƵƉůĞ ŽĨ ƉƌĞƐƐĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƚĞƐƟŶŐ and monitor the results over say, a three- or six-month ƉĞƌŝŽĚ͘DŽƵŶƚƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚĞƌƐĂŶĚŶĞǁĚŽĐƚŽƌ͕ŵĞƚĞƌŝŶŐ and containment blades. Then document every job run: run lengths, types of inks, substrates used, and carefully track any other variables. Over the course of ƚŚĞƚĞƐƚLJŽƵǁŝůůďĞĂďůĞƚŽŝĚĞŶƟĨLJĂŶĚďĞŐŝŶƌĞĚƵĐŝŶŐ ŝŶĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶĐŝĞƐ ƐŽ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ƌƵŶ LJŽƵƌ ƐŚŽƉŵŽƌĞ Ğĸ - ĐŝĞŶƚůLJĂŶĚďĞƩĞƌĐŽŶƚƌŽůĂŶĚƉƌĞĚŝĐƚLJŽƵƌĐŽƐƚƐ͘ Blades, and Chambers, and more. Oh, my! /ƚ͛Ɛ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ƚŽ ŶŽƚĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŚŝŶŐƐ LJŽƵ ƐĞĞ ǁŚĞŶ ǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ ƉƌŝŶƚĞƌƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ EŽƌƚŚ ŵĞƌŝĐĂ͘tĞ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ ƐĂǁ ĮƌƐƚͲŚĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ďůĂĚĞ ƐŝnjĞ͕ ďƵƚ ŝƚ was width, not length. A mid-web machine was hav- ŝŶŐĂŶŝŶŬĐŽŶƚĂŵŝŶĂƟŽŶƉƌŽďůĞŵŽŶũƵƐƚŽŶĞĚĞĐŬ͘ tĞƚƌĂĐĞĚŝƚƚŽĂƉůĂƐƟĐĐŽŶƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚďůĂĚĞƚŚĂƚǁĂƐ much wider than needed, which resulted in some of ƚŚĞ ƉůĂƐƟĐ ĂĐƚƵĂůůLJ ŵĞůƟŶŐ͕ ĨŽƵůŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŝŶŬ ŝŶ ƚŚĂƚ ĐŚĂŵďĞƌĂŶĚĐĂƵƐŝŶŐŇŽǁŝƐƐƵĞƐĂŶĚĚĞŐƌĂĚĞĚƉƌŝŶƚ quality. The wider blade had probably been put on because it was the only one available and the job had to be run, but using it caused a problem requiring im- ŵĞĚŝĂƚĞĂƩĞŶƟŽŶĂŶĚƐůŽǁŝŶŐƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ͘/ƚĂŵƉůLJ demonstrated why every blade must be correct for ƚŚĞƉƌĞƐƐ͕ƚŚĞĚĞĐŬ͕ĂŶĚƚŚĞĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ͘ Other issues we encounter are also in mid- and wide-web presses with pressurized ink chambers.
18 Executive Outlook Special Report
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