good quality print. In larger operations there are press- room supervisors,quality control people,and Standard Operating Procedures that supervise and limit the vari- ables in the pressroom, but often in smaller operations everything is left to the press operator. We are finding that often the operator is also the one who calls us when there is a presumed machine mal- function and we find ourselves troubleshooting for a machine error when any number of process parame- ters could be the cause. Training,whether from an OEM on the equipment or from any of the schools on printing technologies and pre-press is the key to increased productivity, higher quality and decreased scrap including in extreme cas- es the rejected order. Flexo printing companies should always have a con- tinuous improvement program for operators, main- tenance, and all personnel in general. The obvious returns will be as previously stated in terms of quali- ty-related profits, but equally important is the personal growth of personnel and the satisfaction that comes with higher achievement, however small, which brings What steps should flexo printing companies take to improve training in the future?
Uteco Open House (Cont’d from Page 7)
es his expectations of an operator;you have the gas,you have the brake, you steer it and get to your destination. The problem is that flexo presses have evolved from hands-on mechanical machines to highly complex electronic machines integrating multiple systems.The electronics make information, feedback and control available to the operator but we find that many com- panies do not benefit from them because operators are not trained to use them. There are items such as “crush compensation” and “repeat correction” which optimize print quality in spite of defective plates or film of lower quality which are available to operators, but only operators with advanced skills or who have received advanced training know the benefit. Operators are often overwhelmed by a new piece of equipment and production demands. Advanced train- ing is appreciated by operators as an investment in them, and results increased quality, decreased waste and often improved processes. How is the flexo industry affected by inade- quate training of its operators? As an OEM, at Uteco we talk about training as it ap- plies to the operator’s ability to use the equipment,but the operator also has the responsibility of producing
(Cont’d on Page 11)
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Flexo Market News March 30, 2020 9
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