Static Control & Web Cleaning
WHAT ARE YOUR BARRIERS TO QUALITY? By David Westwood, sales and marketing manager,KSM Superclean
Assessment Kit which can be requested on their website. Many of the staff at KSM Superclean have
fault. Customers expect their purchased products to be right first time and competition for their business is fierce; one mistake or blemish on the product and a converter may have lost that customer forever. In terms of quality control one area converters cannot afford to neglect is web cleaning. A converter may feel that their working
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environment is clean and contamination free however this is unfortunately unlikely to be the case. The introduction of foreign matter into a converting line can be a major cause of downtime, ruined product and wasted materials. The sources of this foreign matter are numerous including slitter dust, chaff from sheeting, loose paper fibres, additives and powders as well as dust and hair from operator intervention. Such contamination can play havoc with printing and laminating processes resulting in hickeys, voids and distorted images. In the coating process blisters, fish-eyes and bubbles can result from unwanted contamination.
CONTAMINATION REMOVAL Over the years, converters have experimented with many types of contamination removal equipment such as blowers, vacuums, ultrasonics and brushes. Whilst these had some limited success in removing larger particles, airborne particles smaller than 100 microns that attach themselves to the web have proven are very difficult to remove. This is due to the fast
convertermag.com
ustomers of industrial converters are becoming more demanding and less tolerant of any product
moving web creating a static charge, which can cause particles to cling to the web of material. Moreover, a boundary layer of air is created just above the moving web, which also has the affect of making particles stick to the web like a magnet. Over time, the contact cleaning method of web cleaning has proven to be the most effective for the converting sector. Contact cleaning as the name implies
involves direct contact with the moving web and can therefore penetrate the boundary layer of air. Specially moulded ‘tacky’ rollers gently lift loose particles from the web surface and this contamination is subsequently and permanently transferred to an Adhesive Roll. Once a layer of the Adhesive Roll becomes saturated,the operator simply removes the top layer leaving a fresh layer underneath. This layer of ‘captured’ contamination can then be analysed by the QA department to identify root cause of the contamination, who in turn may initiate procedures to address the issue in more depth. To avoid the danger of recontamination contact cleaning machines are typically supplied with anti-static equipment to negate the static charge on the web material.
AUDIT THE CONVERTING LINE A useful exercise is to carry out a contamination control audit of the converting line. This can help you to understand where the sources of particles are. It could be that fibres from operator’s clothing are landing on the web or the materials used in the converting process itself are an issue. KSM offer a free Particle
been in the contact cleaning sector for 20 years or more and this design, manufacturing, quality and chemistry expertise ensures that KSM fully understand the processes and materials used in the broad spectrum of the converting industry - be it slitting, coating, printing or laminating. KSM products and equipment are manufactured to ensure delivery of the highest possible efficiency of cleaning performance. Additionally, KSM has recently introduced a new service whereby it can supply spares, replacement rollers and consumables for any make of contact cleaning machine as well as their own products. KSM also offer a roller recoating and regrind service to enable customers to extend the life and cleaning performance of their already purchased and installed equipment by being able to reuse the original shaft and fittings. KSM products are available globally, and a recent strengthening of its’ collaboration with Refeo Solutions GmbH in Germany ensures that customers in the European Union are protected from any impact of Brexit on movement of goods in the region.
In summary, contact cleaning offers a
proven method of web contamination removal for the converting sector leading to higher yields, less waste and higher quality products. By permanently removing unwanted contamination from the web, KSM products in turn remove one of the key barriers to quality that converters face; all of which can result in happier customers and long term business development.
rainbow-technology.com/products/ ksm-superclean
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