Static Control & Web Cleaning
Web cleaning delivers benefits beyond a clean web of material
By David Westwood, sales and marketing manager, KSM Superclean
removed from the roll, revealing a fresh layer underneath. To avoid the dangers of re-contamination contact cleaners are typically used in tandem with anti-static equipment so the web’s static charge does not attract further debris. Web cleaning by its’ name suggests a
process dedicated to removing contamination from the web. However there are numerous other benefits to a flexo printer which can be derived from the installation on an effective web cleaner. A key component of any press is the anilox roll whose performance is determined by the cleanliness of the cells. Removing contamination from the web removes one variable from the list of contaminants that can sit in the cells of the anilox roll. Dust in the air, substrate fragments, and other debris can all be carried into the electrode assemblies of the corona treater, and if they accumulate, they can eventually clog the exhaust path of the treater and reduce the air flow rate; all leading to inefficiency of operation and a need to clean the treater. Web cleaning can significantly contribute to the long term efficiency of the corona treater.
O David Westwood
ne of the main barriers
to printing-press specific overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) in the converting sector is loose contamination present on the
material being printed.
Regardless of the source of contamination – already present on the new roll of material being loaded on to the press, or being introduced on to the web from the environment or machine and operator
convertermag.com
activity - the direct result can be a costly pause to production to clean down the press. Whilst many technologies have been utilised over time to combat the issues of contamination, the technology known as Contact Cleaning has become the preferred method of contamination removal for many, as both customers and OEMs have integrated this solution in to their press. Contact Cleaning uses a specially formulated cleaning roller which runs in direct contact with the moving web. This roller collects all particles down to the microscopic level from the web, and immediately transfers them on to a layer of adhesive which has been coated on to a roll of paper or film. As soon as this layer of adhesive is completely covered with the collected contamination, it can simply be
CONTACT CLEANING CHARGES A key benefit of Contact Cleaning technology is the collection of the contamination on the adhesive layer. This presents the converter with the opportunity for analysis of the contamination problem leading potentially to long-term corrective action measures which can in turn lead to both operational and financial positive returns. By analysing the contamination for type, size and frequency, a company can potentially identify the source of the contamination and implement procedures both internally and with suppliers to eliminate or significantly reduce the problem at source. An example of this might be the identification of a certain type of clothing worn by operators, the solution being to eliminate such clothing form the immediate environment around the press. Equally fragments of particles from pallets or other media for transporting the reels of material found on the layer might lead to a change in materials used to transport the material. In conclusion the Contact Cleaning method has proven to be very cost- effective and provides a rapid RoI in terms of production time saved.
ksmsuperclean.com March 2020 31
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