Setting New Standards for the Automated Cleaning of Sheetfed and Web Printing Presses

5/1/2004

May 1st, 2004

DRUPA 2004, DÜSSELDORF 6th – 19th MAY
STAND C22, HALL 16

Baldwin Technology Company Inc. develops and manufactures automatic cleaning systems for sheet-fed and web offset presses as well as newspaper web presses. Printers the world over want automated cleaning of cylinders and rollers to improve efficiency, quality and safety in the press room. Baldwin introduces a new generation of cleaning technologies at drupa 2004 which can be operated in either spray/cloth or IMPACT® modes of operation.

Proven: Washcloth Systems from Baldwin
The B500 and R500 systems are designed for the automated cleaning of blanket, plate and impression cylinders. These proven Baldwin cleaning systems consist of a compact wash bar, the CleanLiner supply unit with integrated pneumatics, water and cleaning agent pumps and microprocessor control with a range of wash-up programs.

With these designs, the cleaning process begins on all units simultaneously. Depending on the cleaning program selected, the precise amount of water and cleaning agent is sprayed through ducts in the rubber pressure strip on to the washcloth. The washcloth absorbs the fluid and a rubber membrane presses the carrier material against the rotating cylinder, completely disposing of all traces of ink and dust residues. If required, water is sprayed through a tube integrated into the cleaning unit in order to rapidly detach coating components and paper fibres that have been deposited on the blanket. Once the cleaning process is complete the rubber membrane returns to its starting position. At the same time, a mechanism advances the soiled section of the cloth to the soiled cloth roll, and the clean washcloth is moved over the rubber membrane for the next cleaning cycle. Fully used washcloth rolls are easy to dispose of.

Baldwin IMPACT® automated cleaning systems with PREPAC® pre-impregnated cleaning media
Baldwin's IMPACT® system is the most cost and environmentally-efficient automatic blanket cleaning system available for commercial web and sheet-fed presses. It reduces make-ready times, virtually eliminates the use of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and lowers consumption of washcloth rolls resulting in savings for the printer.

The system uses PREPAC® wash cloth rolls impregnated with an environmentally-friendly low VOC cleaning agent, so keeping the agent completely contained in the roll and totally eliminating solvent handling. The cloth rolls ensure that only the exact amount of low VOC cleaning agent required is applied to the blanket and retains ink and lint residues after cleaning. Baldwin will shortly extend the proven cylinder cleaning system for use with UV inks as well.

With new PREPAC P3 technology, Baldwin cleaning systems will clean web and sheet-fed blankets more efficiently, quickly and cost-effectively. P3 technology has been pre-engineered for blankets where the blanket build-up occurs faster and can be excessive from the increasing use of lower grade papers and a higher content of calcium carbonate.

Baldwin Tower Clean for newspaper printing
Baldwin introduces its modular Tower Clean™ system for single-width newspaper and cold-set semi-commercial printing. This unique concept allows the printer to utilise the press dampening system along with cleaning modules from Baldwin to invest in automated cleaning that meets his cleaning requirement at the right price-point. Printers can configure the Tower Clean System using simple Clean-by-Web applicators, brush rollers for additional cleaning or can utilise the spray dampening system to apply the web cleaning fluid to the web. The degree of automation increases with individual requirements.

For example, anyone using LithoSpray™ bars for dampening can operate these as desired with fountain solution or cleaning solution and use the spray bars on the web press to clean the blankets and impression cylinders too. To clean the blankets, the spray bars deliver cleaning solution and the detached dirt is carried away by the web. Therefore, printers achieve the best possible cost benefit ratio from their cleaning tools.

Basics: Baldwin’s ink roller wash-up devices
Baldwin uses a spray system to wash ink rollers. All ink units can be cleaned in parallel with each other. Each ink unit has a pneumatically positioned blade with collecting tray and a spray bar positioned in the roller frame. A single, central pump station supplies all the spray bars with cleaning agent.

When the ink roller wash-up device is started the press is automatically run at the roller wash-up speed. The spray bar positioned alongside the application rollers intermittently sprays cleaning solution directly into the nip between two rollers rotating towards each other. A series of nozzles ensures an even distribution of the fluid over the ink roller. After allowing an appropriate length of time for the ink to detach the blades are automatically positioned against the ink unit in order to remove the residual ink and dirt. It is also possible to spray water in order to remove paper residues or cleaning agent films.

New: Baldwin-web cleaning system
The trend towards using B grades, recycled newsprint and cheap uncoated papers in offset presses limits both the print quality that is achieved and the life span of the blankets. Deposits on the printing plates and in the printing units result in more frequent maintenance work and increased cleaning expenditure.

The new Baldwin web cleaning technology counters this by cleaning and smoothing the web surface, without affecting the production performance of the press. The combination of moistened cleaning cloths and a specially designed contact element removes loose particles, edge dust and reduces static charge during production. A cleaning cloth is unwound from a reel of clean cloth, moistened with softened water, drawn over a pressure element and following the careful cleaning process it is rewound on to a reel of soiled cloth. The web cleaning system is designed for minimal web consumption. The intensity of the cleaning can be individually adjusted for the degree of soiling of the web by means of an independent control system.

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