Himmer Druck installs world's first Baldwin Performance Filtration System
3/8/2006
Himmer Druck installs world's first Baldwin Performance Filtration System
J P Himmer Druck has become the world’s first printer to benefit from Baldwin Technology’s Performance Filtration system, which has completed extensive trials fitted to a two-colour Roland 700 at the Augsburg site. The new ready-to-use compact unit was simply connected to the existing fountain solution system, making installation extremely straightforward.
“The degree of contamination in the fount solution depends to a large extent on the quality of the paper and its tendency to dust,” says managing partner Marcus Fischer. “Nevertheless, we succeeded in printing around the clock on this Roland press for eight months before the fountain solution needed replacing. Obviously, the solution consumed during the printing process was replenished automatically. Yet even after all this time, it was still crystal clear and there were absolutely no signs of dirt or deposits in the water pans. We are eager to see how long the present fountain solution can continue to be used in the system.”
Previously, all of the fountain solution for the two-colour Roland press had to be replaced at least every two weeks. Significant costs were incurred for renewing IPA and fountain solution additive, while machine downtime and essential cleaning resulted in further costs. “Assuming the solution was replaced and the water fountains cleaned methodically, then the press was inevitably down for at least an hour,” says Mr Fischer. “Since the Baldwin filtration system was fitted this has not happened once on the 3B press.”
Baldwin’s Performance Filtration unit requires virtually no maintenance. “We once tested a forced filtration system that works with relatively small bag filters. However, we were obliged to swap spent filter elements for new ones three or four times a week. Although the bags were simple and quick to replace, the cost of them soon started to add up.” By comparison, Baldwin’s Performance Filtration filter elements lasted for 18 weeks before they had to be replaced. Only a few easy steps are necessary, so the filters can be changed in a matter of minutes.
All five of Himmer’s sheet-fed machines print with standardised fountain solution, consisting of centrally processed water mixed with 3 per cent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and a fountain solution additive specially designed for low-alcohol or alcohol-free printing. The Performance Filtration unit can be integrated with any make of fountain solution system and utilised with both sheet-fed and web offset presses. The unit incorporates a pump that provides the pressure necessary to achieve a continuous flow through the filters, which are accommodated in a cylindrical case. The filers have different properties for particle and proportional micro-filtration.
The stacking principle used with the filters results in an extremely large total surface area and ensures an exceptionally long filter element life. The special filter discs are matched to the substances and particles that need to be extracted, while IPA and additives within the fountain solution remain unaffected. The spent filter elements, containing the retained substances, can be disposed of as ordinary commercial waste.
“Baldwin’s Performance Filtration system has proved to be robust and reliable,” says Marcus Fischer. “It also has the advantage of making the complete printing process more stable, especially when printing with very little alcohol.” Proving its enthusiasm for the Baldwin system Himmer Druck has now equipped all its sheet-fed presses - two 3B models with two and five printing units, one size 7 four-colour press and two size 8 four and five units models - with a suitably scaled Baldwin Performance Filtration system.
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