Baldwin ProTech2 NP Brush Cleaning Technology – The Latest Advances Stand the Test of Practical Duty
10/27/2008
The Baldwin ProTech2 NP system – a more advanced version of the manufacturer's successful brush cleaning technology for blanket and impression cylinders in newspaper and semi-commercial printing, has recently been launched in the market. The new system meets today's requirements for quality, efficiency, and economy in fully automatic cleaning in a Newspaper & Semi-commercial press. This proud claim was recently confirmed by a nine-month field test at SV-Druckzentrum in Munich, Germany. The results are certainly impressive: compared to the predecessor generation, Baldwin ProTech2 NP excels with a dramatic drop in cleaning agent consumption, shorter cleaning times, significantly longer maintenance intervals, and a whole series of other benefits to please printers.
It is a great advantage for both sides – manufacturers and users – if a new technology is developed by people with practical experience for the people who will actually have to come to terms with it in practice. This applies even more when trust built on experience forms the basis for a cooperative partnership. The new Baldwin ProTech2 NP brush cleaning system, which was put on trial at SV-Druckzentrum Steinhausen GmbH & Co. KG in Munich for a nine-month period to prepare it for rollout, is a case in point.
Many years ago, Baldwin (then Oxy-Dry) collaborated extensively and very constructively with SV-Druckzentrum on the development of the first brush cleaning system for newspaper printing presses as well as a cleaning system for guide rollers. It therefore comes as no surprise to learn that all the presses at this Bavarian printing house – six manroland Colorman newspaper presses, each comprising three towers with ten-cylinder printing units, and four KBA Commander four-high units – are equipped with Baldwin cleaning technology for the blanket and impression cylinders and the guide rollers.
Incidentally, the LithoSpray Optima spray dampening systems in all machines likewise originate from the Baldwin stable. The company profits from Baldwin's system supplier concept: the decision to purchase several products from the same source cuts down the number of contacts for installation, maintenance, and service. The resulting concentration of system responsibility saves users considerable time and prevents inefficiencies and misunderstandings in the event of problems or service cases.
Center for ambitious newspaper printing quality
SV-Druckzentrum, the most important printer in the Mediengruppe Süddeutscher Verlag group, produces newspapers and advertising journals. Its flagship product is the prestigious Süddeutsche Zeitung that is read nationwide. The portfolio also includes part editions of Bild, Bild am Sonntag, Die Welt, and Welt Kompakt as well as various advertising journals. Since mid-2002, following the completion of the sixth Colorman installation phase, the company has been in a position to print entirely in full color. SV-Druckzentrum has long been a committed advocate of standardized newspaper printing in accordance with ISO 12647-3, and is also certified in line with this standard. "By standardizing our workflows, we not only comply with advertiser demands for repeatable color and print quality, we are generally hit by fewer problems in daily production," reports Robert Heitzer, head of the printing department.
The company has made a name for itself with exclusive newspaper ad specials, and meanwhile enjoys an excellent reputation throughout the graphic arts industry. Special multi-page ads and supplements are printed on glossy uncoated, coated, or transparent papers, processed with burst-open fragrances or with fluorescent or metallic colors, and realized in custom page formats such as "flying pages" or "half-covers". "We see it as our mission to create an innovative newspaper environment for advertisers. Our goal is to get the most out of the coldset press and the available consumables without any extra investment for drying, for instance," Uwe Seifert, the printing department's deputy head, reveals.
Press automation equipment such as automatic blanket cleaning systems must not only contribute to the consistently high print quality stipulated by users, they must also reduce make ready times and waste. Robert Heitzer explains the decision for brush technology taken all those years ago: "It is a top priority for us not to need any materials other than cleaning agent and water, and to be able to rely on the cleaning system at all times." Four blanket cleaning units work according to the "one for two" principle (one brush simultaneously cleans two blankets) in each of the eighteen Colorman towers. In addition, thirty-two "one for one" units are installed in the KBA Commander towers. Heitzer adds that the blankets are cleaned after every long run or as and when necessary, usually after 100,000 to 150,000 cylinder revolutions.
Team play between system developers and newspaper printers
SV-Druckzentrum's deep satisfaction with its existing Baldwin cleaning technology and the immense trust that has grown up over the years between the two partners meant that the company's managers had no hesitation in agreeing to host the ProTech2 NP trial. In October 2007, one of the new brush cleaning modules, which successively cleans two blankets according to the "pivot for two" principle, was installed in a printing unit of the Colorman press. This printing line, which is designed for a web width of 1.600 mm, allowed a direct comparison between the old equipment and the new generation in regular production. The aim was to optimize the cleaning performance, time, and intervals of the ProTech2 NP system as well as its ease of use and consumption of cleaning agent. It should also be mentioned in this connection that SV-Druckzentrum uses a universal cleaning agent for blankets, guide rollers, and inking rollers.
Staff at SV-Druckzentrum continuously documented the cleaning results along with any suggestions for improvements that occurred to them during the test period. Baldwin's R&D experts paid regular visits to the site to implement appropriate optimization measures.
30% faster, 50% less cleaning agent, significantly longer maintenance intervals
All in all, it was possible to optimize the system to the extent that ProTech2 NP achieves the desired results with around 30% faster cleaning and 50% lower consumption of cleaning agent. The main reasons for this are the constructive dialogue between the two project partners and the resulting technological advances of the ProTech2 NP cleaning unit. One new feature, for example, is the application of cleaning agent to the blanket cylinder by the brush roller rotating in the same direction. The brush direction is then automatically switched by the system to "counter rotating", so that the ink and paper fiber mixture that has built up is efficiently removed from the blankets.
The "pivot for two" principle has the advantage that only one brush unit is required for two blankets. Another innovation is the swivelling scraper, which only contacts the brush roller when it actually needs to be cleaned. This integrated self-cleaning technique prevents unnecessary loss of cleaning agent that has only just been applied to the brush. The dirty fluid that is scraped off collects in a defined drip area in the ProTech2 NP cleaning unit and is automatically rinsed out with cold water after each self-cleaning cycle.
When it comes to operation and handling, the Munich newspaper printer willingly testifies to the new Baldwin ProTech2 NP system's genuine advantages. The brush roller is lighter and can be individually removed from the installed unit with outmost ease, for instance for inspection or maintenance. Adjusting the cleaning units to the blanket cylinders is also far simpler than in the past. A further point in its favor is that the drip pan for the discharged dirty fluid now only has to be cleaned once every three to four weeks instead of every two.
The ProTech2 NP trial at SV-Druckzentrum ran for nine months without a single hitch. Robert Heitzer, who has been with the company since 1996, sums up his experience as follows: "We learned in the course of daily production that an even more efficient and more economical way exists to clean our blanket and impression cylinders. This lesson will undoubtedly prove useful for future investment decisions. Without question, this is the kind of project that deserves to be supported by anyone keen to promote technological progress in our industry. We are the ultimate beneficiaries, after all."
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