The Correct Use Of Rubber Rollers in Printing Industry

As a printing aid, rubber rollers play a key role in the quality and stability of printed products, although they are not used much in the printing process. Today, Dongguan Precision Converting Transmission Co., Ltd. will take you through the correct use of "rubber rollers" in the printing industry!

(a) What is a rubber roller?
Rubber rollers are rubber products made from natural rubber, nitrile rubber, silicone rubber, polyurethane, etc. as the main raw material, and vulcanised on the core to the covered rubber layer. The rubber roller is also one of the main components of the ink delivery system of the offset printing machine and is in constant contact with water, ink, paper etc. and should therefore absorb a minimum of moisture. Compared to metal rollers, rubber rollers have good elasticity, good acid and alkali resistance and are not easy to rust, and have the advantages of good ink absorption and ink transfer and easy cleaning, so they are widely used. The correct choice and use, cleaning and maintenance of rubber rollers is vital to the quality of printing. In particular, to ensure the full play of the role of high-grade printing presses, it is necessary to choose a roller and its cleaning agent to match its requirements.

(B) How should the rollers be stored?

①Printing rollers and printing blankets are the same as rubber products, which need to maintain stable mechanical properties, chemical properties and printing suitability to extend their service life and ensure the quality of printed products. The storage environment for rubber rollers and blankets should be cool, dry and ventilated, with a temperature of 20-25°C and a relative humidity of 60%-70%, avoiding direct sunlight and preferably backlit or in a dark room in a warehouse. Keep away from high temperature, heat and radioactive sources, and avoid storage with acids, alkalis, oils and sharp and hard substances. In addition, the rollers should be set up vertically or horizontally, preferably with a special frame placed horizontally. The rubber head should be set up on the frame, supporting the shoulders on both sides and keeping the rollers parallel to the ground. The rollers should not be stored near large electric motors and generators, as the ozone generated by these devices can cause the surface of the rollers to age and crack. Rollers that have been stored for a long time should be ground or rubbed with talcum powder before use. Old rubber rollers that have been left unused should be cleaned and wrapped in plastic film and placed on a roller stand, but do not stack several rollers together or place them against a wall to avoid undue damage to the rubber body. In the process of transporting the used rubber rollers to the processing and casting, avoid throwing, putting, pressing or re-pressing them, so as to keep the core of the rollers from deviating and bending, and ensure that the core can be used normally.

②The storage period of rubber rollers should not be too long, preferably not more than 6 months. Therefore a reasonable stock quantity needs to be set, neither too little nor even no stock, nor too much stock, it is important to keep a reasonable stock quantity of rubber rollers. The internal structure of newly cast rollers is not yet stable enough, so if they are put into use immediately, it is easy to reduce the service life of the rollers, so it is best not to put them into use immediately. New rollers should be placed for a period of time to adapt to the external temperature and humidity and to maintain a relatively stable state, which will increase the toughness of the rubber body and thus improve durability. And too much stock and too long storage time not only cause the waste of money, but also cause the phenomenon of natural aging, wrinkling and cracking, rusting of shaft head due to too long storage, resulting into unnecessary loss of the library.

(c) When cleaning the rubber rollers, you also need to pay attention to the following matters.

①After the rubber roller is glazed, do not use a rough rag to wipe the rubber roller, otherwise it will destroy the printing surface of the rubber roller, and it will be easier to hoard impurities, and after the destruction, the surface will cause glazing, forming a vicious circle, and finally the rubber roller can only be scrapped.

②Automatic cleaning device: some equipment has automatic cleaning device, only has a water tank, which is filled with car wash water, after using car wash water, did not use water to wash again, the rubber roller is easy to glaze, so it is recommended that the automatic cleaning device has two water tanks.