David Rogers - Business Unit Director for
Static Control at Meech International explains why the print industry really
needs to be aware of static. An excerpt.
Why
is static an important consideration for the print industry?
David
Rogers: International
businesses need to take notice of static as a phenomenon mainly because when it
is present on a printing line it will attract dirt and dust, which can result
in poor print quality, with the printing press necessitating frequent cleaning.
But many CEOs working in this sector may not
be aware of the financial repercussions that stem from the presence of
contamination on the web. Frequent downtime spent on cleaning the printing
press implies a reduction in machine speed, and therefore can lead to
significant loss of production. This is obviously an unacceptable outcome for
businesses that heavily rely on print.
Finally, there’s the health & safety
angle to take into consideration. If accumulated on web rewinds, static can
potentially generate harmful operator shocks. This is particularly apparent
with today’s more common filmic materials, as they tend to generate higher
static charges. End users are demanding more sophisticated standards in the
goods they purchase than they may have done a number of years ago, and these
filmic materials are being used more commonly as they are pleasing on the eye.
In
which processes is static a particular issue and what kind of problems does it
create?
DR:
Static can cause many
quality and productivity issues throughout the printing process, but one area
that needs special attention is unwind/rewind lines. Think about a digital
label printing line, where a massive static charge can be generated both during
printing and as the film or paper is unwound from a roll. These charges are
capable of attracting dust to the web from several feet away.
The print quality instead is affected when
dust has deposited on the material. After all, printers cannot offer a fast
service if they have to keep stopping their machines to clean them due to the
build-up of contamination attracted by static charges. Considering that quality
expectation is much higher these days, this is a problem that requires an
effective solution.
There’s also the issues with ink adhesion in
the digital printing process, where uncontrolled static can actually repel the
ink from the material surface. Not only does this scenario lead to increased
production costs, it can also lead to reduced production speeds.
Is
the print industry fully aware of the impact of static or does it need
educating?
DR:
As a whole, the industry is
still coming to terms with the effects static can have. A lot of companies are
aware – more so today than they might have been 5 years ago – that particularly
in filmic applications static control is needed, but they may not fully
comprehend why. That’s where the experts can step in and help, with solid
knowledge of the different applications and products available to help
neutralise the charges, and keep printing lines running smoothly and at optimum
speeds.
What
are some of the challenges print manufacturers are facing today?
DR:
As already mentioned,
quality expectations have significantly increased for printers compared to 10
years ago, but another big challenge they face is the minimisation of downtime.
Printers need to be able to cope with the high volume of customer orders they
receive, which means that a spotless, static-free web is required in order to
keep presses running and achieve that perfect balance between productivity and
print quality.
What
does the future hold for the print industry and what will it mean for static
control?
DR:
It is evident that print
will continue to move to digital for the foreseeable future, which of course
means production speeds will carry on increasing and more filmic materials will
be increasingly employed. As a consequence, there will be a need for companies
like Meech International to produce static control solutions that can be
employed on printing presses and that will result in high quality applications.
