The term ancillaries or peripherals implies that you are buying something which isn’t strictly necessary, an extra. But the reality is that this is not the world of gizmos and gadgets but a very practical matter; it’s about empowering your pressroom to achieve more. The benefits can be many and varied, relating to quality, environmental or productivity issues and often the three combined. Inking and varnishing, dampening and chemistry filtration, temperature control, reverse osmosis and press cleaning devices – it is this type of product that is encapsulated in the term pressroom peripherals. At Drupa in May, visitors will see how presses have advanced and it would be wise to review there how the various manufacturers are using peripheral equipment. Even if you are not in a position to buy a new press currently this analysis will at least give you an indication of what you may have to compete against to secure orders. Many of the latest peripherals inventions are retrofittable and, at technotrans we are seeing demand growing from UK printers of all sizes and specialities. Printing has become a very process-driven business, a manufacturing operation serving customers who have an expectation of quality, response and good value (for which read low prices!). To compete in this environment printers handling all formats have to box clever, which can mean being inventive in the ways and means of marketing and selling print but, equally, having an eye for detail in the printing processes to ensure the high cost capital equipment is used to its maximum potential.

Inkline Direct: an easy and time-efficient inking solution.

Take inking. In the B1 markets there is a frenzy of enthusiasm for using bulk inking systems to feed presses. Here the increased size, complexity and number of presses per plant has increased and barrel ink pumping gives clear advantages in terms of ease of operation, handling and cost of inks. But for the B2 and B3 markets only the very exceptional printer would cost justify the investment in barrel-based systems. However, automatic 2kg cartridge inking with ink.line can also give a very good cost return on investment by reducing makeready and cleaning times and freeing the operator for other tasks. It is a user friendly system with cartridges very easily and speedily switched over. The resealed cartridges are easily and safely stored. Cartridges can be used across most press makes.

Lower cost cartridge dispensing alternatives include handy.fill, a semi-automatic on-press system, and handy.fill, a manual filling device. The 2kg cartridge is a standard today. It reduces the waste and risk of skinning associated with tins.

Any assistance leaving the operator more time to handle the finer adjustments required to produce optimum print at speed has to be efficiency-enhancing. Standard process colours, specials and seals are all available in cartridges from the main ink suppliers.

The ink-water balance is fundamental to the litho process as we all know and peripherals enable you to turn the science of printing to best advantage. In addition to inking, the balance can be influenced by temperature control, reverse osmosis and filtration. Of course temperature control keeps ink at the right viscosity and is critical for running with low or no alcohol and it contributes to a better pressroom environment - although water-cooled peripherals is another subject. Suffice to say it is a much more energy efficient means of temporising the pressroom than air cooled systems and it enhances print quality and health and safety.

Water supplied through the taps is normally in the range of pH 5.5 - 9 with a conductivity of up to 1500 micro siemens. The problem is that utility companies can and do supply water from different sources dependent upon reserves and demand. A fluctuation of pH 1.0 will create a variable dampening solution to the plate and hamper quality control. The ideal water hardness is below 220mg/litre and where it is higher it is best to use water softeners. The maximum level of contaminants in water should be less than 500ppm.

Reverse osmosis is a means of stabilising the water for the dampening and is a low cost investment which shows customers you are serious about colour quality. It is also a help in reducing waste, speeding up makeready, enhancing quality and cutting down on maintenance With more and more corporates and print management companies demanding standards and accreditations and provable colour control reverse osmosis really should be considered. It is a prerequisite when running with reduced or no alcohol and a necessity for many commercial printers, irrespective of size and in soft as well as hard water regions.

It is not difficult to achieve five percent alcohol levels but below that requires commitment and the application of stringent procedures. The quest to cut alcohol has gathered momentum because of its increased cost and a more determined view on matters environmental. With alcohol emitting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are harmful to the ozone layer, eliminating it would certainly have other benefits - exposure to high levels of alcohol can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea and liver disorders. Today all press manufacturers supply presses that are compatible with reducing or eliminating alcohol which makes it a safe route to take without restricting your long-term choices.

The final peripheral to consider for optimum dampening is filtration. Having clean chemistry and being able to re-use it without compromising printed results saves on consumables and waste costs. Its commercial as well as environmental credentials are proven and demand has been such that technotrans has continued to extend its filtration family. The latest addition is the entry level basic.f starter kit. Easily retrofittable on existing presses, this dampening solution fine filtration system is an easy and economic system for sheetfed printers. In addition to standard litho applications it can also be used for IPA-reduced printing and with UV or special inks.

Filtration minimises the amount of cleaning on press, helping to maximise uptime and other products in technotrans’ filtration family include the alpha.f, beta.f and softflow products.

Cleaning peripherals might not be the sexiest subject on the pressroom list but as every printer knows slow wash-ups can hamper production, taking its toll on the earning potential of a press. Given today’s press prices it is also sound housekeeping to clean and maintain your press to ensure optimum retained value and a good resale price.

Peripherals are a relatively low cost investment compared to buying a new press but that should not deter you from being thorough in your investigations before selecting a product. Ask the supplier for testimonials and check out the health and safety credentials and level of support and back up. Unreliable peripherals and tardy support could leave your press down and be entirely counterproductive to the clear benefits to be secured in this sector.

Peripherals can extend the life of a press by providing productivity enhancing tools which allow you to compete against continually advancing technology. Is litho a mature market? Judging by the level of innovation and inventiveness I think it has a long way to run yet.

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