Tips & Recommendations

After many years of observing the wash-up of rollers and cleaning of blankets, we would like to make some recommendations, based on what we have experienced with our customers and roller and blanket manufacturers.

Harsh damage and shorter roller and blanket life will likely occur if a “flash dry” solvent is used for roller wash-up or blanket cleaning. By “flash dry” solvent, we refer to any solution that dries on the rollers too fast that it causes the wash-up blade to start squealing, or a blanket wash that dries so fast that you don’t need to re-wipe the blanket. As the rollers and blankets break down pre-maturely, it also becomes increasingly more difficult to maintain the optimal ink acceptance on the rollers and blanket, resulting in poor printing results.

The proper selection of a high quality solution for washing the rollers is very critical to the life of rollers. A mild but effective cleaning solution should be all that is required to remove ink from the rollers. For a proper deep clean of the rollers, a detergent based solution is recommended. It is highly recommended that a warm water rinse follow the wash-up process. For glazing problems, a stronger solution, such as a “deglazer” can be used. Caution should be taken when using any “deglazer” solvent. Due to the calcium carbonate use in paper production, a calcium rinse for the rollers is also recommended on a regular basis. This may be done at the end of a wash-up with a final water rinse. Proper roller settings are extremely important. Whether too tight or too loose, improper settings can destroy a roller or cause ink lay down problems. It is always advisable to consult the press manual for the right roller stripe and settings.

Proper wash-up methods are imperative in order to keep your press at its optimal printing level and to avoid costly problems. I.C. Compound Co. can assist you in making that proper decision to maintain your press to produce the highest quality printing your clients expect. We recommend the following products, and would be glad to supply you with samples to show you the performance of these solvents.

Roll-R-Wash #1 & #2
I.C. Hydroblend
I.C. All Pro
Glaze Free Concentrate
I.C. X-Tra
I.C. Calciway

I.C. Deep Clean Roll-R Paste