COVID-19 has led to a nationwide lockdown, threatening life and economy. The situation demands us to rise in unison to break and beat COVID-19. Heidelberg urgers everyone to kindly co-operate and support the lockdown, by not stepping out of homes. Like most enterprises, print production has come to maintenance tips from Heidelberg to keep Gallus equipment in perfect condition.
General maintenance
• Please observe the following procedures, after shutting down, switching-off and unplugging the equipment with care and caution
Unwind and Rewind unit
• Unroll material and release air from the unwind shaft
• Clean and lubricate movement area
• Spray rust-protector oil on unused area
Infeed and outfeed unit
• Clean all the rollers – drive roller, measuring roller & path rollers
• Lubricate grease nipple using grease gun
• Clean nip-roller and release pressure to avoid damage
Flexography and screen printing Unit
• Remove plate cylinders, Anilox and ink chambers from Flexography unit. Remove Screeny, if using a screen printing unit
• Clean entire unit to get rid of ink and dirt
• Lubricate required area using grease and oil
• Apply rust protector on plate shaft and impression cylinders to avoid rusting
• Apply rust protector even on unused areas for protection from rust
Die station
• Remove die-plate and magnetic cylinder from the Die-station
• Clean and lubricate entire unit using grease and oil
• Use rust protector on the anvil and drive roller
• Remove hydraulic pressure applicator gauge (if available) and store with care
• Lubricate bridge bearings and store carefully
Rail and its accessory
• Clean and lubricate rail unit using rust protector
• Remove matrix waste roll and cold foil, if any, from the matrix and cold-foil units
• Apply oil on spindle
• Apply rust protector on the complete unit
UV and machine electrical parts
• Remove UV cassettes, clean reflector and lamp to remove dust and moisture and mount back
• Place silica gel bags in UV controller box to absorb moisture and prevent rusting of boards
• Place silica gel bags in all electrical cabinets
Tooling’s
• Clean plate cylinder and lubricate bearings (if available) and store with care
• Use recommended chemicals for deep cleaning Anilox roll bearings. After cleaning, store with caution in dark place. Needs inspection, before re-installing
• Clean thoroughly and lubricate magnetic cylinders, before storing carefully
• Clean the Screeny unit to thoroughly, and store in proper place
Chiller
• Clean the chiller-condensing-unit radiator to remove dust
• If water is dirty, clean and replace water and appropriate chemical before shutdown. While handling chemical, wear protective gear, including respiratory protection
• Why replace chemical? take the DOWCAL 200 for example. It is a Propylene glycolbased chemical. If left unused for long periods, it can cause issues in rollers and impression cylinders, leading to printing glitches
Most important
• Last, but not least, wrap the entire press with clean covers or shrink wrappers to protect the equipment from dust and other contamination
We also urge you to implement recommended safety measures in your office and shopfloor, thereby ensuring that both you and your colleagues remain unaffected of the pandemic
Is calibration required for hydraulic pressure applicator gauge on Gallus machines?
If yes, why?
If No, then why not?