Printing Rubber Roller Operation Maintenance & Standard Cleaning Guide

Operation and Maintenance

1. Before Printing

Check for foreign matter between rollers, inspect the integrity of rubber rollers and verify uniform pressure among them. Start printing only after all conditions are confirmed normal and the rollers are cleaned thoroughly.

2. During Printing

Keep rubber rollers in stable contact with even pressure throughout operation. The entire rubber surface shall be coated with ink regardless of the width of printed products. Adjust ink volume timely according to ink accumulation between rollers to guarantee printing quality.

To avoid excessive ink drying, surface crusting and increased viscosity of rubber rollers while maintaining printing speed, control the dosage of drying oil properly. This prevents ink starvation and uneven ink transfer during operation.

3. After Printing

Separate rubber rollers from printing components and release pressure immediately to avoid permanent deformation of rubber surfaces caused by static pressure. Clean residual ink on roller surfaces in a timely manner. Dried ink deposits, films and dirt (especially ink buildup at both ends of nylon rollers) will scratch the rubber surface during restart, and may even cause pits and surface debris in severe cases.

4. Rubber Roller Cleaning

Use dedicated cleaning agents to wash rubber rollers before and after use, so as to keep the surface smooth for standby.

Delayed cleaning will make ink penetrate the tiny pores on the rubber surface, together with paper scraps and dirt adhering to the rollers. Long-time shutdown may lead to adhesion between contacting rollers due to dried ink film, which will tear the rubber surface during restart and render the roller unusable.

Incomplete cleaning will cause glazing on the roller surface. It reduces ink affinity and transfer efficiency, and even results in ink stripping. Glazing hardens the rubber surface and alters its elasticity, accelerating wear, forming pits, cracks and surface residues, and ultimately impairing printing quality.

Note: Glazing refers to the phenomenon that the rubber surface hardens and becomes mirror-like.

5. Requirements for Cleaning Agents

Non-flammable, safe and eco-friendly with no environmental pollution.
Powerful cleaning performance against ink.
Non-corrosive to rubber rollers, causing no deformation to rubber surfaces.
Use special UV ink cleaner for rollers applied with UV ink.
Use dedicated cleaner for alcohol dampening rollers.

6. Cleaning Method

Run the machine and spray the cleaning agent onto the ink rollers.

Operation and Maintenance of Printing Rubber Rollers