COURSE OVERVIEW:
Today, the doctor blade is recognized as an integral process element of the printing press. Investing a few minutes in proper positioning, installation, chamber alignment, orientation, angle and pressure of doctor blade chamber set-up will be more worth deal than hauling the anilox scoring, poor safety record, short blade life, UV ink spitting, in-consistent print. Blade positioning, orientation, angle and pressure will affect the delivery of a precise amount of ink to the plate and proper installation will give the printer control over consistent, repeatable print quality, metering more precisely, eliminating print defects, extending your blade life, printing cleaner dots longer, avoiding mid-run press stops, reducing annual doctor blade spend, preventing premature anilox roll/cylinder wear and triming customer complaints from print defects. This one day training session is designed as “doctor blade & print management”, suitable for anyone involved in the printing and packaging industry and provides a structured learning environment to explore advanced concepts of doctor blade materials, selection, installation, handling, troubleshooting and addresses various topics through hands-on activities, exercises, case studies accompanied with presentations and discussion.
TRAINING CONTENTS:
- Doctor blade, composition, categories, key process elements, materials makeup, evolution and doctor blade retrospectives.
- Doctor blade types, selections, Installation, positioning, orientation, angle, pressure and doctor blade-chamber alignment.
- Doctor blade shape, size, width, edge profiles & thickness, contact angle, pre-set angle, contact area manipulation and how to inspect the doctor blade quality.
- Blade edge configuration, setting procedures, tip configuration, Nip distance and blade holder configuration.
- Impact of doctor blade on ink metering, dot gain, ink film thickness, and relationship with anilox line screen & volume for print optimization.
- Back doctoring, effects of back doctoring on print quality, practices to prevent back doctoring and tree barking.
- Chamber end seal types, composition, selection, corrective installation, impact on the print quality and how to increase life of end seal during processing.
- Doctor blade problems, different ink systems, impact on print quality, doctor blade related print defects, causes and remedies.
- Correct procedure and best practices for using, cleaning, safe handling, inventory, risk management of doctor blade.
- Doctor blade environmental impact during production, transportation, storage and utilization during printing process.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
- Plant Management
- Print Supervisor | Manager
- QHSE supervisor | Manager
- NPD supervisor | Manager
- Quality Control Technicians
- Ink and chemicals suppliers
- Prepress and Graphic Designers
- Ink room technicians / Ink matchers
- Printing & Packaging Technologists.
- Sales and Customer Service Representatives
- Printers/laminators/ slitters Operators and Helpers
- Those new to the prepress, graphic and printing industry
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understanding of doctor blade role in printing, its materials, categories, composition and retrospectives.
- Understand how to select and install the doctor blade at proper position, orientation, angle, doctor blade-chamber alignment.
- Identify the potential causes, possible remedies for some well know doctor blade patterns using in the printing industry.
- Able to identify the doctor blade safety hazards, effects and consideration when working around printing and paper machine.
- Identify the proper correlation between doctor blades, anilox screen, chamber adjustment to improve print consistency and blade/ anilox longitivity.
- Able to reduce the blade related defects, machine downtime by achieving higher print quality from job to job and improving customer retention as well as gaining new customers.
- Identify the correct edge, angle, tip, holder configuration and nip pressure in order to print the job with perfect dot gain, ink film thickness and preventing back doctoring.
- Implement the SOPs, checklists and standards as per ISO requirements and machine centerlines effectively in the graphic and printing industry.