Meech Eradicates Hickie Problem At Jarrold

Norwich-based Jarrold Printing, a leader in web-offset printing, has invested in Meech web-cleaning to resolve a persistent problem with hickies.

Norwich-based Jarrold Printing, a leader in the field of web-offset printing, has invested in Meech web-cleaning to resolve a persistent problem with hickies.

The move followed the company's installation of a Komori System 38 six-colour press aimed at improving speed and productivity.

However, machine's speed, together with the current trend towards more highly inked pages, exacerbated traditional hickie problems caused by debris on the plates.

The company initially encouraged its suppliers to provide cleaner paper, but this was only partially successful and Jarrold was then forced to revert to picking the debris off the plates using a hickie picker or wiping the debris from the blanket surface.

So Jarrold's press operations manager, Graham Fielding, contacted Meech Static Eliminators to discuss web-cleaning solutions.

A Meech Series 1000 web cleaner was installed with great success.

It is left permanently on, cleaning every web and so avoiding any problems before they occur.

The system consists of a cleaning head that combines static eliminators, brushes and there is high power vacuum dust collection.

The Meech Model 910 static eliminator bars break the static bond between the particles and the web, so releasing the dust and allowing it to be removed.

In addition, brushes destroy the boundary layer, where dust can be trapped, freeing these particles as well.

The debris is then removed through a specially designed vacuum control plate that gives complete coverage of the material surface.

The cleaning heads are supported by mounting brackets bolted to the machine frame and are individually tailored to suit each application.

Flexible ducting then delivers the contaminants to the collection system where it is collected in a filter bag.

Fielding explained: "Jarrold specialises in the printing of high volume, medium to long run, high quality magazines.

Naturally, the hickie problem meant that presses had to be stopped while the wiping was done, leading to loss of productivity and increased waste.

The Meech web cleaner has enabled us get the maximum benefit from the speed and capability of our new press, benefits that we can pass on to our customers in terms of higher quality and faster throughput times.".

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