Do your box plant employees know all the ins and outs of inks, cutting dies, starches, and printing plates? Of course not. If you sat down and asked a group of them to sound off on all the problems they were experiencing today you would probably be very surprised, if not shocked. At last week’s Chicago TAPPI meeting in Oak Brook, Ill., approximately 50 box plant employees took a few hours away from their production schedules to attend a workshop that covered in detail the four aforementioned subjects.

　　Each presentation lasted 30 minutes and was repeated four times during the two-hour “boot camp” so that all attendees were able to hear all presentations.

　　At the flexo printing ink and anilox roll session, Roger Poteet, president, Poteet Printing Systems, Charlotte, N.C., stressed that box machinery operators must think in terms of optimization, not standardization.

　　“Ink film thickness is the most important factor in producing quality printing,” he stresses. “Remember, ink doesn’t think.”

　　Other key points he made during his talk include:

　　•Resin is the part of ink that gives you performance;
　　•The colors you achieve on press are affected by substrate, plate materials, ink formulations, and operator skills and controls;
　　•Anilox roll volumes are critical for success;
　　•The roughest substrate you use determines minimum liquid requirements; and
　　•Tonal range determines image reproduction quality.

　　Roman Skuratowicz, manager, special projects, Industrial Starch, Corn Products, Bedford Park, Ill., focused on troubleshooting adhesives, bonding, and board problems. He illustrated specific problems by passing around board samples. Topics covered included adhesive testing (think Stein Hall and Love Cup), viscosity (instability causes), gelatinization (taking and recording gel temperatures), and microbial sampling.

　　Skuratowicz also reviewed:

　　•Temperature effects
　　•Shear
　　•Problems caused by excess water
　　•Causes of fluff out
　　•Avoiding zipper board
　　•Spotty glue application
　　•Blisters
　　•Warp
　　•Adhesive slinging

　　Jack Fulton, vice president, sales, Printron, Neenah, Wis., focused on how prepress technology has changed since the early 1980s. This includes everything from job titles (how often do you hear the word engraver nowadays?) to equipment (does anyone still use a Compositor?). He passed out numerous samples of quality printing jobs and detailed the characteristics of a good print job.

　　“Quality printing is about process control,” he says.

　　He also reviewed the history of printing plates and how they should be properly mounted. He recommends that mounting material should go first, followed by a cushion layer and a thin printing plate. Compression material absorbs impression, reducing image distortion or gain, he notes.

　　Finally, Steve Reising, field technician, Triangle Die and Supplies, Inc., Batavia, Ill., detailed how to make certain you are always using cutting dies that consistently perform. Rotary die essentials include making certain they’re clear of debris, have flush and maintained inserts, and have no broken bolts.

　　“When rotary die rubbering, the lead edge is the key,” he states. “Avoid damage to the lead edge knife by replacing rubber before trim build-up occurs.” Like all the other presenters, he also brought with him samples (in his case, rotary die boards) and pointed to them regularly to illustrate his points. He also provided a handout that detailed rotary and flat die nicking tips and recommended nick sizes.

　　“Remember to start light, you can always add,” he says.OBM

　　Each presentation lasted 30 minutes and was repeated four times.