Beating Static Woes
Attack static problems early, or else they could take over
by Kate Tomlinson, Associate Editor
IT'S THAT TIME of year once again. As temperatures drop and the heating units are turned on (sucking much of the humidity out of the air), pressroom static problems intensify. We all know the standard static control drill: add a bar, some tinsel, or a vacuum unit to avoid dirty webs and to keep your operators from getting shocked (or worse!). In addition to expanding product lines, today's static control and web cleaning suppliers have taken the best of the best, made slight improvements, and added features to ensure you are getting the best for your money. packagePRINTING went straight to industry suppliers for tips on tackling static before it wreaks havoc on your pressroom.
Tips of the trade
• "During high-humidity seasons, materials which tend to be hygroscopic, such as uncoated papers and non-wovens, absorb some degree of moisture from the ambient humidity. The collection of moisture on their surface increases electrical conductivity which results in lower static charge generation. Moisture also allows a semi-conductive path for static charges to bleed off to ground through contact with metal machinery components. Plastic films are also somewhat effected but generally not to the same extent, as they tend not to collect as much surface moisture.
"While static control products are the most effective way to control charges, during the winter months machine speeds can be reduced. This will sometimes aid in lower charge generation on materials. Also, humidity levels in the production environment can be increased."—Mike Oldt, business unit manager, SIMCO Industrial Static Control
• "If a customer is struggling with static, the first recommended step would be to contact a static professional and get a no-obligation survey done. If they are still unsure of making the investment, customers should try to arrange an equipment trial. I am sure that a company confident in their application specialists and products will not object to such a proposal."—Tobias Wagener, GM, HAUG N.A. • "Look at your static problems as engineering projects, don't just throw more tinsel at the problems."—Mark Blitshteyn, VP/Industrial Products, Ion Systems
• "The best approach to ensuring peak performance is to start early by making sure your static control equipment is in top condition. The ability to run your press at the highest speeds available will keep yields up, translating into more profit. Having to stop a press to clean the blanket of slitter dust on an hourly basis costs printers money. Invest in a small hand-held static meter to take some of the mystery out of static; it's a useful tool to provide periodic verification of the performance at a much lower cost than the expensive monitoring systems that are incorporated into static bars from several manufacturers."—Jim Patterson, executive VP, Julie Industries
• "The biggest piece of advice I can supply is this: If you had the problem last year and know you are going to have the same problem this year, don't wait until your line is down or your quality control is shot before you address your static control issues. Being proactive will save you and your company a lot of money and headaches. I have noticed a willingness for converters to invest in more technically-advanced static control then in the past. This is especially true since the advancements in web speeds have made conventional ionizers seem less effective. Many printers are realizing that if they spend a little bit more time and effort in evaluating their static issues, they will see the benefits of using
a better system".—Matt Fyffe, GM, Meech Static Eliminators USA Inc.
• "A good static meter is the first investment a converter should make. These can assist in pin pointing the source of a static problem and evaluating how well static control measures are working. (i.e. static charge before and after film passes a static bar.)"—Andy Grzesik, sales manager, Tantec Inc.
• "The first step is to determine how the static is affecting your process, then treat it close to the problem area as possible. Be sure to contact a company with experienced personnel so you do not have to experiment though trial and error to correct your problem. Compare technologies. Ask any companies you are considering for a performance guarantee; those that are confident in their equipment will stand behind their recommendation."—Mark Gibis, VP/sales and marketing, Doyle Systems
• "Static Control systems are great for removing the static charge on a moving web and will reduce the amount of air born particles that would otherwise be attracted to the web. But static removal alone will not clean the web. One effective method is the use of contact cleaning rolls (CCR). Here, surface contamination makes contact with a polymeric-covered roll to break the boundary layer of air traveling with the web. Web cleaning machines with nip-style contact cleaning rollers can offer many options that most others do not."—Ron Sweet, manager of operations and sales, Polymag Tek Inc.
What's out there?
Erhardt + Leimer has introduced the new LC 2000 contact cleaner family for both single- and double-sided continuous contact cleaning. Specially formulated polymer rollers lift and transfer contaminates from the web surface to easily replaceable adhesive rolls. "The polymer roller is shaped to give good contact to the web, even at low pressures," says Todd Guzzardo, assistant sales division manager for E+L's converting industry. "Contaminates are then transferred from the web to the adhesive roller and a static discharger, located after the cleaner, ensures that the web does not re-attract dust after passing through the cleaner." The LC 2000 contact cleaners are suitable for cleaning coated (glossy) paper, film, and foil at web speeds of up to 984 feet per minute and web widths up to 78 inches. The system is pneumatically actuated, in manual or automatic functions.
SIMCO's Blue Bar static neutralizer is now available in a hazardous location version. The Blue Bar HL Static Neutralizing Bar is an extended range, shockless static bar that is UL/CUL listed for use in Class I (Div. 1 and 2, Group D), Class II (Div. 1 and 2, Group G), and Class III (Div. 1 and 2) hazardous locations. It neutralizes static charges on webs at speeds to 2,500 fpm at 1˝ and can be mounted up to 6˝ from the web at slower speeds. Its design allows for easy cleaning and offers a mounting channel along the full length of the back of the bar.
Meech's latest developments are the Model 976 Long Range Pulsed DC Bar and Model 977v2 Power Supply. "Most static control users are familiar with AC equipment, which in most cases has a very limited range, typically 1˝-3˝. Our Pulsed DC Bar (PDC) uses DC technology as opposed to AC," Fyffe says." This allows the end user to have greater control over the ion output of the bar. The customer's benefit is that it will work over much longer ranges—up to 24˝ without the use of air, and 48˝ with an air boost option." These systems are ideally suited for use on winders. Fyffe explains that by directing the bar at the space where the film and roller separate at the unwind, you will be able to remove the charge from the roll as it is generated. "At the rewind area, a bar is positioned in the same area near the contact point. This will alleviate the problems of dust attraction and severe operator shocks," he concludes. PDC systems are easily maintained and have replaceable emitter points.
Julie Industries has released the StaticSmart™ HEPAClean 3000. This stainless steel, closed-loop parts cleaning system uses static neutralization, high-velocity compressed air, and a HEPA filter, which is 99 percent efficient at 0.3 micron). This system's features include a direct-drive high-velocity air blower with a balanced impeller for quiet operation, lighted rocker switches, a perforated stainless steel work surface, motion sensors and a solenoid valve for automatic operation, and removable side panels for pass through operation.
TAKK Industries' Curtain Air Ionizers are available in six portable models. Each ionizer unit establishes an extra wide and deep field or "curtain" of highly concentrated ions, which neutralizes positive and negative static from processing equipment and product surfaces. Curtain air ionizers help increase speed, enhance product quality, and improve operator safety.
