1998 Western Maintenance Conference Back

This year the Western Maintenance Conference for Goss Newspaper Presses was held in Concord, California. The event was co-hosted by Contra Costa Newspapers and the San Jose Mercury-News. As an informational tool this year we had chairpersons in each breakout session leading the discussions, as well as keeping notes on the various issues discussed. The following is a brief rundown on the items that came up during the General Session on Monday morning.

• Straight-line Pasters Quite a bit of interest in this new Paster pattern. Goss has spent some time developing and testing, with improved Web & Paster Performance and Waste Reduction noted as potential benefits. Several shops have experimented with this, using vendor-supplied nose tabs and bridge tape in the predrive path. In use on both Static-belt and Running-belt RTP’s.
• Year 2000 Several noted this on their questionnaire and we received a data sheet from Goss Graphic Systems on the Year 2000 dilemma. Most of the newer generation Goss presses will require software revisions in their operating systems. Most of the Newspaper operations have or are in the process of arranging this work with Goss. Contact Goss if you are unsure about the status of your press equipment.
• Sympathy Web Breaks on E-Stops Discussion around RTP systems and Tension controls on E-stops. Apparently a fix may be required on some of the newer CT-RTP’s to allow safe E-stops without Web Breaks.
• Folder Nip Barrel Undercut Some shops have had good success with undercutting the Nip barrels on their Folders to allow the Nip Rings to pull large sections more efficiently. Goss has information on this.
• Goss Service Bulletins Some concern over what determines the need for a Service Bulletin from Goss and who receives them. Goss Net has supplied quite a library of this service information, access to this is supposed to become easier with the coming implementation of the new Goss Graphics Web-site.
• Color-to-Color Registration Systems More shops are looking into automation of the Color Registration systems on their presses. Benefits include improved color reproduction consistency, reduced waste and smoother runs. The Los Angeles Times has completed an intense testing period with some of the systems available commercially, they now have installed fully automated Sidelay and Circumferential Register controls from Web Press Controls on several press-lines. The San Jose Mercury-News has automated Circumferential controls on their equipment.
• Colorliner Impression Sticking Several sites have experienced problems with Impressions cycling inconsistently, causing Web breaks and other problems. Some things to check would be overly tight Jib cushion clearances on the cylinder sleeves, on and off-cycle nut settings on the linkage, as well as impression settings in general. Critical on tower presses.
• Gear-case Lube Oil Most sites have switched over from Mobil Vactra 2 to the now recommended Texaco 68 oil. Some are using oils researched or developed with local vendors. The issue of Tackifier content has been the concern, contact Goss for the most recent information in this area.
• Colorliner Wet Sheet Start-ups Some discussion over excessively wet sheets on start-up, causing Web Breaks and washed out images. Roller Settings, Parameter Settings and Water/Air Pressures can all have an effect here.
• Colorliner Parameters Some discussion over Ink & Dampener Parameter testing and values being used in the various shops. Most have stayed relatively close to their original settings and do occasional testing, frequency mostly determined by material changes such as Ink, Fountain Solution etc.. A suggestion came up to send in your current Parameter Values, we will publish this information on our Web-site for comparison.
• Power Loss or Interruption Some sites experience occasional Electrical Power interruption or outages, adversely affecting the operating systems, including software loss. Some Colorliner sites have installed backup disk drives in their MicroVAX’s to allow quick reloading of software in the event of loss during Production periods, saving costly downtime.
• Roller Diameters Some sites now using increased Ink & Dampener Roller diameter specifications in certain positions. This in response to problems with running out of travel due to shrinkage and wear in some positions, as well as being able to grind these rollers down after a period of time to gain additional life without recovering.
• Automatic Blanket Washing Systems Several sites now testing or installing Automated Blanket Washing systems. Benefits include more frequent cleaning in the higher production shops, improved quality, resolution to repetitive-motion injuries and environmental issues. Quite a bit of interest in the new dry system marketed by Machine Design which can be utilized during live production.
• Oil Filtration Several shops now using portable Oil Filtration systems to clean their gear oil in the Press Units and Folders, extending oil, gear and bearing lifespans. Some have plumbed their Press Units to allow quick-connection and filtering during Production, others filter oil after removal from the sump during scheduled housing cleaning & inspection periods. A recommendation of 10 micron filtering to start with 5 micron finishing was discussed.
• Hydraulic Oil Leakage Still a big problem on presses supplied with Hydraulic actuation of Ink, Dampener and Impression functions. Goss is working on hard-plumbing of several line positions in the lab, Phoenix has done work in this area as well. Goss supplies upgraded seal kits for Impression Cylinders, the Los Angeles Times has found an aftermarket replacement cylinder that they have had good success with. Still quite a bit of concern over the quality of the hydraulic lines originally provided with these presses.
• Metro Vertical Shafts & Bearings Some discussion over increasing repair needs in the vertical shaft assemblies on Metro half-deck units. Several of the older, high-use Metro Press lines are now having to rebuild the vertical shaft, bearing and clutch assemblies.
• Folder Trolleys After some discussion over the various Folder Trolley materials in use, we did a quick show of hands to determine who was using what. Over half are still using the original Brass or Micarta trolleys. Some are currently using Urethane, Los Angeles and Philadelphia have been testing Phenolic Resin.
• Folder Knives & Slitters Quite a bit of testing is going on with the one-piece Folder knives in several shops. Easier installation and set-up are some of the early reports. Also, several sites are testing Nitride-coated Slitters and Knives, extended lifespans and better cutting were mentioned.
• Folder Nip Rings Some discussion over Nip Ring materials and specifications. Most are still using steel, a few are testing Urethane. Some sites are using a narrower Nip Ring to minimize marking and level out the wear. Some interest in criteria used to determine the ‘Wear-out’ point. Goss has documented recommendations here.
• Blanket Cylinder Corrosion Still a topic of discussion, cylinder corrosion has been resolved in most sites, still a problem in others. Extending the Blanket width seems to be the most prevalent cure with little extra material cost involved. We asked whether cylinder treatments were still being used, quite a few still using Rust-veto, San Jose is using a product called ‘Iron-clad’ available through ‘Zep’.
• Blanket Scaling Several sites reporting an increasing problem with Blanket Scaling. The increased usage of recycled Newsprint and some of the talc and clay fillers seem to be causing most of this. Blanket washing and general housekeeping practices, as well as Ink / Water balance help to minimize this problem.

• Los Angeles Times Newsprint Study Joe Salinas and Vern Bundy presented information on Newsprint Performance & Productivity Improvements developed at the Los Angeles Times. They have formed a partnership within Production, including both the Operations and Support areas, successfully improving Web Performance to a new level, saving their company an enormous amount in both Newsprint costs, as well as reduced Production downtime. They have developed a shared bonus program which has resulted in a legitimate ‘buy-in’ by all areas. Joe and Vern supplied handouts to the group, big thanks to these folks at LA for sharing the massive amount of data they have generated, to the benefit of all.

Back