Maintaining your offset printing press is critical to maintaining a profitable business. Let's explore a few items on your offset press, that if maintained, will make your business more profitable.

Roller Settings

In offset printing, having proper ink transfer requires that rollers have proper contact. You don't have to schedule specific downtime to check these. Opportunity will automatically come during other periods of downtime. They can be checked one at a time. You can check for five minutes or five hours. Stay on top of it, and it will pay dividends.

Good Blanket

Blankets are the heart of the offset press. They must have proper height. Otherwise they can cause a multitude of problems: web breaks, slurring, poor image transfer, and tension problem.

When the blankets have reached a certain age (determined by number of impressions), change them. Schedule it at the next convenient downtime.

Cleaning

Believe it or not, a press runs better when it is clean. I know a press troubleshooter in Europe who makes 900 euro a day working with offset printing presses. Before he begins any job troubleshooting something, he cleans up the area where the problem is and voila! Many times the problem just seems to go away. Keep the press room clean and not only will problems be fewer, moral will increase.

Replace Your Folder Consumables

To run smoothly, a web press folder needs many consumables maintained. Brushes on the chopper table, cutting rubbers, blades, move able jaws, and so on. These need to be on a schedule to be replaced when their life is up. Do not wait until you start having problems and you have to spend downtime trying to figure out what it is. Have a schedule and replace all consumables on a regular basis.

Preventative Maintenance Tracking

Whatever maintenance items that require attention should be regularly recorded and shared with other pressmen and maintenance personnel. Communication is the key. Keep a log. Even if it's a wish list. When the day arrives when the press is down, your wish just may come true and you will have the time to do what is needed because you have a plan.