Printing

Customer
Bottcher Corporation

Application
Large rollers for printing presses

Background
Bottcher is an international, German company that rebuilds printing press rollers. The rollers can be as big as 10 ft. long by 18” in diameter and can weigh up to 3,000 lbs.

When the rollers arrive, the rubber on the face of the rollers is stripped off, defects are repaired, new rubber is wrapped onto the roller and then vulcanized, and finally the rubber is machined down to an extremely tight tolerance.

Problem
Before new rubber is applied, the shafts have to be clean. They were using a vapor degreaser containing 1:1:1 Trichloroethane. A corporate directive was issued to cease using solvents.

They needed an aqueous system that could clean well and hold a large roller in a safe manner.

Solution
Hold the large rollers horizontally, supported with adjustable “V” cradles. Conform the system to the parts, making the machine long and narrow.

System
The system is a top loading jet washer with a lid that is powered up and down. In addition to the “V” cradles, there is an inside grate that can hold basket loads of smaller rollers. The inside working dimensions are 120” L x 25”W x 25”H.

To knock off the heavy grease on the bearing ends of the rollers, there are four (4) special spray manifolds that slide left to right for close nozzle positioning.

5/15/94