Cleanliness Pays Off
Consistent print quality at lower costs - continuous cleaning of
the dampening solution pays off. All you need is the right
filter.
With certain applications and multiple shifts, it may be necessary to change the dampening solution after only two weeks. Otherwise, residual ink, paper coating, or powder may cause the ink-water balance to tip over and impair the printing process. But instead of changing the dampening solution, Heidelberg Peripheral Systems Product Manager Bernd Thuerauf recommends cleaning it: "The continuous filtration solutions offered by Heidelberg, FilterStar and FilterStar Compact, are far more economical and productive, because disposal costs are reduced and the dampening solution needs to be changed less frequently."
Extended Lifespan
FilterStar and FilterStar Compact extend the service life of your dampening solution by three times on average: depending on the alcoholic content and the range of printed products, the water and filter may only have to be changed every six to twelve months with FilterStar. FilterStar Compact extends the lifespan by four times. Without a filter, the dampening solution has to be changed every two to twelve weeks. Since the filter can be replaced during operation, productivity is increased even further: "Filtration is particularly worthwhile for companies that need to change their dampening solution quite often - perhaps to achieve maximum consistency in their printing process - for those that print with reduced alcohol, or for those that use highly contaminating ink or cardboard. Interrupting production for thirty to forty-five minutes in order to change the dampening solution significantly reduces productivity," says Thuerauf.
With certain applications and multiple shifts, it may be necessary to change the dampening solution after only two weeks. Otherwise, residual ink, paper coating, or powder may cause the ink-water balance to tip over and impair the printing process. But instead of changing the dampening solution, Heidelberg Peripheral Systems Product Manager Bernd Thuerauf recommends cleaning it: "The continuous filtration solutions offered by Heidelberg, FilterStar and FilterStar Compact, are far more economical and productive, because disposal costs are reduced and the dampening solution needs to be changed less frequently."
Extended Lifespan
FilterStar and FilterStar Compact extend the service life of your dampening solution by three times on average: depending on the alcoholic content and the range of printed products, the water and filter may only have to be changed every six to twelve months with FilterStar. FilterStar Compact extends the lifespan by four times. Without a filter, the dampening solution has to be changed every two to twelve weeks. Since the filter can be replaced during operation, productivity is increased even further: "Filtration is particularly worthwhile for companies that need to change their dampening solution quite often - perhaps to achieve maximum consistency in their printing process - for those that print with reduced alcohol, or for those that use highly contaminating ink or cardboard. Interrupting production for thirty to forty-five minutes in order to change the dampening solution significantly reduces productivity," says Thuerauf.
FilterStar Compact: handy and inexpensive
The heart of the entry-level model FilterStar Compact is a handy filter cartridge filled with quartz granulate. It is connected to the dampening solution tank in the bypass and cleans the dampening solution in a single stage: the soiled solution is continuously pressed through a 30 cm layer of granulate under high pressure. The granulate retains particles as small as five micrometers. The filtered water is then fed back into the dampening solution circuit.
The level of filter soiling is displayed on the cartridge. The cartridge is housed in a compact console that sits on a trolley. Thanks to the trolley, the filter cartridge can be changed in no longer than ten minutes whenever necessary. The cartridges are available directly from Heidelberg. "Our established exchange process is environmentally friendly, as we properly dispose of the granulate and refill the filter cartridges with new quartz granulate," emphasizes Thuerauf. FilterStar Compact is available for new Speedmaster SM 52 and Speedmaster SM 74 models and can be retrofitted on all Speedmaster presses.
The heart of the entry-level model FilterStar Compact is a handy filter cartridge filled with quartz granulate. It is connected to the dampening solution tank in the bypass and cleans the dampening solution in a single stage: the soiled solution is continuously pressed through a 30 cm layer of granulate under high pressure. The granulate retains particles as small as five micrometers. The filtered water is then fed back into the dampening solution circuit.
The level of filter soiling is displayed on the cartridge. The cartridge is housed in a compact console that sits on a trolley. Thanks to the trolley, the filter cartridge can be changed in no longer than ten minutes whenever necessary. The cartridges are available directly from Heidelberg. "Our established exchange process is environmentally friendly, as we properly dispose of the granulate and refill the filter cartridges with new quartz granulate," emphasizes Thuerauf. FilterStar Compact is available for new Speedmaster SM 52 and Speedmaster SM 74 models and can be retrofitted on all Speedmaster presses.
FilterStar: for special demands
FilterStar is a two-step filtration system. Coarse impurities are extracted by a pre-filter that comprises seven tubes. The main filter is made up of 16 discoid layers and captures all particles of down to one micrometer in size. FilterStar even binds oil residues. "The high cleaning power is extremely beneficial for companies that print with reduced alcohol or no alcohol at all and for those that alternate between conventional and UV ink. In such cases, soiled dampening solution impairs the print result visibly," explains Thuerauf.
FilterStar is housed in a tall cabinet and is part of CombiStar Pro. This environmentally friendly peripheral device by Heidelberg with energy-saving functions has an integrated dampening solution treatment system and inking unit temperature control. The filtration system can also be retrofitted to be used in combination with HydroStar (dampening solution treatment system) or CombiStar. The display of the Star devices or the Prinect Press Center tells the user when to change the filter. FilterStar can be installed with the series Speedmaster SM 102, Speedmaster CD 102, Speedmaster XL 75, Speedmaster XL 105, and Speedmaster XL 145/162.
Retrofitting is worthwhile
FilterStar and FilterStar Compact have been available worldwide since 2009. "We have installed more than 100 filtration systems in a very short period of time," reports Thuerauf. In view of the many benefits, he recommends retrofitting presses with a dampening solution filtration system: "That can easily be done at any time, and in most cases it makes sense from an economic point of view."
Benefits at a glance
FilterStar is a two-step filtration system. Coarse impurities are extracted by a pre-filter that comprises seven tubes. The main filter is made up of 16 discoid layers and captures all particles of down to one micrometer in size. FilterStar even binds oil residues. "The high cleaning power is extremely beneficial for companies that print with reduced alcohol or no alcohol at all and for those that alternate between conventional and UV ink. In such cases, soiled dampening solution impairs the print result visibly," explains Thuerauf.
FilterStar is housed in a tall cabinet and is part of CombiStar Pro. This environmentally friendly peripheral device by Heidelberg with energy-saving functions has an integrated dampening solution treatment system and inking unit temperature control. The filtration system can also be retrofitted to be used in combination with HydroStar (dampening solution treatment system) or CombiStar. The display of the Star devices or the Prinect Press Center tells the user when to change the filter. FilterStar can be installed with the series Speedmaster SM 102, Speedmaster CD 102, Speedmaster XL 75, Speedmaster XL 105, and Speedmaster XL 145/162.
Retrofitting is worthwhile
FilterStar and FilterStar Compact have been available worldwide since 2009. "We have installed more than 100 filtration systems in a very short period of time," reports Thuerauf. In view of the many benefits, he recommends retrofitting presses with a dampening solution filtration system: "That can easily be done at any time, and in most cases it makes sense from an economic point of view."
Benefits at a glance
- Reduced paper waste thanks to a stable ink-water balance
- Consistently high printing quality
- Reduced downtime
- Extended lifetime of the dampening solution
- Filters can be changed without interrupting production
- Environmentally friendly
- Rapid amortization
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