Many times, during job changeovers, we are in a time crunch to get the next job on press and up and running. Cleaning chamber parts and re-assembling them can be time-consuming. Quite often, technicians are wiping, scraping, and practically chiseling dried ink. If not done properly, dried ink remnants remain on blade clamps and end seal components, quite possibly compromising the next set-up.
One solution that takes very little upfront time and can be a real time-saver is to coat some of the surfaces with some lubricant. When the chambers and accessories are clean, apply a thin layer of lithium grease, end seal lube, petroleum jelly, or some sort of food-grade lubricant to any surfaces that come in contact with the blades and seals or other chamber components.
For example, the side of the blade clamp that contacts the blade, the surface that the blade lays on in the chamber, the areas where the end seals contact the chamber, or any additional pieces that hold the seal in place. The lubricant provides a barrier between the components and the ink. Ink is not able to set up or cure on these surfaces. During the next blade/seal change process, simply remove the used blades and seals and wipe the old lubricant off with a rag and Iso-Alcohol or your clean-up solution. Re-apply new lubricant, and you are ready to roll, greatly reducing or even eliminating the need to scrape dried ink from these surfaces.
Click for a video demonstration of this tech tip.