1. The printing rubber roller mainly transmits ink on the offset printing machine. Therefore, when cleaning the stone rubber roller daily, it is essential to clean it thoroughly; otherwise, a smooth and hard film will form on the surface layer of the printing rubber roller due to the oxidation of pigments and resins, which will cause the surface to become glassy and affect ink transfer. If it is not cleaned properly over time, the surface of the printing rubber roller will become uneven and difficult to use. Therefore, when stopping the machine, the printing rubber roller should be cleaned and stored properly for future use. 2. In offset printing operations, the emulsification of ink caused by "too much water and too much ink" creates a hydrophilic base on the smooth printing rubber roller, causing it to lose ink. The solution is to scrape off the emulsified ink, clean the de-inked rubber roller with gasoline, and polish it with a 5% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution mixed with pumice powder. At the same time, the metal rollers (or hard rollers) should also be treated accordingly. Hard rollers can also be polished with fine water sand while being sprayed with water, but care must be taken not to stay fixed in the same position, as this may damage the printing rubber roller. The fundamental solution is still to control the pH value of the water tank liquid and maintain a good balance between water and ink. 3. If the printing rubber roller is used for too long and ages, combined with the erosion of chemical agents, it will cause the rubber to shed "grains". Such printing rubber rollers should not be used anymore, as they will severely affect the quality of the printed products. 4. To ensure that production and printing quality are not affected, there must be spare ink rollers, but do not store too many to avoid aging. The storage environment for printing rubber rollers should be the same as that for rubber blankets. Additionally, the printing rubber rollers should be placed straight at the shaft neck, and their surfaces should not touch each other or other items to prevent deformation of the printing rubber rollers. 5. Printing rubber rollers should not be stored near large electric motors or generators. The large amount of ozone produced by these devices can cause the surface of the printing rubber rollers to age and crack. 6. In cold weather, if the ink does not apply evenly, auxiliary materials can be added to the ink. It is prohibited to use infrared heaters or similar devices to bake the ink rubber rollers to prevent oxidation of the rollers.

Rubber rollers are widely used in equipment for textiles, papermaking, leather, packaging, and other industries, including pressing rubber rollers and traction rubber rollers in metallurgy, mining, printing, dyeing, chemical fiber, and papermaking. They exhibit excellent elasticity and mechanical strength, as well as good alkali resistance. Due to the unstable internal structure of newly cast rubber rollers, immediate use can easily reduce their lifespan. Therefore, maintenance of the rubber rollers is very important. Below are some precautions to take during use: 1. Before Printing Check for foreign objects between the rollers, ensure the rubber rollers are intact, and confirm that the pressure between the rollers is uniform and consistent. Clean thoroughly before proceeding with printing. 2. During Printing The rubber rollers should always maintain good contact during operation, with uniform and consistent force. Regardless of the width of the printed material, ensure that the entire rubber surface is lubricated with ink. Depending on the amount of ink accumulation between the rollers, adjust the ink quantity in a timely manner to ensure print quality. While ensuring printing speed, to prevent the ink from drying too quickly, which would reduce the stickiness of the rubber rollers and cause skin formation on the surface, control the amount of drying oil added to the ink to prevent uneven ink transfer during operation. 3. After Printing Timely separate the rollers from each other and from the printing plate to relieve pressure and prevent deformation of the rubber surface due to static pressure. Clean the surface of the rubber rollers promptly to remove residual ink, preventing the formation of ink blocks, ink films, and dirt on the rubber surface (especially ink blocks on the ends of nylon rollers), which can damage the smoothness of the rubber surface during operation and may lead to serious issues like rough surface and flaking. 4. Cleaning Rubber Rollers The rubber rollers must be cleaned with a special cleaning agent before and after printing to maintain a smooth surface for future use. If cleaning is not done in a timely manner, ink can adhere to the micro-pores on the surface of the rubber rollers, along with paper fibers and dirt. If the downtime is too long, the ink film can cause the contact surfaces of the two rollers to stick together, leading to tearing of the rubber surface when restarting, rendering the rubber rollers unusable. Inadequate cleaning can lead to glazing, which reduces ink affinity and transfer capability, and may even cause ink removal issues. Glazing increases the hardness of the rubber roller surface, decreases elasticity, and accelerates wear, resulting in pitting and cracking of the rubber surface, leading to flaking and affecting print quality.

Debugging and Proper Use Regardless of the type or model of the printing machine, after the new equipment is installed, the first step is for technicians to install the printing rubber roller. The height of the rubber roller must be adjusted reasonably; it must be in close contact with the ink roller and the printing plate, both of which are essential. Those in the printing industry know that the height of the relief plate is 3.14mm, which is consistent with the height of lead type, while the PS plate is relatively lower at 1.2mm. Therefore, when installing and adjusting the rubber roller, one must keep this in mind. If printing products with a background color, the rubber roller can be adjusted slightly lower, with a tolerance of ±0.5mm, so that the ink transferred from the ink roller to the rubber roller is more uniform, and the same effect is reflected on the printing plate, resulting in aesthetically pleasing printed products. If not, issues such as ink streaks and ink paths may occur. When printing text, the height of the rubber roller should be roughly level with or slightly lower than the text plate. This allows the rubber roller to gently rub against the printing plate, resulting in very clear and clean text printing. The wear surface of the rubber roller is small and not easily damaged, which can extend the lifespan of the printing plate. During adjustment, a rubber roller adjustment tool should be used. Before use, the printing plate should be removed, and the adjustment roller should be inserted and pulled out horizontally a few times. The size of the ink dots on the adjustment roller will immediately be displayed, and the operator can determine the height of the rubber roller based on different printing needs, then secure the top screw. This way, the height of the rubber roller will not change during high-speed printing. If we lack patience when using the rubber roller and rush the adjustment process to save trouble, the following situations may occur: (A) The rubber roller may show surface damage, flaking, causing the text printing to be incomplete, unclear, or even result in smudging and skipping ink. (B) The ink coverage on the text may be uneven, and there may be printed products with only text impressions but no ink color. (C) If the rubber roller is adjusted too tightly against the ink transfer rubber roller, it may damage the printing rubber roller, leading to economic losses and equipment accidents. In the offset printing technology, the key is the control of the balance between the water path and the ink path, which relies on the rubber roller and ink roller as key components. Their quality directly affects product quality. This is even more true for gravure, relief, and flexographic printing. Generally, printing companies must maintain their equipment once a week, including the maintenance of the printing rubber roller. The maintenance methods include the following: 1. After completing daily production operations, the rubber roller should be thoroughly cleaned, washed twice repeatedly; 2. Cleaning the printing rubber roller must use designated chemical agents, such as industrial alcohol, and must not use corrosive solvents; 3. During holidays, the rubber roller should be removed to prevent deformation due to pressure; 4. For the protection of the surface of the printing rubber roller, it should be wrapped in newsprint and placed in a ventilated, dark place. In the working process, the printing rubber roller may usually show signs of wear, holes, etc. If replacing with a new roller is too costly and affects production progress. Rubber repair agents can be used for repairs. The repair process, taking rubber repair agents as an example: 1. Surface treatment: Roughen the surface to be repaired, clean, decontaminate, degrease, and let it dry. 2. Prepare the repair glue by quickly mixing the curing agent group B into the main agent group A in a metal container (A:B=1:1), then pour it onto the area to be repaired and smooth it out. 3. Curing: It can be used after curing at room temperature for 4-6 hours, reaching maximum strength in 48 hours.

Debugging and Proper Use Regardless of the type or model of the printing machine, after the new equipment is installed, the first step is for technicians to install the printing rubber roller. The height of the rubber roller must be adjusted reasonably; it must be in close contact with the ink roller and the printing plate, both of which are essential. Those in the printing industry know that the height of the relief plate is 3.14mm, which is consistent with the height of lead type, while the PS plate is relatively lower at 1.2mm. Therefore, when installing and adjusting the rubber roller, one must keep this in mind. If printing products with a background color, the rubber roller can be adjusted slightly lower, with a tolerance of ±0.5mm, so that the ink transferred from the ink roller to the rubber roller is more uniform, and the same effect is reflected on the printing plate, resulting in aesthetically pleasing printed products. If not, issues such as ink streaks and ink paths may occur. When printing text, the height of the rubber roller should be roughly level with or slightly lower than the text plate. This allows the rubber roller to gently rub against the printing plate, resulting in very clear and clean text printing. The wear surface of the rubber roller is small and not easily damaged, which can extend the lifespan of the printing plate. During adjustment, a rubber roller adjustment tool should be used. Before use, the printing plate should be removed, and the adjustment roller should be inserted and pulled out horizontally a few times. The size of the ink dots on the adjustment roller will immediately be displayed, and the operator can determine the height of the rubber roller based on different printing needs, then secure the top screw. This way, the height of the rubber roller will not change during high-speed printing. If we lack patience when using the rubber roller and rush the adjustment process to save trouble, the following situations may occur: (A) The rubber roller may show surface damage, flaking, causing the text printing to be incomplete, unclear, or even result in smudging and skipping ink. (B) The ink coverage on the text may be uneven, and there may be printed products with only text impressions but no ink color. (C) If the rubber roller is adjusted too tightly against the ink transfer rubber roller, it may damage the printing rubber roller, leading to economic losses and equipment accidents. In the offset printing technology, the key is the control of the balance between the water path and the ink path, which relies on the rubber roller and ink roller as key components. Their quality directly affects product quality. This is even more true for gravure, relief, and flexographic printing. Generally, printing companies must maintain their equipment once a week, including the maintenance of the printing rubber roller. The maintenance methods include the following: 1. After completing daily production operations, the rubber roller should be thoroughly cleaned, washed twice repeatedly; 2. Cleaning the printing rubber roller must use designated chemical agents, such as industrial alcohol, and must not use corrosive solvents; 3. During holidays, the rubber roller should be removed to prevent deformation due to pressure; 4. For the protection of the surface of the printing rubber roller, it should be wrapped in newsprint and placed in a ventilated, dark place. In the working process, the printing rubber roller may usually show signs of wear, holes, etc. If replacing with a new roller is too costly and affects production progress. Rubber repair agents can be used for repairs. The repair process, taking rubber repair agents as an example: 1. Surface treatment: Roughen the surface to be repaired, clean, decontaminate, degrease, and let it dry. 2. Prepare the repair glue by quickly mixing the curing agent group B into the main agent group A in a metal container (A:B=1:1), then pour it onto the area to be repaired and smooth it out. 3. Curing: It can be used after curing at room temperature for 4-6 hours, reaching maximum strength in 48 hours.

The role of the rubber rollers (including water rollers and ink rollers) in the printing process is crucial, but many printing companies need to replace the original rubber rollers shortly after use. Most manufacturers do not adequately clean and maintain the rubber rollers, leading to premature aging of the original rubber rollers, causing printing failures and cost losses. In this regard, this article will summarize the reasons for the wear of printing machine rubber rollers and share the top 10 maintenance tips for rubber rollers. 1. Summary of Reasons  During the use of printing machine rubber rollers, improper use or operation can lead to a shortened lifespan or damage to the rubber rollers. What are the reasons? ① Improper pressure adjustment of the water-ink roller can lead to wear of the water-ink rubber roller, especially when one end has heavy pressure and the other end is light, which can easily cause damage to the rubber roller. ② Forgetting to close the handles at both ends of the water tank roller can tear and damage the gel of the metering roller. If one end is not closed or not closed properly, it will lead to wear of the metering roller and the water roller against the plate. ③ During the plate installation process, if the PS plate is not installed properly and the bite of the PS plate and the plate tail's pulling screw is not tightened, the PS plate will wear the rubber roller due to the un-tightened part protruding. At the same time, if the PS plate is pulled too tightly or the top plate is too strong, it can cause deformation or breakage of the plate, damaging the water-ink roller, especially the water roller against the plate, which is most obvious due to the lower hardness of the rubber. ④ During the printing process, when printing long sheets, the operating conditions at both ends differ from the middle, leading to wear on both ends of the water-ink roller. ⑤ Poor quality paper, paper dust, and sand particles falling off the paper can cause wear on the water-ink roller and copper roller. ⑥ Using sharp tools to scratch guidelines or make other marks on the printing plate can damage the water-ink roller. ⑦ During the printing process, due to poor local water quality and high hardness, and the printing factory not installing appropriate water treatment devices, calcium deposits can accumulate on the surface of the water-ink roller, increasing the hardness of the rubber and friction, leading to wear of the water-ink roller and serious printing quality issues. ⑧ Not performing regular maintenance and recycling of the water-ink roller. ⑨ Long periods without washing the car and ink on the surface of the metering roller can also cause wear. ⑩ Special processes, such as printing gold and silver card paper, self-adhesive labels, or films, require special inks and additives, which can accelerate the cracking and aging of the rubber rollers. ? The roughness of ink particles, especially the roughness of UV inks, has a direct impact on the wear of rubber rollers. ? Different parts of the rubber rollers wear at different rates. For example, the ink transfer roller, due to its motion of stationary → high speed → stationary, wears faster than usual. ? The water roller against the plate and the ink roller, due to their axial movement with the water-ink roller, experience more wear at both ends than in the middle. ? During long periods of downtime (such as during the Spring Festival holiday), the rubber rollers are pressed for a long time, causing uneven diameters of the rubber roller gel, leading to uneven deformation during rotation and increased wear of the rubber rollers. ? Poor temperature control in the working environment (too cold or too hot) exceeds the physical property range of the rubber roller gel, exacerbating wear on the rubber rollers. 2. Maintenance Tips  To extend the lifespan of the water-ink roller, printing technology experts recommend keeping the following points in mind during actual operation: ① The pressure adjustment of the ink roller should meet the requirements, and the pressure of the plate roller should be checked weekly. ② When operators start their shifts, they should check all parameters of the water tank, wait for the water in the tank to reach the water level, then jog the water tank roller, and finally close the handles at both ends of the water tank roller, jogging it to ensure a uniform water film on the surface of the metering roller. ③ Since the water-ink roller is a consumable part, customers should follow the maintenance specifications of the printing machine, use the ink and water rollers provided with the machine for rotation, and perform maintenance on the water-ink rollers monthly, recycling two sets of water and ink rollers. ④ When installing, pulling, and pressing the plate, be careful not to deform or damage the plate too severely; if it is too deformed or damaged, it should be replaced immediately. ⑤ Do not scratch guidelines or make other marks on the plate. ⑥ Wash the car once per shift and keep the metering roller clean. ⑦ Pay attention to the cleaning and maintenance of the water roller against the plate. ⑧ Regularly use ink roller cleaners for deep cleaning and calcium removal of the ink rollers. ⑨ After maintaining the removed water-ink rollers with stain remover, store them away from light; check the bearings at both ends of the disassembled water-ink rollers. ⑩ Pay attention to the temperature requirements of the operation and improve the working environment.

During use, rubber rollers often suffer from surface scratches or dents caused by foreign objects. If continued to be used, this can affect the quality of the paper (paper-making rubber rollers). The traditional solution requires re-coating, but the operation is relatively cumbersome. With the development of technology, Western countries have often used polymer composite materials to address the issue of surface damage to rubber rollers. Currently, the most mature application is the 1stline technology system from the United States. Due to the materials' excellent adhesion, wear resistance, and tensile strength, different repair materials can be selected based on the varying surface hardness of the rubber rollers, allowing for maintenance without disassembly. This method is lower in cost and shorter in time compared to traditional repair methods, and the process of repairing rubber rollers in the domestic market is gradually maturing.