Stenter Cleanliness

  • Cleanliness

    For pad printing, cleanliness is a virtue. The more careful you are when mixing ink, setting Stenter, and finishing tools, the less time you waste cleaning the machine and parts after you "accidentally" get the ink on the machine and parts. I recommend using a plastic box to store the necessary wrenches, and a roll of transparent packaging tape for cleaning the pad.

    Keeping the room and parts clean will also help a lot. If your printing room is full of dust and dirt, your parts will always show up. Use a vacuum cleaner to collect the dirt when cleaning the parts instead of relocating the dirt by blowing off the parts with compressed air. Try to avoid packaging unprinted parts in cardboard. The cardboard is very dirty. When there is static electricity, the cardboard dust is difficult to remove.

    If you have to accept parts that your customers have packed in cardboard boxes, please try to get them to put plastic liners in the cardboard boxes as much as possible. If the parts are layered in the box, try using something other than cardboard to separate the layers.

    When you clean the printing room, do it at the end of the day's production, not before. Especially if you sweep the floor with a broom. Sweep the floor and raise dust. Likewise, if possible, use a vacuum cleaner.

    If your area is too large to vacuum and you must clean it, check the cleaning catalog to find dust inhibitors. Spray the insect spray can on the floor. These agents will dry out within a few minutes and act like magnets to absorb particles in the air. Then, when you clean, the agent will leave the dust on the floor so that you can roll with the broom.

    Keep your machine as clean as possible. If ink spills, clean it before it dries. It takes twice as long to clean it after drying. If it is a two-component ink, you may never remove it from the machine without using a hammer and chisel. When cleaning the machine, pay special attention to moving parts and any surfaces that must be absolutely flat, such as the platform where the open ink is located and the area where clichés are.

    ventilation

    Ensure that the air quality in your production area is acceptable. If you are not sure, please contact your heating and air-conditioning company and ask them to advise on the amount of air you should exhaust.

    If you are not sure whether a person is exposed to harmful organic vapor levels, or if you receive a complaint from an employee, you can conduct an air quality test by obtaining an air quality test badge from a safety or laboratory supply company, which is quite cheap. By checking your MSDS table, you can find out the most commonly used solvents and what their respective exposure limits are.

    Once you know these restrictions, you can order badges that can test for exposure to one or more solvents from a security or laboratory supply company. After your employee wears the badge for a period of time, you return it to the supplier, who will analyze it and issue a written report. By comparing the report results with the exposure limits marked on the MSDS, you can determine whether you meet the requirements. Note that in many cases, you can comply with the regulations, and everyone will not be satisfied with the overall "quality" of the air they breathe.

    Lighting and ergonomics

    Lighting is important for efficiency. No one likes to work in the dark or under the dazzling spotlight. If possible, the lighting should be uniform and non-directional. A cool white fluorescent lamp placed about 60 inches above the work surface provides good, uniform lighting. If possible, the work surface should be neutral (gray) and low gloss, so that operators and inspectors can obtain the best viewing conditions.

    On January 1, 2001, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration implemented a new ergonomic planning standard (revision of 29 CFR Part 19, Planning Standard Part 1910.900) specifically related to the elimination of repetitive sports injuries .

    For those who stand on bare concrete or sit on wooden benches and twist their bodies to move materials around five days a week, the importance of ensuring that the work area is safe and friendly to workers is obvious, but it is now Become the law.

    Spend a little more time thinking about the process, and then position the machines, materials, and manpower accordingly, which is cheaper than moving everything or paying for work-related injuries after production starts.

    The table should be at a comfortable height for work, and the chair should be adjustable. The material should be easy to access so that the operator can pick it up, print it, and place it in a rack, conveyor belt, or packaging without bending or twisting it. Operators who must stand will be happier if they stand on a mat instead of on a concrete floor. In addition, urge your employees to wear shoes with adequate cushioning and support.

    If time permits, you can set up a simulated workspace and try it yourself before you receive the new device. Using the "footprint" of the new Flat Screen Printing Machine, tape an area of ​​the floor and arrange the materials until the best material flow is found. Doing so will save you from having to reconnect electricity or relocate air and natural gas lines or lamps at the last minute.