Fountain Solution Composition for Lithographic Printing Blanket Piling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithographic printing, particularly rotary offset printing, faces significant challenges with blanket piling, where ink and paper components accumulate on the non-image area, leading to inefficient ink transfer and increased paper waste, and existing fountain solutions often fail to prevent this issue effectively, especially when using a wide variety of inks and papers.

Innovation Solution

A fountain solution composition is developed that includes 0.001 to 2.0% by weight of 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol and other diol compounds, along with specific acylic hydrocarbon diol compounds and adduct compounds of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, which improve wetting and reduce blanket piling without using volatile organic solvents like isopropyl alcohol.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional fountain solutions (aqueous solutions with alkali metal salt, ammonium salt, gum Arabic, CMC) are used, then the non-image area can be wetted, but uneven wetting occurs and undesired stains appear on printed matters

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewetting uniformityVSAvoidstains on printed matters

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the fountain solution by introducing specific diol compounds (2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol and acyclic hydrocarbon diols with 9 carbon atoms) to replace conventional additives. This compositional change improves wetting uniformity while preventing stains on printed matters, resolving the contradiction between reliable wetting and harmful staining effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If isopropyl alcohol is added to fountain solution (Dahlgren system), then wetting of non-image area is improved and fountain solution supply control is simplified, but volatile solvent requirements increase apparatus complexity and create safety issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewetting performanceVSAvoidapparatus requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the volatile isopropyl alcohol component from the fountain solution system while retaining the essential wetting function through the use of non-volatile diol compounds. This removes the need for special apparatus to maintain volatile solvent levels and eliminates associated safety hazards, resolving the contradiction between wetting performance and apparatus complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Duration of action of moving object

If conventional fountain solutions are used in rotary offset printing, then printing can continue for extended periods, but blanket piling occurs where ink and paper components accumulate on non-image areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous printing durationVSAvoidprinting quality consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the fountain solution composition by incorporating specific diol compounds that alter the chemical properties of the solution. These compositional changes prevent ink and paper component accumulation on the blanket during extended printing operations, maintaining printing quality consistency over long durations and resolving the contradiction between continuous operation capability and quality reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If fountain solution supply is increased to prevent blanket piling, then ink transfer may be maintained, but paper waste increases due to insufficient ink attachment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveink transfer efficiencyVSAvoidpaper waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition of the fountain solution to include specific diol compounds that improve the balance between ink and fountain solution. This compositional modification enhances ink transfer efficiency and ensures proper ink attachment to paper, reducing the need for excessive fountain solution supply and thereby reducing paper waste from failed prints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively reduces blanket piling, maintains high-quality printing over long continuous operations, and simplifies fountain solution control, reducing ink-stain on the dampening roller and improving operational safety by eliminating the need for volatile solvents.

Implementation Method 1

Wetting the non-image area with a fountain solution enlarges the surface chemical difference between the image and non-image areas, thereby enhancing the ink repellency of the non-image area

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWetting: Wetting

Implementation Method 2

a fountain solution composition for lithographic printing comprising 0.001 to 2.0% by weight of 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSurface tension reduction: Surface Tension

Data Source

PatentEP2042339B1Fountain solution composition for lithographic printing and heatset offset rotary printing process

Publication Date: 2013.05.22 FUJIFILM CORP

AI summary

A fountain solution composition for lithographic printing characterized by comprising at least one acyclic hydrocarbon diol compound, having 9 carbon atoms in total and two -OH groups, wherein the number of carbon atoms existing between said two -OH groups via minimal distance is from 2 to 6; said fountain solution composition can be used to improve blanket piling.