Zero Alcohol Offset Printing With Ceramic Textured Roller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional offset printing relies on harmful and volatile substances like ethanol and isopropyl alcohol to reduce water surface tension, leading to environmental pollution, health hazards, and printing issues such as ink erosion and poor drying, which cannot be completely eliminated by existing substituting agents.
Innovation Solution
A zero alcohol offset printing system utilizing a ceramic-textured distributor roller in the dampening liquid exertion system, eliminating the need for ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, ensuring even dampening liquid distribution and preventing ink erosion, achieved through a physical method rather than chemical agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ethanol or isopropyl alcohol is added to dampening liquid to reduce water surface tension, then dampening liquid can form smooth film, but it causes environmental pollution, health hazards, and fire safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes harmful alcohol substances (ethanol, isopropyl alcohol) from the dampening liquid formulation entirely, extracting the problematic component while maintaining the essential function of dampening liquid film formation through alternative means (adjusted water chemistry and printing plate treatment)
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the dampening liquid by eliminating alcohol content and adjusting the pH and ionic composition of water-based solutions, thereby achieving film formation without harmful substances
2Quantity of substance
If ethanol or isopropyl alcohol is added to dampening liquid, then surface tension is reduced, but ink erosion and printing quality problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the traditionally harmful interaction between alcohol-based dampening liquid and ink into a beneficial non-erosive relationship by eliminating alcohol, thereby preventing ink dissolution, emulsification, and quality degradation while maintaining effective dampening function
3Object-affected harmful factors
If substituting agents like propylene glycol or ethylene glycol are used to replace alcohol, then alcohol content is reduced, but printing cost increases and ink erosion problems worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses simple, inexpensive water-based chemistry and conventional printing plate treatments instead of expensive glycol-based substituting agents, achieving alcohol-free dampening liquid at lower cost with no ink erosion problems
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
This solution enhances safety and environmental protection, reduces operational costs, and improves printing quality by maintaining ink stability and hue accuracy, especially for high-quality prints like barcodes and metallic inks, while operating at room temperature without cooling.
Implementation Method 1
the ceramic layer has texture on its outer surface
Implementation Method 2
the surface tension of water need to be reduced
Implementation Method 3
nature of the patterned area on the printing plate is hydrophobic and has affinity to ink
Implementation Method 4
The non-patterned area on the printing plate is coated with a thin dampening liquid film, which is hydrophilic and is repellent to ink
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a zero alcohol offset printing system, comprises the following parts: Plate cylinder (3), its outer cylindrical surface is covered by printing plate (4); Ink exertion system (1), which comprises ink source (8) and several inking rollers, to exert ink to the printing plate; Dampening liquid exertion system (2), which comprises dampening liquid source (7) and several dampening rollers, to exert dampening liquid to the printing plate; wherein the dampening rollers include a distributor roller (6); wherein the structure of the distributor roller (6) is as follows: it comprises a metal cylinder surrounded by a ceramic layer, and the ceramic layer has texture on its outer surface; wherein the content of alcohol or ether in the dampening liquid is zero.