Alcohol Percentage for offset printer

[Akila]

What is the best Alcohol Percentage for offset printer ( heidelburg )?

 

[Gaurav Vidwans]

Alcohol Percentage for offset printer

I used to add 5-7 % fountain solution and 3-5 % Alcohol.

 

[M. R. Horton]

Have you ruled out using an alcohol substitute? Our press department switched to using substitutes several years ago and they wouldn't go back.

I would suggest you contact your press/printing supplies vendor for a recommendation on which substitutes would work best for your application and test them out.

 

[hondarr9]

I use 2-3 beers per night then ad shots of whiskey as needed...

 

[Akila]

Ha, Ha Ha Very Funny !!!
u r in wrong side & site
get your membership @ BARRRRR

 

[eran]

I use 2-3 beers per night then ad shots of whiskey as needed...​

Lol +1!

 

[BeauchampT]

Out of curiosity, are you confirming proper setup, or are you starting to use IPA because of a problem?

 

[Paperstretcher]

We switched to an Alcohol substitute many years ago. Just had the roller company make a change in the compound and we haven't had any problems. Much better for the shop as a whole.
No wonder there were so many alky pressmen. Between all the stress and the strong smell of alcohol all shift long.....I had pressmen that brought coolers to work so they didn't have to wait to get home after a shift to have a drink.

 

[Mark]

low

low

I use 2-3 beers per night then ad shots of whiskey as needed...

I double checked with our head pressman and he felt you alcohol mix was a little low.

 

[hondarr9]

I double checked with our head pressman and he felt you alcohol mix was a little low.

Thanks! I will adjust...

 

[SHELBY]

alcohol makes the water wetter, the higher it is , the easier it is no matter what anyone tells you!..........15 to 17% with a good ink and all your troubles will fade away!

 

[bellesim]

For example, I've:
Hdm CD 102-4 whitout ink temperature control - so IPA is set to 9% whit stardard fount solution;
Hdm CD 102-5 whit ink temperature control - IPA 4% whit special IPA reduction foutn solution.
in my opinion depend to the machine and the kind of job you print, if you print Pantone 877 you meed alcool.

 

[Deleted member 16349]

if you print Pantone 877 you meed alcool.

Why? Just curious.

 

[KevinC@EFI]

Have you ruled out using an alcohol substitute? Our press department switched to using substitutes several years ago and they wouldn't go back.

I would suggest you contact your press/printing supplies vendor for a recommendation on which substitutes would work best for your application and test them out.

Just as a note of interest, the use of alcohol-based founts versus substitutes and replacements varies considerably around the world. I've noticed a growth in forum members from Asia and other regions in the last couple years, and their perspectives might be different than ours in the USA.

Interestingly, the USA seems to be dominated by replacements and substitutes, with very little alcohol still used on press. The type of founts common in the market is very harsh though - and agressive on plates, making solvent-resistant plates common in the market (Trillian SP, Sword Excel, LH-PJ, Energy Elite, etc.).

Europe however still has a lot of printers using alcohol, and where subs are used they're generally much "milder" than USA-type founts. There is clearly a shift towards subs though now.

Asia is stranger... places like China have gone almost EXCLUSIVELY to subs and replacements, but not purely for environmental reasons. It seems that guaranteeing a consistent and pure supply of IPA in many areas is difficult and expensive. The subs they're using are generally pretty harsh locally-made products too, which makes for interesting press conditions.


Kevin.

 

[narseman]

I had pressmen that brought coolers to work so they didn't have to wait to get home after a shift to have a drink.

Were you checking to see that they waited till after shift. ? And where did they drink ? In the lunch room or in their cars?

 

[Lukew]

Just out of curiosity when you guys/girls are setting you alcohol level are you making sure you use the fountain solution specific gravity IPA compensation chart to do so??

I'm very suprised at how many printers don't realise that the specific gravity of the fountain solution effects the alcohol reading....

For instance the fount we used to use, with its specific gravity, if we were to run the fount at 3% then set the alcohol doser to 10% we were actually getting 16% alcohol...(to get 10% IPA the doser would have to be set on 6%)

The Fountain solution we are running now, with its specific gravity we run it at 4% and we set the alcohol doser on 2.5% this gives us dead on 4% alcohol.

 

[bellesim]

Technotrans

Technotrans

My machines have both Technotrans, but one have the big one, another have the smaller one, so Alcool doesn't work in the same way, anyway I check IPA on the instrument and in the tank exactly for the gravity.
In my opinion IPA supplier must give you 100% IPA, I've seen in many cases counterfeiting about IPA purity.

 

[Alois Senefelder]

Fountain Solutions and IPA

Fountain Solutions and IPA

Hello Gentlemen and Lukew

1) Specific Gravity for control of Fountain Solutions -- NO

2) Conductivity ---------------------------------------- YES

3) Using less than 10% addition of IPA is pointless !


Regards, Alois

 

[Lukew]

Alios,
You have completly missed the point I was making.
I was not sayin to control your fount doseage by specific gravity!!!!!

I was saying that you need to refer to the IPA compensation chart that takes into consideration the % of fount you run and the specific gravity of the fountain solution!!!! This then gives you the true compensated % the IPA will really be

The reason this chart needs to be refered to is the specific gravity of fountain solution alters the reading the hydrometer gives you and also alters the reading of the alcohol reader in the chiller unit......
Please refer to page 10 for the chart
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&s...fCR-VQ&usg=AFQjCNF5KJ1BcVRQKDgeVFuczBhirDsHMA
I'm positive you must have just mis understood what I wrote, as I would be very very suprised that with all the abundance of print knowledge you have you do not know this...


I will try and find the chart on line and post it up


Also using 10% IPA is pointless???? How have you come to this conclusion??? The difference from running 0% IPA - running 4% IPA is dramatic,

Running with a standard fount and less then 10% IPA may well be pointless as its not designed to run any lower

Running with a IPA free or IPA reduced fount and less then 10% IPA works perfectly fine

 

[Lukew]

Just as a note of interest, the use of alcohol-based founts versus substitutes and replacements varies considerably around the world. I've noticed a growth in forum members from Asia and other regions in the last couple years, and their perspectives might be different than ours in the USA.

Interestingly, the USA seems to be dominated by replacements and substitutes, with very little alcohol still used on press. The type of founts common in the market is very harsh though - and agressive on plates, making solvent-resistant plates common in the market (Trillian SP, Sword Excel, LH-PJ, Energy Elite, etc.).

Europe however still has a lot of printers using alcohol, and where subs are used they're generally much "milder" than USA-type founts. There is clearly a shift towards subs though now.

Asia is stranger... places like China have gone almost EXCLUSIVELY to subs and replacements, but not purely for environmental reasons. It seems that guaranteeing a consistent and pure supply of IPA in many areas is difficult and expensive. The subs they're using are generally pretty harsh locally-made products too, which makes for interesting press conditions.


Kevin.

Why use a a alcohol substitute or a fountain solution with alcohol substitutes in it or IPA when it is not needed???? You would be well aware there is a company in the US that has developed a fountain solution years and years ago, that contain none of these, and pose zero health issues to the end user..