Looking For Insight & Knowledge On Web Offset Printing

Mavrick

Member
Hello, my name is Maverick. I am a lead operator on a Komori Chambon 36” Offset Web press; however I may be moving up to be a “2nd pressmen” fairly quick. My reason and hope for creating this post is to reach out to all of you that are familiar with Komori and/or are familiar with web offset printing, presses, etc... but most importantly are familiar with troubleshooting and working on this type of press. I am 22 yo and have only been in this industry for going on 2 years. So any help, information, knowledge (advice on being a pressmen) I could gain from here and those of you that are “veterans” in this field would be greatly appreciated. I should also mention that the particular press I am on was a prototype from Komori many years ago, (there’s only 3 know to exist...) while there is really no model persay like ours, most of the press’s components, tech, process, and functions should be close in relation to other offset webs. Thank you in advance; this site will be very helpful I believe, I am glad I discovered it when I did. If this type of post belongs in a different thread please let me know.
 
Hello, my name is Maverick. I am a lead operator on a Komori Chambon 36” Offset Web press; however I may be moving up to be a “2nd pressmen” fairly quick. My reason and hope for creating this post is to reach out to all of you that are familiar with Komori and/or are familiar with web offset printing, presses, etc... but most importantly are familiar with troubleshooting and working on this type of press. I am 22 yo and have only been in this industry for going on 2 years. So any help, information, knowledge (advice on being a pressmen) I could gain from here and those of you that are “veterans” in this field would be greatly appreciated. I should also mention that the particular press I am on was a prototype from Komori many years ago, (there’s only 3 know to exist...) while there is really no model persay like ours, most of the press’s components, tech, process, and functions should be close in relation to other offset webs. Thank you in advance; this site will be very helpful I believe, I am glad I discovered it when I did. If this type of post belongs in a different thread please let me know.
Mavrick, you are asking a question that can be a very broad request.

Maybe you can be more specific so that the experience operators on the forum can address your issues you are most concerned about. Good luck.
 
Erik Nikkanen, yes you are correct. I apologize, that is a broad request. So I will try to get very specific.

I am very competent with the Delivery and Roll Stand ends of the press. I’m very competent in the duties of a 2nd, when it comes to things like plates, blankets, pre make-ready, etc... my concerns, really more questions than anything, is wanting to reap knowledge from any 1st and 2nd pressmen that have advice from real time experience when it comes to things like: water to ink balance, getting correct color, register, and being able to identify and solve common print problems like scumming, piling, striking in the barcodes, and issues with the offset print decks like cylinder(s), impression, and form rollers.

Really any helpful bit of advice on anything that operators could share, from experience that “I should know” “I should do ,or shouldn’t do”
I hope that helps with specifics. Thanks again.
 
SteveSuffRIT, Thank you sir! I will look into that! That sounds along the lines of what I need.

If there are any other resources or material(s) available that I could access or get my hands on (I do like to read, weird as that is nowadays) I would appreciate it!
 
could you tell me the age of your Chambon press, Komori made a few changes when they took over Chambon so I wanted to know if this is a Pre Komori press. There is not any manuals or instruction material for Chambon presses believe me I have looked. I worked a Chambon for over 12 years and may be able to give you some info
 
could you tell me the age of your Chambon press, Komori made a few changes when they took over Chambon so I wanted to know if this is a Pre Komori press. There is not any manuals or instruction material for Chambon presses believe me I have looked. I worked a Chambon for over 12 years and may be able to give you some info
Cornish, did you work for Chambon when Tetra Pak was running the older version in Aurora, ON?
 
could you tell me the age of your Chambon press, Komori made a few changes when they took over Chambon so I wanted to know if this is a Pre Komori press. There is not any manuals or instruction material for Chambon presses believe me I have looked. I worked a Chambon for over 12 years and may be able to give you some info

Wow 12 years, that’s amazing! I too have looked all over for any other manuals, books, etc for this type of press and you are correct; it almost seems as though it doesn’t exists which in our (my) case is a problem.

As far as an exact year I do not know that; however the company bought and installed the press brand new roughly eight years ago to the best of my knowledge. This is Press was one of three prototypes designed by Komori, what I understand it was made specifically for our company. There are placards various places on the press and offset units that say “Komori-Chambon” so I’m assuming it is not a “pre komori press”

Regardless, any info you may have on these “beasts” would be awesome! Especially since it’s coming from someone who actually worked on them. It is very rare for us to talk to those who designed/ built them.
 
No did not work for Chambon but have fairly extensive knowledge of this rather unique printing press
That was the first offset press that I was exposed to. I wish I had met the press designer because, even though there were many issues with the press, I eventually could understand and appreciate what the designer was thinking about how it was designed. The dampening system was very clever and the operators felt it was easy to run. Self correcting by design. It brings back memories.
 
Cornish, the press I am on runs various sizes (diameter wise) of lockable plate and blanket cylinders inside the offset units.

We do however have a much smaller web offset press (27” web I believe) that uses the old “cassette” type units. It’s roughly closer to 30 years old to the best of my knowledge. The techs from Komori were astonished when they saw it, one of them said they’d “only read about them in books!”
 
Cornish, the press I am on runs various sizes (diameter wise) of lockable plate and blanket cylinders inside the offset units.

We do however have a much smaller web offset press (27” web I believe) that uses the old “cassette” type units. It’s roughly closer to 30 years old to the best of my knowledge. The techs from Komori were astonished when they saw it, one of them said they’d “only read about them in books!”
Mavirick, does your press have continuous ductors (hard knurled) or conventional ductor (rubber) rollers?
 
Cornish, the offset print decks’ rollers (form rollers & doctor rollers) are rubber or possibly a type of “rubber composite” however I am not a hundred percent sure on that.

The only “hard roller” that we have in them is the “chrome roller” that nests up against the backside of the “pan” or “dampener” roller.

I hope I’m explaining this well enough.
 
I am more familiar with the old cassette type press, the newer sleeve technology was a response to the Drent VSOP presses Eriks question was does the press have a Knurled Nylon roller to supply ink to the rollers or a rubber ink ductor. I expect your old Chambon has the knurled roller
 
I understand now what you’re saying, my apologies.

Simple answer to that is Yes. The offset units on our press do have Ink ductors, which I know we use for sure after a tandem make-ready when we have “washed up” the unit and at time have to “pre ink” that unit; however I have also in conversation heard operators and our “die technicians” refer to the use of “nylon rollers on the press.
 
Does your newer press roller train look anything like this. This is probably the same as your old Chambon
The rollers marked W are water cooled
 

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Yes for the most part that is what our Ink Train looks like in our offset units I’m sure the older Chambon is similar to mine.

The only difference I can tell between this diagram and the ink train diagrams we have at the plant is, there may be som subtle differences in roller locations under the “ink ball” or “chrome fountain roller” and our rollers are all labeled with letters (I.e. A form, B form, C form, D, F, G, H, I, J, K.) Not sure that matters or may have just been a change in labeling from Komori at some point.

By the way, where did you come up with that diagram image?
 
Its from an old Chambon Roller identification sheet. They never had one that described the roller stripe or Durometer, that you had to learn by yourself
 

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