Remedy needed for static in paper stack

JOHNYPRINT

Well-known member
Hi all
Could anybody give me some tried and tested remedies for alleviating static issues with a stack of paper in the feeder. I am currently running a ROLAND 700 wich does not have any ionised air blowers on the feeder. the factory i work in does have water vapourisers to control the humidity of the atmosphere around the pressroom. all ideas welcomed.
regards johnyprint
 
This is not my field of expertise at all! But I think I remember tinsel foil strips being used on a Web Press hanging from a metal part which was obviously earthed and touching the paper to prevent static problems (probably in the Folder)!
 
We bought a pile turner/ aerator to help remedy our static problems and it has helped quite a bit. We air out every pile just before we run it and it "busts" apart the static fairly well.
 
this is tried and tested

this is tried and tested

This is not my field of expertise at all! But I think I remember tinsel foil strips being used on a Web Press hanging from a metal part which was obviously earthed and touching the paper to prevent static problems (probably in the Folder)!

Yes tinsel foil will work and sometimes better than anti static devices.

Any earthing method will get static out of paper.

I used foil of strong grade like catering foil, then fold it into long strips with a point at the end, the result will look like a silver neck tie. One you would wear to a bad costume party.

Fold the silver neck tie to the metal parts of the air blowers in the feeder or any metal surface within the feeder, best results for me was the metal bars that the blower units sat on. I would roll the silver tie onto the metal bar and secure it with heavy duty boxing tape.

Try experimenting with this method and see if it has any affect.
hope you get happy results.

Cheers
 
I assume that all of us having the static problem on the folder make some effort to wind the stock as we build the pile on the feeder and this relates to the pile turner with aerator, but would be a difference of degree.

Have those of you with the problem noticed a significant difference with press loads that have sat over the weekend before loading on the folder? This would bear on the question as to wether the severe static is coming from the press (and dissipates over the weekend), or is being generated on the folder itself as each sheet is pulled from the top of the pile by the vacuum wheel while the sheet hold downs at the tail cause a rubbing action of the top sheet with the rest of the sheets in the pile, thus generating some static right at the folder feeder.

Also have you noticed that the problem is significantly worse with piles coming from presses with heaters in the delivery as compared with piles from presses without that? In the case of pile from presses with heaters, the press delivery piles that sit over the weekend have a chance to regain some of the moisture lost in the press delivery due to the heaters, and this may explain the difference of degree of the static problem on the folder for piles that have sat over the weekend.

What about a difference in speed at the folder? Often stock that feeds fine at moderate speeds will start to pick up doubles when the folder speed is increased beyond say 12,000 sph. no matter what combination of suckers or degree of separator brush interference is used. This may be explained by the rubbing action at the hold downs mentioned earlier. In this regard, is there anyone reading this using with marked improvement In-Air-Line anti static devices for the air blowers at the tail of the sheet in pile fed folders?

It seems to me that if only we could completely eliminate the static problems, we could run our folders at 16 - 20 M sph. The StopStatic products mentioned by DrummondAW look interesting.

Please report your experiences with any of these issues.

Thanks,

Al Ferrari
 
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