Run press with coater w/o coating?

[bullseye759]

Hi
we are looking at purchasing a used 5-color komori with a coater. However our situation doesn't really allow us to use the coating unit due to ventilation issues/concerns.
Are there issues related to running the jobs through the press without coating? We're getting mixed responses. The majority of runs are in the 50,000-75,000 press sheet range. Many are 4/4 and on 100lb text up to 100lb cover.
Are there concerns? Is it doable in the long run?
Thank you in advance.

Dean

 

[Servicetech]

biggest concern would probably be marking issues, A 5 color Komori w/coater will have an extended delivery with 13 gripper bars to accommodate the drying system.

There are two ways I have seen this done, 1 way, and likely the best option, is to put an anti-marking product on the coating blanket cylinder, TY paper, Sphere-coat, or some such product, and run it through with the unit off (no impression). The other way is to go ahead and put a blanket on and run it through with the impression on, neither is ideal IMO, either way the sheets will be going through an extra transfer and impression cylinder, plus the extended delivery.

 

[SBaines]

KomoriDirect

KomoriDirect

It is certainly possible to run the jobs you described without coating, but you will have dry time. Depending on coverage and your chemistry you may also have to rack the loads. In both cases you need to make sure you have enough floor space.
The advice from Servicetech regarding coater prep is good.
Another possibility is the new drying system by Komori - no venting required - check it out

 

[inkinveins]

There is absolutely no reason, why you can't run a 5-color press w/coater, without using the coater.
It is like saying you can't run a 1 color job on a multi-color press. Do you honestly think that a press manufacturer would engineer a press in this fashion, give me a break !!!!

 

[apinch]

I have had 528c for 10 years just like that, so I can speak from experience. You will be fine running without a coater depending on all of your circumstances, i.e. stock coating/ powder/ delivering correctly/ ir temps/ using an ink that sets up decently/ densities you are trying to put down/ how quick you want to turn work and pile height. As long as you are aware of how your press is running you can get away with it, coating just affords you the convenience of not having to babysit the temper of your press so closely, not saying you don't have to be careful- coating doesn't fix everything. If you don't have chillers- over a long rung your press temp will get higher and you'll want to be extra careful as too much heat will keep your ink open longer, so you'll have to rack your piles in smaller amounts, but it all depends on what you are running, high coverage nice catalog work, or low coverage "junk", so to speak.

Additionally, I have to disagree with servicetech, that is not true on a 5 color komori. We run .14 C2S without marking running with our coater and our 5th unit off of impression, and worrying about marking the front side of the sheet because of an extra unit makes no sense, you are coming into contact with a soft blanket that is meant to come in contact with the sheet. spherecoat would be more likely to mark than your coater blanket and would be an expensive waste of time. just turn it off impression. The extended delivery is in your favor, not against you. it gives the sheet an extra second or two of hot air and set-up before stacking it on the next sheet.

I am curious, why can you not run your coater? i have a relatively small space, and no special ventilation, why is it you cant run it where you are?

We have an island clean air ventilator that helps keep fumes down in our room plus a small vent over the press that carries fumes out, but nothing major.