MEGTEC introduces New Ironman™ Integral Web Cooling Process System

MEGTEC introduces New Ironman™ Integral Web Cooling Process System

De Pere, Wis., U.S.A., May 29, 2008—MEGTEC Systems announces the market introduction of the innovative Ironman™ Integral Web Cooling Process System for web offset presses.

"More and more printers are producing high quality work with lower grade paper and higher ink coverage. To work profitably the printing press needs to operate at or near optimum conditions – at maximum possible printing speed and with minimum paper waste" said Phil Strand, Vice President of MEGTEC Americas Printing Products Group. "It is not unusual to have ink coverage or ink characteristics that push up against the limits of the dryer specification, or beyond them. And when difficult-to-dry paper grades are used, solvent condensate streaking, ink build-up, and dryer smoking sometimes force the printer to reduce press speed, even while the product itself may yet be considered ’dry’. Poor dryer adjustment or maintenance can further increase the gap between actual and maximum press speed."

The new Ironman Integral Web Cooling Process System takes care of 3 major problems in high speed heatset printing: condensate on the chill rolls, marking on downstream rollers, and smoke in the pressroom. By design the Ironman allows to run the press faster and without the nuisance of frequent cleaning maintenance.

The Ironman™ Integral Web Cooling and Conditioning unit consists of an L-wrap roller which turns the horizontal web downwards by a 90° angle. This roller has a web guiding function and replaces conventional tilt-box design web guides downstream. Following the L-wrap roller a highly innovative silicone application unit seals both sides of the web and increases web moisture. The web then passes through a modular chill stack where it is cooled down to pressroom temperature. The number of rollers employed in the modular stack is based upon the press speed.

The Ironman™ technology has been developed on fast-running web offset presses and has proven its efficiency under difficult production conditions during extended prototype testing. The Ironman™ has been engineered to meet the requirements of low maintenance and optimum longevity and is available in all web widths for 16 to 96 page presses in single as well as in double-web configurations for printing speeds up to 18 m/s (3550 fpm).

MEGTEC Systems is the largest independent supplier of pasters and splicers, dryers and related equipment to the newspaper and commercial printing industries.