Controlling printing environment

[InCharged Printer]

Does anyone have any advice for controlling the printing/laminating environment?

Our printer/laminator is in a warehouse atmosphere. We cant really avoid dust and debris getting kicked up into the air. We run an air purifier 24/7 near the printing area. Were looking into industrial curtains and medical curtains but they are pretty expensive.

Just curious to see if anyone has some examples of measures they have taken to limit contamination...

 

[Solventinkjet]

I have a customer who just built a little room in the warehouse. Seems to work fine. 2 x 4s and plywood essentially.

 

[ColorCrest]

Enclosed area with at a least one typical HVAC vent on the ceiling to provide a positive air flow to force contaminates (dust, etc., they are all heavier than air) to a carpeted floor where they will be trapped. Vacuum before every shift. Use a standard silicone dust removal roller tool on the media & materials. Use no air guns. Leave plenty of space for your operators to wrangle large sheets of rigid materials.

Control, as your post title mentions.

 

[kcollinsdesign]

Temperature fluctuations, humidity, and airborne contaminates will all contribute negatively to your vinyl production workflow. Solvent printers also need specialized ventilation. A dedicated room with environmental controls is necessary for an efficient work flow. My rule of thumb is that if I feel comfortable, I'll probably be okay. I have worked in shops that have a production area in a warehouse type environment and there was no end to the troubles.

The big production shops consider this carefully. Smaller shops often do not have the luxury of having a dedicated climate-controlled room. These days I order all of my vinyl printing from wholesalers. Cut vinyl is a different matter. I can't find a reliable, efficient wholesaler. I make do with what I have, and deal with vinyl stretching in the summer and being stiff and hard to weed in the winter. The worst nightmare is release liner de-laminating during the install (and having to pick paper residue off the adhesive side of the vinyl after the release line is removed). I also keep my vinyl stored in a climate controlled environment.

 

[Gino]

One thing you need to include.... is a good ventilating system. Ventilated to the outside (not to the warehouse air) with proper filters so as not to pollute the air.

 

[InCharged Printer]

Thanks everyone. It seems like controlling the environment is the easy part. Getting the boss to pay for it will be difficult!

 

[10sacer]

Thanks everyone. It seems like controlling the environment is the easy part. Getting the boss to pay for it will be difficult!

How much are you losing on redo's due to dust and contaminants getting onto your finished prints? I put in 9 foot drop ceilings in my print/finishing area. Have two portable humidifiers that keep room at 55% humidity and an Island Air Scrubber cleaning out the bad stuff that floats in air like UV ink mist. Temperature stays at 68 degrees year round.
You have to take this stuff into account when getting into digital print or you will constantly be chasing quality problems.