BLANKET AND

ROLLER WASH
GUIDE
INTRODUCT ION

The purpose of this guide is to provide the printer with an

understanding of the characteristics and concepts involved in the
use of products such as Rotowash® blanket and roller washes
and to offer some solutions to common problems encountered
with press washing. In addition, cleaning procedures and trouble-
shooting are also discussed.

Pressroom products are continually evolving to keep pace with

changes in environmental, health and safety regulations as well
as0 plates, ink and paper. Selecting the best blanket wash
product to meet all of your requirements can be complex. It is
helpful to understand the features and benefits of these products
in order to assist you in selecting the right product for your
application.

We hope this guide will provide some helpful information. If you

have any questions or comments, please feel free to call or write
t o u s at:

Malaysia Offices:
DS Chemport (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
No. 257, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park,
40200 Shah Alam,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Phone - (603) 5631-1173
Facsimile - (603) 5631-2212
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.dscmal.com.my

20050127a
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CONTENTS

Blanket and Roller Wash Characteristics 2

Drying Time [Evaporation Rate] 2
Solvent Strength 4
O d o u r / Fr a g r a n c e 4
Flammability 5

Environmental Blanket and Roller Washes 6

Volatile Organic Compounds 6
Two-Step Roller Washes 9
Automatic Washes 10
Water-Miscible Washes 11
UV Curable Ink Washes 12
Glaze Removers and Rubber Rejuvenators 13
Metering Roller Cleaners 14
Determining Your Needs 15
Characteristics Chart 16
Troubleshooting Chart 18
Glossary of Terms 20

Copyright © 2001-2005. All rights reserved. No portion of this booklet may be used
or reproduced in whole or part without prior written consent.

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WASH CHARACTERISTICS

Our extensive range of blanket and roller wash products was

developed to provide washes that suit a variety of needs.
Products have been developed to comply with the requirements
of safety, flammability, environmental regulations, equipment
compatibility, price, drying speed, cleaning power and customer
p r e f e r e n c e s . W e w i l l f i rs t d e s c ri b e t h e s e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f
blanket and roller washes and discuss what the differences mean
to yo u.

Often choosing the best blanket and roller wash is more

complicated than you might think. With the emphasis on health,
safety and environmental regulations, some concessions of
desirable cleaning characteristics may be necessary in order to
comply with regulations or safety standards. It may not be
possible to have all of the characteristics you would like, so
decisions must be made on which characteristics are the most
important in order to make the ideal choice.

This booklet contains a characteristics chart that lists DSC

blanket and roller washes that can be used to assist you in
selecting a product that meets your needs.

DRYING TIME [EVAPORATION RATE]

Drying time is often an important characteristic from the printer’s
point of view. The speed of drying required depends on several
factors—the size of the press, the length of turnaround time
required by the printing operation and the personal preference
and perception of the printer. The small press quick printer may
not have time to wait for a blanket to dry and may not wish to
spend the extra effort to wipe blankets dry, although this is a
good practice. The larger sheetfed and web press printers may
also sometimes prefer a faster drying wash, with most printers in
agreement that faster is better.

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WASH CHARACTERISTICS

Unfortunately, there is a significant downside to this characteristic

and most printers using fast washes will likely need to sacrifice
some drying time in the future. This is because whenever
possible, we believe it is desirable to use a wash from the
medium or slow-drying category. There are several advantages
to not having lightning-fast drying. The preferred procedure for
cleaning a blanket is to apply the solvent with enough action to
get ink out of the pores of the rubber and then wipe it clean with a
dry rag. The solvent should not dry so fast as to evaporate before
you can wipe off the suspended ink.

The slower-drying solvent has more time to clean, where the

faster-drying solvent must work on the first pass of the rag.
Consequently, more thorough cleaning may be achieved with a
slower-drying solvent. This is equally true when washing rollers.
Fast-drying cleaners run into problems with issues of flammability
as well as high VOC and vapour pressure. The fast-drying
solvent blends typically have flash points below 61°C that
classifies them as flammable liquids that require special handling
and storage.

Environmental regulations limit or prohibit the use of products

with a VOC composite vapour pressure greater than 27 kPa.
Fast-drying washes fall into this category. The reason for the
vapour pressure guideline is for VOC reduction. The faster a
product evaporates the more solvent goes into the air and
consequently the VOC emission is higher. When used as directed
and the quantities used are below permitted levels, these
products are acceptable and practical for use by the press
o p e r a to r .

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WASH CHARACTERISTICS

SOLVENT STRENGTH
Press washes come in a range of strengths depending on the
solvents used in the blend. Stronger solvents dissolve and
disperse ink resins and pigments faster and perform a better
deep-cleaning action. The trade-off is that the stronger solvents
also have a greater effect on the rubber in removing plasticizers
and causing the rubber to swell.

As a result, routine use of extra-strong solvents may shorten the

life of blankets and rollers. Another issue with stronger products
is that they typically have a stronger odour. On the other hand,
using only very mild solvents will not harm rubber directly but may
not remove all the ink from the pores of the rubber, which will
cause the surface to become hard and glazed.

The recommended procedure is to use a mild or medium strength

product for routine repeated wash-ups and periodically use a
stronger press wash or glaze remover and rubber conditioner.
This will do a thorough cleaning job and provide optimum
maintenance of blankets and rollers. Glaze removers and
conditioners will be discussed more thoroughly in a later chapter.

Most blanket and roller manufacturers routinely test blanket and

roller wash solvents for compatibility with their products. We
suggest referring to this information from your blanket and roller
manufacturers along with your DSC representative to ensure you
select a compatible product.

ODOUR/FRAGRANCE
Odour is the most subjective characteristic of all; everyone reacts
differently to odours and fragrances. The perceived odour of a
product may vary due to conditions and use. Higher temperatures
humidity and inadequate ventilation may result in odours being
more noticeable.

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WASH CHARACTERISTICS

Odour is especially important in confined areas with limited

v ent ila tio n .

Rotowash® products use only the highest quality, lowest odour

raw materials available along with a variety of fragrances and
odour masks to improve the odour characteristics of our blanket
and roller washes. However, certain other solvents have a
characteristic odour that can be irritating or perceived as
unpleasant by some people. As a general rule, milder products in
terms of solvent strength have a milder solvent odour.

F L A MM A B I L I T Y
The property that identifies the flammability of a particular blanket
and roller wash is the flash point. The flash point is the
temperature at which a liquid will produce enough flammable
vapours to ignite. The lower the flash point temperature, the more
" f l a mm a b l e " t he p r o d u ct .

Blanket and roller wash products can be classified as flammable,

combustible or non-flammable. Alternative solvents that are non-
flammable and fast drying do exist, but they are either hazardous
and unfriendly or are very expensive. Often, the printer wants a
fast-drying, non-flammable product, however, no such product
exists. The printer will have to sacrifice one of the restrictions,
usually opting for slower drying.

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ENVI RO NME NTA L WASHES

Many countries have legislated restrictions on the amount of

solvents used in the printing industry. Products that comply with
the more stringent, emerging environmental regulations are the
way of the future.

What exactly is meant by an environmental blanket and roller

wash? There are many new products that claim to be
e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s a f e , b i o d e g ra d a b l e a n d / o r n o n - t o x i c . I n t h e
USA, printers located in “zone non-attainment areas” have strict
limitations on volatile organic compound [VOC] emissions.
VOC’s interact with sunlight to form ozone in the lower
atmosphere, a health hazard that contributes to smog formation.
Reducing VOC emissions has become an ongoing challenge for
printers in these areas. Selecting a low VOC wash is often a
difficult struggle for most printers for several reasons. There are a
variety of low VOC products on the market today. The
characteristics, composition and performance vary widely, and
they usually do not work as well as traditionally formulated
washes.

Following is a discussion of VOC and low VOC washes.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

All solvents which evaporate that are used in blanket and roller
washes - except for certain solvents tested to have negligible
atmospheric photochemical reactivity – are considered VOC.

High concentrations of VOC in our air contribute to poor air

quality and the formation of smog. Therefore, the most closely
monitored areas are large industrial and populated areas where
automobile and solvent emissions are high.

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ENVIRO NMENTAL WASHES

In Australia, the Department of the Environment and Heritage has

a National Pollutant Inventory Guide. This guide defines VOC’s
as

“Any chemical compound based on carbon chains or rings

(and also containing hydrogen) with a vapour pressure
greater than 2 mm Hg (0.27 kPa) at 25C, excluding
methane.”

DSC does make a variety of reduced VOC washes to meet

printers’ varying needs. Why not just make the lowest VOC
product to meet all regulations? In many cases, changing to a
low VOC product will mean a sacrifice of some sort for the printer.
There are several ways to achieve low VOC for a blanket and
roller wash. However, depending on the type of materials used,
products may be slower drying and oily, very fast-drying and
hazardous, damaging to rubber compounds or more expensive.

The ways to achieve low VOC are 1) Replace VOC solvents with
exempt solvents; 2) Replace VOC solvents with non-volatile
material; or 3) Replace solvents with water. In the USA, exempt
solvents, such as acetone and methylene chloride, have been
attractive to the printer because they are strong, fast-drying
solvents that have required little change in their usage. However,
there are concerns with the health and safety and rubber
compatibility of these solvents.

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ENVI RO NME NTA L WASHES

The preferred method is to use a product that has a portion of the

volatile solvent replaced with a non-volatile material. These
products have found wide acceptance for web press cleaning.

These products are typically oily in nature and require some

procedural changes to adapt to their usage, such as using less
solvent on the rag, avoiding spills on the floor and wiping up any
spills to avoid a slip hazard.

F o r s o me p ri n t e r s , e s p e c i a l l y t h e shee tfe d p rin ter, the o i ly nat u re

of the non-volatile materials may not be desirable since under
some circumstances it can mean increased waste and longer
wash up time. Often these products require a second step clean
with water to remove residues.

Another alternative is to use a water-based product to reduce

VOC’s. These products can be more friendly since they are made
to clean well, with the additional benefit that they do evaporate.
Product performance of these products will vary depending on
the VOC of the product, their actual composition and the way the
product is formulated.

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TWO-STEP ROLLER WASHES

The use of a multi-step wash procedure is recommended for

thorough cleaning of rollers. The two-step process should be
used when making difficult colour changes and periodically to
deep clean rollers to remove contaminants such as gum, paper
coatings and surfactants.

Two-step products consist of a "step one" product that contains

solvent, water, emulsifiers and suspending aids. They are usually
of a high viscosity to aid in staying in the roller train longer and
are more effective at "pulling" ink out of the rollers.

Th e " s tep one " pr odu c t r em o ves ink fr om t he rol ler s a n d

suspends it in the wash. "Step two" is a solvent blend that then
rinses the rollers, removing the "step one" with the suspended
ink.

For best results, it is recommended that the "step two" be used to

rinse the "step one." Using your regular one-step roller wash may
not adequately rinse the "step one" and may leave some residue
be h ind .

There are also products that incorporate a paste type material as

part of the multi-step procedure. Rolfin® Spezial Roller Cleaning
Paste is an excellent deep cleaner and rubber conditioner that
contains no solvents or abrasives. Rolfin® Spezial Roller
Cleaning Paste is used by first cleaning the rollers with your
regular one-step wash. Next, Rolfin® Spezial Roller Cleaning
Paste is applied sparingly with an ink knife and allowed to run in.
It is then rinsed with your one-step wash.

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AUTOMATIC WASHES

Almost all new presses now come with an option of automatic

blanket and roller cleaning systems [ABCS] and many presses
have added after-market systems. These systems save the press
operator time and money and clean very effectively. ABCS’s are
made by many of the press manufacturers and by several
auxiliary equipment manufacturers. All of them have a cleaning
solution qualification process to ensure that the solvent cleans
well when used on their system and is compatible with their
equipment.

The ABCS manufacturer will provide you with a list of certified

washes that have been tested and shown to meet their
requirements. DSC works closely with ABCS manufacturers to
provide quality washes for their systems. The approved products
include both conventional, UV and low VOC washes. Many of the
approved washes are also excellent for manual washing, so that
one product may be used for both purposes.

Contact your DSC representative or our technical staff for

assistance in selecting an approved wash for your system.

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WATER-MISCIBLE WASHES

Washes that are not water-miscible can be made water miscible

by using surfactants. Essentially, a surfactant's primary function
is to hold the solvent and water together allowing them to stay
mixed for a period of time. The stability of the emulsion may vary
from product to product depending on the type and amount of
surfactant and the types of solvents used.

Th e s e p r o d u c t s a r e v e r y u s e f u l f o r t h e m e d i u m t o l a r g e s h e e t f e d
or web printer since dual action cleaning can be achieved in one
step. The solvent cuts the ink while the water removes paper,
gum and other water-soluble materials from the blanket and
ro lle r s. The e muls i on al s o hel p s s u s p e n d t h e i n k t o a s s i s t i n
carrying it away.

What about surfactants contaminating rollers? There are many

different surfactants used in blanket and roller washes. Some
surfactants are compatible with ink, while some are not. If allowed
to build up, surfactants may cause problems, such as roller
stripping and/or foaming in the dampening system.

Some water-miscible washes are more stable than others.

Products such as Rotowash® 60-1482 and Newswash® form
stable emulsions for several hours. These products can be mixed
with 20-50% water in a solvent dispenser bottle and applied
directly to rollers or with a rag to blankets. Other products form
less stable emulsions due to their particular solvent composition,
but are still effective. Commonly, a printer may use a water-
miscible wash directly on rollers and mixed with water on
blankets. An alternative method for blanket cleaning is to apply
the wash with a water-dampened rag or to use a separate water
wipe step.

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UV C U R AB LE IN K W A SHE S

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of UV

curable ink. UV ink is attractive to the customer because of its
quality, durability and high gloss. It is also environmentally
friendly because it is very low in VOC. As the resins used in UV
ink are very different to those used in conventional ink, special
solvents are required to clean them. Also, the rubber compounds
used in rollers and blankets on a UV press are different to
conventional and are susceptible to damage from the
hydrocarbons used in conventional blanket and roller washes.

Most UV presses today come equipped with EPDM rollers. A

non-hydrocarbon based wash should be used on these presses.
On presses that use both conventional and UV ink on Buna-nitrile
rubber rollers, UV Wash 1475 and UV Envirowash are the
recommended DSC products.

Several ink manufacturers have introduced the "co-cure" inks

which cure either by oxidation or UV crosslinking. The solvent
blends required to clean these inks are similar to those required
for regular UV cured products.

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GLAZE REMOVERS AND RUBBER REJUVENATORS

The term "glaze remover" or “glaze cleaner” has been used to

describe wash products that contain strong solvents. The
purpose of a glaze remover is to dissolve and remove embedded
ink resin that makes blankets and rollers hard and slick.

The periodic use of a glaze remover is recommended to keep the

rubber soft and ink receptive and allow smooth and even transfer
of the ink. It also helps to extend the life of the blanket and rollers.
In this sense, a glaze remover is essentially the same type of
product as a rubber rejuvenator.

Due to their unique composition, products such as Euro

Deglazer® are able to remove both water and solvent soluble
contaminants in one step. This rejuvenates rubber blankets and
rollers by removing pigment glaze, dried ink, gum residues and
paper lint and restores them to a matt finish.

Products termed "rubber conditioners" contain no strong solvents

and are not designed to remove ink resin, but rather as a
treatment for the rubber itself. This similarity in classification and
difference in application can be confusing.

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METERING ROLLER CLEANERS

Most modern presses today come with some form of continuous

dampening system where the ink form rollers are integrated with
the dampening system. It is inevitable that a certain amount of ink
feeds back into the dampening rollers which results in a
contaminated build-up on the metering roller.

To ensure optimum performance, this build-up should be cleaned

off regularly. To avoid contamination of the dampening system, a
fast-drying solvent with no surfactants is recommended.

Regular blanket and roller wash solvents are slow drying and
may leave a residue that can be water repellent. Use of a water-
miscible roller wash is not recommended and can cause ink
water problems. DSC has a variety of metering roller cleaner
products available ranging in solvent strength, and environmental
and safety requirements.

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DETERMINING YOUR NEEDS

The list below highlights key issues that should be addressed in

order to select the blanket and roller wash that best meets your
needs. Determine which characteristics of the wash are more
important and which are less important. Be specific; i.e., safety,
water-miscibility, drying strength, odour, cost, etc. Be prepared to
make some trade-offs when identifying your wants and needs.

How do you currently use the blanket and roller wash?

Is it mixed with water or used neat?
Do you use a two-step process for rollers?
Do you have automatic blanket and roller wash systems requiring
a certified or approved product?
Determine the requirements for each press. Do some presses
have special problems or requirements? Do you need one wash
for all presses or possibly different washes for different presses?
Determine what you like and dislike about your current blanket
and roller wash.
Is there a regular maintenance program?
Are a glaze remover and rubber conditioner used?
What problems do you regularly encounter?
Do you encounter paper piling, roller stripping, plate blinding,
scumming, water fountain contamination or dampener feedback?

There may be other issues important to your situation. If you have

a n y q u e s t i o n s o r n e e d a s s i s t a n c e w i t h s e l e c t in g a p r o d u c t , y o u
can always contact your local DSC representative or our
technical department for advice.

The following pages contain 3 tables - a characteristics chart, a

troubleshooting chart for commonly encountered problems and a
glossary of terms. Please use these charts to assist you in
selecting a product for your needs.

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CHARACTERISTICS CHART

Drying
Code Name Speed Flammable
LT0561 Eurowash 40 F ast Yes
LT1251 Eurowash WM 40 Fa s t Yes
DP4146 Fast Wash Fas t Yes
DP4148 Fast Wash WM Fast Yes
ST1080 Rotowash WP-40 Fast Yes
ST1146 Blue BR Wash Fast Yes
011418 Rotowash 40 Fast Yes

LT0964 Rotowash 60-1482 Sheet Medium No

LT0176 Rotowash 60 DO Medium No
DP3164 Rotowash 60 V-1132 Medium No
LT1697 Rotowash 60-1482 Web Medium No
011406 Newswash Medium No
DP3617 Newswash NWM Medium No
LT1770 Eurowash 60 Medium No
011422 Ecowash Medium No
DP3816 Rotowash Bio Slow No

Specialty Washes
ST1132 Red UV Multiwash 10/10 V e ry F a s t Yes
DP3985 UV Envirowash Medium No
DP3949 UV Wash 1475 Medium No
AM0202 UV Wash 1810 Medium No
DP4513 UV Wash 1076 Medium No

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 CHARACTERISTICS CHART

W at er A rom ati c Flash

Miscible Free Point °C Approval
0 No 36 No
4 No 36 No
0 No 38 No
4 No 36 No
4 No 42 No
5 No 44 No
0 Yes 44 No

5 Yes 63 Yes
1 Yes 62 Yes
1 Yes 62 Yes
4 Yes 63 Yes
4 No 64 No
0 No 66 No
3 No 66 No
2 No 69 No
3 Yes 110 Yes

2 No 28 No
1 No 65 No
5 Yes 75 No
5 Yes 75 Yes
5 Yes 75 Yes
KEY – WATER MISCIBILITY RATINGS
0 – NON-WATER MISCIBLE
1 – VERY SLIGHT WATER MISCIBLITY
2 – SLIGHT WATER MISCIBILITY
3 – MIDDLE OF THE RANGE (SHORT LIVED EMULSION)
4 – QUITE WATER MISCIBLE (SEMI STABLE EMULSION)
5 – VERY WATER MISCIBLE

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TROUBLE SHOOTING CHART

P L AT E B L I ND I N G
CAUSE SO LU TION

Surfactant from water-miscible Change to non-water mi scible

wash. wash or different water miscible
wash.

Calcium build-up. Clean rollers with calcium cleaner,

eg Eur o Decalcer, roller paste
cleaner/conditioner.

Chemical attack. Test solvent and fountain

solution compatibility.

Improper processing. Service processor; replace

chemistry.

ROLLER STRIPPING
CAUSE SO LU TIO N

Su rf a ct a nt b u ild -up f ro m Change to non- water mi scible

water-miscible wash. wash or different water miscible
wash.

Glazed rollers Clean with deglazing solvent,

Paste cleaner/conditioner.

Ca lcium build-u p fro m water, Clean rollers with calcium cleaner,

paper and ink pigments. eg Euro Decalcer or roller paste
cleaner/conditioner.

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TROUBLE SHOOTING CHART

ROLLER/BLANKE T SWELLING
CAUSE S OL UTION

Solvent too strong or not Change to milder solvent

compatible. or modify wash procedure.

Solvent lingers on roller/ Ensure rollers/blankets are dry.

blanket for extended time. Avoid excessive use of wash.
Modify wash procedure.

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GLOS SARY OF TERMS

These terms are usually found on product brochures and are also
found on material safety data sheets. The definitions provided are
simplified from the more complex official definitions.

Combustible Mixture – Any liquid with a flash point at or above

61ºC.

Flammable Mixture – Any liquid with a flash point below 61ºC.

Flash Point – The temperature at which a liquid will produce

enough flammable vapour to ignite. The test method used should
be given.
Examples of test methods are: 1) Tag Closed Cup (TCC); 2)
Cleveland Open Cup (COC); and 3) Pensky-Martens Closed Cup
(PMCC).

VOC – (Volatile Organic Compound) – Any chemical compound

based on carbon chains or rings (organic) with a vapour pressure
greater than 0.27 kPa at 25ºC, excluding methane (Australian
National Pollutant Inventory (NPI)).

Dangerous Goods - are articles or substances that are capable

of posing a significant risk to health, safety or to property when
transported and stored.

Hazardous Substance - a substance which has the potential to

harm the health or safety of persons in the workplace during
regular handling (National Occupational Health and Safety
Commission (NOHSC)).

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NOTES

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 DS Chemport (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
No. 257, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park,
40200 Shah Alam,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Phone - (603) 5631-1173
Facsimile - (603) 5631-2212
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.dscmal.com.my

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