Printing lines are sensitive to contamination. Paper dust, fibres, slitting debris and airborne particles can build up on blankets, clichés and critical machine parts, causing wash stops, unstable ink transfer and avoidable waste. Removing contamination before the substrate enters the printing units is therefore critical to stabilise print quality and productivity.
Weducon develops non-contact cleaning systems that remove contamination before it enters the print process, adapted for both web-fed offset and sheet-fed flexo/digital, as well as label/narrow-web applications.
Consequences of unsolved dust problems in printing
- Contamination of ink, inking rollers, and fountain blades
- Reduced print quality (leading to problems such as hickeys, donuts, bulls’eyes).
- Increased cleaning frequency of blankets, clichees, and machine components
- Lost production time for cleaning and set-up
- Wearing of the machine.
These issues typically originate before the printing process itself. By removing contamination from the substrate surface at the right moment, many recurring print problems can be reduced or avoided altogether.
Printing processes Weducon supports
Depending on substrate format and printing process, Weducon provides non-contact cleaning solutions for the following printing environments:
Offset printing (web-fed): high-efficiency web cleaning
In web-fed offset, contamination travels at high speed and can reach the first print unit within seconds. A web cleaner placed in the right position helps prevent dust build-up on blankets and reduces the frequency of wash-ups.
- Typical placement: in the infeed, just before the first printing unit
- Common issues addressed: paper dust on blankets, ink emulsifying, recurring wash stops
- Solution: Weducon HE non-contact web cleaning system, engineered for low energy use and stable performance
Installation and results: Kroonpress Estonia, Weducon HE-70 Web Cleaning System in KBA Compacta 618
Flexo & digital printing (sheet-fed): high-efficiency sheet cleaning at the press infeed
In sheeted substrates such as corrugated board and packaging board, dust and fibres can be released during sheeting, stacking, and transport. As soon as these particles enter the press, they may cause dirty ink, print defects, and production loss. Cleaning directly at the press infeed is an effective way to keep the printable surface stable.
- Typical placement: after the prefeeder / at press infeed
- Common issues addressed: dust & fibres on the printable side, ink contamination, defects, and rejects
- Solution: Weducon HE non-contact sheet cleaning systems (single-sided options available), integrated for operator-friendly use
Installation and results: Single-sided sheet cleaning system for Koenig & Bauer Celmacch Chroma High Tech 2100 infeed.
Why positioning of cleaning matters
Cleaning performance during printing depends on where and when contamination is removed. If cleaning occurs only at an early stage, contamination may recur during subsequent processing. If the substrate is cleaned too late, dust and fibers may already be in the press, adversely affecting print quality and productivity. Effective dust removal is achieved by placing the cleaning system as close as possible to the source of contamination. It is therefore essential to track which production stages cause contamination.
- Web-fed: remove dust before it reaches the first print unit
- Sheet-fed: remove dust on the printable side directly before sheet transport into the press
Efficiency and energy use
Weducon’s High Efficiency (HE) cleaning concept is based on controlled airflow and effective particle extraction, designed to remove contamination without physical contact with the substrate.
The underlying working principle is explained in our detailed technical overview, while each configuration is tailored to the specific printing process, substrate type, and line conditions.
Integration in existing press lines
Weducon systems are engineered for retrofit integration and OEM compatibility. Depending on the press type and layout, we can supply appropriate mounting and control options so the cleaning step fits into the existing workflow without adding unnecessary operator tasks.
What you can expect
- Reduced build-up of dust-related contamination in the press
- Fewer wash stops and less manual cleaning
- More consistent print quality over longer runs
- Improved production stability and reduced waste
- Lower energy consumption compared to conventional high-air-volume cleaning solutions
Technical considerations in printing contamination control
5. Printing contamination control
No. Effective cleaning at the press infeed is independent of the substrate’s origin. Even when sheets or webs are delivered pre-processed, contamination can still be introduced during transport and handling. Cleaning directly before printing addresses this risk.
In most cases, no. Integration depends on the press model, available space and safety requirements. Retrofit installations are commonly designed to fit into the existing line, with mounting and controls adapted to the press, so operator workflows remain largely unchanged.
No. Dust extraction and substrate cleaning address different issues. Extraction reduces airborne particles in the press environment, while substrate cleaning removes contamination from the substrate surface itself. In practice, extraction helps keep the press area cleaner, while substrate cleaning directly affects print quality. Many plants use both to achieve stable and predictable print quality.
Because the press infeed is the last controlled point before the substrate enters the printing process. Dust and fibres can be introduced at various stages, including transport, storage and handling, regardless of how or where the substrate was produced. Cleaning directly at the press infeed helps prevent contamination from entering the press, reducing print defects, unplanned wash-ups and manual cleaning during production. In web-fed and sheet-fed printing alike, this approach reduces the risk of recontamination between earlier process steps and printing.
Web cleaning is used for continuous substrates in web-fed processes such as offset, where the material runs uninterrupted through the press. Sheet cleaning is applied to individual sheets in sheet-fed presses, such as flexo and digital presses, where each sheet is cleaned before entering the press. The choice depends on substrate format, line speed and press layout.
Opportunities to improve print quality and production efficiency
Do you want to review your printing setup? Share your substrate, press type, and the issue you want to solve (quality, wash stops, waste, or energy use), and we’ll suggest suitable cleaning positions and system options.
Get in touch to discuss your printing process and receive practical input based on your press configuration and production conditions.
