Why Do Printing Companies Need Thermal Spray Coatings?
Around the middle of the 15th century, the printing press was invented. Since then, the ever-evolving market of the print industry has prospered. It may have appeared to slow down with digital media advancements, but the print business is still thriving due to the simple need for print. In each and every person’s life, it plays an integral part. Thermal spray coatings play an essential role in today’s print industry.
Times Are Changing – Or Are They?
So, you think that computers are destroying the print industry? In 2018, print industry sales grew 1.7%. This includes everything from mail marketing campaigns to magazines. In 2019, a growth of up to 2.5% was anticipated. So how, in this digital age, is the market growing? Cost-saving maneuvers executed by companies and new printed technology could be the answer. One of the biggest cost-saving processes used in the print industry today is thermal spray.
High Wear Comes From High Production
With production showing no signs of slowing down, part and machinery wear is at an all-time high – and will continue to rise as production rises. Even though, when most people think about the print industry, they picture newspaper print rooms, there is far more involved than just that. The number of parts and machines involved in the entire print industry is mind-boggling. With all that machinery operating at a high rate of production, parts involved in printing equipment wear out quickly. When it’s time to replace those parts, it can equate to a lot of money.
As an example, rollers are used in industrial printers. From constant wear, they inevitably develop large gouges and grooves. Replacement costs add up fast when companies have to constantly replace parts and execute regular printing press maintenance.
Thermal Spray Comes to the Rescue
To lessen maintenance costs and avoid excessive downtimes, thermal spray offers the ideal solution. Rather than constantly replacing equipment such as rollers and other printing press parts, they can be coated, repaired, and prepped with tungsten carbide or stainless steel. This creates a working surface that is durable and new.
A knowledgeable thermal spray company can help determine what type of coating is right for you and your company, in addition to making sure OEM specifications are met through a grinding process. Rather than replacing components used by the print industry every time they become worn, money and time can be saved by print cylinder (and other parts) repair through thermal spray.
Print Industry Rollers
One of the most important parts in the print industry, and a part that is frequently thermal sprayed, is the roller. Of course, numerous things can be accomplished with thermal spray in the print business. Thermal spray in the print industry is utilized in the following manners:
- Chop fold roller repair
- Slitter roller repair
- Raw roller repair
- Eccentric bearing housing repair
- Bearing housing repair
- Stub shaft repair
- Journal repair
Former noses and spyder housings can also benefit from applications of thermal spray. Believe it or not, this does not cover every machine part that can be thermal sprayed for repair purposes.
A&A Coatings can help with not only printing press repairs but with numerous part repairs and rebuilding in nearly every industry imaginable. Time and money are valuable and should be saved whenever possible. To help improve your business’s bottom line, thermal spray is the answer. Contact one of our knowledgeable representatives today if you’d like to find out more about thermal spray, the materials used in the process, the different application methods used, and what parts and surfaces can be treated.
