Corrosion of printing cylinder on intaglio press

Abstract

The Intaglio process is a security printing technique in which printing ink is carried in the grooves of a plate, accordingly, the excessive ink is wiped off to ensure that solely ink retained in the grooves has been transferred to the printing substrates. The wiping process, thus, is a very vital step consisting of the wiping solution and the blade allowing a direct contact between the wiping solution and the printing cylinder. Consequently, the wiping process affects greatly not only the printing quality but also the cylinder’s life. One major problem possibly found is the corrosion caused by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or moist environments resulting in a tremendous deterioration and damage to machinery. Accordingly, different types of wiping solutions including proper percentages of their two main compositions, namely sodium hydroxide and sulphonated castor oil were studied. The outcome shows that tap and soft water have the most influences on the rust formation while an increase in sodium hydroxide concentration in the range of 0.5 - 1% together with 0.5% of sulphonated castor oil can significantly inhibit the steel corrosion.