Essential Maintenance for Bolt-On Hybrid Printing Systems

Commercial presses are the tools that bring in the revenue. Printers rely on them every single day, so ensuring they are in peak condition and ready to handle the slew of applications most shops run is essential for maintaining efficient business operations. Unexpected breakdowns are a problem no one wants to face. Bolt-on hybrid systems, while incredibly reliable, are essentially a second printing system operating in concert with an offset press. Keeping both printing mechanisms working is in your best interest as an owner or manager of a hybrid printing operation.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid surprise service and performance issues that can affect your ability to produce the highest quality and continue to meet customer deadlines consistently:

1. Schedule maintenance routines for both offset and digital components. Replace filters and pumps on a prescribed schedule, keeping the system clean and free of accumulated dust, rogue ink, etc.
2. Clean the nozzle plate daily along with printing a test pattern to confirm proper printhead alignment. DDS offers automated (touchless) nozzle cleaning on many of our offerings.
3. Optimize ink and substrate compatibility. The first step is to select the proper inkset for the application and substrate. DDS is one of the few printer providers that offers multiple ink formulations from several ink manufacturers. This gives our customers more choices. Some printhead models allow waveforms to be modified in the field to perfect image sharpness with various ink/substrate combinations. DDS offers this service to our customers as well.
4. Climate control/ambient temperature can alter the ink viscosity, which can adversely affect printing performance. DDS offers heaters and coolers for our systems to help our customers cope with environmental challenges.
5. Troubleshoot common hybrid printing issues. Many issues can be traced to incorrect configuration settings and/or issues with the input (print) file. Remote service like DDS’ Service-in-Seconds^TM is a great way to identify and correct these kinds of errors quickly, greatly reducing downtime.
6. Train your staff in proper equipment handling and maintenance procedures. As part of our comprehensive Uptime Protection Plan, DDS offers our customers unlimited online training sessions for new hires or as a refresher.

DDS supports our large production operation customers through DDS service plans. Uptime Protection Plans focus on reducing downtime by providing scheduled preventative maintenance. Properly maintaining these complex systems is paramount for best performance and saves money over the long term.

Under our Uptime Protection Plans, a trained DDS Service professional will perform an in-person visit and complete hands-on periodic maintenance every quarter. Our customers enjoy unlimited ServiceInSeconds support, phone support, online training, software updates, and inkjet waveform adjustments.

We want you and your staff to be familiar with every feature in our systems. Through training, best practices, and a comprehensive maintenance plan, we’ll ensure your bolt-on hybrid printing systems operate effectively and reliably, helping you stay one step ahead of your competition.