The Autowash system can adjust the washing intervals optimally for each print job taking into account the printing layout, paper, and printing parameters. With the Autowash system, the blanket washing intervals are dynamic; the blankets are washed based on the actual accumulation amounts on printing blankets.

1. Autowash
The perfect solution for washing interval
optimization

2. Autowash
• The Autowash system measures
the surface topography of a printing
blanket on a micrometer scale
– Topography is a height map which describes
the height differences on a surface
• Autowash can measure accumulation
increase/decrease over the whole
blanket area in all printing units (CMYK)
at a resolution of 1500 dpi at paper web
speeds up to 17 m/s
• The next slides show an example case
of a directory print job printed with two
different papers

3. Accumulation Measurement
• Washing interval is the printing between the consecutive blanket washings
• Trend curve shows the online accumulation values
• Accumulation increases steadily during printing (green line)
• Blanket washing removes most of accumulation
• Bar graph shows the accumulation for each washing interval
• Wide bar: accumulation in the beginning of washing interval, just after wash
• Narrow bar: accumulation in the end of washing interval, just before the next wash
• Length of the washing interval is given above the bars. 60 kcp = 60 000 copies

4. The Example Case
• A directory print job
was printed on papers
from two different
paper suppliers
• A similar printing
layout was printed on
both papers
• Accumulation
tendency around a
folding mark is next
shown

5. Accumulation Behavior of the
Two Different Papers
Paper 1: no accumulation Paper 2: strong
even with 60 000 copies accumulation, blankets
washing intervals have to washed at 30 000
copies washing intervals

6. Washing Interval 1
Paper 1 Paper 2
No accumulation No accumulation

7. Washing Interval 2
Paper 1 Paper 2
No accumulation Strong accumulation

8. Washing Interval 3
Paper 1 Paper 2
No accumulation Moderate accumulation

9. Washing Interval 4
Paper 1 Paper 2
No accumulation Moderate accumulation

10. Washing Interval 5
Paper 1 Paper 2
No accumulation Weak accumulation

11. Autowash – Optimal Washing
Intervals
• The Autowash system can adjust the washing intervals
optimal for each print job
– The printing layout, paper, and printing parameters are taken
into account
• Autowash enables dynamic blanket washing intervals
– The blankets are washed based on the actual accumulation on
the printing blankets
• The Autowash system shows the real process state on
the blankets and helps the operators to quickly react to
changes in the printing process
– Also the start-up time and paper waste during the starting of a
new print job are reduced