Control automatic/semi-automatic multi-colour over-printing machinery
Overview
This standard is for machine printers with responsibility for automatic or semi-automatic multi-colour printing machinery designed to print onto a pre-made product, such as containers, CDs, clothing or ceramics. The range of activities include making ready, running and maintaining the machine and, if more than one person is normally involved in these tasks at the same time, responsibility extends to controlling the other person(s). The printing process employed by the machine could be lithographic, flexographic, gravure, pad or screen.
This standard requires a machine printer to be able to control multi-colour over-printing machinery. This type of printing applies to many industrial products, including containers made of metal, glass or plastics. Typically a base coating may first be applied to the product prior to a number of inks being printed and the printed image then being dried. All of those operations would be carried on a continuous line, with the products being fed into the machine (or even formed within the machine) and transferred to a packing or assembly line from the machine. There are a large number of different machine types in existence which are bespoke to the type of product being overprinted. Many are based on flexography or screen, but others such as pad printing, foiling or dry lithography can be found.
This standard requires that the machine is capable of printing more than one colour in a single pass of the product and for the product to be fed into the machine automatically or semi-automatically.
The printer needs to have a full knowledge of the printing process used by the machinery, including issues that arise from the transfer of the product between printing units/stations, ink trapping, achieving and maintaining ink densities for different inks on different substrates/surfaces, colour control and ink drying. Practical ability must be demonstrated through the production of printed work of a commercial standard from the machine. As well as making ready and running the machinery for particular jobs, the printer must also be able to undertake routine maintenance of the machine to ensure it prints to an acceptable quality. Often this will be checked with reference to colour density or other colour values to make sure the printing unit is printing to known quality standards.
A printer must be able to check and assess the quality of print under correct viewing conditions against an approved proof and make whatever adjustments are necessary to the press to achieve and maintain the quality required. As a minimum, the printer must be familiar with colour standards and how such standards are maintained. If equipment for this purpose is in use in the company, then the machine minder must be capable of operating it and understanding it.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Make multi-colour over-printing machinery ready for production
- comply with health and safety requirements and procedures at all times
- obtain specifications and requirements of the items to be produced following standard operating procedures
- obtain equipment and materials required to carry out the job following standard operating procedures
- check equipment is set up and in good working order following standard operating procedures and any manufacturer's instructions
- check all materials required are to specification and free from faults
- check condition of the image carrier is suitable for production and meets imposition specifications
- fit the image carrier(s) to machinery following standard operating procedures
- ink up printing units so required colour strength is achieved to meet specifications
- adjust printing unit settings to meet specifications and quality standards
- report to your manager if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from producing a pass sheet to the required standards**
Control output and quality from multi-colour over-printing machinery
**
11. confirm you have authority to commence production
12. run over-printing machinery at the optimum speed to meet specifications
13. check output matches approved samples
14. identify and correct problems which affect the quality of the image or reduce the rate of output
15. report to your manager if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from achieving the required quantity or quality of printed products
16. run required number of products, keeping spoiled material to a minimum
17. identify or remove any sub-standard products from finished work
18. remove waste following standard operating procedures
19. record production and quality assurance details required
20. identify wearable machinery parts that require periodic replacement, and make sure that such parts will be available when required
21. identify maintenance to be carried out on machinery and make sure that it is brought to the attention of the person in your company who will schedule it in the production plans
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
Health and Safety
- your legal duties for health and safety in the workplace as defined by the relevant health and safety legislation
- your duties and responsibilities for health and safety as defined by any specific legislation covering your role
- workplace policies and procedures
- working practices
- hazards and risks in the workplace, their assessment and the action to take to deal with them
- hazards and risks in your own job, their assessment and the action to take to deal with them - including relevant regulations on the safe handling of equipment and materials.
- manufacturer's health and safety requirements relevant to your job
- Personal Protective Equipment used
- how to stop machinery in the event of an emergency
**
Communication
*
10. how to communicate with colleagues, customers and suppliers
*
Workplace policy and practice
*
11. workplace objectives, priorities, standards and procedures
12. range of work carried out in the workplace
13. working practices existing in the workplace
*
The identification and assessment of printing options
*
14. the stages in the printing process from pre-press to printed product
*
Time and Resources
*
15. different types of resource, including labour, materials, machinery
16. relationship between resource usage and profitability
17. how to maximise productivity
18. relationship between productivity and competitiveness
*
The operation of equipment
*
19. range of adjustments and settings on over-printing units
20. operating practices and procedures for over-printing units
21. the use of colour control equipment, including densitometers and spectrophotometers
*
Printing
*
22. principles of the printing process(es) used on the over-printing machinery
*
The causes and treatment of common faults
*
23. raw material faults
24. processing (printing) faults
25. machine faults
*
Administrative procedures
*
26. recording and reporting
27. product labelling*
Environmental
*
28. legal requirements for the classification, storage, carriage and disposal of waste
29. environmental legislation that covers processes in your company
30. existence of any national or international standards on environmental management
*
Quality Assurance and Control
- main features of quality assurance and quality control systems
- techniques for controlling quality, including inspection, testing, sampling, use of input and output controls
- equipment for controlling quality in machine printing
- light standards for viewing and assessing colour print**
Problem Solving
*
35. types of problems that may need to be solved
36. sources of information
37. techniques for solving complex problems
38. techniques for assessing machine faults*
Materials
*
39. types and characteristics of paper, board and other commonly used substrates
40. types and characteristics of inks, coatings and coatings
41. how to maintain the quality of materials during storage and handling
*
Proofing
**
42. principal types of proof and their role in the printing process