New methods

to measure nips
When you want to be in control of your process, instead for reacting to change

A Sensor Development Company

2011:2

Award to Nip Control

Most innovative
offset product!
Nip Control is moving the
industry from external
estimates to objective
measurements inside the
nip where the offset
process takes place

Roller Nip Indicator

Pressure Indicator

Two instruments

Pressure Indicator

Roller Nip Indicator

Printing by numbers!
Best practice offset process control involves

density or Lab according to standardized levels

temperature

Roller Nip Indicator

tone value increase

dampening water (pH and conductivity)
ink & dampening roller nip settings
cylinder nip pressure
Infeed & draw roller nip settings

Pressure Indicator

Nip Control

Process Nips

critical to the offset process

creates and transfers the emulsion

transfers ink emulsion to the paper via the blanket

feeds the web

Draw roller/
nip rollers

Infeed

Printing units

Ink rollers
Dampening rollers

TBD

Roller Nip Indicator

TBD

Plate to blanket
Blanket to impression
Blanket to blanket

Pressure Indicator

Folding unit
Heatset press

Roller Nip Indicator

quick and easy control and setting of rollers

Simple to use,
sophisticated concept
Static sensor blade concept
1. Insert and position the sensor blade inside the nip
2. If needed, adjust the pressure load so correct digital
value is seen in the display
3. Done

Measurement in DNU

Static sensor

6.0 mm
digital
nip
width

Semi-dynamic sensor blade concept

1. Let the press pull the sensor blade
2. Stopp the press when the two green
lines have passed the nip.
3. Read the nip value

Note:
A digital nip width value is
different from the ink stripe

and that is the benefit!

Semi-dynamic sensor

Roller Nip Indicator

Three different sensor blades

to Roller Nip Indicator
SS30002/03

DS30001

Offset & Gravure Printing

New standard static sensor blade for offset and
gravure presses, but also non-graphic nips up
to 60o Shore A.
Shows nip width in millimeters.
Dynamic sensor blade. For newspaper presses
or other nips with 70o Shore A.
Shows nip width in DNU (Dynamic Nip Units).

Lamination & Coating Industries

SS30001

Roller Nip Indicator

Static sensor blade. For nips with very low

activation force and/or max. 80o Shore A .
Also the dynamic sensor blade can be used.
Maximum pressure load approx. 15 N/cm2.

Why Digital Roller Nip

Measurements!
1. Trouble shooting & process control
Objective way to check parallell alignment,
shrinkage & swelling. With or without ink on rollers.
Standardised measurement for all operators
2. Save time and increase productivity
Up to 50% time savings when setting rollers
Can be used by a single operator
3. Save on consumables
Electricity
Ink
Fountain solution
Rollers
Roller Nip Indicator

Roller settings make a difference

Density variations - Newspaper printing

Density

Comparison of two printed

editions
Bad settings of ink rollers
cause large density variations

30 printed signatures in a sequence

Density

When ink rollers settings were

adjusted, the density variations
also were reduced

30 printed signatures in a sequence

Roller Nip Indicator

Rollers
- the offset process is the shearing forces!
1.

The shearing forces are created when

two surfaces are moving with different
speed

2.

The emulsion is created, processed

and transported by

Plate cylinder or
hardest roller

Source: Bttcher Rollers

Roller Nip Indicator

shearing forces
adhesion of ink to rollers
surface roughness

3.

No contact between the rollers during

production as a very thin liquid film of
ink and water is between the rollers

4.

As the pressure between the rollers

increase, the shearing forces and the
temperature are affected negatively

Concept of digital measuring

Black curve = New, flexible roller

A = Aging roller
B = The oldest and also the hardest roller

B
A

Pressure width
Digital
measurement

Contact width
Inked stripe

Roller Nip Indicator

1.

All roller nips have a

pressure curve. This curve
mirrors the shearing forces

2.

The pressure curve

changes as rubber hardens
with age

3.

When rubber gets harder,

the pressman increases
pressure to achieve original
nip width in mm

4.

He achieves the nip width

he wants but also higher
nip pressure / pressure
width
Only one constant!
If Inked stripe is a constant Pressure width is a variable
If Pressure width is a constant Inked stripe is a variable

Rollers

- process consequences

Increased electricity consumption

Lower ink
viscosity

Increased
roller nip
pressure

Roller Nip Indicator

Increased
friction.
Shearing
forces are
affected

Ink
absorbes
more water

Pressman
compensates

Ink & water

consumption
increases

Lower print
quality

Increased
heat
generation
Breaks
down
rubberss
long
molecule
chains

Shrinkage
develops &
less rubber
flexibility

Shorter roller
life & lower
print quality

A Real Life Experiment

- Bttcher Rollers
1.

Two months of printing at typical roller settings (2-color press)

2.

Optimized pressure settings for two months

Results
59% savings on energy
27 % savings on ink
15% savings on fountain solution
and better print quality!

Roller Nip Indicator

Pressure Indicator
for the
interested
printer!

For cylinder nips in the graphic industry

Plate to blanket
Blanket to impression
Blanket to blanket
BUT, also other nips within the same
pressure range and specification.

End-user
introduction at
IPEX 2010 in
cooperation with
Continental/
ContiTech

Pressure Indicator

Instrument, Sensor blade,

Calibration tool & Low Pressure Labels

Low Pressure Labels for

pressure loads between
approx. 100 - 200 N/cm2

It is the small 5 x 5 mm square in top of

the sensor blade that is the pressure
sensitive area and which measures

Quick & easy to use

Just let the top of the sensor blade

go through the nip, and you will see
the pressure in Newton/cm2

Pressure Indicator

Calibration Tool

Quick problem detection

Pressure level plate/blanket

Trouble shooting when

poor ink transfer
ink build-up on blanket
plate wear

Pressure level blanket/blanket

or blanket/impression

Trouble shooting when

poor solids
ink build-up on blanket
bad web tension and web breaks

Easy to check

if pressure level is the same along the nip (operator - drive sides)
if differences in pressure between printing units
absolute pressure level

Long Term

Always correct blanket mounting as a process corridor can

be explored
Pressure Indicator

Peak pressure transfers the dot!

The nano-technology allows the
instrument to register a pressure value
thousands of times when a nip is
measured
The measurement repeatability has a
typical deviation of only +/-10 N/m2

Paradigm shift
Change over from measuring
the thickness of the blanket
to measuring the pressure
inside the cylinder nip

Pressure Indicator

Thickness

Pressure

Blanket properties influencing nip pressure

Surface hardness

Surface structure

Type of surface rubber

Fabric properties

Compressibility

Thickness
Blanket height
+ Trial & error
Fabric properties

Underpacking
Tightening of
blanket

Pressure Indicator

Height

Pressure
Blanket height
+ Compressibility
+ Surface rubber
+ Fabric properties
+ Tightening
+ Underpackings
= Nip pressure that
transfers the dot
= Pressure IndicatorTM

Different Blanket Constructions

Blankets of the
same
thickness.
Can they all
give the same
pressure?

Courtesy of Continental / ContiTech

Pressure Indicator

Trend Analysis software

hansson nips
A software visualizing the consistency
of the cylinder nip pressure
for all nips simultaniously

for each nip over time

Custom made screen design for any

press model so easy to use!

Pressure Indicator

Typical measurements
1.

There are no typical measuring values!

2.

All cylinder nips are unique. If the type of

blanket is changed, the pressure level will
change too. The same if the underpacking is
changed. Also, printing presses are designed
differently and therefore have different pressure
levels

3.

No blanket is 100% uniform and it is normal that the pressure level varies up to
100 N/cm2 when measuring the drive side, center and the operator side of a
cylinder nip

4.

Normally the pressure level between plate and blanket is higher than
between blanket and impression cylinders. One reason being
that a paper is removed from the nip when measuring

5.

In blanket to blanket nips the pressure level is reduced a

further approx. 50 % as two soft materials meet in this
type of nip
*) When a paper is removed from the nip and/or in a blanket to blanket nip, then the Low
Pressure Labels may be used

Pressure Indicator

Measurement
repeatability of
instrument:
typical deviation
+/- 10 N/cm2

and what are the benefits?

Trouble shooting when print quality not perfect
Check parallel alignment of blanket pressure
Compare pressure levels between printing units

For the interested

printer

Trouble shooting when web breaks or web wander

Same conditions for web tension troughout the press?
Trouble shooting when ink build-up on blankets

When different pressure levels drive/operator sides, the

temperature also becomes different facilitating ink build-up

Learn your printing process

Measure and monitor the force that transfers the dot from

one substrate to another, which is the pressure peak inside

the nip
Explore process corridor when print quality is OK
Compare blanket quality and sinking characteristics
Reduce pressure if possible, making plates and blankets last longer

Quick & easy

Pressure Indicator

Daily Print
Daily Print prints over 300.000 newspapers per day. The company has an older press with
printing units from three different suppliers. In 2004 the press was totally rebuilt into as
new condition.
Thomas Sandstrm, Technical & Production
Manager says:

Patrik Jonsson, printer and Anders Brnnstrm,

production leader and responsible for print
technology

Pressure Indicator

Our problem is and has been to achieve the same print

quality in all the printing units.
We therefore purchased one of the first Pressure
Indicator instruments from Nip Control for checking of
cylinder nips.
The measuring instrument is of great help when we
control the print settings and explore other print
technical problems.
We are very satisfied with the tool and it is easy to
measure inside the printing units without removing
blankets and underpackings.

Nip University
It is in the nips that the core offset process takes place. This is where
the rollers, the ink, the fountain solution, the plate, the blanket and finally
the paper meet determining print quality and cost
Peter Johansson. Segment Manager Strlfors AB with
business in seven countries and revenue of over 500 million:

This introductory training plus support from staff

management on how to use the Pressure Indicator in
routine checking of cylinder nips as well as the status of the
blankets has been very positively received. The level of
knowledge has increased and more printers now are engaging
themselves in the steering and control of the printing process
on their own press.
Rolf Hansson, reponsible for printing
technology education at the University of
Dalarna, Sweden and printing consultant

Roller Nip Indicator

Rolf Hansson Consulting executes full days educational sessions on nips.

The training include:
Theory and discussions
How to control nips
Testing on press
Evaluation and future steps

Pressure Indicator

 Full statement
Introduction of measuring instrument Pressure Indicator at Strlfors in Ljungby, Sweden in September 2010.
Strlfors is owned by the Swedish/Danish Postal Services, with business in seven countries and revenues of over 500 million.
Peter Johansson: Segment Manager for printing of business communication and the gambling industry states:
A requirement to be able to produce with high predictability and repeatability in a printing company is to ensure correct basic settings
of the printing process.
To do so the measurement instruments, the Roller Nip Indicator (RNI) for roller nips and the Pressure Indicator (PI) for
measurements of the pressure level of cylinder nips, are of excellent help.
Since a few years Strlfors Svenska AB in Ljungby uses the Roller Nip Indicator. The equipment in the printing facility mainly
consists of narrow web presses for direct mail and business forms.
The experience given from being able to control roller settings with the RNI were so positive that we decided it could be interesting to
test if also cylinder settings and blankets could be controlled in a similar way.
Before implementing the Pressure Indicator in the print shop a full days training was organized with Rolf Hansson Consulting. The objective
was to ensure that all involved pressmen had sufficient basic knowledge before this new way of calibrating and controlling a printing process was
introduced. The focus was on the key parameters which can be controlled, as well the functionalities of the instrument. It was also important to
find a method of working which all pressmen can agree upon to be able to create a positive exchange of knowledge and experience between the
different shift and press teams.
The first half of the day was given to theory and discussions about the construction of a blanket and its function in the printing nip. A substantial
amount of time was dedicated to the fact that blankets are designed differently, and thus will give show different printing properties, additionally
affected by the underpacking. The remainder of the first half of the day focused on the construction of the instrument and its role in superior
process control of the press. To be able to ensure high precision measurements, the instrument can be calibrated, and therefore a hands on
training on how to handle the calibration tool was included. During the afternoon the Pressure Indicator then was tested on press on different
press types, the results were discussed and evaluated.
This introductory training plus support from staff management on how to use the Pressure Indicator in routine checking of cylinder nips as well
as the status of the blankets has been very positively received. The level of knowledge has increased and more printers now are engaging
themselves in the steering and control of the printing process on their own press.

Roller Nip Indicator

Pressure Indicator

Nip University

Rotogravure
The Roller Nip Indicator
can measure between the
IMPRESSION ROLL and the
GRAVURE CYLINDER

Roller Nip Indicator

Application summary
PRESSURE INDICATOR
Pressure in

Newton/cm2

ROLLER NIP INDICATOR

Nip width in mm, inches or DNU

90

Pressure Indicator measures nips with pressure

loads between approx. 100*) - 750 N/cm2
Cylinder diameter:
All sizes
Cylinder surfaces:
Metal to rubber
Hard plastics to rubber
Rubber to rubber
Rubber hardness:
< 95o Shore A
Cylinder surface:
Smooth (not grooved)
Nip width:
5 mm / 2
Nip temperature:
10 - 70o C / 50 - 158o F
Sensor blade thickness: 0.2 mm / 0.00079
*) with Low Pressure Kit (LPK)

OFFSET (Blankets)
HOLOGRAM
WEB CONTROL / PARALLEL PRESSURE
OTHER NIPS WITHIN INSTRUMENTS SPECIFICATION

Roller Nip Indicator measures nip widths with pressure

loads 15 N/cm2
Roller diameter:
10 mm / 0.39
Cylinder surfaces:
Metal to rubber
Hard plastics to rubber
Rubber to rubber
Rubber hardness:
20 - 80o Shore A
Roller surface:
Smooth (not grooved)
Nip width:
1.5 - 20 mm / 0.059 - 0.787
Nip temperature:
20 - 50o C / 68 - 122o F
Sensor blade thickness: 0.4 mm / 0.00158

OFFSET (Rollers)
GRAVURE
LAMINATION
COATING
INFEED & DRAW ROLLERS
OTHER NIPS WITHIN INSTRUMENTS SPECIFICATION