Fountain Solution for Sheetfed

As printers seek to produce higher quality jobs with less makeready and waste, one key component they might tend to overlook is their fountain solution. Fountain solution may be a basic ingredient in the lithographic process, but it's usually seen as little more than a common consumable.

"Fountain solution typically represents less than 1% of a printer's expenditure," says Eric Gutwillig, vice president of marketing for Prisco (Printers' Service), a supplier. "But its impact is tremendous. It has a real effect on a printer's productivity and reproduction quality."

What exactly is fountain solution and why is it important? It's the essential water ingredient needed to form an emulsion with ink on press to keep the nonimage area of a printing plate clean.

Offset press operators have long been bedeviled by the need to maintain proper ink and water balance. Pressroom personnel must know the chemistry of fountain concentrate, proper mixing of fountain solution, the effect of temperature on the transfer of ink and fountain solution, the optimum surface tension of the solution, how to monitor the consistency of water, and how to check ink/water balance by examining the plate.

Too much water or fountain solution and the ink becomes emulsified, resulting in excessive dot gain in the printed image, low ink density, and poor print contrast. Too little water or fountain solution and the ink dries up on the plate and blanket, resulting in scumming, plugging, and general degradation of the image screen structure in the printed image.

"Printers are troubled most by how to mix fountain solution consistently," says Bruce Tietz, a technical consultant for the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation. "I see more mixing devices sold with presses, and the availability of fountain solution management solutions, plus automatic mixing and dosing devices. These products are good because they help the press operator prepare fountain solution much more accurately."

But Tietz says that machines can be a problem. He explains, "Printers get used to the equipment being consistent, and when it's not the wheels come off the bus, so to speak. In my view, printers need to institute strong statistical controls and stronger checking methods, to ensure that their machines are always in compliance."

Bill Bonallo, president of Technotrans America, Inc., agrees. Bonallo claims that his firm is the world's largest supplier of fountain solution control and management systems, which it supplies to press manufacturers and end users alike.

"Our systems give readings on conductivity," says Bonallo. "Press operators using our systems can set an upper limit for conductivity, plus they have the tools to correct any problem. Technotrans has many firsts to its credit, including what is now the most popular configuration in use: a combination ink temperature and fountain solution management system, including dosing and control of multiple solutions."

Today, according to Tietz, the largest manufacturers of fountain solution products in the U.S. are Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals (Anchor brand), Day International (Varn brand), and Prisco, followed by Tower Products, RBP Chemical Technology, and Accel Graphics.

While the fountain solution market is strong, there are undercurrents that could, in the long term, diminish fountain solution use or even make the product obsolete. For example, at the Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2002 show last fall, Midwest Ink Company introduced its Hydro H2O line of sheetfed inks that require only water, and not any fountain solution, alcohol substitute, or etch.

Last year, GATF presented Midwest Ink with an InterTech Technology award for its Hydro H2O line.

Also, waterless and UV waterless printing processes represent alternatives to traditional ink/water offset systems.

Waterless printing plate technology eliminates the use of water, fountain solution, and additives, as well as the need for fountain solution to lubricate the plate or blanket in the nonimage areas. As a result, the technology eliminates the variability problems associated with conventional offset printing systems having to consistently maintain proper ink and water balance.

"Waterless plates from Presstek and Toray require no fountain solution," says Tietz of GATF. "Some people believe that, when Toray's patents expire, waterless printing will become a popular technology. It runs cleaner with just ink and it achieves brighter colors."

He continues, "Up to now, the high plate cost has stopped printers from using the technology. The truth is, virtually every press model has internal plumbing to run waterless. When the Toray patents expire and waterless takes a big jump, the fountain solution market, I believe, will diminish."

In the meantime, fountain solution manufacturers are busy in their research and development departments devising new products. The correct fountain solution depends on a printer's press, type of ink and paper and plate, and the local water supply.

For suppliers, the biggest challenge is getting a printer to change brands.

"We are always introducing new fountain solution products," reports Jim Whitehead, technical director of pressroom chemicals for Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals. "A year and a half ago we set up a special research and development team dedicated to coming up with new products and reformulations.

"R&D works on long-term projects such as producing environmentally friendly fountain solutions, and our technical service department works directly with printers to help solve their needs. At present, we have 200 to 300 active fountain solution formulations, one-third to one-half of which are for sheetfed printers."

The chemical products division of Day International has a global R&D department, with sites in Manchester, England; Chicago; and Westchester, Ohio.

In an effort to keep up with faster turnaround and quicker makeready on press, as well as a general decrease in highly skilled press operators, fountain solution manufacturers are now promoting one-step formulations over the more popular two-step products.

"Do printers want a two-step formulation that involves mixing and dosing fountain solution and alcohol replacement, or a one-step formulation that has everything combined," asks Whitehead of Fuji Hunt. "A two-step formulation is susceptible to improper mixing, has more variables, and can be slower while the one-step fountain solutions offer ease of mixing and more control. It really is up to the printer."

Late last year, Accel Graphics introduced its MP2000 Poly Plus fountain solution for use with polyester plates. "The product runs polyester plates wetter and requires no additional wetting agents," says Kenny Pohlman, Accel's technical service manager. "It also keeps the plate cleaner."

For metal plates, Accel offers its FC1000 and MP2000 products.

Fuji Hunt markets its Anchor brand of Emerald Premium fountain solution products for sheetfed applications. Emerald Premium WOG and RQC products are both "one-steps" that, the manufacturer says, use newer technology. Both are based on propylene glycol derivatives, which are less toxic than ethylene glycol base products. Each of these products offers different amounts of plate protection and wetting, which allows Fuji Hunt to differentiate the two products based on a customer's particular requirements.

Emerald Premium WOG is a one-stage, sheetfed acid fountain solution product for use in soft to medium-hard water. This single-package product is designed for use on continuous dampening systems without alcohol on both sheetfed and small web presses. Said to be compatible with all types of plates, this product contains extra phosphates for fast starts and restarts.

Emerald Premium RQC, designed to control blinding and stripping often associated with running coated paper, incorporates a strong buffer system that allows it to be used in all but the hardest water. The dosage, says the manufacturer, can easily be adjusted for use on dampening systems like Heidelberg Alcolor.

In October 2001, Day International introduced its Varn-branded Pantheon 606C fountain solution, designed as a one-step, alcohol-free product for sheetfed printers.

"Many fountain solutions are marketed as a one-step," says Jeff Pieper, vice president of marketing for the chemical products division of Day International. "But we find that 10% to 20% of the applications will need an additive. We designed the Pantheon with the widest latitude possible."

Prisco (Printers' Service) offers the Spectrum, Questar, and 2000 and 3000 Series for sheetfed applications. The 2000 and 3000 Series are available as both a one-step and two-step; the former is the original alcohol-free formulation, while the latter is a newer universal fountain solution that works with a wide range of water and on newer press designs.

Questar is a two-year-old product designed to provide maximum safety for platesetter-exposed plates. Spectrum, an older solution reformulated two years ago, is a fountain solution that, according to Prisco, will not evaporate between press shutdowns.

"We custom formulate for individual customers," says Prisco's Eric Gutwillig, "plus we have a substantial R&D department and offer more than 700 formulas. When our customers need our help, we're there with our expertise. We have the largest force in the industry, with 120 sales and support staff members."

RBP Chemical markets a number of fountain solutions for sheetfed presses. Its two-step products offer a fountain concentrate designed for the newest plate technologies. They minimize ink attack and contain additives that combat calcium issues and build-up on rollers, blankets, and plates. They are described as a premium low-VOC fountain concentrate effective with alcohol or alcohol replacers.

RBP says its one-step products are highly effective for small and medium-size sheetfed presses with conventional or integrated dampening systems. They also help to eliminate stripping problems.

The one-step fountain concentrates are designed to be used with reverse osmosis treated water on continuous and/or conventional dampening systems. Says RBP, the products are enhanced with additional desensitizers and buffers to offer print quality on computer-to-plate products.

Acid-based concentrate is designed to keep plastic and polyester plates running clean. The one-step product requires no alcohol or alcohol replacers. It controls ink feedback and produces "excellent" results on a wide variety of dampening systems, including Dahlgren, Epic, and Heidelberg Alcolor.

Tower Products markets its Millennium Gold fountain solution for sheetfed applications; shortly, Tower Products plans to introduce a one-step formulation.

"The key to our new formulation is to not hurt the computer-to-plate material," says Rick Principato, president of Tower Products. "A lot of one-step fountain solutions work for a limited time, then begin to attack and dissolve the photopolymer plate and ruin the blanket. If field-testing and fine tuning go well, we plan to have this new product on the market next month."