Introduction by David Rogers (Business Unit Director – Static Control):
A common need for static elimination is found on digital printing lines. For instance, a massive static charge can be generated as the coated paper or film is unwound from a roll. These charges are capable of attracting airborne dust to the web from several feet away, which can be particularly damaging if the material comes within close proximity of the floor. Once the dust is on the material, it can cause defects in print quality.
Another issue to take into account is that high static charges can also cause problems with ink adhesion, as they can actually repel the ink from the material surface, and affect the overall quality of the finished product. Not only does this scenario lead to increased production costs, it can also lead to reduced production speeds.
Meech has long recognised the issues caused by this phenomenon, which is why we aim to provide customers with the excellent standards of static elimination they have come to expect from our brand. In that spirit our most recent bars, the 971IPS and 929IPS, were developed as a response to customer feedback.
Hyperion 971IPS static elimination bar
The 971IPS (Integrated Power Supply) allows users to run the long range ionising bar from a 24V power supply and borrows some of its features from Meech’s first true closed-loop Pulsed DC static control system, the popular 977CM, although in miniature form. For instance, Ion Current Monitoring technology allows the performance of the bar to be metered and also provides an alarm signal to advise the operator to clean the bar.
For many customers, the bars’ default settings will allow quick and easy installation and use. But, for more demanding installations Meech have developed a remote programmer, the Hyperion BarMaster. Connecting the BarMaster to the 971IPS enables the engineer to adjust the balance and frequency of the outputs, as well as setting the alarm parameters. Once the output has been optimised and the alarm levels selected, the BarMaster can be removed and used to program the next bar.
Hyperion 929IPS static elimination bar
The 929IPS is a 24V, plug and play bar, which provides excellent ionisation for short to medium range applications (up to 500mm). Like the long-range 971IPS, the 929IPS features Ion Current Monitoring technology to provide performance alarms and cleaning alerts.
Compatibility with the Hyperion BarMaster programmer allows the engineer to modify the output settings, depending on their requirements. This adjustability will be of great benefit to high accuracy applications, such as RFID converting machinery.
The 929IPS is not only the most advanced of Meech’s new bars, it is also IP66 rated, which means it can be used in environments where the productions lines may be washed down, such as food packaging applications.