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RBP Chemical Technology Names Midwest Technical Sales Representative RBP Broadens Efforts in European Market RBP Chemical Technology Opens Production Facility in India RBP Chemical Technology Receives Fountain Solution Blending Patent |
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RBP Chemical Technology Names Midwest Technical Sales Representative Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 2008 - RBP Chemical Technology has named Scott Cerny to the position of Midwest Technical Sales Representative. Based in Chicago, Cerny will serve customers in the upper Midwest. Prior to joining RBP Chemical Technology, Cerny managed a Midwest territory for a diverse chemical manufacturer. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Iowa. Announcing the appointment, RBP Chemical Technology President Mark Kannenberg commented: “Scott Cerny brings a wealth of chemical knowledge and application experience to RBP. In addition to developing new business, he will serve our many Midwestern customers.”
RBP Broadens Efforts in European Market Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 2007 - RBP Chemical Technology, a supplier of process chemicals to the worldwide printed circuit and graphic arts industries, is expanding efforts in Europe. In support of European customers, RBP will exhibit at the forthcoming Productronica exhibition in Munich, broadening its coverage of the European printed circuit market and graphic arts markets. RBP chemical products have long been manufactured under license to a Finnish company, Kemira GrowHow. The European Commission recently approved the acquisition of Kemira GrowHow by Yara International ASA, a major chemical company headquartered in Norway. The Productronica exhibit will combine the efforts of Yara and RBP Chemical Technology and make RBP products available to a much wider market. Discussing the new market thrust, RBP Chemical Technology President Mark Kannenberg commented: “With the acquisition of our Finnish licensee by Yara International ASA, RBP Chemical Technology will enjoy significantly wider distribution throughout the European community. This complements our efforts in India, where we recent brought on stream manufacturing operations to support customers in the Far East and the Indian subcontinent.”
RBP Chemical Technology Opens Production Facility in India Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 2007—RBP Chemical Technology, a supplier of process chemicals to the worldwide graphic arts and printed circuit industries, has announced the opening of a production facility in suburban Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. The fully operational chemical blending facility will be under complete RBP Chemical Technology control, and initially will blend proprietary chemicals to support customers in the printed circuit fabrication industry. A second production stage is expected to provide graphic arts chemicals to the Indian subcontinent and nearby markets. Production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2007, and the company intends to supply the entire RBP product range from the new facility. In announcing the new facility, RBP Chemical Technology President Mark Kannenberg commented: “Our new, wholly owned blending plant to support the Indian market further demonstrates the commitment of RBP Chemical Technology to the worldwide printed circuit and graphic arts markets, and we look forward to supporting our existing customers as they expand their manufacturing operations on the Indian subcontinent. RBP is relocating an experienced chemical technician to the new facility to ensure that the quality for which we are known will be available from this new plant the day it comes on line.” Founded in 1954, RBP Chemical Technology is a global supplier of proprietary chemicals and delivery devices for the printing, publishing, and printed circuit board manufacturing industries. RBP Chemical Technology products are manufactured in a 45,000 square foot plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; by approved blenders in the US, South Korea and Thailand; and by a licensee in Finland. RBP Chemical Technology is ISO 9001:2000 certified. RBP products are sold and serviced by factory-trained sales and service representatives and distributors in North America, Asia, and Europe.
RBP Chemical Technology Receives Fountain Solution Blending Patent Milwaukee, Wisconsin, December 2006—RBP Chemical Technology, a supplier of process chemicals to the worldwide graphic arts and printed circuit industries, has been granted US Patent 7,114,443 for a novel new method of delivering fountain solution to a printing press. The patent covers the mixing and delivery of fluid concentrates with water, using a proportioning pump to meter the component concentrates. In announcing the patent, RBP Chemical Technology President Mark Kannenberg commented: “In granting this patent, the US Patent Office has recognized the exciting new technology which forms the basis of the RBP Concept 21® Fountain Solution System. Utilizing this patent means that printers can control ink-water balance more precisely than ever before, and print cleaner, more consistent color job after job. The patent also is testimony to the research and development which RBP Chemical Technology puts into every product.” Founded in 1954, RBP Chemical Technology is a global supplier of proprietary chemicals and delivery devices for the printing, publishing, and printed circuit board manufacturing industries. RBP Chemical Technology products are manufactured in a 45,000 square foot plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; by approved blenders in the US, South Korea and Thailand; and by a licensee in Finland. RBP Chemical Technology is ISO 9001:2000 certified. RBP products are sold and serviced by factory-trained sales and service representatives and distributors in North America, Asia, and Europe.
Pressroom Chemistry Will Be Your By Mark E. Kannenberg and Jeffrey G. Behrens, You already do more with less. You routinely do things you wouldn’t have thought possible a few years ago. Yet the beat goes on: better, cheaper, faster. How can you find new savings in 2003? You may find important answers in an unexpected area. Improving quality, reducing paper waste, speeding plate changes and make-readies and simplifying purchasing and material handling, among others, will be areas for real savings in 2003. For many, these will come from one of your "commodities." Innovations in pressroom chemistry will make this possible. Fountain solution developments have always been reactive. Improvements, new technologies and other changes (e.g., CTP, more calcium carbonate in papers), require chemistry modified to work with new situations. The result: dozens of formulas, many only "variations on a theme." Many printers use multiple formulas to handle different plates, inks, paper and presses. Multiple formulas require extra space and money for inventory, as well as other issues: handling drums and totes, training, possible errors in ordering or dosing and more. Fountain solution concentrates typically may contain a dozen or more ingredients to solve various conditions and problems. Most address plate desensitizing, the surface tension of the working solution or pH buffering. Because these ingredients are chemically incompatible, a large amount of water is incorporated into the "concentrate" to keep everything in solution. The biggest problem with most concentrates is that increasing or decreasing dosage changes the level of all ingredients. Increasing dosage to deal with plate sensitivity also reduces surface tension, which could cause stripping on the rollers and color variation. Recently, RBP has taken a proactive "clean sheet of paper" approach to pressroom chemistry. We made some interesting discoveries. Ingredients for plate desensitizing are mutually compatible, as are those for surface tension modification. If each class of ingredients is put in its own container, two favorable results occur:
This makes it possible for printers to use a single fountain solution system, varying the formulas used for specific press conditions and problems by simply adjusting the ratios of surface tension modifier (STM) and acidic desensitizing modifier (ADM). It was an exciting breakthrough, but it needed testing in hard use, with a wide array of papers, inks, plates, dampening systems, press speeds and more. We put it to work for several months at commercial printers, on both problem jobs and everyday projects.
RBP’s new concept was introduced at Graph Expo 2002 as the "Concept 21® fountain solution system." The Concept 21 system is currently being tested at major printing facilities around the nation. All test sites are continuing to use it on a consistent basis. Concept 21will not be RBP’s last innovation. And we expect competitors to respond with their own innovations. One of your former "commodities" may soon become one of your most important allies in reducing pressroom waste and increasing efficiency.
By Jeffrey G. Behrens and Mark E. Kannenberg
Computer-to-plate (CTP) printing proves its value to printers every day. The latest refinements in CTP let you spend less for pre-press and plate-making and get your plates on press faster. At the same time, printers often face problems with runnability and compatibility. Most involve incompatibility between the new, "unbaked" CTP plates and the fountain solutions, plate cleaners and press washes developed for "baked" plates. Suppliers of pressroom chemicals need to find innovative ways to make their products work more effectively with your CTP plates, finding ingredients and combinations of ingredients that do the job effectively and economically without interacting negatively with plates. The answers can make a huge difference in helping you get more from CTP technology. Most CTP plate runnability and compatibility problems fit into one of three categories:.
Image Loss In most cases, image loss is caused by aggressive polar-type solvents, especially glycol ethers and isopropyl alcohol. Reducing or eliminating them in your fountain solutions, plate cleaners and press washes will probably be the most important thing you can do to prevent or improve image loss.
Conventional press washes that don't use these solvents cause fewer problems and are usually just as effective in every area except removing paper coatings. In those cases, it will take a little more elbow grease to do the job, but the end result will be the same. Adding a small amount of water to the wash will usually make it more effective in removing paper coatings. Ink/Water Balance
This is an area where constant vigilance and routine maintenance play a big role. Monitor pH and conductivity at least daily and maintain fresh chemistry. Plate Sensitivity CTP plates are more sensitive than other types. Using new-age desensitizers and polymer film formers will help keep your non-image areas clean and desensitized.
Changes in CTP plate technology will continue for a long time to come. With those changes come opportunities and problems. Today's solutions probably won't work forever, but if your suppliers of pressroom chemicals are on their toes, they'll keep finding new ways to help you optimize the printing performance of your CTP plates.
By Mark E. Kannenberg, RBP Chemical Technology, Inc. "Customer satisfaction is a flawed idea," says Wayne Renken, CEO of SensArray Corp., in the February, 2003 issue of Electronic Business News. How can that be? Renken says that by focusing on "doing things right", by improving the status quo, we may be blind to a novel and potentially more effective approach. To be truly valuable suppliers we should broaden our goal from customer satisfaction to a far more powerful concept -- customer success. Subtle? Perhaps. Splitting hairs? Maybe. But think about it. Today, many suppliers strive for annual improvements in our customers’ satisfaction indices. Often this means improving on criteria that were established years ago, by other people. Is that really meaningful? Wouldn’t it be far better to make a positive impact on our customers’ bottom lines? Or help make them more efficient, or gain a competitive advantage? In printing, there are many opportunities for suppliers to help their customers succeed, but not many real success stories. Let’s look at what goes on in the pressroom. The pressman faces a monumental task. His job is to manufacture products your customers will love. His tools, aside from the press, are plates, paper, blankets, ink and fountain solution, all interacting on the press at a high rate of speed, in a work environment whose temperature and humidity may vary season-to-season, or day-to-day. He’s pressured to seek the cheapest products that will do the job. Sometimes, he saves a penny, but spends a buck, because the product he purchased varies in some way from the one he bought last week, causing unexpected downtime. His suppliers, meanwhile, are being pressured on price, dealing with environmental regulations, etc., and may be adjusting their formulas "on the fly" to provide the prices the pressman wants, yet still make a profit. Usually suppliers make their cost-reducing formula changes without informing anyone, since there is no legal need to do so. "We can make the change," they say, "no one will ever know the difference." You know the rest of that story! How to get more value from suppliers? First, define what success means to you. Chances are it is some variation of an increased bottom line. This could come from lower material prices, but better bets might be reduced downtime, reduced variability or fewer errors, cuts in paper waste or reduced investment in inventory or other assets. That might actually mean investing more in better materials that offer better mileage or less downtime. Next, give your suppliers a tough review. Are they capable of making you successful, by your definition? Are they committed to your success or are they mostly committed to keeping the business? Do they invest in real R&D, or just tinker with old products? Do they support the industry by participating in trade associations and trade shows? Are they really interested in your success, or do they just want to sell you something and move on to the next customer? Finally, change your supplier business model. Rather than viewing suppliers as individual entities, consider building a supplier support team whose mission is to work together to make you more successful. Perhaps your dealer can help here, by coordinating the resources of those suppliers who meet your criteria. Share your expectations with the team. Have them report on their progress, and hold their feet to the fire. If they’re helping you succeed, reward them with more business. If not, replace them. Remember, you can take control here, and building a competent team of suppliers to support you will likely lead to greater success than continuing to do it the old way. After all, would you rather be a satisfied customer, or a successful one?
Concept 21® Fountain Solution System "A Whole New Way of Looking at Fountain Solution." Milwaukee, WI. Calling it “a whole new way to look at fountain solution,” RBP Chemical Technology introduces its new Concept 21® fountain solution delivery system. RBP president Mark E. Kannenberg says the Concept 21 system is among the most important new developments in fountain solution technology in the last thirty years. He explains that the Concept 21 system features a unique combination of highly- concentrated chemistry components and a specially-designed delivery system which provides printers with unprecedented latitude on the press. The new system allows printers complete versatility in meeting their chemistry needs for different presses, inks, papers and dampening systems, conditions which typically require differing solutions with specific formulas or concentrations, he said. “It’s the first system which features separate chemistry components coupled with a unique (patent applied for) delivery system that allows printers to precisely meter and custom blend differing concentrations and balances of de-sensitizing and wetting agents into the precise formulations they need,” Kannenberg said. “You’ve always been able to add more concentrate to the working solution,” he continued, “but with regular concentrates, you added more of everything. You couldn’t change the balance of de-sensitizing and wetting agents. Now you can change the balance on-press instead of moving in a new drum or tote. For the first time you will be able to create your own complete line of custom chemistry to meet your own exact on-press needs without inventorying and switching individual solutions,” Kannenberg said. “You can replicate virtually any of our RBP fountain solutions using the Concept 21 system, and you can replicate virtually any other formula from any other supplier as well. It’s not ‘one solution’ fits all; it’s one system fits all.” Kannenberg says what makes the Concept 21 system so versatile is the combination of super-concentrated chemistry components with the precision-metering capabilities of a mixing system originally developed for the exactingly precise needs of the food processing industry. Food companies need precision and consistency batch after batch. Once the formulation is entered into the delivery system, it is “locked in” so there are no inadvertent changes in the properties of the working fountain solution. Once set, the formulation is adjusted only to meet the needs of different presses or different jobs. Months of real-job, real-life testing in everyday use in Beta sites at commercial printers has shown that the Concept 21 system allows printers to better control piling, speed make-readies, get up to color faster, run consistently sharper dots and reduce paper waste, Kannenberg reported. Tests conducted by RBP indicate that working solutions from the Concept 21 system typically contain at least 30% fewer VOCs than those made using regular concentrates, making them more environmentally-friendly.
Designed specifically for newspapers, Concept 21®5 Star is highly concentrated chemistry coupled with a precision blending device that delivers optimum performance, using dosages of only 0.5--0.75 oz/gal. Lower water settings and less plate sensitivity foster higher ink densities and better color control. Users reportreduced fountain solution cost, fewer washups, fewer web breaks, less bacterial growth, paper savings, lower ink consumption and fewer SKU’s. Your performance will increase while your headaches and costs decrease! Concept 21 5 Star comes in neutral and mild acid formulations, both compatible with brush, spray, and conventional dampening systems. BACK TO TOP | EMAIL US | PRODUCT DATA | DISTRIBUTORS | APPLICATIONS INFO
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RBP Chemical Technology, Inc. © Copyright 2006 RBP Chemical Technology, Inc.
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