Flash dust Cleaning

[3Deep]

Hey gang hope business is picking up for everyone, question how often do you al clean your flash unit's? I will say I don't clean mine as I should because today I got my air hose and did a little cleaning before we started printing, I couldn't believe at all the dust it had built up.  Yet total fire hazard as a fellow printer had his shop go up in flames because of a flash unit, so hey just a little friendly reminder clean your flash unit's some of you have pretty nice size shop's with lot's of flash unit's with fan's and those blades get plenty of build up.   

[ebscreen]

Hey gang hope business is picking up for everyone, question how often do you al clean your flash unit's? I will say I don't clean mine as I should because today I got my air hose and did a little cleaning before we started printing, I couldn't believe at all the dust it had built up.  Yet total fire hazard as a fellow printer had his shop go up in flames because of a flash unit, so hey just a little friendly reminder clean your flash unit's some of you have pretty nice size shop's with lot's of flash unit's with fan's and those blades get plenty of build up.   

Every day multiple times a day. When the kids are waiting on a flash/warming up and any time I walk by one they get a dusting.
We have brushes sitting on every flash. We disassemble/clean internally (Roq flashes) once or twice a year.

Infrared are the real killers though. Those things don't turn off.

[Admiral]

I'm glad we moved on from infrared 12-15 years ago.  Quartz flashes are much safer and quicker.  I only remember the manual press having a pallet stuck under it one time and the warehouse started filling with smoke, we were all still there, just on break.  Our auto always had a quartz flash (and now they all do and we don't even have a manual press).

We also do end of day shutdown lists, then end of day the person locking up has 25-35 things to go around and check before leaving and arming the alarm system.

We also have smoke detectors on the alarm system even.  We even shut the gas off to the dryers daily.  Definitely do not want a fire!

[mk162]

we clean ours about once a year.  I might start blowing them out more often, that really just jambs that dust up in there though, at least I think it does.

we also have to clean our main control box on the press, too much lint clogs the cooling fan and causes the press to error out.  Luckily, it just won't spin. it doesn't do it in the middle of a cycle.

[bimmridder]

We go deep on the Red Chilis a few times a year. Open them up and take apart the blowers. We clean the little squirrel cages out (a pain) more for efficiency than safety) and clean the inside of the unit very well at the same time. Twelve flashes get cleaned as I see they need it. I can see when they are dirty so I clean them. I don't leave it for press ops. Their job is to print. I can do any of them while they are running.

[californiadreamin]

Took this in on trade! Fire waiting to happen
Rebuild time. Cant fix what I cant see.
Took 1 day plus just to clean and inspect.
After Inspection, all questionable/ bad parts changed
Good to go.

Winston
904.3430848

[3Deep]

Took this in on trade! Fire waiting to happen
Rebuild time. Cant fix what I cant see.
Took 1 day plus just to clean and inspect.
After Inspection, all questionable/ bad parts changed
Good to go.

Winston
904.3430848

Great day in the morning, don't think we've ever had a flash look that bad, but I do know that dust build up on the cooling fan blades will stop there normal air flow.

[ebscreen]

I remember reading on the old board where a person watched a shirt start to singe under a flash and before they could do anything the lint
on the flash was burning and it jumped to the lint on the power cable drop from the ceiling, travelled up it and caught the roof on fire in seconds flat.
If you've ever done the thing where you light the lint on fire on your sock I imagine it's the same. So yeah, clean your power drops and ceiling.

[mk162]

I remember reading on the old board where a person watched a shirt start to singe under a flash and before they could do anything the lint
on the flash was burning and it jumped to the lint on the power cable drop from the ceiling, travelled up it and caught the roof on fire in seconds flat.
If you've ever done the thing where you light the lint on fire on your sock I imagine it's the same. So yeah, clean your power drops and ceiling.

OK, I'll bite, what is "cleaning?"

[ebscreen]

Schwab the power cables with a rag on a stick. For the ceiling we rigged up 15' of pvc that we attach to an air line.
Cover machines/garments first, it's a bit like Christmas.

[Evo]

OK, I'll bite, what is "cleaning?"

That's where you grab an old shirt and throw it over the puddle of spilled coffee on the floor and swish it around with your foot.

It's optional.