A complete preventive service guide for Komori Lithrone printing presses. Learn the maintenance intervals, essential operations and how to reduce costs and downtime in your printing house.
An unplanned stoppage of an offset printing press generates significant costs, lost production, penalties for delays and accelerated wear of components. Preventive service is the only strategy that turns maintenance from an unforeseen cost into a controlled expense.
Whether you work on a Komori Lithrone S, G or GX, the logic of preventive maintenance is the same: small, regular interventions prevent major breakdowns and keep print quality at optimal parameters. The technical particularities of the Komori architecture, the Komorimatic system and the H-UV and K-Supply LED-UV technologies dictate the specific procedures and the right consumables for each model.
This guide covers the maintenance intervals recommended by the manufacturer, the operations specific to the Lithrone series, the essential consumables and how you can build a preventive service program that works under the real conditions of a printing house in Romania. If you want to see concretely how a Romanian printing house optimized its offset production with a Komori press, read the case study Cromatic Tipo.
Why preventive service is essential for offset printing presses
Modern offset printing presses (Komori Lithrone (the G, GX and GX40 series) run at speeds of 12,000–18,000 sheets per hour, with hundreds of mechanical, pneumatic and electronic components that interact simultaneously. A single component with undetected wear can generate chain-reaction problems: register variations, ink transfer defects, substrate picking or the breakage of major parts.
The concrete impact of a well-implemented preventive maintenance program:
- Reduced unplanned downtime: the main cause of financial losses in printing houses, especially on orders with tight delivery deadlines
- Consistent print quality: precise register, uniform ink density and well-defined halftone dots
- Extended equipment lifespan: a properly maintained press can operate for 20–30 years with healthy productivity
- Lower service costs in the long run: parts replaced preventively cost far less than emergency repairs
- Predictability in production planning: you know when the equipment is available and what technical condition it is in
Komori officially recommends five levels of periodic intervention, adapted to the Lithrone architecture: daily, weekly, monthly, biannual and annual. Complying with these intervals is a condition for maintaining the warranty on new equipment.
The preventive maintenance program: intervals and operations
Complete washing of the ink rollers and blankets after each job or shift is not optional, it is the basis of any maintenance program. Ink residues polymerized on the rollers change their hardness and affect ink transfer. Use specific washing solutions, without aggressive solvents that can damage the rubber layer, and follow the procedure recommended by the equipment manufacturer.
Controlling the fountain solution is equally important: the pH must be kept within the recommended range (usually 4.8–5.5 for conventional offset), while the conductivity and temperature directly influence the ink-water balance and print quality.
Daily maintenance: the operations you cannot skip
Complete washing of the ink rollers and blankets after each job or shift is not optional, it is the basis of any maintenance program. Ink residues polymerized on the rollers change their hardness and affect ink transfer. Use specific washing solutions, without aggressive solvents that can damage the rubber layer, and follow the procedure recommended by the equipment manufacturer.
Controlling the fountain solution is equally important: the pH must be kept within the recommended range (usually 4.8–5.5 for conventional offset), while the conductivity and temperature directly influence the ink-water balance and print quality.
Monthly and quarterly maintenance: where the most money is lost
Checking and adjusting the ink roller nip is one of the most frequently neglected operations. Worn or glazed rollers transfer ink unevenly and increase consumption without improving the final result. Over time, an incorrect nip generates variations in density, toning and instability throughout the run.
The dampening solution cooling system (Technotrans, Baldwin or similar) requires periodic cleaning of the filters and checking of thermal efficiency. A chiller that no longer maintains the set temperature affects the viscosity of the solution and the ink-water balance.
The biannual and annual overhaul: specialized service interventions
Changing the oil of the main transmission (the side gearboxes) is an operation that cannot be performed by the operator, nor postponed. Degraded oil loses its lubricating properties and accelerates the wear of the gears. The recommended interval differs depending on the operating regime and the equipment model.
Inspecting the grippers is essential for register accuracy. A gripper with uneven or damaged clamping force can cause the sheet to shift during the transfer between cylinders, generating visible errors in process-color printing.
Backing up the machine's parameters and settings is a safety measure that is often ignored. In the event of a major electronic failure, restoring the calibration parameters can take days if there is no up-to-date backup. The recommended frequency is quarterly or whenever significant calibrations are performed.
The technical particularities of the Komori Lithrone series — what influences maintenance
The Lithrone series has several technical characteristics of its own that directly dictate the service procedures and the consumables used. Knowing them prevents maintenance errors that are common in printing houses with new staff or recently acquired equipment.
Practical tip
If your press is equipped with an H-UV or K-Supply LED-UV system, always check the compatibility of the washing solutions with UV ink before purchase. A washing solution formulated for conventional inks does not efficiently remove UV ink residues and can accelerate roller glazing, one of the most common causes of premature roller degradation on Lithrone presses with UV drying.
The essential consumables for an efficient maintenance program
A preventive maintenance program cannot function without constant access to the right consumables. Supply interruptions or unsuitable substitutions are a common cause of equipment deterioration, especially in the case of lubricants and washing solutions.
Industrial lubricants and printing greases
Lubricants are the most important consumables for the equipment's lifespan. Each lubrication point — bearings, gears, guides or cams — requires a specific type and viscosity. Using an unsuitable lubricant accelerates wear and can generate abnormal temperatures in the bearings.
Printing grease and transmission oils must comply with the equipment manufacturer's specifications. NSF H1 certification is mandatory for printing houses that produce food packaging.
Washing solutions and cleaning products
Washing solutions for rollers and blankets must be compatible with the type of ink used: conventional, UV or LED-UV. A solution that is too aggressive damages the rubber and accelerates glazing; one that is too weak leaves residues that affect subsequent jobs.
The products for cleaning CtP plates, cylinders and dampening systems have different formulas and are not interchangeable. Organize the stock by type of application and train the operators accordingly.
Offset blankets
Offset blankets are consumables with inevitable wear, but their lifespan depends directly on the quality of the maintenance. A properly maintained blanket — washed regularly, mounted at the correct tension and checked periodically — offers a longer lifespan and optimal ink transfer.
When choosing a replacement blanket, check its compatibility with the type of ink and the operating speed of the equipment.
Auxiliary printing materials
Anti-set-off spray powder, driers, antistatic solutions and roller reconditioning products are part of routine maintenance. Anti-set-off powder applied incorrectly can contaminate the equipment's ventilation systems and filters, increasing the frequency of cleaning operations.
How to organize a preventive maintenance contract
A well-structured contract is more efficient than one-off interventions, because it offers preferential rates, a guaranteed response time and a clear picture of the equipment's technical condition.
What a preventive service contract must contain
- The explicit list of the operations included
- The intervention intervals and the scheduling method
- The guaranteed response time for emergencies
- The availability of spare parts
- The technician's experience with the equipment model
- Clarification of the backup procedures for parameters and settings
Internal service vs. external service
The most efficient model combines an internal technical operator for daily and weekly maintenance with a specialized external provider for complex interventions and major overhauls.
This division reduces total costs and ensures that complex operations are performed by specialized technicians, without overburdening the operators.
Practical recommendation
Keep a logbook (Press Log), physical or digital, in which every intervention is recorded, including the daily ones. This document is extremely useful for identifying recurring problems and for evaluating the equipment in the event of a sale or a leasing operation.
How much does preventive service for printing presses cost?
The cost of a preventive maintenance program for printing presses starts from 480 € per month and can reach 960 € per month, depending on the number of pieces of equipment covered, the response time required and the volume of technical assistance included. At Printman, preventive service subscriptions are available in three variants:
- Standard – 480 €/month
- Plus – 720 €/month
- Pro – 960 €/month
Each subscription includes periodic equipment checks, remote assistance, on-site interventions, technical consultancy and discounts on spare parts and extra service hours.
The Printman subscriptions (offset, flexo or digital)
Printman offers professional technical assistance for offset, flexo and digital printing equipment, covering the entire lifecycle of the machine: from installation and preventive maintenance, through to corrective interventions, upgrades, remote assistance and operator training.
With over 20 years of experience and direct partnerships with equipment manufacturers, Printman engineers resolve approximately 90% of problems on the first on-site visit, with access to original spare parts and national coverage.
For printing houses that need a structured preventive maintenance program, Printman offers three monthly technical assistance subscriptions, differentiated by response time, number of hours included and the level of discounts on labor and parts.
Each subscription includes the annual check of the covered equipment (preventive maintenance), priority interventions and access to technical consultancy. Unused hours do not carry over from one month to the next. To choose the right subscription or to request a one-off intervention, contact the Printman team at contact@printman.ro or fill in the contact form available here.
Conclusion
Preventive service for Komori offset printing presses is not an additional cost, but an essential tool for controlling production costs in the long run. A program structured on clear levels of intervention (daily, weekly, quarterly and annual) significantly reduces the risk of unplanned stoppages and keeps print quality at constant parameters.
The correct consumables (specific lubricants, compatible washing solutions and blankets chosen according to the application) are just as important as the maintenance operations themselves. Even a technically flawless program can fail if unsuitable consumables are used.
If you do not already have a specialized supplier of consumables for the printing industry, choosing a partner with technical support and constant availability can have a major impact on the efficiency and lifespan of your equipment. Contact us to find the right solution for your needs.
Consumables for the maintenance of your printing presses
Printing lubricants, washing solutions, offset blankets, fountain solutions and auxiliary materials, available from stock, with local technical support.
Frequently asked questions about preventive service for Komori printing presses
1. How often must a complete overhaul be performed on an offset printing press?
The standard interval recommended by Komori for a complete overhaul is 6 and 12 months, respectively. For equipment operating in an intensive regime (two shifts or more), the frequency is established according to the machine's revolution counter, in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
A practical rule for printing houses with a medium-to-high load: a complete overhaul every 6 months, an intermediate check every 3 months, roller inspection and calibration every 2–3 months.
2. What is the difference between preventive and corrective maintenance?
Preventive maintenance consists of interventions scheduled before a component deteriorates — checking, adjustment, lubrication, replacement at set intervals. The goal is to prevent breakdowns.
Corrective maintenance steps in after the breakdown has occurred — emergency repair, forced replacement of parts. It is invariably more costly: emergency parts have higher prices, emergency labor is more expensive and, more importantly, production is stopped for the duration of the repair.
3. What differences are there between the maintenance of a Komori Lithrone with H-UV compared to a model with conventional ink?
Models with H-UV or K-Supply LED-UV require a few additional operations compared to the variants with conventional ink. The quartz glass of the UV modules must be cleaned periodically — deposits of volatilized ink reduce UV intensity and affect drying. The intensity of the lamps or LED modules is checked at the intervals recommended by Komori, and replacement is done according to the operating-hours counter of the UV source.
In terms of consumables, the washing solutions and blankets must be formulated specifically for UV inks — products for conventional offset are not compatible and can damage the rubber surfaces or leave residues incompatible with UV drying.
4. What happens if the machine's parameters are not backed up?
In a major electronic failure (control board, internal hard disk, power loss during an update), the operating parameters, color calibrations and register settings saved in the machine's memory can be lost. Recovering them without an up-to-date backup can take entire days of recalibration — time during which production is blocked or print quality is compromised.
The recommended frequency for backup is quarterly and whenever major calibrations are performed.
5. How can you tell that the ink rollers need to be replaced or reground?
The main signs of roller wear: the nip (contact width) falls outside specifications when checked; the roller surface appears glazed or has uneven matte/glossy areas; the machine requires increased amounts of ink to maintain the set densities; color or density variations appear during the run even without any change to the settings.
Checking the nip is an operation performed with a standard nip-testing strip and requires a minimum of 10 minutes per printing unit. The recommendation is to include it in the quarterly maintenance schedule.
6. What is the average lifespan of a properly maintained offset blanket?
It varies depending on type, printing technology and operating regime, but under normal maintenance conditions a blanket for conventional printing reaches 1–2 million impressions before requiring replacement. A blanket for UV or LED-UV inks has a shorter lifespan and requires specific washing solutions so that it does not degrade prematurely.
The most relevant indicator is not the number of impressions, but the condition of the surface and the transfer behavior — visual inspection and nip checking remain the main criterion.
