Sheet-fed printing presses lift the top sheet off the pile with suction and blow air under it, as US patents 3,931,964 (1976) and 5,092,578 (1992) describe in their background. Ultra Controlo distributes and services Elmo Rietschle vacuum pumps and side channel blowers, which the maker lists for printing, and Thomas pumps, which the maker lists for inkjet printing.
Patents on sheet feeders and blowers, a partner maker and the US Department of Energy describe these uses.
A separator sucker lifts the top sheet from the pile, in the sheet feeder of a sheet-fed rotary press described by US patent 5,092,578 (1992).
Blower nozzles fan the sheets and blow supporting air under the top sheet, in the same patent.
Suction heads controlled by rotating cams and by suction air applied to the separating nozzles in a timed sequence, in the background of US patent 3,931,964 (1976).
US patent 11,815,105 (2023) lists printing presses among the uses of regenerative, or side channel, blowers, which move large volumes of air at low pressure or vacuum.
Thomas lists continuous inkjet and drop-on-demand inkjet printing among the uses of its liquid diaphragm pumps.
The DOE lists box makers, packaging equipment and automatic die-cutting equipment among the applications of compressed air vacuum generators.
Sources: US patents 3,931,964 (1976), 5,092,578 (1992) and 11,815,105 B2 (2023), background; Thomas, liquid diaphragm pumps page; US DOE and Compressed Air Challenge, Improving Compressed Air System Performance: A Sourcebook for Industry, third edition (2016), Fact Sheet 2.
The US Department of Energy sourcebook (2016) compares the two ways to make vacuum on a machine.
Vacuum generators are, in general, less effective at pulling a vacuum and cost as much as five times more to operate than a dedicated vacuum pump.
Source: DOE sourcebook (2016), Fact Sheet 2.
In a base load situation, a vacuum generator operating less than 30 percent of the time will be more economical to operate than a central vacuum system.
Source: DOE sourcebook (2016), Fact Sheet 2.
A dedicated vacuum pump or central vacuum system provides more suction force at a fraction of the cost, and it is significantly more cost effective to design it into the machine than to retrofit it.
Source: DOE sourcebook (2016), Fact Sheet 2.
Source: US Department of Energy and Compressed Air Challenge, Improving Compressed Air System Performance: A Sourcebook for Industry, third edition (2016), Fact Sheet 2.
Vacuum pumps, blowers and ink pumps that the partner makers list for printing. Ultra Controlo distributes and services both brands.
Elmo Rietschle lists printing and paper for its V-VTN dry running rotary vane and its claw vacuum pumps, and the printing industry for its V-VCS oil-lubricated rotary vane pumps.
Elmo RietschleUp to 3,000 m³/h of output, per the Ultra Controlo catalogue; the maker lists the printing and paper industry for its G-BH blowers.
Elmo RietschleListed by Thomas for continuous and drop-on-demand inkjet printing, and by the Ultra Controlo catalogue for continuous inkjet.
ThomasThomas lists inkjet printing among the uses of its miniature rotary vane pumps, and printing among those of its PICOLINO VTE series.
ThomasSources: Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue, pp. 10, 11 and 15; Elmo Rietschle V-VTN, V-VCS, claw pump and G-BH1 pages; Thomas liquid diaphragm, rotary vane and PICOLINO VTE pages.
Ultra Controlo is a Portuguese manufacturer of compressed air, vacuum and technical gas systems, with 40 years of experience. We design, assemble and test our own compressors, dryers and carbon towers in Portugal, and supply and service five partner brands.
ULTRASCREW compressors, ULTRASEC and ULTRADRY dryers and ULTRAK activated carbon towers.
Gardner Denver, Elmo Rietschle, Thomas, Speck Pumpen (Circutec) and Speck Triplex.
Preventive and corrective maintenance, original spare parts and emergency support, by our own team.
Source: Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue, pp. 3, 10, 16, 17 and 22.
In its background, US patent 5,092,578 (1992) describes the sheet feeder of a sheet-fed rotary printing press, where a separator sucker lifts the top sheet from the pile and blower nozzles fan the sheets and blow supporting air under it.
Yes. In its background, US patent 11,815,105 (2023) lists printing presses among the applications of regenerative blowers, also called side channel blowers, which move large volumes of air at low pressure or vacuum.
For intermittent use they can. The DOE sourcebook (2016) says that, as a rule in a base load situation, a vacuum generator running less than 30 percent of the time is more economical than a central vacuum system; otherwise it costs as much as five times more to operate than a dedicated vacuum pump.
Thomas says its liquid diaphragm pumps are used for continuous inkjet and drop-on-demand inkjet printing, and that digital inkjet printer makers rely on them to move aggressive inks gently for up to 2 years without maintenance.
The machine, the vacuum level and flow it needs, and the hours per day. We reply with the pump that fits.
