Attachment A - Specifications.pdf

B: OPP-1

28 September 2023

Supersedes

B: ECF-6

22 June 2022

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20228

BEP SPECIFICATION FOR

BLANKET: OFFSET PRINTING PRESS

1.0 SCOPE AND CLASSIFICATION

1.1 Scope This specification covers performance and acceptance requirements for Offset Press Blanket used at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, hereinafter referred to as the BEP.

Offset press blankets shall be suitable for use on sheet-fed Simultan offset presses for waterless offset printing and as collector cylinder blankets on Super Orlof Intaglio (SOI) presses.

The offset/collector blankets will be used to print United States currency.

1.2 Classification This specification covers one type of conventional printing blanket identified as 2L002042 for use on Simultan offset presses and as collector blankets on Super Orlof intaglio presses.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

2.1 Government Documents

2.1.1 Specifications, Standards, and Handbooks The following specifications, standards, or handbook form a part of this specification to the extent specified herein.

Federal Standards

Federal Standard-141 Paint, Varnish, Lacquer, and related Materials: Methods of Inspection, Sampling and Testing

(Federal specification and standards may be obtained from the General Services Administration, Federal Supply Service; Specification Section (3FP-E), 470 East L’Enfant Plaza; SW; Suite 8100, Washington, DC 20407.)

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Specifications

L: VAB-1 Specification for Vendor Affixed Barcode Labels for Bureau of Engraving and Printing Materials

(Single copies of BEP documents are available from the Contracting Officer, BEP, 14th and "C" Streets, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20228).

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Document

75D-07.0-05 EHS Requirements for Purchased Materials

Supersedes

(Request for copies should be addressed to the Contracting Officer, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Office of Acquisition, 14th and C Streets, SW, Washington, DC 20228-0001)

2.2 Non-Government Publications The following documents form a part of this specification to the extent specified herein.

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Methods:

D 1777 Measuring Thickness of Textile Materials D 3773 Length of Woven Fabrics D 3774 Width of Woven Fabrics

(Request for copies should be addressed to the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-1137. ASTM methods are also available for purchase at the following website: www.astm.org)

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Methods:

ISO 13934-1:2013 Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation at maximum force using the strip method

ISO 48-4 Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of hardness — Part 4: Indentation hardness by durometer method (Shore hardness)

ISO 12636: 2018(E) Graphic technology — Blankets for offset printing (Request for copies should be addressed to the International Organization for Standardization, Chemin de Blandonnet 8 CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva Switzerland. ISO testing methods are also available for purchase at the following website: https://www.iso.org/home.html)

Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) Method:

T 400 Sampling and Acceptance of Single Lot of Paper, Paperboard, Containerboard, or Related Product T 402 Standard Conditioning and Testing Atmospheres for Paper, Board, Pulp

Handsheets, and Other Related Products

(Request for copies should be addressed to the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry, 15 Technology Parkway South, Norcross, Georgia 30092-2928. TAPPI testing methods are also available for purchase at the following website: www.tappi.org)

2.3 Order of Precedence In the event of a conflict between the text of this document and the references cited herein, the text of this document takes precedence. Nothing in this document, however, supersedes applicable laws and regulations unless a specific exemption has been obtained.

http://www.astm.org/ http://www.tappi.org/

Supersedes

2.4 Internal References All paragraph and section references will be to paragraphs and sections of this specification, unless stated otherwise.

3.0 REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Material The blankets shall be manufactured from either cotton or synthetic fabric or a combination of these fabrics. The fabric shall be free from defects that could adversely affect its performance as a component of the printing blanket. The fabric shall be coated on one side with an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material shall be formulated to produce a non-tacky finish. The elastomeric material shall be uniform with no noticeable skips, depressions, or high spots, and shall not distort the thread and weave pattern of the fabric. There shall be no cracks in the elastomeric material and no foreign matter imbedded in the surfaces of the blanket.

3.1.1 Recovered Materials. In accordance with the requirements of 42 United States Code 6901, et.seq. and 6962, the BEP encourages the use of the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable in the manufacture and delivery of the finished materials as specified herein provided all specification requirements are fulfilled.

3.2 Offset/Collector Blanket Performance The offset/collector blanket shall exhibit a high degree of dimensional stability and limit the piling of inks and paper dust that leads to image transfer failure. The blanket shall be used for waterless offset printing to transfer a high quality image that releases from the offset printing plate to the paper on Simultan offset presses and as an ink collecting blanket on the collecting cylinder of Super Orlof Intaglio presses. The blankets shall be resistant to all inks based on mineral oils as well as the washes used in offset printing.

The average service life of the offset /collector blanket should be 1,200,000 impressions. The minimum service life of the offset /collector blanket shall be over 200,000 impressions. The offset/collector blanket shall have surfaces that are non-tacky, which shall not adhere to United States currency paper during printing. The offset/collector blanket shall not contain or develop any one of the following: creases, tears, indentures, holes, lumps, or any other condition that might damage the press and/or printing plate and/or produce imperfect prints or images. The offset/collector blanket shall not delaminate during use.

3.3 Physical Requirements The offset press blanket shall comply with the requirements listed in TABLE I of this specification.

TABLE I

OFFSET/COLLECTOR PRINTING BLANKET PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

PROPERTY MINIMUM MAXIMUM

Thickness 1.68 mm (0.066 inch) 1.72 mm (0.068 inch)

Width 849 mm (33.43 inch) 851 mm (33.50 inch)

Supersedes

Length 959 mm (37.76 inch) 961 mm (37.83 inch)

Impression Depth (ISO 12636-2018) ≤ 0.16 mm (at 1000 kPa)

Elongation (at 1000N/50 mm)

(ISO 13934-1)

≤ 1.5%

Tensile strength at break in machine direction / WARP direction (ISO

13934-1) ≥ 2000 N/50mm

3.3.1 Trim The printing blankets delivered in sheet form shall be cut perpendicular to the warp direction of the fabric. They shall be cut cleanly without ragged or frayed edges.

3.4 Health and Safety in Handling and Processing.

3.4.1 OSHA Emission Requirements. During use, wrapping, and storage of packages after wrapping, the offset blanket shall not emit substances that are established as hazardous.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) and its appendices define health hazards (Part 1200 (c)) and list sources to be used in establishing that certain substances at or above certain concentration levels are hazardous (Part 12100 (d)(3)).

3.4.2 Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements. BEP retains the right to reject any drawsheets and offset blankets that cause acute or chronic adverse health effects upon its employees. Adverse effects include, but are not limited to: headache; eye, dermal, nasal, or throat irritation and/or sensitization; nausea and dizziness. Reference BEP EHS Requirements for Purchased Materials, 75B-07.0-05.

3.4.3 Safety Data Sheets (SDS). All SDSs shall comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements as listed in 29 CFR 1910, Part 1200, paragraphs

(g) and (i). Additionally, all SDSs shall be submitted to the OEHS for review and approval prior to use in the BEP.

4.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS

4.1 Contractor Quality Assurance Plan The BEP shall rely on the contractor’s existing quality assurance system. The BEP reserves the right to perform any inspections and tests deemed necessary upon receipt of the material to assure conformance to requirements. The BEP may conduct periodic site visits and quality audits of the facilities of the manufacturer or major first-tier subcontractors in cases when the contractor is a “broker”, “regular dealer”, “reseller”, or “converter”. Upon request by the BEP, the contractor shall provide a copy of their current quality assurance system document, e.g., quality assurance plan to the BEP. If the contractor is a “broker”, “regular dealer”, “reseller”, or “converter” and not the manufacturer of the supplies to be delivered under the terms of the contract, the BEP may request the contractor to provide a copy of the current quality system document of its major first-tier subcontractors.

Supersedes

The quality assurance system document will be used by the BEP for conducting the quality audit.

4.1.1 Modifications of the Quality Assurance System The contractor shall notify the BEP of any planned changes to its quality assurance system manual or plan. The changes shall be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) with the reasons for the changes.

4.2 Control Chart The contractor shall provide a control chart of each of the control variables identified by the BEP. The control variables are characteristics or properties of the press blanket identified in the BEP specification. The control chart is a plot of the control variable of each lot or batch of material plotted sequentially by date of manufacture and shall contain the specification limits for the characteristic or property. The contractor shall furnish a hard copy and/or an electronic copy of the control chart of each control variable to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for each single delivery.

4.2.1 Control Variable At the minimum the contractor shall provide control charts for:

thickness, length, and width.

4.3 Inspection and Testing

4.3.1 Responsibility for Inspection and Testing Unless otherwise specified in the contract or in the purchase order, the supplier is responsible for the performance of all inspection and testing specified. Except as otherwise specified, the supplier may utilize his own facilities or other commercial laboratory acceptable to the BEP. The BEP reserves the right to perform any inspection and tests set forth in the specification.

4.3.2 Sampling Sampling shall be conducted in accordance with TAPPI method T 400. The lot size shall be determined by the supplier, based on the supplier’s knowledge of the manufacturing process. The lots shall be expressed in units of blankets, shall consist of single manufacturer’s batch or run, and shall have uniform properties. Sub-lots shall be established whenever conditions indicate a significant difference in raw materials and/or manufacture. The supplier shall indicate the sampling plan used to perform quality inspection and submit it for approval by the Contracting Officer Representative.

4.4 Testing Testing shall be conducted in accordance with the following methods.

Reference to specific instruments is for information only. Use of a company and/or product name in this document does not imply approval or recommendation of the product in preference to others that may also be suitable. The BEP will work with the contractor to establish correlation among various instruments when required.

4.4.1 Test Conditions Press blanket samples shall be conditioned and tested under environmental conditions that meet the requirements of TAPPI T 402.

4.4.2 Thickness The thickness of the press blanket shall be determined according to ASTM method D 1777 or an equivalent industry accepted test method. Report the average, minimum, and maximum thickness for each lot.

Supersedes

4.4.3 Length of Woven Fabric The length of the press blanket shall be determined according to ASTM method D 3773, Option 1 or an equivalent industry accepted test method.

Report the average, minimum, and maximum length for each lot.

4.4.4 Width of Woven Fabric The width of the press blanket shall be determined according to ASTM method D 3774 Option B or an equivalent industry accepted test method. Report the average, minimum, and maximum width of each lot.

4.4.5 Impression Depth The impression depth of the offset/collector blankets shall be determined according to ISO method 12636-2018 or an equivalent industry accepted test method. Report the maximum impression depth for each lot.

4.4.6 Elongation The elongation of the offset/collector blankets shall be determined according to ISO method 13934-1 or an equivalent industry accepted test method. Report the maximum elongation for each lot.

4.4.7 Tensile Strength at break The tensile strength at break of offset/collector blankets shall be determined according to ISO method 13934-1 or an equivalent industry accepted test method. Report the minimum tensile strength at break for each lot.

4.5 Inspection BEP inspections shall be conducted for the requirements listed in TABLE Ill in accordance with the method given:

TABLE II

INSPECTION

Paragraph/Requirement(s) Inspection Method

3.1 Fabric Visual evaluation

3.1 Elastomeric Material Visual evaluation

3.1 Elastomeric Material Coated Fabric Visual evaluation

3.3.1 Trim Visual evaluation

Section 5 Preparation for Delivery Visual evaluation, measurement

4.6 Certifications and Reports The contractor shall certify in writing that the offset/collector printing blankets supplied in each delivery are in compliance with all the requirements including health, safety, and environmental as set forth in this specification. The signed and dated certification shall include a statement of the recovered material content, if any.

This certification of compliance shall accompany the report of inspections and tests. The contractor shall furnish copies of the results of inspections and tests performed for each batch or lot of shipment to the COR in electronic form. The certification of compliance shall indicate the sampling plan and lot size used to perform the testing.

5.0 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

Supersedes

5.1 Packaging The packaging shall conform with the Department of Transportation Rules and Regulations (which require a SDS with each shipment) and with applicable requirements of the National Motor Freight Classification Rules and Container Specifications.

5.1.1 Packing of Offset/Collector Blankets The offset/collector blankets shall be packaged in wooden boxes of suitable strength to provide protection during shipping, handling, and storage. The packing shall keep the blankets flat and provide protection for the edges of the blankets. The quantity of offset/collector blankets in the wooden container may vary between 100 and 300 blankets per wooden container at contractor discretion to best fulfill BEP order quantities.

5.1.2 Palletizing of Offset/Collector Blankets The wooden containers shall be delivered on sturdy wooden pallets that allow four-way entry for forklift truck. The pallets may be slatted, and if slatted, the space between two adjacent slats shall not exceed 12.5 centimeters (4.9 inches).

Each pallet shall contain a maximum of one wooden box. The wooden box shall be secured to the pallet in such a manner as to prevent shifting of the material and the wooden box during shipping and handling. Other packaging arrangements may be made with written approval from the Contracting Officer.

5.2 Marking

5.2.1 Container Marking Each container shall be plainly marked with one of the following product descriptions:

• “OFFSET/COLLECTOR BLANKET BEP STOCK ITEM NUMBER 2L002042”

Container markings shall include the net and gross weight in pounds, the number of offset/collector blankets, the contractor’s name, the batch or lot number(s), the date of manufacture, and the BEP purchase order number. The product identification markings shall be legible.

5.2.2 Marking Size and Color The marking used on each container shall be legible and of a color contrasting to that of the container. The item name and BEP stock number shall be 25 mm (one inch) high.

5.2.3 Hazard Warning Labels Each container shall be labeled in accordance with the applicable Department of Transportation Rules and with the provisions of the Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200 (f). This label shall include the name and address of the manufacturer, the identity of the hazardous materials, and the appropriate hazard warnings.

5.2.4 Barcode Label The barcode labels shall conform to the “Specification for Vendor Affixed Barcode labels for Bureau of Engraving and Printing Materials” and shall be affixed on

Supersedes the packaging of each container. Each container shall be marked in accordance with the bar-coded information listed in TABLE IV of this specification.

TABLE III

BARCODE INFORMATION

Barcode Text Description

Specification Description

OFFSET/COLLECTOR BLANKET

PO # BEP Purchase Order Number

Part # 2L002042

Quantity Number of sheets per box (container)

Batch/Lot # The manufacturer’s lot number

Weight Weight of the sheets plus weight of the box (container)

6.0 Revision History

REVISION

NUMBER

REVISION

DATE

AFFECTED

SECTION(S)

DESCRIPTION OF CHANGE

September 28, New

Offset press blanket was previously included with Drawsheet as part of BEP Specification for Blanket: Elastomeric-Coated Fabric, B: ECF-6, dated 22 June 2022.

2 October 06, 2023 2.1, 3.4 Updated 2.2 Government documents reference on Rigging board and 3.4 Health and Safety