ribbons, aprons, friction material on ribbon drive rolls,  pads,  and  covers  are  contained  in  the manufacturer’s   technical   manual.   Laundry personnel  should  do  this  maintenance  ONLY  after being properly trained in the correct procedures for  performing  this  work. Waxing the Ironer To  produce  a  smooth  finish  on  flatwork, prolong  ribbon  life,  and  prevent  linen  from sticking  to  the  heated  cylinder,  laundry  personnel need to wax the ironer each morning or after every 6  to  8  hours  of  use.  You  should  use  the  wax recommended  by  the  manufacturer.  Cut  a  strip of  cloth  about  3  feet  wide  and  as  long  as  the cylinder. Sprinkle half of the strip evenly with wax (paraffin)  and  fold  the  other  half  over  it.  Hold the cloth tight and feed the closed or folded end into the ironer. Run the paraffined cloth through the ironer several times. Use caution when doing this  as  the  wax  may  become  very  hot.  Also,  be careful not to overwax as this causes the return ribbon  and  drive  material  to  deteriorate.  This cloth may be reused as long as the wax lasts. Never sprinkle  wax  directly  onto  the  ironer. Ironer Ribbons Ironer ribbons need to be replaced when they become worn, discolored, or torn. After they have been replaced by trained maintenance personnel, laundry  personnel  should  thoroughly  wax  the ironer as this aids the newer ribbons in their initial action  against  the  heated  rolls. Friction Material on Return Ribbon Drive Roll The return ribbon drive roll drives the ironer return  ribbons.  This  return  ribbon  drive  roll  is located at the front of the ironer underneath the white canvas feed ribbons. For the ironer return ribbons  to  be  driven  properly,  the  ribbon  drive roll   must   be   properly   covered   with   friction material.  Special  6-inch-wide  friction  material wound  around  the  drive  roll  is  used  for  this purpose. When this material becomes smooth or if it should become worn off the roll, it must be replaced  with  new  material.  If  this  material  is  not replaced,  the  ironer  return  ribbons  will  not  be driven at the proper speed and wrinkling and other problems  can  result.  Return  ribbons  normally  run faster  than  the  heated  roll  and  the  padded compression  roll.  If  linens  should  have  a  tendency to jam and wrinkle while under the return ribbons, that is usually an indication that the ribbons are not running at the proper speed and the friction material  may  need  replacement.  You  should contact  maintenance  personnel  to  check  and replace  this  friction  material  if  necessary. Changing  Combination Pads and Covers When  the  padding  on  the  ironer  pressure  rolls becomes  scorched,  burned,  or  when  resiliency  is lost they should be changed. It is very dangerous to install new padding to the ironer and must be done  with  a  great  deal  of  care  because  your  hands come   close   to   moving   rolls.   Only   experienced maintenance  personnel  should  install  the  padding. After  the  padding  is  installed,  the  operator  should make  sure  all  safety  guards  are  reinstalled  by maintenance  personnel  and  work  properly.  You should  also  run  a  wax  cloth  through  the  ironer two  or  three  times. If  the  padding  at  one  end  of  an  ironer  is slightly larger in size than the other end, pass some heavy  bath  towels  or  other  thick  work  through at  that  end.  This  should  compress  the  padding sufficiently   so   that   the   padding   is   the   same diameter  across  the  entire  width  of  the  roll.  There should  be  a  minimum  of  pressure  on  the  padding, This  allows  maximum  padding  life.  Do  not  try to maximize pressure that is put on the padding. The  ironer  will  not  dry  better  because  of  extra pressure. It simply wears out the padding faster, As the padding gets older, it compresses slightly. LAUNDRY  PRESSING  AND FINISHING The press deck area of the laundry processes all  clothing  received  from  washing  or  tumbling operations that cannot be processed through the flatwork  ironer. Uniform items made of synthetic or synthetic blends  may  be  successfully  finished  by  tumble drying if the procedures outlined in the washing and  drying  sections  are  followed.  Other  cotton uniform  coats,  shirts,  and  trousers  must  be pressed before they are worn. Laundry personnel working  on  the  press  deck  must  know  how  to operate a press and press clothing correctly. This requires  practice  and  repetition  of  standard  press lays   for   shirts   and   trousers.   It   also   requires knowing  the  basics  of  the  laundry  press  operation and  following  all  safety  precautions. 5-42