Ricoh C7110 - delay when using Mixed Media feature

[CLD]

We're running manuals on our Ricoh C7110. Each manual has 10 tabs (2 banks of 5). There is a 7 second delay in printing every time the machine prints one of the tabs. You can see how this slows down the process. Here are some details about the project, and what we've tried so far.

8 1/2" x 11" sheets, duplex print, paper weight set to 5. Majority of pages print in black only, but black was assigned in the file, not at the rip. One color page prints immediately after every tab page.

Tabs - have been set up and tested several ways.
Art set in the file and running as part of the job, so that when it gets to a tab, the machine switches trays and pulls a 9" x 11" sheet from a different tray, printing on face of tab only, single sided, then goes back to the primary paper tray and continues. Paper weight set to 5, single sided for the tab stock.

Tabs assigned at the RIP, so that it pulls a tab sheet after designated pages, prints on face of tab only, then goes back to the main file. Still 7 second delay after printing the tab.

Tabs pre-printed and pulled in as a blank sheet only, where needed, then goes back to the main tray. Still a 7 second delay after pulling the pre-printed sheet.


In summary, the machine runs at speed until it gets to a "Mixed Media" sheet. It prints or pulls the sheet with no delay. Then there is a 7 second lull while the machine, recovers or processes before the machine goes back to running from the main tray. Heat settings are identical for both trays, so that fusing temperature does not need to adjust. We've run tests completely in grayscale, with the same delay, so know that its not caused by the machine switching from black mode to color mode.

We thought it might be the difference in sheet size, however when actually setting the tabs up in CWS, the Ricoh defines the sheet size as8 1/2" x 11", but with a tab shift.

Has anyone run up against this issue before? We've looked through all the Advanced Operator settings for an adjustment that we could make to reduce the delay. Our service tech has brought the attention to Ricoh, but I'm looking for quicker answers as we have several thousand of these manuals to run.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.

-C

 

[Guest]

If one of the trays you are pulling from is set to a different weight, it will pause to either heat up or cool down when switching trays. Make sure all of your trays in use are set to the same weight. This has been the case in my experience. Hope it works!

 

[CLD]

Thanks, Erik. We've got both trays set to the same weight - gsm 256, which I think in the interface is Weight 5. That's the recommended setting for the cardstock so we matched the paper. We also ran a test with both trays set to a lower gsm, with no increase in speed or decrease in the delay. The machine give us no indication as to why it's slowing down . . . like it will sometimes when adjusting fuser temperature or self-checking.

 

[Guest]

Weird. Are you inserting a slip-sheet between sets or something to that effect that could be a different weight? Even if it's not printing and is just a blank sheet make sure its tray is set the same weight of the job. At last that's how my Konicas are. Hope you can figure it out! It's crazy your tech's don't know why.

 

[msaeger]

Are all the pages simplex or duplex? You will get a short pause when doing mixed simplex and duplex. Otherwise make a tech set fusing to productivity priority SP 1131 I believe.

Also are you using the paper catalog or just tray settings?

 

[CLD]

All pages are duplex except for the tab pages, which are simplex.

We used the paper catalog to define each of the 2 paper stocks so that everything would be the same. We simply changed the size and renamed.

Will try your suggestion tomorrow, but would love to hear any other ideas you might have. I'm very glad to be talking to a ricoh tech. Thanks.
-C

 

[JustinB]

Ran into the same issue with a canon imagepress a few years back. With the way paper runs through these machines, everything has to be synchronized so you don't get jams. If you put in a different size sheet of paper it messes with the synchronization. That .75" tab is enough to throw things off. Best bet: put in a yellow slip sheet where the tab should go and insert it manually later on. I know, it sucks.

 

[msaeger]

All pages are duplex except for the tab pages, which are simplex.

We used the paper catalog to define each of the 2 paper stocks so that everything would be the same. We simply changed the size and renamed.

Will try your suggestion tomorrow, but would love to hear any other ideas you might have. I'm very glad to be talking to a ricoh tech. Thanks.
-C

I would try doing tray settings instead of the paper catalog just to eliminate the chance there is a setting in there messing up something. I would try running all the pages simplex to see if that's the delay you are seeing.

It could be the size difference like Justin said too. Are you running the tabs as 9x11 or 8.5x11 and doing tab shift?

 

[CLD]

I ran a test with the tabs set to duplex, but leaving the backside blank. No increase in speed.

I've set the file up both ways to see if one was faster than the other. The first way we're running the tabs as 9x11, simply telling the printer to pull a different size sheet every now and then. Still a 7 second delay after pulling the tab.

Then we tried actually setting the tabs up in CWS and using the tab shift. No change in the delay. After it pulls the mixed media sheet, it seems to need to recover or adjust something, before going back to 8 1/2" x 11".

I will try to run a test today, using plain paper settings instead of anything from the catalog to see if that helps.
Any other suggestions are certainly appreciated.

 

[msaeger]

I know we have an account that runs a ton of tabs and they haven't complained of a delay. I will ask and see if they are seeing this. I know they are not using the paper catalog.

 

[CLD]

That would be great. I know someone has solved this problem, just having trouble finding who and how they did it. I've got a tech from Ricoh in tomorrow to address this and several issues we've been having since the install. I did run a test and re-assigned the paper not using any of the paper catalog settings, but simply "plain" and adjusting the size, weight etc. Couldn't get the tabs to pull through . . . turned off skew detection and dupe detection for that tray. Both trays had gsm of 163, one pulling 8 1/2" x 11" duplex and one pulling 9" x 11" simplex.