3304HA tail whipping, gripper issues

[SeanR]

Hello, We have a Ryobi 3304HA and love it. for most of the time we've had it, got it new bout 5 years ago, we've had issues with the first two units showing a little tail whip. We run small color dots along the tail with one of each at 50% screen. You can see slight "ghosting" side to side on the tail every other one. Tech guys have tried resetting grippers, cam followers, timing etc... we do run four color envelopes which sometimes makes it a little worse, but checking and settine grippers usually gets in back to "normal": which is still not right. This is driving everyone here crazy obviously cos it affects color consistency form head to tail. our press tech has a throry that settling has made the two halves of the press "twist" slightly, so he' is coming in tuesday to unblot and re bolt and level the press. I"m skeptical but at a loss for any other direction to go. Has anyone had this experience with the 3304HA and managed to correct it? I"d love to know what you did...We're starting to suspect a design flaw....(grasping at straws here)...

thanks
Sean in Louisiana

 

[rbailleu]

Re: 3304HA tail whipping, gripper issues

by ghosting do you mean doubling. if so does running thicker stock( 80# cover) make the the problem better.
if it is every other one it could be that one of your double diameter cylinders has a gripper/ gripper bar bearing going wobbly. dropping a sheet slightly on one side. remove the gripper bar and replace the bearings reinstall and reset. bearings are cheap. we had a di. and it did something similar every fourth one. the direct feed with register in the gripper is not the best option. I am not sure how the 3304 handles register, but a gripper has to be dropping or pulling some how. I am at a loss how running evelopes could make it worse. how is the register. does every other one register to themselves. is it the first unit doubling on the second blanket. or the first and second doubling on the third.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: 3304HA tail whipping, gripper issues

Edward,
The 3304HA is a sweet machine, I service a few myself. Have you run these tests yet? Just run unit one with a medium ink supply to a plate that has some sort of targets, screens or bullets etc. Run 50 sheets and put them right back thru the press and look at the register. If it is ok than do this, run 50 more sheets and before you put them back thru the press this time spilt the stack by adding a blank sheet in the middle of the pile mark it with a pen or whatever so you know it was the blank sheet!!! Run the spilt stack back thru and examine the register, if one half are dead on and the other is every other sheet is off than a set of grippers or the cylinder core needs to be set properly. Do the same test on unit 3!!!!!
When every other sheet is off it is usually the double diameter impression cylinder grippers that are either not adjusted properly,worn parts or the cylinder core needs a bump. All this info is in the service manual!
Make sure the grippers are clean use a small brush to clean them and also the rubber pads on the cylinder.
Let me know the test results.
OG

 

[TWrmk]

My 04HA has had same issues...but only after it was re-installed reguardless of what tech did the job, i think just the fact it was split in half and put back togther made a timming issues. Yes ive had one tech Try and set grippers and do a timming job, but i think he was not very thorough because it was an ongoing fight with the machine.

When we moved the press a 2nd time we had a differant tech do the grippers and timming and he was very thorough and made sure and double checkd his work....we're off to the races again!!! The double transfers under 2nd and 3rd unit...ours have rubber pads under the gripper and when they get worn down we have issues but those do need to be replaced before the grippers are set and timming is done. (paper running through the grippers are only in the grippers by 1/8th" give or take, so that first part of that rubber pad on the gripfingers needs to be good!) When you speed the press up it gets worse, do you loose a sheet to the third blanket when you turn the press up?
Let me know how you got your issues resolved and i'll be able to keep in mind what you had done.
T

 

[[email protected]]

Ryobi 3304

Ryobi 3304

Glad to hear your 3304 is sweet again. That press is a money maker. Who needs a DI 34 when you have a 3304?

 

[wango]

Another thing to check that caused me similar problems is to check the large fan belts that move the units, If one or more is worn/stretched it can cause a register issue.
Replace ALL of them, they are relatively cheap.
Also Buy good blankets, if they are cut differently(one or more angled in the process of making the blanket) then registration can be skewed.

 

[and40au]

Toys!!!

Toys!!!

When are you guys ever going to learn....These presses are over optioned duplicators! For a start your printing portrait - and guess what? you're going to get tail swing because you have the shortest edge of the sheet as your grip so of course you're going to get unstable movement down the 450mm length. Secondly have a look at the grippers....They're tiny! Then add to this ink tack if you have a solid area of print and you will get sheet slur. Beats me why you guys bother trying to produce process work on a toy. I am in Perth Western Australia and I could count on one hand the number of Ryobi/Itek presses here now. We have shipped them off to India or pakistan.

 

[[email protected]]

Toys

Toys

Thanks for your observations and informative post about the Ryobi series press. Shipping them all to India and Pakistan is probably a great way to help these countries provide jobs and income for these needy people.
You guys in Perth Western Australia must be on the cutting edge of print equipment and use only the best available today.
Regards,
OG

 

[western411]

We have run ryobis for over 20 years and found the spring on the lay side to be the biggest problem when it comes to tail whip. We took the clip on spring register off of the 3302 and 3304 about 10 years ago and the problem went away. Yes it is little harder to align at times burt my paper does not bounce around either.