Best Mid-Range Digital Press - KM 1060 Current

[printox]

What's your opinions for the best mid range (under 30,000 clicks a month) printer. We have a Konica 1060 and it is ok. Mainly, we would like a printer that will be excellent for coverstock 130lb coated and uncoated. We would like to run light textures on coverstock as well like linen 16pt. Our biggest complaint is when we calibrate positioning, it is consistantly off a 1-2mm which is bad for workflow with our duplo 645 (reg marks on there are a joke). We also notice some skew and the image isnt completely square on the sheet like tailwhip. Sometimes we get lines in the sheet if we run 120lb about 7 inches in as well. KM 1060 is spec for 300gsm only but we have a vacuum feed that, I thought, should have made the 1060 good for 130lb. Since we don't have them, Ricohs 7200 and canons 710 appear better then the Konica 3070 series.

Also, has anyone sought to purchase these machines used on auction?

 

[SoggyWinter]

I haven't seen models newer than 2013 of that class of machine come up on Wirebids or their affiliates recently. My guess would be a Canon x10 or similar machine from another vendor would work for your click count. I'm using a Duplo 646 and Xerox V3100 and see some similar issues with 13x19 270g/100# cover. It might helpful for other posters to know what your geographic location is for making recommendations.

 

[printox]

It could a struggle for that type of medium in general? Our Xerox 700 was considerablely worse. Thanks for your reply

 

[chucknovo]

We have a Ricoh 7200 and it works very well on textures and heavy stock. Good registration. As far as auction machines - good luck getting anyone to put a service contract on them. I attempted to talk Ricoh into this and they said "No way!" They won't service a machine they don't have history on. Too risky. So I bought new. They do sometimes offer certified ones they have a history on but of course didn't have any when I needed one last December!

 

[prepmaster]

I have a 1060 with about 7 million impressions and it has been a true workhorse and is still going strong. The skew you mention was on my machine as well but i replaced the duplex unit with a newer one and it is so much better, somewhere between 0.25mm to 0.5mm at it's max. Majority of the jobs lines up almost perfectly.
One important thing to remember if to set up the paper in your drawer properly every time you load a different stock. Put one single sheet, lock the drawer to the top with the knob at the side of the door, center the paper using the guides, adjust side to side movement of the paper at it's minimum, then tighten the lock down screws on top.... If your paper enters straight it will continue straight and register properly thought the print engine... Keep all the rollers clean in the tray and the print engine... Don't go over 300 gsm. I advise my customers to bit go over 12 point for duplex covers. 14 point for single side...
I personally don't think it is the right time to buy new equipment, at least until this COVID thing disappears...
Good luck...

 

[printox]

So far, Ive only heard good things about the 7200. You are confirming that. Maybe that one is the best on the market? Someone else in the office purchased our used 1060 from a broker, not aunction, and we were told it was not going to be serviced. Once we talked to the service team, it was a different story. I heard the same from Ricoh as well and it probably is true in that case. Click rate and volume might justifiy a contract. I'd like to attempt servicing a second machine on my own. I am curious if there would be savings doing that. It seems very difficult to find education for that type of thing.

I will look into the duplex unit, thanks for that advice. Maybe, our feeding is coming in crooked and the roller correction is giving us that line. Thats is a great tip, thank you. We were told to keep the sheets in there very loose. It could be too loose. We do not plan to buy yet. This covid deal has slowed our paper printing quite a bit, but we still have sign work.