Heidelberg SM 52-5 + DPX poly plates

[corkycat]

Hi,
Is anyone running DPX poly plates on a Speedmaster?
Just purchased a 1996 Speedmaster and am struggling running poly plates on it.
Main problem is with catch-up, tried various founts but am still struggling!
Also plates seem to slip in clamps. Unlike metal plates which are bent and fully enter clamps our poly plates just sit under front clamp guides. Dont know if clamps need adjusting/replacing or if rubber clamp clips which are sold by Heidelberg are worth the investment.
Any advice would be great. Thanks

 

[Lukew]

We run DPX polyester plates on a Shinohara 52. I know on the shino the rear clamp stops need to be switched to poly plate setting.

There are many companies here running poly plates on Heidelberg speedmasters. I would say that your plate clamps need adjusting as Yes they should be holding the plate(but they need to be fully set so they don't streatch the polyester plate.

What fountain solution are you using and if any IPA what %
Are you in the USA??

 

[corkycat]

More info

More info

Hi there,
I'm in Manchester, England.
Been trying various founts in the last 3 weeks, mitsubushi, Agfa etc but at the moment i am trying a 'high wetting' fount designed for poly plates. Running alcohol at 10%. Plates are printing great when up and running but when starting they catch-up alot. Also any spots of ink on plates are near impossible to remove and seem to etch themselves into the non image area. Think your right on the clamps, i will have to get an engineer in. thanks

 

[Lukew]

There should be a setting you can adjust for the amount of plate predamp, before ink forms come on and printing begins..

This needs to be extended longer then when running metal plates, also it will depend on the fount to how much plate pre damp you need..

When you say your running 10% IPA is this the adjusted % using a fountain soltution specific gravity compensation chart.
OR
Is this you have got the alcohol doser set on 10% ???

When running correctly the plates should clean up fine...

 

[1roy]

Plate clamp inserts essential with these plates! Mine are sprung steel and I've not seen rubber ones(I'm in London UK), but fit was impossible without them and plates would slip and go baggy during makeready and run.

Damping has always been a bugger on these plates for me, and I've tried quite a few fount solutions. At present using Varn Alcostop at 1.3%, ph5.0, 8-10% IPA, which is working pretty well. It just takes a bit of time to get used to the way poly plates predamp, dry out, and often overdamp/emulsify too!

2-in-1 fount, premixed with NPA was pretty effective but unbearably expensive for us.

SM52-4, Presstek/mitsubishi plates, DPM 2508

Good luck

 

[RJ Litho]

Rjlitho

Rjlitho

What is the advantage of the poly plates I have never used them. Metal plates run fine with no IPA and the cost is low we have a Six color perfecter SM 52 running 200 lpi no issues .

RJ