Itek 3985 Registration Problems

[blindside]

Just joined PrintPlanet and have a question.
I have a Itek 3985, been running it for around 5 years, When I lay down Yellow and Black the registration is perfect, the problem I'm having though is the whole image is moving side to side, so when I go to put down the Red and Cyan the whole is out of register. Any suggestions from you long time printers? Thanks

P.S. a local tech said it could be the timing, can anyone give insight into timing one?

 

[RGPW17100]

Advance a sheet to the feed board and let the infeed rollers just grab the sheet. Then check your side guide to verify it is square to the grippers and same with the spring side. Make sure your spring pressure is at a minimum. Also remove the brass in feed attachments where the sheet goes into the press. They are good to help up curl but they tend to cause registration errors. Each one (there are 2) are held in place by two small alan head screws.

 

[blindside]

Just joined PrintPlanet and have a question.
I have a Itek 3985, been running it for around 5 years, When I lay down Yellow and Black the registration is perfect, the problem I'm having though is the whole image is moving side to side, so when I go to put down the Red and Cyan the whole is out of register. Any suggestions from you long time printers? Thanks

P.S. a local tech said it could be the timing, can anyone give insight into timing one?

Thank you for your input, I have taken the sheet smothers off all ready, my push on the springs is at a minimum, but it seems like several sheets in a row hit the springs hard then one barely hits (as it should)

 

[Richard]

Hi: Are you using the
correct spring guides for the stock? If the sheets are not consistatly
going down the feed table correctly. remedy that first. Is the push
guide square with the stock? And pushing it 2mm or so. I've done
4 color on #10 envelopes succesfully. I've had problems too.
When I'm satisfied with the set up, I do a ten sheet register check.
You should be able to see if the machine is regeristing after ten
sheets. If not, try less push, try more. If it is not, then don't run the
first pass.There is a finite number of set up procedures.
good luck

 

[BillJ]

The only "timing" issue I can think he might mean would be caused by the lower forwarding roller. The roller gets flat spots over time. That generally shows up as either top to bottom registration or tail whip. If the roller hasn't been changed in that time i would take a good look at it.

 

[Richard]

So true, I got 31million on my press. same forms, same tapes.

THe cost of a tech is cost prohibitive.

Like today $800 to get the dpm going again lol

 

[blindside]

Thanks very much for the help all, going to try suuggestions

 

[pdan]

I just pulled a 4/4 job off the press (3302) after the last, final forth makeready - got to cocky and ran too fast on pass #3 - had a customer pressuring me to stop by their office, TODAY...

cm are down and needs ky...the side to side bounce is too much for the reverse type. I had to find a way to force InDesign to spread the black for a new plate...quite tricky.
Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

There is a balancing act on these machines if the rollers have gotten past their prime - don't run excessive speeds, but fast enough that the dampening does its job.