I believe I might be having what you described as a thermal shock to the ink, we get an unusually light band across our plates only later in the day, after the ink train has warmed up, in addition, it only appears on a new set of plates after the press has been idling between change overs. It does disappear after about 1,000 - 1,500 impressions. Our water temperature at the chiller is 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 63 degrees at the fountain. We see the problem once the ink train gets hot, the hotter it is the more of a problem. The light bands are exactly the same distance as the diameter of the water forms. So in summary.
Light bands approximately 1/16-1/8 inch thick beginning at the head of the sheet and repeating every 6.28" which is exactly the radius of our water forms.
Bands appear on the first 50 sheets in the morning but quickly disappear.
Bands appear on at least 750-1,000 sheets as the ink train heats (later in the day) up than disappear.
Bands appear in every unit but more dominant in Cyan and Magenta.
Can replace ink and water on press late in the day and still get bands.
have replace water forms and metering with new 20 durometer (we checked) rollers.
In the morning problem is gone! Its kinda funny to watch the press technicians tell us the fixed it, than we say, hang out for a bit......3hrs later its back.
The problem is related to the temperature of the ink train, the hotter it gets (later in the day) the worse it is, ink train cools off over night problem solved. Press is run long enough with a hot ink train to heat up the metering and water forms problem goes away. It appears to be the temperature difference between the water system and the ink system.
Press - Ryobi 524 GX 2007 4 color
Ink - K+E F1 Drive (we have tried many others same problem)
Fountain solution - tried many, no change currently reduced to 2 ounces fountain and .4 ounce alchohol sub per gallon, we have run way up on both and way down no change.
We have had Fuji in to help with this and no answer.
I am intrigued by the concept of thermal shock and would like to learn more about this idea.
In the morning we are going to raise our chiller temperature to 65 degrees, which should raise the temperature at the fount to 70-72 degrees, about 15 degrees warmer than we are now, if that works than thermal shock whatever that is was the culprit.
I will let you know.