PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

[Daneil]

Hello

i have big problems with my press, first hickey problem, color toning, temp, blanket, packing.

what blanket do you print on, witch temp on ink and laser, packing under blanket,

please help me, have had this problem for a year now, here in sweden we dont heve anyone how can something abput presstek, no service how are intresting to hlep.

Daniel

 

[[email protected]]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Another satisfied PTek customer I see. Call Jeff Jacobson at Ptek and demand your machine be fixed or remove it!

The service on these machines is getting worse with each stock holders meeting. The DI is gasping for air, with toner and ink jet leading the future.

Best of Luck
OG

 

[prepmaster]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

My first recommendation to you is to take one thing at a time. Get the press dialed in first. I am very new to DI printing so I might know it all. I had never put on ink on paper until I bought my Ryobi 3404 about 5 months ago. I thought of a pressman but when I learned how easy this press is to run I decided to do it myself. I have been at it since.
Your press should be in a stable temprature controlled environment. Minimum 75F preferably 70-72F.
Your rollers should be adjusted to factory specs. no side to side movement at all. Keep the ink roller to plate adjustment tighter than the others. This helps avoid roller slippage and thus toning.
Ink temprature depends on what type ink you use. I have used Toyo medium tack Ultra at 19C for ink and 22C for roller. Now I use Taniguchi at 21.5C and 25.6C with even better results.
I use .28 Packing on all blankets.
I do not have any toning issues whatsoever. I did earlier but setting ALL the rollers took care of it and has not showed up since.
Set up your start inking right. I have set up my start inking with higher Fountain Roller Speed and lower ink key opening volumes.
Increase the blanket wash and roller wash times higher than recomended.
Keep your press very clean even if you have to sacrifice more time to do it.
Keep the ink keys VERY clean and lubricate often. Get that last bit of Ink out EVERY NIGHT. Keep the fountain roller highly polished.
Keep the Blanket washers clean and use them often even during jobs.
Hickey problems on a DI are different from a conventional press. You have to clean the specks from the plates manually. Doing a hickey clean from the console is a bit expensive when a little bit of alchohol will do the trick. If possible avoid jobs with 100% on any ink. This surely attracts dirt which causes hickies.
Keep the powder usage as low as a job will allow this also helps in hickey problems.
Make sure the plate cleaning vacuums are very clean. Clean them every week.
If a dumbo like me can do it anyone can. No toner type wannabe so-called press comes close to the quality a DI produces not even the hybrid wannabe Screen. That is another story for another time. Call Guilleremo @ 714-398-4800. Tell him "Z" reffered you. He is the Wizard of DI.

Edited by: PrepMaster on Jun 16, 2008 3:46 AM

 

[Daneil]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Thanks for answer, i hae order toyo m tack now, i have 0,70 mm under blanket, but what blanket do you use, i use royobi orginal now and it dont works well, i dont clean ink fountains avery night, but i will do now, i have settting slitghtly more than standard se if that helps little, i will built in the press in a seperat room, we shall move next yera som the building is built like that to the press.

thanks

 

[Steve]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hi Prepmaster,

We are about to go ahead with the purchase of a 34DI from Presstek, but since I've been looking at this forum and the DI press forum I'm wondering if we are doing the right thing.... As you seem satisfied with your press, would you recommend it as a solid purchase? There do seem to be a lot of issues with it.

I would appreciate your (or anyone else's!) feedback before I sign the cheque.

 

[Green Printer]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Steve who are you going to get to do your service in the Falkland Islands?

 

[Daneil]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hi

34 di is for me the best press out here, but i demands some spec to follow to get best results,


for me an d my chop ..


toyo ink
23 C inviorment
20-21 roller
Day 3000 blankets
0.70 under short grain
make sure the press and the pressroom is very clean, rollers, and every part of the machine,
its very sensitvie, i clean my rollers with paste every day to prevent hickey mm.

outhervise the press is the best one in the market, one problem is presstek corp and there services on the machine, if i would buy one today in sweden i ckould by it from ryobi.


Thnks

 

[Steve]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hi Pat. We already use Presstek to service our existing machine, and they send an engineer at my request every 12 months or so. Any other problems we discuss over the phone and I usually am able to fix it myself.

From what I've read, the 34DI is quite demanding on the service side, so the idea was to take a course on basic maintenance with Presstek before the machine was installed, and use an engineer from UK as needed - though this carries a significant cost.

My problem is, I need consistant high quality colour print, on short run jobs, so the DI (on paper) looks like it will fit the requirment. Unless there is another machine out there that is better....?

 

[Green Printer]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hi Steve

How long does it take to get parts. I would guess that 2 or 3 days would be extremely fast.

For a commercial printing operation I don't think you can get much more remote unless you are in the South Pacific.

 

[bharatk]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Steve
What about Screen's TP344.

Bharatk

 

[Steve]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

I hadn't heard of it, but I'll take a look - thank you.

 

[Steve]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hi Pat,

I asked for some water seals from Presstek to be sent in the post recently - it took 3 months for them to arrive!!! Not Pressteks fault, just the mail service. We can use a courier service that takes around 10 days, but it costs a lot.

We are remote, but still, there is a need for a commercial printing operation here. We do ok generally, but I need a 4 colour press that can offer high quailty print, which is why I'm tempted by the 34DI - until I read about the problems with it! Now, I'm not so sure its the right one for us.

Saying that, I'm still inclined to stay with Presstek as their help and post sales service has been pretty good so far, and not many other companies would bother with a small customer like ourselves.

 

[Daneil]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hello

i just want to say that if you follow intruction very carrefully and service the machine good, its the best press, i understand if people get scared of this press when reading the forum but its just small things in the hole process of bringing good jobs fast. i have worked on several chops and we changes press every 4 year and every time there is majore problem in the start, no press installation will go totaly problem free, i have installed komori, heidelberg, Roland KBA and we have had big problems att first, after obout 1-2 mounth the press is tunned, So dont hesitate on the press, but be carefull about what we wrote here and follow the advice from service tehnican and you will absolut be gratefull.

Thanks.

 

[Green Printer]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hi Steve

If at the present time you are able to output 98% of the files you receive you will in good shape from a prepress point. If you have to do remakes or rework over 5% for prepress reasons a DI press will take a good bite out of your pocket. If you have redo over 10% because of prepress you are not ready. This comes from almost 18 years digital prepress first composite film and then ctp output.

Pat

 

[[email protected]]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Steve,

Hamada makes a great 4 tower press presently. The Ryobi 3304HA is nice also. Why a DI? Xerox and other copier companies make a nice 4 color output device also. Will you be Auqa or UV coating?

OG

 

[Steve]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Hi OG

I like the DI concept as it dosnt require a highly skilled operator. If I went to Hamada (which I like) or the Ryobi, I would need to rely heavily on my operator. I am the Xerox distributor in the Falklands, so I know about the machines Xerox can provide - in fact I operate 6 of them in Print Shop, but I need offset printing also.

As far as I can see, there are pro's and cons for the DI, but I could say that about any press. I guess I'll think about it before deciding what to buy, but thanks to all for your help.

Steve

 

[Neurotic Printer]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Doesn't need a highly skilled operator. When I read that I must admit to having a little chuckle. We were sold that line on the TP344 as well. Guy on the other shift to me has had no previous print experience either and I 'd bet he'd laugh himself to death if he read that statement.

 

[Steve]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Mmmm.... it looks like I'm being fed the same line that you guys fell for. One of the main reasons for wanting the 34DI was the sales pitch which says " ...does not need a highly skilled operator, anyone who has used a digital printer can operate this press". So, this is not true? How experienced does the operator have to be?

 

[Daneil]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

its not a copier so you must have knowledge about printing offset, only thing that is change from a regular press is that here is a ctp to hadle,
dont try to put anyone ho dont have experiense,

 

[Steve]

Re: PRESSTEK 34DI PROBLEMS!!!!! HELP PLEASE

Thanks Daneil, I already have an experienced offset operator here, but I was under the impression that the DI was 'user friendly' ..... There's a lot that you dont get told at the sales pitch, it seems.