skewed paper in booklets

[tommyboy]

Hello, I am sorry if this has been covered somewhere else, but I have looked and not been successful. My current problem...Using the Ricoh Pro C5100s, making multipage booklets, full colour on Futura Laser Gloss, either 80lb or 100lb coated text, 18 x 12, or 17 x 11, I am finding that the sheets coming out of the finisher part way before they get pulled in with the last sheet and saddle stitched are awfully skewed? This is why when the booklet comes out the booklet tray it is completely offset, and very difficult to trim correctly. My service company does not know how to fix this issue. Does anyone else in this forum know?

 

[Possumgal]

You've probably thought of this, but do you keep your rollers clean? It's especially important if you run a lot of coated stock.

Has it always acted this way? If so, you should contact your sales person and see if it's a lemon. Tell him the service people won't fix it. I don't know your sales or service situation, but maybe tech support from Ricoh?

 

[tommyboy]

Thank you Possumgal. I appreciate the feedback. I'll check if the rollers have been cleaned by the tech.

 

[Alois Senefelder]

We need to know the folowing 1) What size A4, A5, A6.? 2) What is the pagination ? 3) What is the Signature , 4 page, 8 page. 16 page ???

4) Are you running the Sigs - with closed "Heads" ?

 

[tommyboy]

Alois, I don't know about the A? numbers, but I can say I am using 18 x 12 coated text, and the booklets are a 16 page self cover. I am not running conventional offset, but using digital printing technology, specifically the Ricoh Pro C5100s. 4 sheets = 8 spreads, printed 4/4 collated, folded in half and saddle stitched. I do the 3 side trim off line. Hope that helps.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

Can you post a picture?

 

[tommyboy]

Hi Priceline. I don't have any of those booklets left. After trimming and delivering to the client, the rest went into the trash. Sorry, no pics. But if I experience similar troubles I will be sure to upload pics.

 

[tommyboy]

No Title

I am uploading 4 pics to show the concern. I had a tech here twice today and both times he fixed things short term, but still having the same issue, but I really think it's an issue with heat and static cling making the sheets not stay in line when going into the folder/finisher to be folded and stapled. When the booklet first starts printing it's fine, but is quickly becomes a nightmare and cannot finish a job without spending a considerable amount of time babysitting the job and throwing away 25%, having to reprint same.

 

[arossetti]

try adding a 20# sheet as a cover to help the rollers grab the booklet and cut down on static. You would then have to pull the 20# sheet of each booklet but it isn't that bad.

 

[namelessentity]

While the 20# suggestion might work, I've been doing jobs like that on my Canon finisher for 6 years and I've never seen anything like that happen on similar stock. It's unacceptable if your tech can't fix that. I would escalate the issue with sales.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

I would echo the same notion from Nameless.

Our J75 can run 1,000 28 page booklets of a 100# gloss cover (Futura), with 70# text (Lynx) as the guts and I don't think I would even have to toss a single booklet. That being said, the covers are usually full bleed, trimmed, scored and inserted via the interposer, with the text being run out of a high capacity tray. This is solely the finishing unit and they are responsible for making it run smooth as butter. All you should have to do is throw more covers in the interposer every 20-30 minutes.

The other option is to have your tech call in the specialist, at least that's the way it gets done with Xerox if the local tech can't fix it.

Edit: Just looked at the pictures again and saw some things I didn't notice before - this is pretty serious. Call the sales agent as well. Act like you were trying to impress a big client and you couldn't get the machine to perform. Make it seem like that client walked out, but could have tripled your monthly click volume - that will get the sales person to really pay attention to your issue.

 

[tommyboy]

I will be speaking with the division manager this week and hopefully he can be of better assistance. Thank you all for your replies. To 'Pricenegotiator'; the booklet is a self cover, using all 'futura laser gloss' 80lb coated text. I don't have this problem with uncoated stocks, Even if I put a coated cover through to marry up with the uncoated pages, this issue only exists with the coated text weights doing booklets, self cover, either 80lb or 100lb coated text weights. Worst finisher I have ever experienced.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

Wish you the best. Let us know what happens.

 

[tommyboy]

Well back with some news. I am having Ricoh draw up a deal on a C651ex. They will take back the C5100 minus depreciative costs, and supply the same click charge with a small decrease on colour clicks. I am glad to see that they are prepared to take one away and offer a new certified machine in it's place. But I am scared because of all the bad things people are saying about colour banding. Check this thread...hxxp://www.colorprintingforum.com/ricoh-color-laser-printer-color-copier/ricoh-651-751-experience-5986.html (change the xx to tt in the link address.
I know this thread is about the C5100 so I won't expect any feedback about the C651. Just wanted to update since my last post.

 

[realaqu]

I am uploading 4 pics to show the concern. I had a tech here twice today and both times he fixed things short term, but still having the same issue, but I really think it's an issue with heat and static cling making the sheets not stay in line when going into the folder/finisher to be folded and stapled. When the booklet first starts printing it's fine, but is quickly becomes a nightmare and cannot finish a job without spending a considerable amount of time babysitting the job and throwing away 25%, having to reprint same.

it looks like static electricity caused this to me, solution, try to using a fan to blow one end of a stack of papers a few time while holding another end, then put them in the tray, if not working add some moisture in your room