Trouble with pallet arms on our M&R Chameleon press

[Rockers]

2005 model. 6 colors 4 stations.  The prints are not centered at all on 3 out of 4 print stations. This was like this already after we bought it but not as bad as it is now. On station 4 the print fall of the sleeve pallet by almost one centimeter. On the other 2 stations it`s not as bad they are maybe out by 3mm. Always to the right. Now the pallets are fairly level is there a way the pallet support arm might be out? Can this be fixed easily?

[Underbase37]

Are the bearings on the reg. forks loose or is there play in the forks them self.

Murphy37

[Colin]

We have found from arm to arm the boards are actually NOT centered on any of our M&R Presses both auto and manual.  The variance is over 1/8 inch in one direction.  This happens with both the M&R boards and the Action Engineering boards.

Also, lock/unlock/lock/repeat a board and watch it shift a bit

This happens on our older press 12C 3-4 years old, 14C 1.5 years old, and a new (few months) 8/4 manual.

I am not aware how to make our boards actually center on the arms.....  To where the center of the board is centered on the arm.....

So, you are not alone.

[Underbase37]

Guess I didn't read the question very well. We see this on our presses too.

Murphy37

[Rockers]

This is keeping us from using all our sleeve pallets. At station 4 the print, if it exceeds an overall width of 9 cm, will fall of the pallet . That really does suck.

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

look underneath the pallet when it is attached to the press....there you can see how much left to the right the pallet sets on the press....once you see which side it gravitates to more you can then unbolt the alignment clamp (with the rollers) and tap the aliment left or right.

[Rockers]

Thanks for the tip. Will have a look tomorrow and report back.

[244]

We have found from arm to arm the boards are actually NOT centered on any of our M&R Presses both auto and manual.  The variance is over 1/8 inch in one direction.  This happens with both the M&R boards and the Action Engineering boards.

Also, lock/unlock/lock/repeat a board and watch it shift a bit

This happens on our older press 12C 3-4 years old, 14C 1.5 years old, and a new (few months) 8/4 manual.

I am not aware how to make our boards actually center on the arms.....  To where the center of the board is centered on the arm.....

So, you are not alone.

The arms can be centered but the statement that lock/unlock/lock shifts the image says something is out of spec more than pallet split. Feel free to contact me direct to discuss.

[244]

This is keeping us from using all our sleeve pallets. At station 4 the print, if it exceeds an overall width of 9 cm, will fall of the pallet . That really does suck.

Who assembled your Chameleon?

[Rockers]

This is keeping us from using all our sleeve pallets. At station 4 the print, if it exceeds an overall width of 9 cm, will fall of the pallet . That really does suck.

Who assembled your Chameleon?

I did.

[244]

This is keeping us from using all our sleeve pallets. At station 4 the print, if it exceeds an overall width of 9 cm, will fall of the pallet . That really does suck.

Who assembled your Chameleon?

I did.

I dont know the year we are discussing so I may make assumptions that are wrong. The earlier Chameleons had pins that must be installed on the arms before tightening the four bolts that hold them to the speed table. If yours is this make sure the numbered arms are in the right position, pins in, and then tighten the bolts. If you do not have guide pins make sure the arms are in the proper place by number and then you measure from the outermost pallet leveling bolt between arms and split them exactly. This should make all the pallets in the same position.

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

This is keeping us from using all our sleeve pallets. At station 4 the print, if it exceeds an overall width of 9 cm, will fall of the pallet . That really does suck.

Who assembled your Chameleon?

I did.

I dont know the year we are discussing so I may make assumptions that are wrong. The earlier Chameleons had pins that must be installed on the arms before tightening the four bolts that hold them to the speed table. If yours is this make sure the numbered arms are in the right position, pins in, and then tighten the bolts. If you do not have guide pins make sure the arms are in the proper place by number and then you measure from the outermost pallet leveling bolt between arms and split them exactly. This should make all the pallets in the same position.

All of my pallets on my 8/8 chameleon do not set perfectly center of the arms....they are either off to the left or the right....the pallet guides, when looking underneath the pallet while on the arm, I can see the uneven gaps of the pallet guides....I called M&R about this thinking I could move the part of the arm that the pallet slides on....but those are stationary and cannot be moved......actually, you do not need to even look under the pallet when its on the arm....you can also remove the pallet and look down at the guide that the pallet slides on to as you stand over it....there you can see how off center that guide is. ..I have aligned all of my line up clamps (with the rollers) with the off set of how much the pallet is off center of that particular arm....now all of my images fall dead center of the pallet.

[Colin]

Thanks for the info!  I will check that out very soon! 

That makes for..... 38 arms to double check

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

Thanks for the info!  I will check that out very soon! 

That makes for..... 38 arms to double check

also..I have the tri loc....i noticed on all of my pallets, once on the arm, there is an ever so slight angle that has to be twisted out...meaning, when I slide my a pallet onto the arm, there is the slightest hair of play where i can twist it clockwise and counter clockwise....im talking a HAIR of play.....1/16th at the most....and i have to twist all of my pallets clockwise then clamp....this is majorly an OCD situation I know...hahaha ...but I know for a fact all of my pallets are dead center AND parallel with the arm the pallet is on.....i made a centerline down the entire pallet...put a stright edge on the line and the straight edge extended off the back of the pallet....stood over the back of the pallet and eyeballed the straight edge to the arm.....there, I was able to see the twist I had to make.

[Colin]

Mark,

That is the "board shift"  I was talking about!  Your twist adjustment.

We have center lines down each board and I was checking today...  One board was off by 1/4 inch to the right.  Fun times....  and crooked to boot!

I have quite a bit of work coming up!

This has been a most informative post for me today.

Thanks for asking your question Rockers!