Pallet Deflection

[CSPGarrett]

So we run an Anatol auto (not trying to start a debate if anatol is good or not, we are giving it 1 year to make a truthful decision) and we have noticed that we are having great trouble getting our inks to shear at the top of our designs but will always shear perfectly down the rest.  The area that is not shearing the greatest is on the part of the pallet that extends over the pallet arm.  We use quick release pallets.

We are using Eco Frames and have 20 new static's coming in Monday for more testing from Tech Support. 

So when the print head starts it shears but not perfect, then it shears just as we want the rest of the way.  This has been happening since we started with the machine, and Anatol had a tech at our facility Sunday (head engineer) checking through the whole machine since he was in the area.  If we watch it we do see the pallet move down ever so slightly.

Thoughts?

We start our design 3 inches down on the pallet and we usually don't have crazy pressure, usually enough to kiss it or just over (really enough to shear with proper snap off).

Also, we are running the machine with a .25 to .5 second squeegee delay to make sure it is making proper contact when reaching the front.

[jvanick]

Air heads or ac motor?

[CSPGarrett]

Air on this one,

[jvanick]

My guess is that it's the slow start of the air cylinders... had the same issue on my javelin chopper heads... didn't ever find a good fix.  Hopefully someone else here will have some ideas for you

I found that platen deflection didn't have anything to do with it.

[CSPGarrett]

I can say it does take off pretty consistent in speed, I thought as I watched it over 150 times today I started to noticed even at a 10 degree angle that the squeegee really wasn't starting to grab/work right until it got the pallet arm section (almost like the friction finally caught up to it).

[Gilligan]

To test this, what if you set your stroke to start earlier?  This would give it time to get up to speed as well as get the squeegee where it needs to be, blah blah blah.

[CSPGarrett]

I am not sure we can?  We are maxed out as far as putting the proximity sensor/stopper just past 0 on the guide (i'll try even further tomorrow but i think it will error out.

[Gilligan]

Maybe burn a test further down and push the pallet in just to see.  Not sure what press you have, so not sure how all practical that is.

[Binkspot]

Just throwing this out there but it's an Anatol

[CSPGarrett]

Anatol Horizon. Yes we can burn a bit further down, would just mean the collar has to go on the pallet to get a true 3" print from the collar.

Also, we can't move the pallets since they are quick release, unless we move all the quick release holders down the arm?

[CSPGarrett]

Just throwing this out there but it's an Anatol

Thanks Brian, I was trying to avoid that 

After Anatol came Sunday it's running like  a piece of cake, except this shearing, and I am finally going crazy since the setups are getting so quick I am not having to micro,

[Gilligan]

Anatol Horizon. Yes we can burn a bit further down, would just mean the collar has to go on the pallet to get a true 3" print from the collar.

Also, we can't move the pallets since they are quick release, unless we move all the quick release holders down the arm?

I'm talking about just for testing... Make one screen and move one quick release holder... See if the problem still exist... Then it's more likely pallet deflection, if it goes away then maybe the squeegee just needed to get moving first?

[CSPGarrett]

Anatol Horizon. Yes we can burn a bit further down, would just mean the collar has to go on the pallet to get a true 3" print from the collar.

Also, we can't move the pallets since they are quick release, unless we move all the quick release holders down the arm?

I'm talking about just for testing... Make one screen and move one quick release holder... See if the problem still exist... Then it's more likely pallet deflection, if it goes away then maybe the squeegee just needed to get moving first?

Sounds like a good test, easy to start with moving the screen down 1 inch, if it clears it up perfect, collar goes on the board for now, if not move the holder down to get it moving.  I should have figured it out awhile ago that moving it down the inch for example would allow the squeegee to start its motion and catch it's edge.

[jsheridan]

you said air heads and its only in the first few inches.

I had the problem on some older presses that also had air and it was from the stroke starting before the chopper's had a chance to fully pressurize and push the screen down. Essentially it's a timing issue where the head needs to wait an extra .5 second before the stoke activates.

'some' of the m&r machines had a setting in the menu that was accessed after entering the password where you could adjust this.

If you don't have that option, like said, burn down another inch or two and slow down the print speed a tad to let the pressure build up.

[CSPGarrett]

This machine does have the setting, it is called "Dwell Delay" on the control panel. Right now I am at .25 I think, I will increase in small amounts to see how it goes.  From the look of it the squeegee is all the way down, because it will drop, pause, then start to move and their isn't any more downward movement on the squeegee.

If I can upload a video to here I would to show it, I am also going to run a few jobs today and will do the first one down an inch, to see if it shears better.  As always excited to work weekends (glad I can) but once the shearing issue starts your heart drops because you know you have to increase pressure to get more shearing and thus we aren't kissing the garment anymore.