How exact do you level your presses?

[BorisB]

In an ideal world you would have automatic press leveled to 0,0mm.
How exact are your presses leveled? What tolerance do you accept?

Boris

[Colin]

When I re-level my presses, I try to keep mine to 1/16 - 3/32 of an inch.  My variable is my touch sensitivity lol.  Pressing down on quarters....

[jvanick]

I used to use a dial indicator rig setup with 4 dial indicators in the corners until i realized that the platens are warped a few thousands of an inch themselves.

I may build a rig with 3 dial indicators mounted on a flood bar tho.

-J

[Doug S]

I just ordered 8 new pallets from action to go with the other new ones so I can accurately level the press. 

I learned my lesson ordering from ebay.  I ordered 10 from ebay and they came in warped with brackets on the back that were only 7 inches long and placed crooked on the back to top that off.

[Printficient]

When I learned how to co this I leveled to five points at 57 thousands of an inch.  The year was 1987.  The press was an M&R Challenger 14/16

[Binkspot]

Are you talking the press as a whole or pallets and screen holders

[ZooCity]

platens to holders we level to 1/32"  This is using a steel ruler to check at four corners so in reality we're probably more like Colin's figure, accounting for human error/variance.

It's done twice weekly (I think....can't recall at the moment) on each M&R press we have.  In a busy week it's shocking how far out everything can get.

[Binkspot]

Weekly, even on the new press? Something doesn't jive if that the case, I would guess maybe a few thousandths every 250k or so prints but to the point it needs to be done weekly?

[tonypep]

Agreed. Not much time to post here but that was an alarming statement on many levels. Depending on manufacturer and usage 18 months to 2ys. This is textile printing.

[mimosatexas]

I have always used nickles in the corners.

[ScreenFoo]

I shoot for 1/64th, that usually gets me to less than a 32nd.
edit:  Oops, sorry Boris.  I shoot for about 0,4mm, that usually gets me under 0,8mm. 

Zoo, I have seen the exact same behavior. 
Ask someone else if you still really don't believe me about getting fancy setting up your pallet arms. 
If you got a new press and they didn't do that... someone's in trouble.   

BTW, when did you get a new press?  Did I miss a cool thread?   

[californiadreamin]

Are you talking the press as a whole or pallets and screen holders

I am Thinking The Same!

[ZooCity]

We require weekly leveling both on the '92 Gauntlet and the '13 Sportsman.  Both were registered, paralleled, etc. by M&R tech this past Winter.  Compared to how the tech paralleled the machine, we are much more picky.  We do put a lot of impressions down some weeks on both machines and there is pressure involved with wb printing albeit with fairly soft squeegee blade.  They aren't always far out but today we are paralleling the Sportsman early as 2 platens were misprinting on a job this morning. 

I don't want to derail this but would love a discussion on what causes the machines to go out of parallel and how it is possible to reduce the need to parallel down to every 18mo-2yrs.  My experience on all machines, not just M&R or M&R style, says this is not possible. I'd love to learn otherwise.   I think maybe we're forgetting that these presses are freewheeled by the operator by hand?

We did put a new press in here Foo and yes, the tech did those arms as you mentioned on the Sportsman, they are rock solid.  I can't remember why we didn't have him do the same on the Gauntlet but will look into it for next time.