Fixing warped platens?

[mk162]

It seems there would be a company or service that could fix warped platens, or take the old ones on trade.  I know Primo used to take them in on trade, but they went under.

Shouldn't regular aluminum be fairly easy to re-flatten?

[Evo]

Shouldn't regular aluminum be fairly easy to re-flatten?

Aluminum is actually a tricky metal, and depending on what grade, it doesn't really respond very well to re-heating and bending like steel or other alloys. It has great ductility (you can bend it and it will snap back) until you reach it's limit, and then it's effed up. (think: tent poles)

With a thick enough pallet, that isn't too bent, you might be able to have it machined flat, but you would have to do it in full matching sets for correct off contact on a given machine.

Other than that, I'd imagine any decent recycler/scrap metal place would accept aluminum pallets with the rubber stripped off.

[BorisB]

x

[mk162]

makes sense.  I would figure whoever did it would have to possess a great working knowledge of aluminum.

Of course by the time you strip the platens, fix them and then glue rubber back on the top, it's not really saving much to start from scratch.

[JBLUE]

If there was enough material you could get it blancher ground. The problem is the material is just going to warp back again even easier once you remove material from it. Plus the cost and time involved to get it done is just not worth it. By the time you pull the rubber and replace it plus the cost of the machining you could have bought brand new ones from M&R. I just bought a new set in December and it was not that bad. I am sure the RPM is nit that much more.

[Homer]

I have a stack of them here I am going to cut down to sleeve platens or youth - not sure yet...they aren't too bad off so I'll be fine. maybe re purpose them instead?

[mk162]

Good idea homer.  I ordered 6" from Action, maybe when I order the new ones of the 16" I will cut mine down to pocket size

[3Deep]

Good idea thanks, I need some sleeve pallets

Darryl

[Action1]

Shouldn't regular aluminum be fairly easy to re-flatten?

Aluminum is actually a tricky metal, and depending on what grade, it doesn't really respond very well to re-heating and bending like steel or other alloys. It has great ductility (you can bend it and it will snap back) until you reach it's limit, and then it's effed up. (think: tent poles)

With a thick enough pallet, that isn't too bent, you might be able to have it machined flat, but you would have to do it in full matching sets for correct off contact on a given machine.

Other than that, I'd imagine any decent recycler /scrap metal place would accept aluminum pallets with the rubber stripped off.

Well said - and to add to this I'd like to say that we have for many years wrestled with this issue ourselves. We've spent countless hours - indeed years trying to figure it out and never could. So many various attempts have been made to motivate aluminum into flatness i can't even tell you. If your aluminum pallet is not flat due to heat - you're not likely to get it flat. We've really never been able to do it. The best solution is to scrap the pallets and get fresh ones.  Additionally - once your pallets are warped due to heat - there's heat tempering now which makes it even less likely that you'll get them straight.

[mk162]

Makes total sense.

Hey, I'll sell you guys some platens, they are tested and proven to work, $140 each and they are yours.

It was worth a try.

[Evo]

Well said -

Thanks. I used to work in a high end bicycle store. We had to explain to people all the time why they couldn't just have their cracked aluminum frame re-welded after they wrecked it. It was important to study up on the various materials, because you were expected to convince people not to endanger themselves any further. It worked most of the time.

[ScreenFoo]

Hmm...  I guess on the bright side, carbon fiber platens aren't gaining in popularity yet.