Author Topic: Diamondback choppers  (Read 2069 times)

Offline broadway

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Diamondback choppers
« on: September 30, 2013, 09:41:31 PM »
 Can anybody fill me in about older (2010?) choppers. Do they chop even when not printing or activated? I remember reading about it somewhere. I was told they fixed the issue on newer servo models, looking to see if it is pia or no big deal.
Thanks, Peter


Offline tancehughes

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Re: Diamondback choppers
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2013, 10:36:53 PM »
We have a 2010 db and yes all heads chop regardless of whether they are on or not. We don't really know any difference because it's all we are used to.  It's really not a huge deal to us, just seems like its unnecessary. But yes I'm of the understanding the newer models don't all chop.

Offline screenprintguy

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Re: Diamondback choppers
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2013, 10:41:42 PM »
We turn the air regulators to zero on heads we are not
using
Evolutionary Screen Printing & Embroidery
3521 Waterfield Parkway Lakeland, Fl. 33803 www.evolutionaryscreenprinting.com

Offline Admiral

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Re: Diamondback choppers
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2013, 10:20:49 AM »
We turn the air regulators to zero on heads we are not
using

We don't do this because then the flood bar choppers go insanely fast and hard unless you change the movement on that to zero.  Also it's on heads not printing so who cares?


The choppers all going down has caused misprints for me and even a hole in a hockey jersey (a small spot of black ink was chopped onto a jersey without me realizing it then when flashed burned a hole in the jersey).  You have to take more precautions and sometimes tape up the screens where the squeegee chops.  If printing in 1 revolution and with 1 squeegee pass on all screens they won't be an issue at all but any other print setup they can be.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2013, 10:23:20 AM by Admiral »

Offline screenprintguy

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Re: Diamondback choppers
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2013, 10:55:19 AM »
We do it, because Rich Hoffman told us it was better for them to not chop at full pressure without the squeegee in there. The floods chop, but not with nearly as much pressure. Don't know, been doing it like that now for the past 6 years with it. You are correct in taking precaution on certain adjustments, but once anyone gets the gist of what it's doing, some simple adjustments of floodbar depth, having proper off contact, like you said, tape the inside of your frames to have take where the squeegee chops down at the front,"good idea to do that anyway, especially for longer runs", you should really have no problems. I'd rather it not have this happening on ours either, but it is what it is, and it's why we were able to get a 9 color machine for just under 30k at the time. All in all, still a rock solid press that can make any shop some serious coin. We plan to keep ours since everyone here knows how to rock out on it and add something bigger, faster and more sophisticated within the next year. I wish there was a valve kit that we could install to change the all heads chop, maybe there is. Will have to see if Rich chimes in on this thread. One thing we do is if we are running revolver, and a particular head is off on second revolution ect, make sure that head has a different depth adjustment to keep the squeegee far away from the image so on that rev it's not just chopping down on the design. It's adjustments like that I'd rather not have to do, but it's become second nature now with 6 years on this press.
Evolutionary Screen Printing & Embroidery
3521 Waterfield Parkway Lakeland, Fl. 33803 www.evolutionaryscreenprinting.com

Offline broadway

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Re: Diamondback choppers
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2013, 12:05:31 PM »
Thanks for the replies. Looking at used/new Dbacks. It was was probably a cost saving decision just like the solid resin shirt boards. The 2013 Dback comes with solid aluminum shirt boards, servo indexer  and the chopper issue has been fixed. I have a Gauntlet so i already have a "tapeing" system in place which i would like to avoid on a new press.

Offline 3Deep

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Re: Diamondback choppers
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2013, 12:47:08 AM »
That really seems kind of crazy for a press like that, I have never use an M&R DB, but on my press the heads only chop or move if I turn them on... really how much money can you save by having the choppers do this?

D
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