Anyone else have this problem?

[Logoman]

I have a Diamondback 6/8 Auto. When we are printing a job with say 4 colors when one head prints the other squeegees and flood bars chop which can uses a line impression of the Tees and sometimes will push the ink through the emulsion and print marks on the Tees.

[Northland]

I have a Diamondback 6/8 Auto. When we are printing a job with say 4 colors when one head prints the other squeegees and flood bars chop which can uses a line impression of the Tees and sometimes will push the ink through the emulsion and print marks on the Tees.

... why don't you just pull out the squeegees and floods not being used ?

[cclaud3]

I don't have a diamondback but my press does chop on all heads. I place 1 row of cheap packing tape on the underside so it creates a barrier between the emulsion and the platen. Directly underneath where the squeegee parks in the ready position. It has never broken through the tape. The basic packing tape from lowe's will blow right off during the reclaim without residue.

Forgot to do this for the first time in 2 years and had a breakthrough in 20 prints.

[screenprintguy]

We have a 9 color db, and yes the all heads cop sucks. Any head not in use, turn the air regulators to zero, send them all font, just in case you do have ink drop from a chopper its up to, easy to catch before getting out of hand. Never have a squeegee floodbar set in an out of use head. If ou have a problem with a chopper pushing ink through emulsion, you are too deep on you floodbarr setting,  but always put a strip of tape on the screens where your you floods chop in case. Hope some of this helps.

Mike

[papinc]

Maybe I'm not reading the original post correctly, but I have an 8/10 DB and I haven't experienced this issue. The only print heads that are operating (chopping) for me are the ones turned on for any particular print job...

What model year is your DB? Mine is a 2011.

[chubsetc]

Maybe I'm not reading the original post correctly, but I have an 8/10 DB and I haven't experienced this issue. The only print heads that are operating (chopping) for me are the ones turned on for any particular print job...

What model year is your DB? Mine is a 2011.

Your's is a new model and only chops the heads in use, older models chopped all heads all the time.

[mk162]

move the squeegee past the total print, don't let it stop on the print on the shirt...problem solved.

[papinc]

Maybe I'm not reading the original post correctly, but I have an 8/10 DB and I haven't experienced this issue. The only print heads that are operating (chopping) for me are the ones turned on for any particular print job...

What model year is your DB? Mine is a 2011.

Your's is a new model and only chops the heads in use, older models chopped all heads all the time.

Thanks chubsetc...I thought it might be a model year difference.

[3Deep]

Not to knock the DB, but you would think that they would have fix that long time ago, my 2007  Anatol only chopped the heads I turned on...that would have drove me crazy with all the heads chopping even though they were not in use.  I guess that was a cost cut maybe on M&R's part...

Darryl

[screenprintguy]

yeah ours is an 07, all  heads, always chop, really sucks. And you are correct, in saying, if you have a multi color job on deck, make sure all your squeegees totally clear the full design, even if one is only printed a small or upper part of the design, it will chop and possibly leave a line in your image so we always make sure to have every print carriage clear the total image area to prevent a possibly pain in the tail. Nice that the newer models only chop on active heads, but at the time, it was the price we had to pay to have 9 colors for around 30k

[ZooCity]

Wow, I can't believe that. Our old gauntlet doesn't even do this although it does leave constant squeegee pressure on the screen which can be a similar hassle.

[inkman996]

Cant you install manual shut off valves inline and shut them off on heads that are not printing?

[screenprintguy]

I'm sure there should be a mod that can be done, would be nice, but for me, I can't stand seeing the empty choppers smacking around giving them selves un-necessary wear and tear. Like swinging at the open air, eventually something will throw it's self out and could be avoided if it was just deactivated until needed. At the time though, I didn't know the difference and was just so wanting to put the squeegee down.

[mk162]

ask rich, there should be a switch you can put in that will dump the pressure to the choppers.

[alan802]

First DB I saw at a show was chopping on all heads and I assumed it was for demonstration purposes and when they started the print job I saw they were still chopping and asked the operator why he didn't turn those heads off.  He told me it was just something the DB's did to keep the cost down.  Those entry level machines are very cost driven and I suppose the addition of parts to stop the chopping would have added a significant amount to the price of the press.  I personally don't see how that could be that expensive but I also don't build autos for a living so I'm not an expert.

I remember the first time I saw a press in person that had the squeegee pressure in the down position at all times was Eric's shop in Houston.  At the time I was still operating the American Centurian but I couldn't wrap my head around why the press did that and it sure made setting up a simple job 10 times harder than what I was used to.  Hard to say I was spoiled by a 90' model centurian but I guess I was.  I've learned a lot about the different autos since then but not really from a deep engineering standpoint.  I mostly just know the features and differences at the printer's level between manufacturers but the old challengers and gauntlets always troubled me with the print head pressure constant.  Hard to argue with the success though, and the fact that so many millions of unbelievable prints (and bad ones) came off of those machines.  They were not easy to set up jobs on but once you got them going very little stopped them.