Fuji Acuity LED 1600

[kanini]

Got a great offer to pick up a used Fuji Acuity LED 1600 printer, before I go and look at it, what do I look for (any obvious telltale signs to walk away)? Has anybody got any good/bad experiences with these? How hard is it to use and work on? The price is really great and I can see it in action (seller has new machine coming so wants to get rid of it for space) so I've pretty much reserved it but still want to check if there's anything obvious. Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[AlsEU]

It depends, what you want to print with this printer - remember it's a r2r machine and tables for rigid sheets/plates doesn't make it flatbed. It's good to print onto PVC, plastic boards etc., but forget about glass or other heavy substrates. Printheads are very good (Spectra) and with good care they can work a loooooong time (same heads are used in Onset industrial flatbeds). You can print CMYK, W and varnish in one go (with firmware 2.50). You didn't mention which RIP is offered with the printer, if it's ALRIP, it will work (from the technical point of view), but forget about the serious production, you need Caldera or Colorgate. How old is the printer? How many sqm was made? Ink tubes in pumps should be replaced once per year, also ink covers should be replaced frequently, as they may crack.
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

 

[ProColorGraphics]

I really like mine! It has worked for pretty much anything I have needed to print on. Just have to make sure it is nice and flat, which I am sure is the case with most flatbeds.

Make sure to see a nozzle check. They use Dimatix print heads. They are very durable but pricey if replacement comes up! On the back right hand side, pull the cover off and look at the ink pumps. Make sure none of the casings are cracked and the tubing isn't swelling. That's a sign replacement is needed.

 

[kanini]

Thanks a lot AlsEU and ProColorGraphics for your replies and good points! Going to look at it on Monday, the RIP is an (probably old) version of Colorgate. It's said to be a year 2013 but this is more of a test for us to see how a hybrid-flatbed UV works. It needs a new black head though but the price for it is really really affordable because the guys wants to get rid of it to clear space so I figure even if it breaks down immidiately not too big harm. If I take it I'm going to try and replace the head myself, if no luck then I've already got a quote for head exchange so I know what I'm up for... Thank you again so much for replying, now I know at least somebody else uses this and it looks like a great machine though. Let's see on Monday

 

[AlsEU]

One more thing, very important - remember that you need to control pressures in the ink system very often (once per day in the beginning). Positive pressure is not a problem (because it's applied to the heads only during the purge), but negative pressure is a crucial point - if it's not deep enough, you may have an ink dripping from the heads. If it's too deep, it's even worse - ink will be sucked into the tube above the subtank and block the air filter installed there. When the filter is blocked, negative pressure is separated from the head and whole ink flows from the head. You need to keep both pressures in proper ranges and if you want to train, how to regulate it, do it with the positive pressure only, you won't make any harm (unless you start the purge).

 

[kanini]

Thanks a lot for the info about the pressures AlsEU, very good to know for a beginner like me! I visited the seller and we tested the printer today and I decided to take it. Will be some days before I get it transported but I'm sure there's a lot to learn. The print quality is excellent compared to a lot of other UV printers I've seen, even with the bad black head!! I also tried to print on rigid sheets (coroplast) and it has an issue with all the alignment pins not lifting, just one, so I need to look at that but otherwise it was great for the price.
The seller also informed me about the hazards of uncured UV ink so I'm now going to use gloves all the time on that machine, but how is it with the fumes/odor? Is that hazardous as well? Do i need extractors? It will be used in a 300 sqm (about 3200 sqft) area with 5 meter (about 16 ft) to the ceiling and some ventilation, but do I need extractors connected to the machine directly? Will of course read up on it but don't want the employees to be scared away right away

 

[ProColorGraphics]

I run mine in about a 1500 sq foot spot without ventilation and the smell isn't bad at all. If you are running some heavy stuff, you will notice it. Yes, uncured UV ink isn't good to get on you. haha

You can also align the media to the front of the platen as well. Is the machine running in "service mode"? My tech left mine that way, which is what you need to get at the head alignments. The pressures are important. Make sure the positive is ~30 and the negative ~-3.17. (if I remember right.) When it's in range, it will beep. So it's pretty fool proof.

 

[kanini]

Thank you very much for the approximate values of the pressure, ProColorGraphics! Sounds good about the ventilation, yeah, I didn't think the smell was too bad when we tried it and the seller has it in a quite small space and no ventilation so I guess it will be fine. I'm excited to start trying it out myself! =D

 

[AlsEU]

Ask your local Fuji ink reseller for the MSDS cards, you should get all the information about safety. Nitryle gloves are required to secure your skin, as the latex doesn't block the chemistry from the inks. Gravity ventilation is ok, especially when the room is so high. If any of the pins are stuck, dismantle the cover under the table (the round one) and check them, sometimes they are blocked by the paper dust and when you move the pin manually, it will unblock. Of course it's possible that the electrovalve is damaged, but first check the pin mechanically.