Heater Banding?

[cwtjr81]

A couple weeks ago my printer started printing some jobs with odd banding lines on them. I talked to a few friends in the business and explained the issue. A couple of them thought it might be heater banding. I have lowered the heater settings in 2 degree increments and it seems to help but doesn't fix the problem completely. I have seen these lines in both gradient and solid colors. I have a Mutoh Toucan 64 running with Flexi/Production Manager. Any help would be greatly appreciated. See attached pics.

Thanks
Charlie

 

[J Hill Designs]

maybe you have uneven heat across the platen...get an IR thermo gun and check it out

 

[cwtjr81]

I will get one and check it but I don't think that is the problem because when I moved the image on the material the banding moves also.

 

[randya]

What does your nozzle check look like?

 

[J Hill Designs]

can you see the media tunneling at all as it prints?

have you cleaned your encoder strip?

 

[cwtjr81]

The nozzle check looks perfect. I just ran one to make sure before I replied.

By tunneling do you mean the material raises a little? I have seen this before when the heater was too hot. It is not happening at this time.

Thanks
Charlie

 

[cwtjr81]

Encoder strip is clean checked it with new white lent free glove.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[h82loose]

Is the image getting stretched? I have seen the LT pinch rollers bind and cause excess resistance. Then the free up and all looks well. Lift the pinch rollers and try spinning them. See if they are free.

 

[cwtjr81]

Checked the pinch rollers. Everything is good to go there. The material is smooth as glass and dimensions are good.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[HulkSmash]

Can you do a head soak? Do the overnight one.

 

[cwtjr81]

I can and I might try that at the end of the day. I don't think that will help because it is not happening on every job I print just certain ones.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[HulkSmash]

I can and I might try that at the end of the day. I don't think that will help because it is not happening on every job I print just certain ones.

Thanks,
Charlie

yeah, blues. I had the same problem. I had so much crap stuck under my light cyan. It might just be one - two heads.

 

[h82loose]

is the nozzle check perfect after it prints. It could be the dampers. Does it star good and get worse?

 

[cwtjr81]

The nozzle check looks perfect after the print. The banding comes and goes throughout the print.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[phototec]

Did you try a different roll of media, over the years reading all these posts on Signs 101, sometimes folks have bad media, like the guy the other day with the fish-eyes.

Just something to try?

 

[CS-SignSupply-TT]

IMO, the issue is the media. Do you get the banding with SOME media, but not others? I think the COLD weather and the age of the media i.e. how long you have had it on your shelf will affect the print quality. Just my .02 cents worth

 

[cwtjr81]

That is something I had not thought about. Do you think it could be the media even though I can move a small image with the problems around on the media and the problem moves with it in the exact same place on the image?

Thanks
Charlie

 

[Dave Rowland]

is it cold there?

 

[cwtjr81]

not real bad today about 50 degrees F. It has been down in the 20's though.

 

[woolly]

%^&* cold here (Hi Dave).
got caught out printing on to material not kept in the print room, had to pre feed it over the heaters a few times then printed band free