Track Battle: Take up System Versus Printer

[kirkbedtelyon]

I'm new to takeup systems - Yes, 5 years of running to the printer every 10 minutes is over (thank God)!

My question: If your takeup system tracks the vinyl to the left or right will it cause the print to track in that direction as well or will the printer's pressure rollers win the battle and just buckel the material on the take up roller?

 

[bob]

I'm new to takeup systems - Yes, 5 years of running to the printer every 10 minutes is over (thank God)!

My question: If your takeup system tracks the vinyl to the left or right will it cause the print to track in that direction as well or will the printer's pressure rollers win the battle and just buckel the material on the take up roller?

Yes. Any take up system that puts tension on the media is just something else that will skew that media.

The best take up system is one that does not require media tension. Like the old Mutoh Faclon take up system. The system on the ValueJet merely adds Yet Another reason for things to go wrong. I dismantled the take up tackle on my ValueJet and made a stand to hold the roller about the height of the bottom of the platen.. I set this in front of the printer and, yes, every few minutes, manually roll up the print. At least it comes out straight and I don't have to get down on the floor to set it up. I'm seriously considering adding a motor and a sensor to make it fully automatic. Not a big deal to do.

 

[jmb474]

If you don't put your print on the take up reel even, then it will skew and cause a head strike. We have printed many rolls of material that go onto our take up reels and haven't had any problems other than an operator not making sure the material was on straight.

 

[SightLine]

Wow - I could not imagine a wide format without a takeup! I've always owned Mimaki machines (both JV3 and JV33) and both have the same takeup. So easy to use even a caveman can do it. Main thing is having a tube on the takeup of the right size - start printing. We keep a packing tape gun on the floor by the takeup. When the material is about 1 to 8 inches from the tube - take a peice of tape - this is the most important - tape it to the tube in the very middle first. Then add a peice to the left and right edges.

I honestly have never really looked at how the takeup roller works on other machines though. On the Mimaki is has a clutch tension adjuster and a forward/stop/reverse switch on the takeup motor. We rarely adjust the tension of the clutch and pretty much leave it on forward all the time. But yeah - if you dont tape it to the tube in the middle first or even get that first peice of tape pulling it left or right it will cause the material to start skewing as it prints.

 

[kirkbedtelyon]

If you don't put your print on the take up reel even, then it will skew and cause a head strike.

Makes sense to me...

I'm finding it's also a balance with the heat settings, especially with vinyl perf (30/70) where you have thick vinyl media combined with actually having more holes than vinyl. No matter how straight your alignment, it's very easy to overheat the pre and plat settings and cause eventual alignment issues that become exagerated with the take up roller 30' to 40' down the road.

Thanks for your input folks...

 

[kirkbedtelyon]

When the material is about 1 to 8 inches from the tube - take a peice of tape - this is the most important - tape it to the tube in the very middle first. Then add a peice to the left and right edges.

Yup...That's pretty much how I'm doing it except I've been letting it get right to the center of the tube then tape it center first.

 

[JoshLoring]

Yup...That's pretty much how I'm doing it except I've been letting it get right to the center of the tube then tape it center first.

Don't forget to hit pause on the print

-I love takeups. I load wraps at night and run prints via my iPhone from home. Twice work as hiring someone. Been doing it for Years with no issues. Just watch it via security camera as needed.
(Yes! I know my printer is covered in cr@p in the pic) lol

 

[kirkbedtelyon]

Don't forget to hit pause on the print
Just watch it via security camera as needed.

Yup - Pause is nice...

I'll be doing night runs more in the future...J ust not ready to trust it (my settings) with really long runs yet. I use the webcam on my computer to keep an eye on things...