Need Help Latex printer Vs Optical Clear

[stephenvision]

Hi team,

Wondering if anyone else has had the fight of the century featuring a latex printer and printing onto Optical Clear material.

We are having this ongoing battle every time we use the material.
The material is sticking in the loading chamber causing the print zone to get all types of messed up.
Wasting numerous meters of material at a very high cost.

We have HP 800W and 3M Clear View 8150, we are using the correct Media Profile certified by HP/3M.

 

[balstestrat]

What width are you using? 64" is more problematic than 54".

Even if you are using the correct media profile, make sure you attach the material to the take-up-reel before hitting print AND make sure you have constant tension switched on. You can even slightly increase the tension to avoid problems.

Also always release the handle tension on the left side of the roll after pushing it on. On both input and output roll.

 

[DChorbowski]

Also always release the handle tension on the left side of the roll after pushing it on. On both input and output roll.

Can you clarify this statement? How is this done?

 

[stephenvision]

What width are you using? 64" is more problematic than 54".

Even if you are using the correct media profile, make sure you attach the material to the take-up-reel before hitting print AND make sure you have constant tension switched on. You can even slightly increase the tension to avoid problems.

Also always release the handle tension on the left side of the roll after pushing it on. On both input and output roll.

We have tried both 64" and 54" to same issues.

We have to always attach material to the take-up-reel and also have constant tension switched on. Will have to try increasing the tension.

Presume you just mean don't force the handle on both input and output all the way tight?

 

[ikarasu]

what material are you printing on?

We print on 3M 8150 optically clear all the time with no issue.

 

[stephenvision]

what material are you printing on?

We print on 3M 8150 optically clear all the time with no issue.

3M 8150 - which printer are you using?

 

[balstestrat]

Can you clarify this statement? How is this done?

So if you ram in a tight roll with force, it can get too tight.

 

[balstestrat]

We have tried both 64" and 54" to same issues.

We have to always attach material to the take-up-reel and also have constant tension switched on. Will have to try increasing the tension.

Presume you just mean don't force the handle on both input and output all the way tight?

Yeah try increasing the tension, especially on input BUT you must also increase the output tension as well to keep a balance.
Another "trick" you can try is set a front margin in the same menu that you set the tension and it hopefully will move the warmed-up part(which is the problem usually) past the printzone and only then start printing on a fresh piece.

It can be a pain in the ass and it just performs different on L700 / L800.

 

[stephenvision]

Yeah try increasing the tension, especially on input BUT you must also increase the output tension as well to keep a balance.
Another "trick" you can try is set a front margin in the same menu that you set the tension and it hopefully will move the warmed-up part(which is the problem usually) past the printzone and only then start printing on a fresh piece.

It can be a pain in the ass and it just performs different on L700 / L800.

will look into increasing tension, but it is not the "warmed-up part" which is the issue, its sticking before it enters this zone. causing the area of print to have a problem.

We load the material over the roller under and it goes through the print zone.. its sticking after the roller before it comes through the print zone...

 

[balstestrat]

will look into increasing tension, but it is not the "warmed-up part" which is the issue, its sticking before it enters this zone. causing the area of print to have a problem.

We load the material over the roller under and it goes through the print zone.. its sticking after the roller before it comes through the print zone...

Yeah but it happens after it has done the warmup routine, moving the material front and back before it actually starts to print, right? Or it happens already before that? Or way after?


Because it does the movements it will eventually pull back warm material to the spot that you are having difficulties.

 

[stephenvision]

Yeah but it happens after it has done the warmup routine, moving the material front and back before it actually starts to print, right? Or it happens already before that? Or way after?


Because it does the movements it will eventually pull back warm material to the spot that you are having difficulties.

sometimes before its even started to warm up it causes it to stick, sometimes it runs for 10m perfect then it causes it to stick. its such an odd thing to try point finger on specifically

 

[ikarasu]

We are using the 700w. We've also have the 516 560 and never had issues with that one.

Certain materials are picky, and we extended just past the printing zone... A few materials we stand there and apply a bit of tension until it is taped up to the take-up reel, I don't think we have ever had it stick after it was on the take-up reel though.

Do you have a lot of glue in your curing zone? The plastic backer sticks to it a lot easier than paper does... We love how on the 700 you can just pull it out and wipe all the glue off.

 

[stephenvision]

We are using the 700w. We've also have the 516 never had issues with that one.

Certain materials are picky, and we extended just past the printing zone... A few materials we stand there and apply a bit of tension until it is taped up to the take-up reel, I don't think we have ever had it stick after it was on the take-up reel though.

Do you have a lot of glue in your curing zone? The plastic backer sticks to it a lot easier than paper does... We love how on the 700 you can just pull it out and wipe all the glue off.

We have to apply tension and tape onto take-up reel every drop, every print, every material. we have a print zone platen installed to help material pass through curing chamber without raising.

no glue in our curing zone, we print 95% of materials with paper backing.

Our print zone hoover areas are cleaned and working 100% correctly, our tension is fine on the output. it is sticking before it enters the machine

 

[ikarasu]

If you're still under warranty, I'd get a tech out.

We only have issues with Traffic materials (Theyre very thick) And cheap, $100 rolls that dont like any heat. Window perf still tunnels once in awhile, but thats understandable. Some reflectives will catch on when it gets sucked back into the heater if its not on the take up reel.... but I'd say theres maybe 2 products aside from reflectives that we have issues with and need to handle a certain way (taping up to take up, or extending past the zone and applying tension), the rest of the materials we use work perfectly.