HP Latex leaving tracks

[Vinyldog]

On 54in vinyl (IJ40C) my L310 leaves three spinal like tracks, 18in in from each side and the other 6in over from an outer track, the full lenth of the print (16ft. Not straight lines but they look like a wheel is digging in and pulling the vinyl into a wavy pattern about .25 in wide.
Could this be a pinch-roller issue? Possibly out of adjustment?

 

[P Wagner]

Can you post a picture of the defect?

I have seen zipper-like artifacts primarily in calendared self-adhesive vinyl medias which originate from the vinyl's backing paper and not the vinyl itself. You might want to check and see if this is what you are seeing by taking a small section and mounting it to a board, to check if the issue goes away after the print has been mounted to a substrate.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Sounds like the pinch rollers on top of the platen right where the media comes in. Never had roller marks from any of it but one time the media jammed. The then tech unloaded it through the rear and not all of the ink was dried. The pinch rollers got covered and just stamped the vinyl as it rolled through. Only the first 10 feet or so. Could be this issue. The other is those rollers are easily removable and one could have come out of the little metal holder. Have you looked at all of them. When the pinch rollers up these should be able to spin easily.

 

[Vinyldog]

The pattern does disappear after it's mounted to the sub, and it is still visible on the backing paper after removed so I think you have called it.
I'm about to load on a roll of O.3165GRA and that should tell us for sure.
I'm not able to see the top pinch rollers on this machine. I think they must be further up inside.

 

[Vinyldog]

well it's not the material because I'm having the same issue using the Oracal, however this time it's one zipper track that meanders between 26 and 28 inches from the edge.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Yea there has got to be some roller out of wack. At the very back of the platen there are a series of small black plastic pieces. All along the printing zone on the back. There might be something stuck to one or it might have popped out of the thin metal holders that connect them all together.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

Does anyone who runs the printer use edge guards? Our 26500 was doing something similar and I found it was an edge guard that had fallen behind the pinch rollers. I later learned someone had lost an edge guard and didn't think it was important to figure out where it went.

 

[P Wagner]

The marks are being caused by the movement of the material through the printer's media path. I've seen it with various brands of calendared SAV media. The issue is specifically tied to a by-product (the backing paper on calendared SAV) and not the printed vinyl itself. It is referred to as 'Culebrilla' or rib-marks that meander in the general direction of media travel.

 

[Vinyldog]

I see now that the top pinch roller on this machine seems to be the .25in diameter rod that runs the entire length of the platen with the peculiar pattern formed into it. Unless there are others out of view.
I do agree it seems like a material issue since the position of the defect changes from roll to roll, however I do notice that there is a place on the top roller that happens to be about 27in from the edge. Not debris but rather part of the stamping. Two small indentions about .125dia.
That is the only imperfection on the roller I can see.

The good news is that it doesn’t seem to effect (affect) the end product. This will not affect (effect) how much it irritates me.