HP500 Aluminum profiles

[charliet]

Hello!

We have had this printer for a couple months and It's great but when we print on aluminum with light colors it seems to be extremely delicate. Delicate being that any minor finger prints or during transport getting minor scratches. Less likely to have this problem with darker colors and on different media. Any suggestions on ink flow, profiles, tricks of the trade??

Much appreciated.

 

[LarryB]

Hello!

We have had this printer for a couple months and It's great but when we print on aluminum with light colors it seems to be extremely delicate. Delicate being that any minor finger prints or during transport getting minor scratches. Less likely to have this problem with darker colors and on different media. Any suggestions on ink flow, profiles, tricks of the trade??

Much appreciated.

That is one of the drawbacks of the FB500. Whenever we print aluminum or aluminum composite material we always to set it aside overnight before finishing. It is easy to scratch right off the press but give it a day and it is hard to scratch. We also print outdoor plus or indoor plus to give it more ink coverage. No problems at all with coroplast or pvc. Ink sticks well right off the press.

 

[2M]

My FB700 is new so we haven't much opportunity to run a lot of substrates with a wide range of file types, but I do know there are substrate options in the menu, and on Maxmetal it runs on max DPI. I was told the shorter passes both add more ink and help better cure the ink for maximum adhesion.

Prints are coming out really nice with little to no banding, but the slow output speed makes me question the practicality of tiring up the machine. As for adhesion I can't say if there is any great difference since I haven't had the experience with these inks in service long enough.

That is one of the drawbacks of the FB500. Whenever we print aluminum or aluminum composite material we always to set it aside overnight before finishing.

LarryB, Can you expand upon two points; what do you mean by finishing, are you laminating or spraying these prints, or referring to cutting or mounting? 2) Do you find the adhesion good without any protective finishing, and for how long outdoors?

Mike

 

[LarryB]

My FB700 is new so we haven't much opportunity to run a lot of substrates with a wide range of file types, but I do know there are substrate options in the menu, and on Maxmetal it runs on max DPI. I was told the shorter passes both add more ink and help better cure the ink for maximum adhesion.

Prints are coming out really nice with little to no banding, but the slow output speed makes me question the practicality of tiring up the machine. As for adhesion I can't say if there is any great difference since I haven't had the experience with these inks in service long enough.




LarryB, Can you expand upon two points; what do you mean by finishing, are you laminating or spraying these prints, or referring to cutting or mounting? 2) Do you find the adhesion good without any protective finishing, and for how long outdoors?

Mike

for finishing I mean trimming down with a wall cutter or panel saw. I do not laminate but like to print higher quality so more ink gets put down.

 

[Rotsennad]

I'm am about to run 130 sheets
22x24
2 sided solid coverage
.063 aluminum
coating with a liquid lam

I only ran 2 samples before committing to job
Figured I would wipe sheets with alcohol, but are there any other chemicals to treat the aluminum to help adhesion

 

[Hotspur]

Fb500

Hi This is not a problem with the FB500 / 700 as previously quoted - nothing to do with the printer but a normal function of UV ink.

In fact HP has one of the best performing ink in this regard (Oce has about 6 ink sets available as they have had big issues with adhesion and keep trying to improve it)

Any smooth surface will have adhesion issues and if problems occur you need to use a primer - fujisericol do them as do many other companies just google for a selection.

In addition all UV curing is a chemical reaction which is only triggered by the printers UV lights - the reaction continues for 48 hours and until this period is up you will be able to scratch it easily.

Thus for best performance on smooth substrates use a primer and take care with the surface for the first 48hours.

 

[ericu]

Hello!

We have had this printer for a couple months and It's great but when we print on aluminum with light colors it seems to be extremely delicate. Delicate being that any minor finger prints or during transport getting minor scratches. Less likely to have this problem with darker colors and on different media. Any suggestions on ink flow, profiles, tricks of the trade??

Much appreciated.

set your machine profile to shutter the UV light and try using Matthews 6428SP cleaner help with static and cleans and evaporates better than alcohol I always use indoor plus to many gaps in print otherwise on aluminum. the operator must keep hands clean I wash my hands like 6-8 times a day.

 

[uvgerard]

UV curing on aluminum

Assuming the metal is clean and free of fingerprints and any oils; one of the best aids in metal adhesion is heat. Slow speed increases heat and in this case should improve adhesion.
Your HB700 uses a small 400 to 450 watt snap in lamp. The lamp assembly is not exactly high-tech but it gets the job done. Adjust lamp power to high and proceed with different speeds until you find a workable solution.
If surface cure is an issue you can change your standard metal halide lamp for an all-mercury fill. This will improve surface tack but is not as good for deep UV penetration (heavy black and blue inks). Cost of such a lamp is identical to a standard lamp $155.00. Operating at high power you should reach about a 400 to 450 hour life.