HUGE Tracking issue

[Brands Imaging]

All of a sudden yesterday my guys are telling me the machine is tracking to one side. We thought he MUST have just been feeding it in crooked. So i came in today and re fed the machine and got the same results. I was just extra careful and re fed the machine again.....same results.


Troubleshooting... I opened the carriage housing and noticed the electric eye that reads the material was was a bit out of place. I reseated it thinking this MUST have been the problem although it was reading the material width properly......same issue


Troubleshooting.... Then I wanted to rule out the issue. Was it the hardware of the machine? princh rollers? Material? So i did a test and fed out about 7 or 8 feet of material and it was only walking about a 1/4" per 7 or 8 feet which is still too much but not as much when I actually start printing. I figured I could get by for today doing that but when I actually print its like 1/4" moving every 2 to3 feet!!


Help!!

 

[GAC05]

Whenever I have seen stepping of the print on the edge like that it has been the encoder strip (and the sensor) being dirty with misted ink overspray.
Usually if it steps that far off it will throw up a head position error and stop printing.
Mine is a Mutoh but I'd guess the Mimaki would have similar issues.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Brands Imaging]

got it - was the sensor - thx!