Vinyl Rippling

[klingsdesigns]

So I got a new vg540 installed yesterday. Tech left and I put in a roll of 3m40c and cant for the life of me get it to stop rippling. Where it ripples is making it print blurry and almost head striking. I have messed with heat vacuum. Tried resetting pinch rollers adding a couple more then the outside ones. Cant figure it out. Any ideas? Tried messing with profiles. Shop is about 65 degrees not sure if that is the problem. Humidity is about 50.

 

[klingsdesigns]

The ends really want to ripple.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

What are your heat settings?

 

[ewded]

Welcome to the nightmare of TrueVis

 

[Mainframe]

I never print anything without all the rollers installed, if there is a blue space open I put a roller in, never had a problem, I cut the same way, did this for 10 years with my vp also.

 

[jcskikus]

I believe this is the same material I had a problem with a few years back with a Mutoh 1624. It would tunnel like a bastage and I'd get headstrikes all the time. I lower heat in the back, then the front, changed vacuum setting and even went totally cold with heat and vacuum. It would work for a few feet and then BAM...headstrike. I talked to someone from 3M then and they told me it was a cheap economy brand that they had made in China. After 2 days of playing with the material to try and replace Oracal 3651, we wound up going back to the Oracal.
Now on the UV printers and EFI solvent printers, it wasn't a problem as the pull on the take up was even and consistently across the entire substrate to keep it flat and taught.

 

[klingsdesigns]

I would have to look but I think I changed pre to 40 and post to 45 and is did help. Might need to do pre 5 less. Also when it did finally get to take up it did help. When it’s not on take up and I pull from front I can get the ripples to flatten a little bit. Did try wall frog and that laid flat but it’s more of a thicker ridged material. Had to put all new profiles in as well so not sure if that is messing it up a little. I can try running all rollers but would rather only do two since if I print cut right away I don’t want roller marks on prints.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

We used to have similar issues when using cheap monomeric... drop the pre-heater to 30-35C and crank the post heater to 50C. Seemed to work for us back then.

 

[Mainframe]

I set the print to dry 3 minutes when I print cut, works good, never any roller marks, I don't think any print is worth a head strike.

 

[klingsdesigns]

I set the print to dry 3 minutes when I print cut, works good, never any roller marks, I don't think any print is worth a head strike.

I know the tech was saying something about this as well. Only times i usually print and cut is for tshirt material. In that case I have it wait a minute or two anyhow.

 

[CanuckSigns]

When we had a vg machine, I had the same issue, turned out the 2 outer pinch rollers were installed backwards from the factory, they are slightly tapered to pull the vinyl out slightly as it prints, but when installed backwards it bunches the media.

 

[klingsdesigns]

Is the taper supposed to get smaller or bigger towards the center of the machine. I wondered that when I was looking at them.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Is the taper supposed to get smaller or bigger towards the center of the machine. I wondered that when I was looking at them.

I'm not positive, but logic would dictate they should be wider wn the outside.

 

[woolly]

on the outer pinch rollers that are tapered is a red dot on the OUTER SIDE
as you look at it
far left roller red dot to left far right roller dot to right

 

[woolly]

but most common problems are
rear roll holder not square to machine bed
excessive heat
poor storage of material environment.. backing paper absorbing damp then heated
could try

insure the vinyl is square when setting up
dont leave it too long with the vinyl in and heater on before it starts printing
feed out a mtr on the arrow keys and back in again to pre condition the media
dont let it pull the vinyl off the roll give it some slack hanging of the back but not touching the floor

 

[klingsdesigns]

but most common problems are
rear roll holder not square to machine bed
excessive heat
poor storage of material environment.. backing paper absorbing damp then heated
could try

insure the vinyl is square when setting up
dont leave it too long with the vinyl in and heater on before it starts printing
feed out a mtr on the arrow keys and back in again to pre condition the media
dont let it pull the vinyl off the roll give it some slack hanging of the back but not touching the floor

I will check all this Thursday. For pulling some off roll I am assuming that is just for the beginning part. Once it starts printing let it get tight and pull it itself? On our vp I always made sure I have so much hanging off roll whole time it printed. I don’t want to have to babysit it if I don’t have to

 

[klingsdesigns]

End pinch rollers are right. Tried to do preheat to 30 or 35 and post heat to 45 or 50 and it helps a little. Still wants to bunch up by outer pinch rollers. Tried turning head speed down to 760 and that also helped some. Still bunches though. Tried all pinch rollers no difference. Also tried 40c. Ij180cv3. Same results. Any other ideas? Rep is trying to work with me over phone but can’t figure it out yet.

 

[Mainframe]

That's strange, in a years time I have run, 13 and 15 oz banner material both matt and gloss, 3m wrap, oracal wrap, oracal wall wrap, poster paper (thought I would never make posters LOL) clear cling, Tons of 3651G all sizes, reflective and translucent vinyl, avery air release and I have some of that super smooth banner material for table banners I run once in a while. Never a problem. Is this only on one roll or all material you are using?

 

[klingsdesigns]

I noticed it when I tried to print out the color charts. So tried on 40c and ij180cv3. I did print 20ft on wall frog but it was for a wall wrap so not sure if it did it then since I didn’t print anything small and detailed. I ran a job on 40c and seemed like once it got to the take up reel it helped.

 

[klingsdesigns]

Still does it. Seller sent me a sample roll of what they use. Still does it. Almost like not enough vacuum. They have never heard of this or if pinch rollers are pinching too tight. Think they will be coming out to look at machine Thursday.