Weird Drying on 2513 EX

[Adam Vreeke]

I am using our JFX200-2513EX machine to run some wood awards we do. We use LUS-120 ink set on that machine. This is my first time running wood on our EX (works wonderful on our normal 2513 with LH100 ink). I did a test one that turned out great with no issues; however, when I ran the first bed of awards the first inch or so shows signs that the ink did not dry correctly. We use an under base of spot white in places on the award so printing started at the back of the machine and worked forward to the 0, 0 mark. The "runniness" of the ink only occurred on the first inch or so of the table.

I have made sure my lamp position was in the correct spot (both lamps at 65), and all 4 lamps appeared to be firing. Has any one any idea what may have happened?

 

[White Haus]

It's like the ink is bleeding/running into the grain before it's cured, which is weird if lamps are engaging when they're supposed to. Not like they need a warm up time given the fact that they're LED.

We've printed wood on our Oce Arizona a fair bit and have never had the ink bleed, then again Mimakis seem to lay down a fair bit of ink.

How big is that whole thing? That happened across the whole bed? Are you running multiples w/ a jig or template? Can you add a test shape/file before the actual job prints to see if kicking in lamps earlier is a work around?

 

[Adam Vreeke]

The words are about 6" in length. I got them 10 up on the bed printing the other pieces of the award with this printed via a jig.

I thought about the ink running, but it happens no where else except the first inch of printing on the first boards.

I got the job done already, was in a rush to get it out the door, but I ran the piece you see separately. Since there is no white on this piece it starts at the 0, 0 point and works back and did not bleed this way doing it like that.

I print other awards with a white under base, mostly PVC or acrylic and never had this happen before on those materials.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

LUS-120 does some weird stuff when it comes to wicking into wood, seen that before. Try putting down a really thin layer of clear lacquer first to cut back on it?

 

[Adam Vreeke]

LUS-120 does some weird stuff when it comes to wicking into wood, seen that before. Try putting down a really thin layer of clear lacquer first to cut back on it?

The thing that is confusing me is that if that were the case, wouldn't it happen through out the printing and not just on the first inch of printing?

I will run the lacquer idea past the powers that be, but we have been offering this product for at least a decade and some customers have been ordering these every year. So a little hesitant to change things up on them unless everything else has been exhausted.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Can also try heat or plasma treating to see if it makes a difference, could be some sort of material contamination causing the wicking.

Find one that is wrecked or a scrap piece, toast it gently with a heat gun and see if it does better in printing.