how can i tell how much work has been done on pc 60?

[Bill Dewison]

Did the seller include any empty cartridges?

Cheers, Dewi

[Robert Lambie]

there is a quick print test you can do that tells you the exact amount of feet covered by the machine. so if you dont have spent cartridges you can do the test and see what the reading is.
a head is supposed to be renewed after approx 200 ribbons.
but sometimes you can get much further. sometimes a little less..
i think its down to how well it has been kept and how clean you keep the vinyl its printing onto.

[LOST]

thanx for quick reply
whats this test u are talking about Robert?
and no got a full new set the ones in it were nearly gone

[Robert Lambie]

ive personaly never done it mate, but im sure andrew that works with me knows how to do it. its nothing hard, just a couple of buttons and it prints a small report out.
ill ask him in morning and see if he remembers.

[LOST]

thanx robert will check back in tomorrow.

[Bill Dewison]

Turn off the machine, Load some vinyl, Hold the down arrow key in while you turn the machine on. It will print a system report.

Toward the top left, you’ll see a number next to ‘record’, that should be the number of metres it’s gone through.

Cheers, Dewi

[Robert Lambie]

😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

i think you must be sleeping with your pc60 manual mate 😉
not two weeks old and your in the know 😉 😆

[Rodney Gold]

Im not sure if this is still the case , but if the head blew on our machine , parts would be free on production of 200 Roland carts.

[Bill Dewison]

It is Rodney. Roland will supply you with a brand new head, if you can provide them with 200 geniune Roland cartridges.

Mind you, with the savings on refills, and a new head only being around the £200 mark, its debateable whether it is worth buying the geniune Roland cartridges in the first place. On 200 cartridges, it is possible to save upto a £1000 by using refills as apposed to the OEMs, that’d buy 5 new heads! 😮

Cheers, Dewi

[LOST]

thanx all for your help 😆
dewi i might be living in your ear for the next few weeks lol.

[LOST]

me again 3243m is that much use over 6 years?just curious

[Carrie Brown]

over 6 years averages 10mtrs per week …….. I think ……. (hope Ive worked this out correct now) 😮

We probably cut/print about that in a day on our pc600, so its not bad from my point of view 😀

[Chris Wool]

hi
as i understand it a head is worth aprox 11000m of print give or take from that the way it is used. the measurment is the amount of distance the head has traveled across the vinyl – the last time i looked i just dont care any more mine had done over 50,000m just on its 4th head.
when a new head is fitted the mileage counter is normally zeroed by the engineer i just never did.
so keep it clean and you should be ok – in a workshop the most damageing is brick dust so if near a wall paint it.

chris

[LOST]

thanx all i think i got a bargain so. i paid 1350 euros for it.

[Bill Dewison]

Yep, just over £900 GB. Bargain mate 😀

I’ll lend you my ear anytime (had it removed whilst watching a recent film 😉 ) but as Robert said, I’m a two weeker atm, as in I’ve had a PC60 for about 2 weeks. All my knowledge so far is theoretical, either from the manual or the good chaps on here. I’m just starting to put it into practise 😀 There are some pretty clued up chaps on here regarding the print side, so we’re in good hands 😀

I’ve forgotten what the read out was on mine, I’ll have a check tomorrow. I’ve been pretty lucky as I have some quick jobs booked in on it straight away and I’ve managed to order a few cartridges from PrintOne today. And there was I, calling the print chaps for not working weekends only 3 – 4 weeks ago 😳 😳

Chris, could you PM or email me your phone number? 😀

Cheers, Dewi

[Bill Dewison]

While we’re on the subject of the PC60, anyone got any clues why I’m getting more random bands than at Glastonbury? 😆 😆

First couple of jobs, last job today, fine, no problems, but the job in the middle had random banding in the print, making it unusable 😕 Am I not cleaning the vinyl correctly, or is there something more sinister going on?

Cheers, Dewi

[Chris Wool]

DEWI
double check there is enough slack vinyl behind
whot ribbons are you using
how old is the cleaning pad
chris

[David-Foster-]

Dewi
999 Messages! 😮 Get your 1,000th in now 😆
How do you find the time 😎

[Bill Dewison]

Bingo 😀 Just like to post Dave 😉

Chris, I changed the cleaning pad this morning, the ribbons are Renown from PrintOne and I was using a sheet rather than a roll 😕 I did exactly as we’ve discussed previously, cleaned the vinyl, checked the machine was clean etc etc.

The problem I’ve encountered was on 751 white. I’ve printed black onto the yellow and red 751 without any major defects, but on the white I have stripes of white showing straight through the centre. The image I was using wasn’t exactly the best quality, but I doubt that’d account for the gaps 🙁

Cheers, Dewi

[Phill Fenton]

Dewi – Has the problem gone away again and is it specific to 751 series vinyl? Sometimes dirt on the print head can cause this.

Normaly a gap in the print indicates a fault with the print head – If cleaning the print head doesn’t solve the problem it usually means the head has blown – I hope this isn’t the case.

Make sure you change the felt pad regularly as this is easy to overlook, and thorough cleaning of the vinyl with isopropyalcohol prior to printing is a must for a long head life.

[Bill Dewison]

The print seems back to normal again now, I did get a tad worried at one point 😕

It was specific to the 751 white. I think the problem may be with the particular roll of vinyl I’m using. It sits just above a shelf on the rack that I use to store glues, tapes etc etc. so its more than likely that I’ve dented the vinyl when I’ve been lifting things out 🙁 The red and the yellow sit much higher on the rack, and there were no problems with those two. I should have built those racks with a little more foresight 😳

What is isopropyalcohol? 😮 I recognise the alcohol bit, but not the other 😉 I’ve been cleaning it with towels and a wash mix, but I didn’t want to start putting things like white spirits or anything on in case it disturbed the print.

Cheers, Dewi

[Nicola McIntosh]

is that not another word for meths?

nik

[Robert Lambie]

hi mate.
if your getting work done fine but the odd one has bands i think its most likely to be dirt of some sort. have you tried wiping the head part itself with some meths? tricky to do properly but not hard..

if these are tiny thin white lines i think it could be stiching i think its called.. basicaly the overlaping of lines/bands.. cant remember how to alter this ill see if andrew knows. i could be wrong but im sure i read it on a roland site..

as long as your vinyl is wiped clean i dont think that is the problem.

[Bill Dewison]

Its quite large mishaped bands, almost like I’ve tried to wipe it off or something 😕

Meths, have plenty of that 😀 Having another use for it may stop me topping up my coffee with it 😉 😉

Cheers, Dewi

[Phill Fenton]

quote Dewi:

What is isopropyalcohol? 😮 I recognise the alcohol bit, but not the other Cheers, Dewi

I don’t know – all I know is that’s what it’s called and you can drink it without going blind (which is not the case with meths) – If you go to your pharmacist with a straight face and ask for Isopropyl alcohol and explain it’s for cleaning vinyl prior to printing they usually accept your story and will sell it to you. (Saves all the hassle of building your own still to produce your own hooch with all the associated rigmaroll.)

Safeways whisky’s almost as cheap but produces more of a hangover due to the tannins in the blend (this comes from the sherry casks that are used to store the whisky for a number of years) – this is why clear alcohol gives you the buzz without the hangover.

What (?) ….. what…… 😕

[Phill Fenton]

😕

[Robert Lambie]

hhmm im guessing mate but.. if its miss-haped then its not banding as such. well not the ones you will hear most talk of.
if this isnt white hairlines then i would say its not stiching bands eather.

could you possibly be wiping the vinyl with meths too soon before a print?
did you have a chip then load the vinyl and leave a few greasy finger marks 😉
im joking but i have done this many moons ago.. 😆 basicaly the head cant fuse the ink from the ribbon to the surface.. but im sure you will know that.. 😆

[Bill Dewison]

I’ll nip into the chemist in the morning then Phill, and hopefully if I can pronounce it, I’ll give it a go 😀 Never knew I could go blind with the meths!! 😮 😮 Better off at Safeways then 😉

Cheers, Dewi

[Phill Fenton]

Write it on a bit of paper if you can’t pronounce it properly. Mind you you’ve got a better chance of them selling you some if you manage to pronounce it correctly – this helps to create the illusion that you know what your talking about and have no intention whatsoever of drinking the stuff 😳

[Bill Dewison]

😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

Thats worrying Phill, it sounds like you’re talking from experience with that one! 😉 Any problems with the purchase though, I’ll mention your name and once the knowing looks have stopped, I’ll deny I ever said it! 😉 😉 😉

Cheers, Dewi

[Rodney Gold]

2 types of banding happens , 1) misalignment of the head leading to gaps between the actuall pass of the ribbon , Ie the head overshoots the edge of the last pass (or undershoots it and overprints on it leading to dark bands)
2) one of the pins on the head is blown which would be a white line that is always there and it would not be at the edge of the ribbon when it prints. You can re-align the head quite easily in case 1 , its a media feed calibration thing
In the 2nd case , you can try cleaning the head , and the head is NOT the whole bangshoot it is acrually just the edge of the assembly (right side edge) that heats the vinyl , so to clean the head , you dont have to scrub under the assembly , you will see the strip on the right hand side. What happens is dirt or resin or something solidifies and takes out a pin. Best is to clean AFTER a print as the heads are hot and nothing has solidified and its easier to dislodge dirt.
We use Meths for ours , meths is a cumulative poison and it gets absorbed thru the skin , but its only a real danger in large quantities. Isopropyl alcohol is better as it is water and dye free , but its very expensive and often what is sold as isopropyl is ethanol , a lot of “rubbing spirits” sold as alcohol by chemists contains all sorts of additives like wintergreen etc.
There is another item that must be looked at , and thats the foam roller on the right hand side of the head (looking at the machine) , if thats dirty or graunched your print will suffer as its the thing that actually lays down the resin on the vinyl
The machine works like this , the head heats the ribbon liquifying the resin and the roller presses it afterwards on the vinyl actually transferring the resin , the head doesnt act like a hot foiling machine. Its a cheap item to replace , so order 2 , replace the one and keep the other spare – you can get lint off it by using masking tape and using the sticky side to pick up the fluff etc.
Then there is the platten . that grey rubbery thing that is the base for the vinyl when printing , it should be clean (soapy cloth) but most of all it has to ROCK , it sits in a channel and it must be slid out and the channel cleaned so it rocks properly.
also check the teflon cutting strip , if its at all scored , replace it.
The problem is the machine and vinyl generate static and attract dust , its a good idea to ground the machine or use a cheap ioniser near it. Another tip is to preheat vinyl , using cold vinyl will not give as good a print as warming it up beforehand.
NEVER leave the vinyl loaded in the machine , the rubber wheels above the grit roller become ovaloid and this leads to errors and media feed problems , they also get very hard over time , so replace them if they look dodgy.
Be careful of aftermarket ribbons , especially if you see ANY flaking (mostly a problem with gold and silver)
The cheaper vinyls work best in our machine , very thin polymerics print worse than budget stuff.
Another tip is to use a piece of mirror vinyl slid under the head , to see the head condition and whether there is a lot of gunk under it or if one of the tracks is blown, NEVER use canned air to blow stuff away , it will guarantee to get dust etc in the head.

[Dave Standen]

Hi Folks
Thought I’d throw in my bit on this thread.
Isopropanol?
You should use 99.9% pure Isoprop not the 75% pure as in medical usage. Always check this point. What might be available from a Pharmacy may be 75% stuff – for cleaning abrasions and skin etc. Don’t use that.

Isopropanol – from where?
It is used by every printer you all know – the chap that prints you’re letterheads, business cards, invoice sets. They use 99.9% Isoprop by the litre to clean machines and printing printing plates etc. They will sell you 5Litre for about £10 – £12 only – a life times supply? It amy also be available from Europoint (Paper Co) or Robert Horne Group as a supply to Off Set or Lytho Printers. Worth a phone call.

Clean vinyl before printing Why?
Especialy if the vinyl is old stock. What happens is that silicons rise to the surface of the vinyl over time especialy warm conditions and they migrate and collect on the surface over time. These contaminants get between your print and the vinyl and the silicons cause the print NOT to be deposited. If you clean with isopropanol you remove all those migrated contaminants, plus any grit particles which then helps protect your print head. A clean vinyl will give a better print.

Meths – Any good to use?
Avoid meths. On evaporation – you may see that meths leaves behind a slight white deposit. This may even come out of the wipe your using. 99.9% pure Isoprop will evaporate quickly and leave behind no deposit.

Pre warm the vinyl Why?
If you maintain a warm workshop – that’s fine. If you do not – especialy other than in summer, printing on cold vinyl will give poor results. Just think – an 8mm wide print head is being expected to heat up cold vinyl – it’s too much – it can’t. Give it a little help – then there’s no print problem.

Cleaning Pad. Keep a clean one Why?
Every 8 bands of print or so – the print head puts away the cartridge and goes and wipes it’s bum. Keep a clean pad in place – so the print head keeps a clean bum! Tip – if you’ve got a problem with stubborn dirt,
Put1 drop of Isoprop onto the print head cleaning pad – and let the print head go clean itself. Thats ONE drop! Don’t get your machine drunk!

(?) Question (?) – would an abrasion guard for PC60 be any good for anyone? Applied by the machine just like a spot colour? Perhaps a combined GlossMaker, Abrasion guard and UV Inhibitor ribbon? 😮

Regards Dave Standen

[Karl.Tipping]

Hi Dave 😀
Just seen your note for an abrasion guard of the PC60
Would this make it more hardy to the elements
and would it give a long life span outdoor
It take it would be like the edge abrasion
I think this could be quiet useful….
😎

[Dave Standen]

Hi Kat
The Abrasion Guard will give longer Outdoor Life with UVenhancer. It’s the only Abrasion Guard for PC60 on offer and works very well. It’s always recommended that vehicle Graphics are protected in some way – and the best way is overlaminate. This protection would also work – but not as well as over-lamination.
Regards
Dave Standen