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Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
 
I am printing GerberMag business cards. I have the machine set for gerberMag & was running 2 repeats of a 22-up layout.

I ran about 5 44 card groups like this, but on the 5th one my nearly new Cobalt blue foil seemed to get pulled by the print so that it doubled over itself and started feeding out on top of the print.

The cartridge continued to feed it and the edge continued to print it perfectly even after it doubled up and rolled out with the print. The edge did not seem to notice this, although the sound had changed & got my attention. I stopped it when I saw it feeding out.

I noticed a lot of build-up of what appeared to be blue resin on the small chrome rod on the left of the print head, so I cleaned that off.

After removing the cart. & splicing with scotch tape, I advance a few winds past the problem & started it up again. It finished the job, but started to do the same thing again. This time it sensed the problem just about the time that it snapped.

When I opened the edge it snapped the foil again leaving me with a 7" section of the foil that tore exactly on the line where the Blue had been printed on the border of my cards. This may only be the weakest point due to lack of resin, but wondered if this whole problem has to do with heat?

I've never had a bad cartridge.

Is this familiar to anyone?
 

Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
 
In Quick Plot, try dropping your heat/pressure setting down from "normal" to "light" or even "lighter."
 
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
 
Thanks Glenn, I'll try that in the morning. It seems that a bond to the substrate must have pulled the foil & the temp being too high seems a logical culprit, but have you had this happen before?

Is bad foil even a suspect or would you say the heat issue is almost definantly the cause?
 

Posted by Myra Grozinger (Member # 327) on :
 
It makes me nervous to even pipe up here, just had my Edge a month and know next to nothing, but the exact thing happened to me, too. With no error messages the foil just trailed across the print, and ultimately it split just like yours.

I did not at the time even know about the slew button for foil, and it happened whenever I used Durachrome, which is harder to seat than the Gerber cartridge.
The answer was to seat the cartridge carefully as always, then slew it a couple of inches to be sure it picks ( rolls ) up the used foil before starting to print.

You sound experienced and this is probably of no use to you.
Now I have to learn about heat settings
 

Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
 
Hi Doug,

We have had our foil rip several times. We are not sure why.

Another thing that happens is that crease line appear in the print sometimes near the edge of the bottom of the color.

To get around this we place a huge rectangle of that color (reflex blue) right next to the print along the bottom edge of the print so that the creases will appear in the rectangle box and not foul our print.
 

Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
 
Thanks Dave & Myra,

Yes I do slew the ribbon tight every time. My problem occured on Gerber material, but I use the occassional Duracoat too. As for seating it, I find that on an edge 2 I would seat the top of rolls by pushing cartridge up before clicking in the 3 pins. I always roll some spent foil onto the side with the new material so I can slew several inches right back to where I waste nothing.

Dave, I have been fortunate and not had that crease problem. (yet)

Glenn, I had such a demanding day no more GerberMag tests yet, but several vinyl runs with same Cobalt at default (normal) temp. with no trouble.

So now that this post has bumped back up, anyone else have more insights to offer?
 

Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
 
Doug I recently had this same problem with Duracoat foils, I have never had it happen with the gerber foils. When I looked into it Imac told me that the edge setting was too high and it melted the liner of the foil.

If it was a gerber foil then I would absolutely call Gerber, that is why I now use exclusively gerber materials. They will back it up and most likely replace any if not all material lost.
 

Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
 
Bumping this back up with an update on my cobalt foil. In case anyone else out there has feedback.

It ripped again for the third time. I'm back on GerberMag again. This time on the "light" setting, but not while printing.

After completing one 24" print on light setting, I put in the roll, hit the slew button & instantly snapped the foil right on the "fault line" where the 11.7" blue border had been printed.
Also had been watching close and could hear the foil peeling off each print with the same sound that usually preceeds the end of a roll.

I did another run on "Lighter", still made that sound, but didn't snap.

[ October 05, 2001: Message edited by: Doug Allan ]


 
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
 
Doug,

I'm wondering if there is something wrong with the print head. I would call your Gerber rep and have them to send someone to come over and witness the problem in action. They should be able to contact Gerber for you on your behalf. I would want them to take the machine and service it under warranty. I would also expect your Gerber rep to provide you a loaner in the interim. That is what my Gerber rep does for me.

[ October 05, 2001: Message edited by: Glenn Taylor ]


 
Posted by Bill Biggs (Member # 18) on :
 
Doug,
I have never had that happen, I have used an edge
for about two years now, and mine was a used one.
I think maybe if you use different foils, you may have reset the heat settings too high.
I would check with gerber tech support on that problem. One problem I have had with the mag,
is static cling, maybe that is why the foil is coming out with the material. on my sprint in cutting the mag, I use a piece of waxed paper(old carrier paper, stapled to a piece of yard stick
and velcroed to the back of the sprint to stick up under the black bar that lifts and lowers the blade, this keeps the mag from sticking to it, I also use a higher roller assembled on a box to keep it from sticking to the back of the sprint as it goes through, but I have had no problems on the printing side
Bill
 
Posted by Bill Biggs (Member # 18) on :
 
Doug,
I have never had that happen, I have used an edge
for about two years now, and mine was a used one.
I think maybe if you use different foils, you may have reset the heat settings too high.
I would check with gerber tech support on that problem. One problem I have had with the mag,
is static cling, maybe that is why the foil is coming out with the material. on my sprint in cutting the mag, I use a piece of waxed paper(old carrier paper, stapled to a piece of yard stick
and velcroed to the back of the sprint to stick up under the black bar that lifts and lowers the blade, this keeps the mag from sticking to it, I also use a higher roller assembled on a box to keep it from sticking to the back of the sprint as it goes through, but I have had no problems on the printing side
Bill
 
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
 
I did speak to my rep. in California. They were not familiar with the problem & said they would contact Gerber. No word yet in 48 hours.

I sure hope there is not a problem with print head in 10 months of light to moderate use. I doubt my rep will fly to Hawaii to help me. Also their loaner options in service plans (which I shouldn't need untill my 1 year warrenty is over)require me to pay shipping both ways on my machine & the loaner! Another price of paradise I guess.

Thanks to everybody's replies. I post the outcome later.
 



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