take up reel - on the fly - grainy band

Hi,

i have been using the 570 for about a month now and i have the following issue:

when i try to attach the print to the take up reel on the fly, i get a 1"-1.5" grainy and misregistered band horizontally across the print. (see attached photo)

i am perplexed becuase there is no timing issue on my part, but the machine seems to hiccup at that momment causing the band.

i can hook up the take up reel right away, but waste like 3-4 feet of media each time which is NOT optimal... its bad enough i have to advance the media a foot into the curing platen or else it catches the lip in between the print zone and curing zone... and if i am only running 12 feet of print... what a waste. i would let it fall to the floor, but some genius designed it so the pivot table gets in the way and jams up the media... HELP

Hello @PrintReadyFile

The correct way to load the TUR is before you start printing, otherwise problems such as those described might happen. In the following video Using the Take-Up Reel on the HP Latex 500 Printer Series where it describes how to use the Take-Up Reel on the HP Latex 500 Printer Series.

I also recommend to you to watch this video Loading a Roll of Substrate on the HP Latex 500 Printer Series it is a very describing video on how to load a roll of substrate on the HP Latex 500 printer series.

Please let me know if these videos help

I have been having issues logging in to reply... server issues on your end, but hopefully this will make it!

Before i continue, i want to say this is the best printer thus far, and i do enjoy the many great things this machine can do, as well as its reliability! specially on long runs! But i do want to address some things for the sake of constructive criticism and in hopes you can take this to your developement team.

but the videos didnt really help, other than confirm what I suspected. The reason i want to be able to put the print on the take up real on the fly (... i.e. as it prints) is due to the major amount of media loss needed to hook up the take up reel in the first place (over 54 inches linear). i was able to use the take up on the fly with the 370, and although there was much more distance to the takeup... the on the fly capability made up for this. I know HP is quite happy with the new takeup system, and for the most part I am as well, but to expect your clients to waste so much media every time you want to use the take up is a little absurd... and costly; i calculated some of the square footage loss and depending on the media width and value it can be anywhere from 5-20+ dollars of media (and thats media you cant sheet feed back into the machine). the take up reel is the only option when vinyls need to be laminated, or medias need to be kept clean and orderly so i would like HP to work on this issue if at all possible... and considering the dancer bar is not a tensioning bar... i dont see what the problem would be in adding this into a firmware patch so the printer doesnt glitch when the bar activates. The Roland i used had a wonderful pause button!!!... maybe something to consider as well... and it could sheet feed... another great way of conserving media, and pocket books, and most of all and where this whole complaint comes from THE ENVIRONMENT!!!

but i have made some changes to my process that i wanted to share:

1) start with a small panel first: i have been running the smallest tiles i have first, to get the media to the take up reel... then once the job stops... attach it and continue with the rest of the panels once the media is properly webbed into the take up.

2) hook up the media to the take up on the fly... and just baby sit the machine. if you come by every few minutes and manually use the button to take up the media its almost like the machine is doing it!! but dont activate the dancer bar... and leave slack on the print at all times

3) just let it drop... kinda defeats the purpose of the take up reel all together and with a plot over 8 feet gets annoying to deal with... but at least there is less media loss. i still really dont understand why the pivot table wasnt set back into the machine another 2 inches though... seems like a large oversight, specially when you watch the media just buckle and crinkle as it hits the pivot table. but i am in the process of making my own catch basket that will bypass this issue.

so i know these arent solutions... but make lemonade!

Hello @PrintReadyFile

Thanks a lot for your comments. I will pass your suggestions to appropriate team.