registration issues

[balloonguy]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post. Please move if it should be somewhere else.
I am running an older diamondback. Can anyone tell me why some tables are in register and other are terribly out. I have a difference on a couple of tables that are are 1/8" or more out of register. I checked the tables. They are all level front to back and side to side. This is driving me nuts!
Thanks,

[farmboygraphics]

Maybe something is loose along the arm?
It wouldn't be very noticeable unless you physically test the arm and everything holding the screen.

[Orion]

Check your locking cams. Grasp board opposite corners front and rear. Give it a good twist, any movement? If so tighten nuts on locking cams. We do a lot of board changes and this problem shows up occasionally.

[balloonguy]

okay - the table lock clamps are tight. The screens and tables are level. The problem is consistent on the same print tables. I am sure it is something simple that I am missing.

[3Deep]

What type screens you using static or roller? could be a loose mesh issue, if everything is tight on the press,  I would run one rag shirt at a time and check each print until I find the head that is missprinting if it's press related, we've had that happen and found a static frame mesh was coming unglued.

[ebscreen]

Something is loose.

Start with the easiest and swap a pallet or two and see if the problem follows it. Keep in mind that
pallet locking clamps can feel tight but may not actually be fully clamping, and when presented with squeegee
pressure, shift.

A dial indicator and magnetic base should be in every screen printers arsenal. You can't fix what you can't measure.
It takes very little movement where the pallet arms attach to make quite a bit of movement out at the pallets.
Triangles and all. Registration bearing issues will be more of a drift-out-of-and-back-into registration.

[Admiral]

Bearings / forks would be a side to side issue (we had on a used CH3 that we paid M&R tech to replace all those on).  The height of the pallets is likely not equal, you need them all in the same plane.  Need to put a good flat screen in a head and adjust pallets to the same height and level to the head.  I can't imagine the heads themselves aren't level with a Diamondback but that could be an issue.  There should be a good video of this on Youtube.

[farmboygraphics]

Looking mine over and see 10 bolts on the pallet arm, anyone of them could be loose, even the possibility of a cracked weld.
I hope it turns out to be a easy fix.

[Evo]

The screens and tables are level.

Please define "level" here. When you (literally) drop a level on the pallets, they are level front to back and side to side? That might be the case, but press "level" is a misnomer. Pallets need to be *parallel* relative to the press and to each other. They all need to be on the exact same plane horizontally. You can have each pallet level, but they each might be on different levels vertically. All of the pallets need to be leveled (paralelled?) to one fixed reference.

Also, tighten EVERYTHING. Check all screen holders, micros, pallet arm bolts, etc. Sometimes a just simple jam nut works loose and wreaks havoc.

[balloonguy]

The screens and tables are level.

Please define "level" here. When you (literally) drop a level on the pallets, they are level front to back and side to side? That might be the case, but press "level" is a misnomer. Pallets need to be *parallel* relative to the press and to each other. They all need to be on the exact same plane horizontally. You can have each pallet level, but they each might be on different levels vertically. All of the pallets need to be leveled (paralelled?) to one fixed reference.

Also, tighten EVERYTHING. Check all screen holders, micros, pallet arm bolts, etc. Sometimes a just simple jam nut works loose and wreaks havoc.

This was exactly the issue. I put a level in the screens and they are level. I put the same level on the tables and they too were level. When I checked the tables to a screen they were WAY off. I spent a couple of hours getting the tables parallel to the screen. After re-registering the job everything is running much smoother.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

[farmboygraphics]

Glad you were able to fix it. Any ideas (from anyone) how this happened?
Was it gradual or all at once?
A follow up, when you can, might help someone searching the board with the same issue.

[balloonguy]

Glad you were able to fix it. Any ideas (from anyone) how this happened?
Was it gradual or all at once?
A follow up, when you can, might help someone searching the board with the same issue.

I just replaced my pallets with action engineering aluminum (these are AWESOME). The original M&R pallets were some sort of plastic. They were super warped. I guess over the years we have been making small adjustments to compensate. When I finally put the new pallets on I never thought to level/parallel to the screen. They were perfect with a bubble level. I knew it had to be something simple. I just get focused on 1 aspect and miss the simple solution.

[inkman996]

A builders lever is not accurate enough for this operation. You would need a machinists level with decent accuracy to get away with it.

How it happens I have no idea. I would think with a gazillion fastening points things just settle over time. Bolt threads may stretch a little. Metal fatigues a tiny bit. It only takes a tiny amount of movement somewhere  that amplifies noticeably way out at the tables.