Hi all,
We have been having issues with uneven ink distribution on our 219ab. The most noticeable thing, which has gotten worse recently, is that the small metal distribution rollers, the riders, don’t distribute ink evenly unless you press down on them (I usually put ink on the oscillator). I am also getting slightly uneven inking while printing, which is most noticeable with metal type and photopolymer plates. I just adjusted the roller height so I don’t think that is the issue, especially since the inking seems to get lighter at a spot in the middle.
I did a “stripe test” and the front stripe on the drum is spotty and disappears as it gets close to the operator side. The rear stripe is fine, just a little bit wider on the edges but not too bad. It’s pretty hard to photograph but I do have a picture (just can’t figure out how to insert it here…)
There is also a fairly deep nick on the center of the inking drum that doesn’t ink.
How do I know if this is an issue with the form roller, the drum, or the distribution assembly?
Paul came last spring but I don’t remember if we checked this. The roller height is set.
New rollers should make the most difference. The ends of the riders will then not be able to hang as much. But please email photos, and then I can add a few to the post.
Thanks Paul,
Do you suspect that changing the rider bushings would fix the problem, or is likely only going to be fixed by getting the rollers recast to the correct size? I can send a photo of how it is distributing and also the printing errors, if that helps. One of the bushings (I believe that’s what it is) is hanging down while the ink distributes, while the other looks like it is supporting the riders. As of now, I’m not able to print any large areas of type consistently, so I’d like to try whatever it takes to fix it.
219 form rollers should be 3″ in diameter. They were a bit undersized and may account for the poor inking on the geared ends.
I didn’t note that the drum was uneven, which would be caused by damaged bushings. But use a spirit level to compare to the bed.
There was some wear to the rider bushings in the top frame, but it didn’t seem significant. I can send new bronze bushings that could be installed by a local machinist. Otherwise, you could ship the assembly to me.
Just to note, the nick on the drum is small.