Hello Vanderfolks,
I just had the form rollers on my No. 4 recovered. A very nice gentleman from RotaDyne came to my house to pick up the old ones. He took the whole assembly with him, and they shipped everything back disassembled. I’ve looked through the archives for instructions on putting things back together, but I couldn’t find anything elementary enough for me. I have Sheets 103 and 182B from the manual, but I was hoping to find some step-by-step instructions, or even an exploded view. Is there anything like that out there?
I have one question about Sheet 182B. It says, “4 nyliners are required per bearing bar. 8 per machine….” All I ever had on the form roller assembly was 2 nyliners. Is there something wrong?
Also, I would appreciate your feedback on RotaDyne’s assessment of my roller situation. The rep said that my old rollers had hardness ratings of 32 and 34, and that the new rollers would be 25. He also said that the diameter of my old rollers was 2.480″, that the spec was 2.500″, and that my new rollers would be 2.520″. Did I really need new rollers? I’m aiming for the best print quality possible.
Thanks so much for your help,
Barbara
Two other things to check on the No.4: the condition of the MR-110 pins and the brass clutch plate that they contact. The pins should project beyond the core ends and be somewhat rounded, if flat and worn order replacements. The clutch plate should be flat, divots may be visible from years of contact with the pins, but can be brazed.
Barbara
Did your rollers need to be replaced? Probably not. But it never hurts to replace them. I’d bet the same guy was over at my place maybe a few months before. Quite frankly, you are much better off sending your rollers to RotaDyne than trusting the commissioned rep to come out. He gets paid for that, i.e., you pay him in addition to the roller cost. He should not have taken the assembly with him. You should have disassembled that yourself, and documented for reassembly.
Rule of thumb. Precise ink film lay down with every thing else precise, form (new type, photopolymer plates), hard packing, etc., requires 25 (I request this, plus a specific formula). At 50 it’s over, the ink film will fail to split properly. I’d replace before they get anywhere near 40. If you get yourself a hardness reader, and you should, you can monitor this on a monthly basis, and they do change on a monthly basis.
Gerald
http://BielerPress.blogspot.com
Re-installing roller hardware:
1) Clean roller core ends.
2) Insert pin (MR-110) with round end out to test fit. Remove, lubricate with graphite and re-insert, aligning hole in pin with slot in core.
3) Install spring (MRS-100)
4) Install clutch block (MR-108) with crenulations facing out. Align screw hole in block with slot in core and hole in pin (MR-110).
5) Insert threaded pin (MR-109) through aligned holes. Make sure that the pin passes through the unthreaded end of clutch block first.
6) tighten pin and test assembly by pushing on MR-110, which should slide smoothly back and forth. Remove pin to lubricate lower end with graphite powder, then reassemble.
7) Install gear (MR-111) with crenulations facing the clutch block.
8) Install collar (MR-112) align set screws with dimples in roller core, and make flush roller core.
Yes, eight Nyliners are required. Two bearing retainer clips are needed for the two outer Nyliners on the non-gear side to keep them from falling out.
Vandercook & Sons originally specified a durometer of 20 and is what NA Graphics provides to their customers. Keep in mind that rollers harden over time. A reading over 30 should be replaced. I’ve found that the +/- diameter tolerance is more critical on presses with framed roller assemblies, like the No. 4, 219, etc. then on the new style “Quick Change” models like the Universal and SP series.