Need help with Heidelberg 10x15 ‘77
Hello everyone!
I have just received my Heidelberg OHT Windmill 10x15 last week. Unforunatly she didn’t have a safe trip from Germany. A couple of parts were stolen and broken on the way so I am still working with insurance and the moving company.
I also have no idea how to work this machine but am willing to learn. I learn new things about it everyday and unfortunatly the original manual I have is in German (so are all the labels on the machine).
I digress.
I have setup my Windmill and it runs beautifully. The only problem is that it is not picking up thicker paper than your standard a4 printer. The vacuum cylinder is leaking a bit of air but I do not know if that is normal. I have tried to seal the stubby bit that connects the cylinder to the hoses but still have a bit of leakage. I am quite surprised the suction is not so powerful because the pump itself is quite large! Looks like at least 5 litres.
I have tried changing the suction angles and adjusting everything possible (I think).
So basically has anyone had this problem before and is there anyway of fixing it without spending a lot of money?
thanks,
Oska
Oska, Buddy, just a few little hints for starters, (Peter Will shoot from the hip shortly I am sure!!) I Believe The Heidleberg is very close to the Thompson (British) Auto Platen, as regards Pump operation, in that there is a pressure relief valve in the system, which gets overlooked, and consequently doesnt (always) give optimum blast to separate your sheets!! immediately prior to Vacuum kicking in!! across your sucker bar?? As I believe also, in the system there is a “clack” Valve that drops the vacuum, at precisely the point to drop the sheet onto the Lays? Possibly check out Both?? Plus (I did make little comment before, buried in back posts) virtually every machine employing high volume, but low capacity Pressure/Vacuum air lines really need the correct tubing, in the relevant situations, I.E. (as here in U.K.) on the blast/pressure side, twin wall plastic, with Nylon cord sandwiched between the walls to stop, when warm, time lag, from expansion, And on the vacuum side, reasonably substantial tubing, wound with internal coil spring, to stop collapse under vacuum and warmth conditions!! This especially relevant to the short/vunerable section from the upright stanchion on to the sucker bar!!!
Eliminate all your leaks as a starting point and you may then start to locate your problems if any
the above from Miick is correct you need the correct hosing in the correct areas or you suffer problems if not straight away then usually half way through a run as things start to get warm .
Clean all your filters especially that on the pump and those thimble style brass ones ,one in the hose fitting that screws into the side of the feeder trip and valve block and the one that sits under the screw clamp in the top of the block .
Be careful to get the correct hose lengths or when you start the machine and the pump tilts the hoses if not long enough can rip the hose fittings from the pump ,being made of plastic they are not very strong but are available .
Why they kept changing the fittings on the pumps has always been a mystery and is often a pain when you havent eyeballed the pump in question but i expect you have the last variant which is plastic . it will serve you well to clean any gunk around the clack valve which usually is on the front facing side of the pump at the bottom end .
Dont put your fingers over or in any of the holes to test for vacuum or blowing pressure with the machine in motion even if wound by hand .
Peter, you just let “the” side down, Appreciate that you probably just done an all night 14 hour stint, but you forgot the little hidden often overlooked, (for our Buddies benefit) detail about the Pneumatic, pile jogger? Isolated/Not isolated, Leaking etc? May Possibly be a little hint/tip for others???
If you don’t have an English-language version of the manual, you should go to LetterpressCommons and download it: http://letterpresscommons.com/original-press-manuals/
If, in case, your problems with picking up thicker paper is not due to a leak, try adding some suction cups to a few of the pickups on the sucker bar.
Hi Oska,
You can download english manual and parts document here:
http://www.briarpress.org/14558
Presuming you know the thumbscrews on the sucker-bar are valves - inline for on, transverse for off. Also presume you have any plastic slides (red, pink yellow) off the suckers.
There should be a flat spring collar covering a hole on the sucker-bar beside the leftmost sucker; that collar can be slid or rotated off the hole to reduce suction - ensure that hole is covered for max suction.
The press may not pick-up sheets due to insufficient air-blast lifting the sheets. Air blast is fed from the pump to the feed-table standards (verticals), and to the delivery jogger and main delivery blower. Blast at the feed table can be increased by shutting off the delivery table blast with the valve on the right post supporting the side guard/table.
The tiny air-blast holes in the side and front feed table standards can plug with lint, they can be cleaned with a toothbrush.
As the gents have mentioned, filters on the pump and on the sucker hose should be clean. The hose filters at the vacuum trip are the brass thimble style. The one inside the hose collar is often overlooked.
I’d download & review the english manuals and check that all hoses are intact - they can chafe and get holes.
We regularly print 200# and need to reduce suction to prevent lifting doubles and triples. :-/
Thanks guys for all the replies!
Turns out that I had problems with the air blast because the filter next to the collar was first of all clogged up and was put in the wrong way. I cleaned it out and unscrewed the whole mechanism that stops the machine when it does not pick up paper (not really sure about the technical term for this) but the spring of the knob you turn to regulate pressure was not connected.
Once again I really appreciate the info :)