L-723* Solves Wrinkling Problem on Mark IV Printing Press

By Randy Bruce, HLI Technician

I was hired to check and align a Hantscho Mark IV printing press at LGM Graphics in Winnipeg, CA with John Crumm, Litho Repair Service.

We started measuring the press on Saturday morning. The measurement was from end to end of the machine which included, the Infeed unit, eight segments, chills, web guide, and the folder. A total of .062 out of squareness was found and the units were out of centerline to one another by .070. We squared each unit on Sunday and Monday and moved the dual Roll Stand about eight feet closer to the Infeed unit on Tuesday, keeping it square and on centerline to the rest of the machine. The company had been complaining of paper wrinkle as well as continuously adjusting the rolls to the center. The only problem we encountered was the segments were bolt bound when we tried to move the segments into centerline. Initially the machine had been aligned using wire alignment, which doesn’t tell you if the rolls are square to one another. With the oven in place even this method of alignment would not be able to be used.

We found the folder to be out of square by .052, which was more than likely causing the wrinkling problem. After talking to LGM on Friday, April 15th the production manager told me that the press is running much better than it did before and that the wrinkling problem has gone away. They are still plagued by caulking, but he understands this because we were bolt bound and did not have enough time to fix that problem.

* The L-723 Triple Scan® Laser Alignment System that was the subject of this case study has been superseded by the L-743 Ultra-Precision Triple Scan® Laser Alignment System.