Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

[austinlonz]

Machine stopped burning images on master. I located the issue to be happening during the master feed. The master starts feeding weird and during the burning the master starts crumpling and getting jumbled up. Once it' makes it to the drum the master is applied fine but with either no image or only on the edges.

[DAG COPIERS & COMPUTERS]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Open the right front cover and check that the pulley on the master loading motor is not loose. The pulley gear has hex drew that losens with time. Check belt tension as well. I would also check the belt tension of the master cutting motor. Assumed you're using genuine master.

[austinlonz]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Checked both and the tension seemed fine. Here is a video of what's going on.

https://youtu.be/P2YRi_Lzkd4

[austinlonz]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Here is a picture of the test pattern with the master crumpling
.IMG_5260.jpg

[DAG COPIERS & COMPUTERS]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Have seen the video, I had a similar challenge multiple times. Your problem is uneven rotation of the write roller and associated rollers. Open machine rear to access the cutter motor, adjust the belt tension by loosening the screws. Belt shouldn't be too tight or loose, keep testing...making master with each adjustment. It's tricky, consumes master and requires patience, but eventually it yields.

[austinlonz]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Each time I make an adjustment the drum gets stuck and the machine gets out of time. After I remove the drum and put it back in time and make the adjustment it just get stuck and out of time again.

[Woxner]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

i think the front pulley set screw is loose as well. sometimes its hard to detect because it may get in a place it doesnt seem loose

[Iowatech]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Sounds like the master clamp plate on the drum is operating incorrectly and is causing the drum to bind somewhere in its rotation. Put some light oil on the clamp plate bushing that's next to its drive gear and make sure the clamp plate will travel from open to closed position without stalling at any point. Make sure the clamp plate lays flat when it is entirely open, too.
The next time you have the drum completely out of the machine you might want to see if the master removal hooks are in good shape. They are on the upper left hand side of the drum cavity, next to the lower vertical transport rollers.

[austinlonz]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Sounds like the master clamp plate on the drum is operating incorrectly and is causing the drum to bind somewhere in its rotation. Put some light oil on the clamp plate bushing that's next to its drive gear and make sure the clamp plate will travel from open to closed position without stalling at any point. Make sure the clamp plate lays flat when it is entirely open, too.
The next time you have the drum completely out of the machine you might want to see if the master removal hooks are in good shape. They are on the upper left hand side of the drum cavity, next to the lower vertical transport rollers.

The drum works properly in another machine so I'll assume theres something wrong with the master removal hooks. Would the machine still make a master if I remove the hooks and just take off the masters manually until I get replacement hooks?

Thanks !

[Iowatech]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

The drum works properly in another machine so I'll assume theres something wrong with the master removal hooks. Would the machine still make a master if I remove the hooks and just take off the masters manually until I get replacement hooks?

Thanks !

The machine will make masters fine without the master removal hooks. Before you replace the hooks though, make sure they are operating correctly. There's a solenoid in the front left hand side of the drum cavity that moves the hooks, press on that solenoid's plunger a time or two and make sure the hooks aren't hanging up somewhere.
Also make sure there isn't a big wad of master material on the lower VTR shaft that prevents the hooks from retracting properly. I've never seen that on the FR line, but I have sen that enough times on the GR line that it is probably important.

[austinlonz]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

The machine will make masters fine without the master removal hooks. Before you replace the hooks though, make sure they are operating correctly. There's a solenoid in the front left hand side of the drum cavity that moves the hooks, press on that solenoid's plunger a time or two and make sure the hooks aren't hanging up somewhere.
Also make sure there isn't a big wad of master material on the lower VTR shaft that prevents the hooks from retracting properly. I've never seen that on the FR line, but I have sen that enough times on the GR line that it is probably important.

I pressed the solenoid and the hooks don't get hung up and look to be in good condition. When I press the green button to set drum in home position it gets stuck upside down and T1 error pops up. I unscrewed one of the hooks so it couldn't be activated but the drum still gets stuck halfway through rotation.

[austinlonz]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Update fixed the drum rotation problem. I used the wrong size screw to adjust the loading pulse motor and it somehow was getting in the way of things with the rotation. Now I'm able to see a change in the crumpling while making the adjustments to the loading pulse motor tension.

[DAG COPIERS & COMPUTERS]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Update fixed the drum rotation problem. I used the wrong size screw to adjust the loading pulse motor and it somehow was getting in the way of things with the rotation. Now I'm able to see a change in the crumpling while making the adjustments to the loading pulse motor tension.

Just follow my advice from previous posts.I've passed through a similar fire from exactly the same model of machine.Make adjustments between the master loading motor tension and that of master cutting motor tension. The adjustments are critical. Exercise patience, in the end it will work.

[austinlonz]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

Just follow my advice from previous posts.I've passed through a similar fire from exactly the same model of machine.Make adjustments between the master loading motor tension and that of master cutting motor tension. The adjustments are critical. Exercise patience, in the end it will work.

After countless hours and a lot of masters this is as close as I can get. Am I doing something wrong?IMG_5665.jpg

[20gaugeO/U]

Re: Risograph FR3910 master crumpling while burning image

I've never had the pleasure of seeing this on any FR/GR/RA's but I watched your video.

Have you rigged the master making cover safety switches and watched it load the master onto the drum? Is it parallel there?

Check that the gold U hooks on both ends of the TPH are seating properly around the collars of the write roller. Whichever end (front or rear of machine) is burning the image should be OK. I'm thinking the TPH isn't coming down and seating properly on one end with the write roller so you are only getting tension from one end and only image burn on that end as well.

That's just my cents. Good luck