ABD Continuous Dampener - freaken puzzle.

Discussion in '1-Color and 2-Color Offset Presses' started by OkiTech, Jul 27, 2012.

  1. OkiTech

    OkiTech Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2008
    Messages:
    823
    Location:
    NEW JERSEY
    Hi Guys, I have an AB Dick Century 3500-S press, at some point tower one dampener started to misbehave - it struggled to keep the plate clean, some inks worked better some didn't so I figured - time to touch it.
    I thought that as it got warmer in the shop - time to reset the roller pressures, plus I had a few roller that looked better than those installed...
    I've changed the rollers, set the nips and....
    On the top of plate taking up the ink even worse that before, I have ink travel back in to dampening rollers train - I mean all the way in. It would be ok while idling but once I drop the dampener on the plate all rollers get covered in ink.
    Chemistry - yes a Royce could use some cleaning and fresh solution but tower #2 works like a charm... I am attaching a picture of a dampening system as it is not a most popular press...
    Gentelmen, any ideas would be greatly appreciated as there is no tech here in NYC who is proficient on this model, If I have to invite some press tech to come and learn it at $125/hr - I am an excellent tech myself just don't have enough experience on this press - pretty much as any service company in NY I could find. Might as well learn it myself and keep the money and knowledge :) .
    Thanks in advance.
     

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  2. auchprinting

    auchprinting Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2010
    Messages:
    51
    Location:
    Glenside, PA, USA
    I am not familiar with this press, but with another press that we have, when there was a dampening difference from one tower to the other it was with the plumbing. Usually there are 2 sets of hoses one to one tower and one set to the other tower. Probably one set (plumbing Hoses) for the offending tower is clogged. There is a plastic "T" part that provides for the liquid force, and because of the narrow opening on one side gets clogged. I am sorry, I do not know the exact words to describe what is going on.
     
  3. OkiTech

    OkiTech Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2008
    Messages:
    823
    Location:
    NEW JERSEY
    Thank you auchprinting but solution level was/is sufficient. I have resolved the problem - Chrome oscilating roller needed to be de-sensitized plus I have replaced metering and dampening rollers after nip re=adjustment plate stopped flooding with ink. I haven't run any jobs but hopefully it should be fine.
    Biggest mistake - I looked at whole plate clamping mechanism and decided that it is a good idea to clean and lubricate it, so I took the whole thing out...
    Boy it was a bad idea - it gave me so much hard time going back, it should have message "If you haven't done it before and not an experienced tech don't do it!" all over that thing! Took me like 4 hrs to get it out, get it sparkling clean and put it back.
     
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