Konica 3070 Accurio - problem with Copies washing out on long runs

Copies are washing out on long runs. Anyone have this problem?

 

Might you have a picture of the output? Is it washing out through all colors? Or can you pin-point a single color that's washing out?
Also what media are you printing on?

Could it be more of a shift in overall color that you're experiencing? When I hear wash out, I think an overall loss of image and/or toner coverage.

 

Just a general lightness of colour as printer proceeds through run. Stock is #80 gloss text.
Almost like printer cannot keep up. Worried I bought a glorified office copier. Our previous printer, the
Ricoh pro651, never wavered on colour and imaging.

 

Did you opt for the IQ501? I'm rather certain it's costly, but I don't think the device has any means of checking density during a run without it.
I know both Canon and Ricoh have a simple density check that's performed on the ITB as the machine runs. I could be mistaken, but I'm not seeing any details on the 3070 pertaining to maintaining color quality, as least that doesn't involve the use of their IQ501.

Otherwise you may have to break up your longer runs into installments, and do a manual calibration between each one.

 

I was told by the Konica dealer that maintaining image consistentcy during long runs would not be a problem with their machine.
I'm not familiar with a IQ501 and was not told about it by the dealer.

 

When you have a moment, take a look at the brochure for the 3070, it's got the IQ501 all over it.
I wonder if you have the L series, if it's not an option, perhaps it's only for the Accurio PRESS series.

Though I could have swore I was looking at specs for the Accurio PRINT model.

 

The dealer indicates I don't have this option. Cost is $14.000.00 to add to line-up.

 

Biggs is there a lot of operator input required in operating the IQ-501 or is it mostly automatic adjustments done by the unit?

 

Just to clarify I leased a 2060 last year and 3 months into the lease the dealer offered me a 3070 because I wasn't happy with the somewhat slow speed.
I approved it and the print engine unit was swapped out. The dealer supplied me with a catalogue of all options available for the 2060 and I studied it thoroughly.

 

Just to clarify, I leased a 2060 last year and after 3 months the dealer offered me a 3070 because I wasn't happy with the speed of the printer. The IQ-501 was
not listed in the 2060 brochure or the catalogue of options the dealer supplied me with.

 

Former KM sales guy here...and I now work at a shop with KM gear. What you're experiencing is not a normal problem and you should place a service call. We print lots of manuals with heavy solids and large gradients here, and the KM gear has been very reliable with holding the color.

The KM color engines have several ways of maintaining color density, even without the IQ-501. Within the engine, the press prints color patches onto the imaging drum in between the sheets to check the color density before prints are made. You'll see this if you ever have a serious jam and long stripes of color appear near the tail end of the sheet because it was off on it's timing. A 2nd way it checks color is if you opted to get the decurling relay unit. Within this unit, there are densitometers that check the color on the sheets themselves. You have to turn this feature on though and specify how often you want it to do the check. To enable it, at the machine panel, go to "Adjustment" then "Color Density Adjustment", then "Enable". After you enable it, the rest of the options will appear. For example, you can tell it to check every 250 sheets, and it will print one sheet of color bars on the paper you're running the job on for the desitometers to check, and it will be ejected to a separate output tray.

If you get the IQ-501, this eliminates the need for manually calibrating and manually adjusting for front-to-back print alignment. As long as you are printing on oversized sheets (12x18 for example for a job that is 2up 8.5x11), the machine will print color bars and its own registration marks on the outer edges which will be checked by high speed cameras and spectrophotometers within the IQ-501. This is the ultimate in quality control, but yes, it is a costly unit.

I don't believe the IQ-501 was compatible with the C2060 series, but it did become available with the C3070 series. If you have the C3070 "L" version, it is not compatible, and neither is the decurling unit. The "L" version is the 'light' or 'limited' version for low budget situations. Essentially the same print engine, but you can't add all of the accessories and it's powered by 20amp instead of 30amp for the non "L" version.

 

I now have the C3070 series with GBC punch and finisher. The run I had problems with was 5,000 11x17 duplexed cut down to 8.5 x 14 bleed. The stock was #80 Gloss Text.
The printer just couldn't keep up. General wash out and lightning through the run. Copy #5,000 was way off copy #1. Had to let job out due to
5:00 pm Friday deadline imposed by customer for their weekend show.

 

Place a service call ASAP...it could be a number of things. Possibly a sensor that went bad, maybe the developer, or fuser, etc.

 

Since you mentioned you have the GBC punch, I believe that requires the decurling relay unit which has the built in densiotomoeters, so make sure you ask them to turn on the color density control

 

okay thanks Jwheeler

 

The IQ is an automated inline sensor with little to no operator input.

 

thanks for your help

 

Laser007, were you able to resolve your issue? Looking into the Konica C3070 and want to be sure it was just a hiccup. Thank you.

 

Printer is fine. Tech did not have the densometers in the Relay Unit turned on.

 

Great, glad to hear that.