printmaster 46-2 water metering roller question

I have been having issues with PU2 on this press with the plate not cleaning up, plugging and just inking up all over. Unit 1 is fine so I adjusted it for a couple hours and its no better. The water metering roller is swelled on the ends and I cant get a 2mm stripe with the dial set at 6 but in my mind I'm thinking this shouldn't cause the plate not to clean up, I mean if it is a little less pressure that should allow more water not less? I went through all the rollers 3 times and they are fine and seem to be in pretty good condition. I deglazed them too but still it acts like I'm not getting enough water to the plate. Any ideas on what might fix this?

banjoman

 

Swelled on the edges. Kinda makes me wonder if the swelling isn't your only issue. Durometer must be considered, too. How old are the rollers? At some point, you have to start from the beginning.

 

Well this morning I decided screw the book and I just gave the form to pan roller and to the plate a turn tighter without regard to stripe and it cleaned right up so it is printing great. Thanks for the help. These rollers are genuine Heidelberg and the only one swelled is the metering roller, the form roller is even and feels very rubbery as far as it's not slick and glazed so I think I'll get a new metering roller but in the mean time, it's good to go. I'm probably more like 4 mm to the pan roller and 3.5 to the plate.

banjoman

 

The bearings are known to fail on the metering roller on PU2? release the pressure and see if there is any play.

 

.. more important ..how are the water form roller stripes looking on the plate??..

 

There are not many chemicals anymore that will swell a roller! My guess is it has shrunk in the middle. The edges allow the chem to dissipate more from the Roller so it appears to be swelled. DIA should be 44mm.
Stan ipsqm46.com