This is the Canonical Procedure to view, set up, or start the Auto Pre-Register on the COMCO Commander, Pro-Glide, MSP, or Mark Series Presses. This is the full monte; however, you can normally skip all of Steps 1 through 3 if you know that 1)the Pre-Register Web Path Lengths are properly set up in each Station, and 2)the Web Path hasn't changed since the last time the Web Path Lengths were set up. You enter two Web Path Lengths at a Station: one copied from the Station before it, and a second which is the Web Path Length from before it to itself. There is nothing magical about these two values, because the Register System merely adds these values together before using them for Pre-Register. You could just as well enter the Web Path Length from "Unwind Ref Point" to this one as the first value, and leave the second value zero. However, we suggest following the procedure we outline below. The reason: suppose you re-Web to lengthen the Web Path between Stations #2 and #3. Stations #1 and #2 are still OK for Pre-Register, but Station #3 and _all Stations following_ need a Web Path Length adjustment, which is a re-calculation of the Web Path to each Station. But if you follow our procedure, all you need do is do Step 3 on Station #3, and then the rote procedure of Step 2 on Station #4 and all following Stations, no math involved. The Register System does that for you. This is the keyboard, showing just the Pre-Registration keys: ________________________ | | | Pre | | | | | Reg | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | A | B | C | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| 1. Start at Station #1, and work your way to the end of the Press, each Station in turn. Do it that way because you will need to read off and enter the Web Path Length from the previous Station into the one you're setting up. Before you begin, it's a good idea to ensure that each Station has the correct Print Roll Repeat Length. If you try to move the Pre-Registration thing with a wrong Repeat Length, the results will be dismal. 2. Skip this step if the Web Path Distance to the Station Just Before This One has not changed, or verify or change it as follows: ________________________ | | | Pre | | | | | Reg | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | A | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| a. Press the "A" key and the "Pre Reg" key together, depressing the "A" key just slightly before the "Pre Reg" key. You'll see what should be the whole number of inches of Web from the "Unwind Ref Point" to the Station just _before_ this one on the top line of the display, and the decimal fraction of inches, to the nearest 1/64th of an inch, on the bottom. If you're doing Station #1, then this value is usually zero, but it could be something else. It doesn't matter to the Registration System. b. Verify that the inches of Web that you see displayed in front of you matches the the inches of Web displayed on the Station just _before_ this one. (Don't worry. You'll soon learn how and why the number of inches of Web got to be displayed on the Station just _before_ this one) If you're at the very beginning, at Station #1, where there's _no_ Station just _before_ it, you're going to just match and set to zero, unless instructed otherwise. c. If the two match, then go on to Step 3. You're done here. d. If they don't match, then: 1) Use the Display Wheel to adjust the whole number of inches of Web that you see displayed in front of you to match. This might take you many rotations of the wheel, but not to worry. You shouldn't run out of numbers. When the number is correct, go on to the next step. 2) Again, press the "A" key and the "Pre Reg" key together, depressing the "A" key just slightly before the "Pre Reg" key, and use the Display Wheel to adjust the fraction of an inch of Web that you see displayed in front of you to match. When you're satisfied, go on. 3) If you don't like what you've done at any time up to this point, you can abandon "setting" this number by pressing any key or key combination other than the "A" plus "Pre Reg" key. (The display will change to show you the "Register Error" value, and the wheel will adjust the Linear Register.) You're not committed until you do Step 4) to set the value. 4) To _set_ this number of inches of Web, and make the Register System remember it forever and forever (or until you change it again), once again press the "A" key and the "Pre Reg" key together, depressing the "A" key just slightly before the "Pre Reg" key. The display will change to show you the "Register Error" value, and the wheel will adjust the Linear Register. 5) Verify that the number you've entered has "taken" and is correct by repeating "a." and "b." If it's not correct, then repeat "d." until it is. 3. Skip this step if the Web Path Distance _from_ the Station Just Before This One _to_ This One has not changed, or verify and/or change it as follows: ________________________ | | | Pre | | | | | Reg | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | B | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| a. Press the "B" key and the "Pre Reg" key together, depressing the "B" key just slightly before the "Pre Reg" key. You'll see what should be the whole number of inches of Web from the Station just _before_ this one to _this_ Station on the top line of the display, and the decimal fraction of inches, to the nearest 1/64th of an inch, on the bottom. If you're doing Station #1, then this value should be number of inches of Web from the "Unwind Ref Point" to Station #1. b. Verify that the inches of Web that you see displayed in front of you matches the number of inches of Web from the Station just _before_ this one to _this_ Station (or from the "Unwind Ref Point" if you're doing Station #1) to the Correct Value. You'll have to select the Correct Value from a Chart Of Possible Web Path Lengths From the Previous Station To This One Depending On How the Web Is Threaded (or just use the Magic Marker value someone's scribed on the Sheet Metal if the value never changes). c. If the two match, then go on to Step 4. You're done here. d. If they don't match, then: 1) Use the Display Wheel to adjust the whole number of inches of Web that you see displayed in front of you to match. This shouldn't take you too many rotations of the wheel, because it's not often that the Web Path Distance between Stations exceeds 30 feet, (~10 meters), and that's only 10 turns of the wheel. 2) Again, press the "B" key and the "Pre Reg" key together, depressing the "B" key just slightly before the "Pre Reg" key, and use the Display Wheel to adjust the fraction of an inch of Web that you see displayed in front of you to match. When you're satisfied, go on. 3) If you don't like what you've done at any time up to this point, you can abandon "setting" this number by pressing any key or key combination other than the "B" plus "Pre Reg" key. (The display will change to show you the "Register Error" value, and the wheel will adjust the Linear Register.) You're not committed until you do step 4) to set the value. 4) To _set_ this number of inches of Web, and make the Register System remember it forever and forever (or until you change it again), once again press the "B" key and the "Pre Reg" key together, depressing the "B" key just slightly before the "Pre Reg" key. The display will change to show you the "Register Error" value, and the wheel will adjust the Linear Register. 5) Verify that the number you've entered has "taken" and is correct by repeating "a." and "b." If it's not correct, then repeat "d." until it is. 4. If you Really Want To Do Pre-Registration, you can't skip this step. Also, now's the time that this Station must have the correct Print Roll Repeat Length. If you're unsure, verify it before doing this step. ________________________ | | | Pre | | | | | Reg | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | C | |_____|_____|_____|_____| | | | | | | | | | | |_____|_____|_____|_____| a. Press the "C" key and the "Pre Reg" key together, depressing the "C" key just slightly before the "Pre Reg" key. You'll see what should be the whole number of inches of Web from the "Unwind Ref Point" to _this_ Station on the top line of the display, and the decimal fraction of inches, to the nearest 1/64th of an inch, on the bottom. The Register System calculates this value by summing the values you entered in Steps 2 and 3. _This_ is the value you'll enter on the Station _after_ this one when you're doing Step 2 on _it_. So at this point you can either wander off to the next Station to set it up for Pre-Registration, dealing with this Station later, or go on to "b." to initiate rotating the Print Roll to its Pre-Register position, and attend to the next Station. Either way the Register System keeps the value on the display for you to use at the next Station. b. Now make the Register System rotate the Print Roll to its Pre-Register position by pressing the "Pre Reg" key all by itself. This is the _only_ time pressing the "Pre Reg" key all by itself actually works, and the _only_ way that you can start the Pre-Registration Positioning Process. If you don't see the inches of Web from the "Unwind Ref Point" to This Station displayed, then you can't start Pre-Register. This is what the Register System does: 1) It calculates how much of a Repeat it needs to turn by dividing the inches of Web from the "Unwind Ref Point" by the Print Roll Repeat Length. 2) It finds the Print Roll Target by rotating the Print Roll in the normal Print direction until the Roll Sensor fires. The Roll Sensor is normally a Photo Eye, and the Roll Target is normally Reflective Tape. If the Register System can't find the Roll Sensor within a Repeat Length's Rotation plus a tad more, it gives up. 3) Assuming it found the Print Roll Target, it rotates the Print Roll the additional amount it calculated in "a)", unless it would be shorter to reverse and go in the other direction, in which case it does that thing. c. After you start the Pre-Register going, you may as well pack up and go on to the next Station. If you've set up the Roll Eye more or less decently, then the Register System will find the Target, and will rotate to the calculated position. From here on the accuracy of the system depends mostly on how well you've positioned the Target on the Print Roll, and on how consistently you've positioned the Photo Eyes Station to Station. And of course that you've not thrown any curves to the System such as an odd-ball Repeat in one or more Stations, or Pre-Registering for Re-Insertion. d. If you want to repeat the Pre-Register Positioning, press the "Pre Reg" key all by itself again. The Register System should repeat what it did before, and should stop pretty much exactly where it did before. e. To return to "normal" printing, you can accept or abandon Pre-Registration by pressing any key or key combination other than either the "Pre Reg" key all by itself, or the "C" plus "Pre Reg" key. This will take you back to the display showing you the "Register Error" value, and the wheel adjusting the Linear Register. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2009, Michael L. Riechers, all rights reserved, except that permission is granted, and encouraged, to copy, in whole or in part, for personal, organizational, informational, and educational use, without limit, and to post individual paper copies wherever, such as on Presses, Bulletin Boards, and Bathroom Walls, so long as no charge beyond a nominal reproduction fee is made, and this copyright notice is retained. As always, your questions, comments, corrections, blurbs, blogs and rants are encouraged. Please send them my way via email, web, or telephone, mlr at rse.com or 513/844-2220.