Adkins Inline / Compact / Pro - Transfers are dusty / under cured

Modified on Wed, 27 Aug at 2:10 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Heat Temperature is set too low
2. Too much powder is being put on the film
3. Adjust the feed speed to match the print speed.
4. (Compact / Pro) Hood safety switch is activated / faulty
5. Ensure the powder shaking bar is working

1. Heat Temperature is set too low

If the heat temperature is too low, the powder will not melt and the ink will not cure. If your transfers are not fully cured and/or you have powder left on top, they may look like the transfers below. A fully cured transfer should be slightly tacky to touch and have a gloss 'orange-peel' textured look. An under cured transfer may feel dusty to touch and may look whiter and more matte than gloss.

You can try to increase the temperature by opening the 'Settings' menu and changing the value in the 'Heat Temp' box.

2. Too much powder is being put on the film

If too much powder is applied to the transfer, they may carry excess powder into the machine. In order for the right amount of powder to evenly coat the transfers, there should be a small amount of powder covering the width of the film.

If the machine is in manual mode, activate 'Dusting' to drop powder onto the film, if this is activated for too long, too much powder will be on the media. If the machine is in auto mode and is reading less than 50 in the 'Powder' value but there is sufficient powder already on the media, you may need to recalibrate the powder weight sensor. You can read how to do this in our Adkins Inline / Compact / Pro - Powder Weight Calibration article.

3. Adjust the feed speed to match the print speed.

On installation your machine should have been set up so that feed speed matches the speed on your printer. This is to ensure that the media moves through the machine at an consistent rate. If you need to set this speed again, you can follow the guide below to do so.

Begin the process as normal by webbing the media into the inline and onto the vacuum roller, allowing a length of media to droop in front of the film-in sensor. Take a measurement from the lowest point of the film to the floor (shown in blue).

Begin printing and set the machine into auto mode. The media will begin to feed into the oven, as it does this, you will notice the bottom of the loop lift or drop towards the floor. Increase (to lift the media) or reduce (to lower the media) the feed speed to find a point that the feed speed and print speed are the same and the media remains at a constant height to the floor.

While the machine is in auto mode, it may pause to wait for the printed media to drop in front of the film sensor. This pause, if excessively long, may cause the media inside the oven to burn while the machine is waiting for more.

You may wish to set the feed speed slightly higher to prevent media building up on the floor if there is a delay.

**4. (Compact / Pro) Hood safety switch is activated / faulty**

On some models of the Compact and Pro Inline there is a Hood Safety Switch which is designed to deactivate the heating elements when the hood is open. If this switch is faulty or activated, the heating elements will not turn on to cure the powder.

Clean the excess oil around the switch

Locate the switch under the hood. (Compact) It is situated in the front right corner when the hood is open / (Pro) It is situated in the rear right corner when the hood is open. Using a cloth or paper towel, clean the excess oil away from the switch.

Check that the wires are connected

Before inspecting any electrical terminals, remove the power cord and expel any power from the machine

Remove the side cover and locate the under side of the safety switch. Check that the terminals are securely connected.

Open the I/O menu and locate the corresponding indicator light. The colour of the indicator light should change whether the hood is open or closed. If the indicator changes with the hood opening and closing, this suggests the safety switch is working correctly.

Replace the switch

Before inspecting any electrical terminals, remove the power cord and expel any power from the machine

If the above steps have indicated that the safety switch is faulty, you can replace the switch.

Remove the side cover and locate the under side of the safety switch. Remove the connectors and undo the screws. You can now remove and replace the safety switch.

5. Ensure the powder shaking bar is working

If the powder shaking bar is is not knocking excess powder off the film, there may be an issue with the shaking bar. Please see our support article regarding the Powder Shaking bar not working.