Donald, I have had my Printo shortly after the release of RA4 colour processing, I don't know when that was, but it was quite a few years ago.
I originally used it strictly for RA4 work, until I had to print a couple of thousand B&W prints for a customer, quickly!
From then on, I have used it for B&W when I'm printing volume work.
The units take 2½ litres of working solution in each tank.
For B&W work, you require a basic unit which comprises:-
The Intro unit, which is the part that has the light tight cover and the power switch.
Normally you then put together, different variations of the two motorised tanks you will require.
The two variations are:-
Printo Energy Therm = Drive and heating module.
Printo Energy Mot = Only drive-module, (used in the rinse module).
The motors in these units, are synchronised so you can safely add quite a few together. Although the maximum required for dry to dry B&W is:-
Intro + 2 x tank + Energy Therm and 1 x tank Energy Mot and the dryer.
Personally I use two Energy Therm units and have the prints drop into a strategically placed 12 x 16 Ilford tray ½ full of water.
I then wash in two trays for around 1 minute then whack the prints through a 12" Rowi paper dryer.
I do this with colour or B&W. This is pretty much the cheapest and quickest way to use these things.
Things to look for!
Careful inspection of the exit rollers is required. When stored for longer than one day, these rollers should be held apart by the special clips supplied with the units when new. Invariably this hasn't been done and the rollers are useless and have to be replaced, cost is quite high for these rollers. The exit rollers are a squeegee set, are soft and held together quite firmly.
The energy motors can be quite tricky to test. You can see them working by filling the tanks up with water and switching the unit on. Be prepared to wait about 10 minutes to ensure that the heating elements are working.
The heating elements appear to be a weak part. I've never broken any, but the then Durst rep, called in to enquire why I hadn't had any problems with my heating elements breaking, when it appeared that half of Melbourne's Printo units had at least one heating element break. I'm careful, I paid for the unit with my money is the only reason why mine didn't break, is all I can assume.
Water heats from 20º C to 30º C, in about 18 minutes.
I've never used the replenishment system, there is one, but I've never seen one.
I just do about 80% of the maximum amount of prints, drop the bath, whack a new one in.
Chemistry works out pretty much in the order of 1 square metre of paper, per 1 litre of solution.
This is the factory solution capacities for the number of processed prints per tank filling, without replenishment.
12 x 16" 20 sheets
8 x 10" 41 sheets
5 x 7" 106 sheets
4 x 5" 213 sheets
2¾ x 4" 357 sheets
Mick.
