uksignboards.com | Why is the print head not picking up cartidge pc600 problem?

John & Dawn Roddick

Member

28 January 2008 at 17:05

Hi Katie

Follow this link and it may help you. Also make sure your cleaning strip is not raised or dirty – if so replace it.

http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … ers#221046

Good luck

Dawn

Dawn – I read through the link you sent – It looks like they were discussing a PC-60 versus the 600 I have. The instructions for fixing the problem state, "Power on while holding ‘base point’ & ‘sheet type’" – The PC-600 has a base point button but no sheet type.

Also, I checked the cleaning strip and all seems to be fine with it.

I can’t possibly be the only person this has happened to. There’s probably an easy fix, but I’m at a loss!!

Thanks much!
Katie

Roy Roberts

Member

29 January 2008 at 14:26

Hi Katie,
Is this with any colour or just a specific one?

reason being I had this with my PC60 when I had one, It turned out the supplier had suppiled one set of carts for a PC600 instead of a PC60.

Regards

Roy.

Katie Connor

Member

29 January 2008 at 14:37

Thanks for the post, Roy.

I just double checked. All are PC-600 cartridges.

Phill Fenton

Member

29 January 2008 at 15:36

Is it attempting to pick up a carridge and failing, does it go through the motions but never stops to pick up any cartridge, or is there simply no attempt made by the machine to pick one up?

The reason I ask is because if it’s attempting but failing this is usually a case of the head not aligning correctly with the cartridge. The white screw thread then just misses the part of the cartridge that it winds onto to pick it up.

In the case – where the machine goes through the motions but never stops to pick up any cartridge – this is often because there is no cartridge installed that corresponds to the barcode being sought.

Finally – if it sits and does nothing – the machine is not getting an instruction to pick up. This indicates a problem with your software or set up.

Katie Connor

Member

29 January 2008 at 15:46

Thanks for the response, Phill.

It is attempting but failing. I’ve watched it go through the motions and the white screw is not aligned with the cartridge.

I’ve turned the printer on and off numerous times. Is there a way to realign?

Katie

Phill Fenton

Member

29 January 2008 at 18:27

Switching on and off should have resolved this. Try running the head up and down the length of the machine a couple of times while it is switched off. Then when it’s switched back on again the head should be re-set to its correct position. If it’s not doing this then check for loose play somewhere that could be allowing the head to move slightly out of position. I had a PC600 a few years ago and I occasionally had this same problem – switching off – and running the head up and down the carriage always effected a cure though.

Good luck 😀

Katie Connor

Member

29 January 2008 at 18:40

it still doesn’t work – I slid the carriage back and forth with power off – and it still won’t realign. Any other ideas?
THANK YOU!

Phill Fenton

Member

29 January 2008 at 20:48

It’s almost certainly a mechanical alignment issue. How you go about fixing it – I’m afraid I don’t know. Maybe someone else with experience of these machines can offer up a solution?

Katie Connor

Member

29 January 2008 at 20:51

thanks anyway!

Robert Lambie

Member

29 January 2008 at 20:54

i remember this happening with ours many moons ago now. i really am not sure how we overcame it but ill ask Andrew tomorrow and see if he remembers. i sorta remember it keep making a sound repeatedly as it tried to lift the cassette but paused and returned empty or stalled.

not much help am i? 😕 :lol1:

Katie Connor

Member

29 January 2008 at 20:57

Yes – please ask Andrew. It tries to get the cartridge and in the process the white screw pushes against the front cover 3 or 4 times before it stalls.

I posted the same question on the Roland forum. A guy responded and said the instructions are in the PC-600 tech manual. Know of anyone with that?

thanks.

Robert Lambie

Member

29 January 2008 at 20:59

sorry kate, i no longer have the machine or manual. 😕

i will ask andrew though, he run it more than me… 😀

Chris Wool

Member

29 January 2008 at 22:09

kate
switch the machine off at the MAIN switch not just the sub power switch and let the machine start up completely fresh.

if that does not cure the misalignment, then i am afraid it need to be adjusted. that information is only in the service manual, i only have pc60 info.
manuals are available cant say ebay on here 😉

chris

Katie Connor

Member

30 January 2008 at 13:12

I just received step by step instructions on the Roland forum – from a guy that has a service manual. I’ll pass along the info if it works!

Katie Connor

Member

30 January 2008 at 13:47

Here are the instructions. This is good info for anyone with a PC600 to keep on hand. And it works perfectly. My machine is back up and running!

This adjustment is required to adjust the position of the Thermal Carriage in order to pick up the ribbon cartridge correctly.

1. Open the front cover.
2. Turn on the main power.
3. Turn on the Sub Power SW while pressing the [Head Cleaning] and [Base Point] Key to enter the Factory Mode.
4. Make the [Holder 6] LED to Blink by pressing the [>] key 7 times.
Press the [Head Cleaning] key.
5. Press the [Sheet Cut] key to enter the Cartridge Position Adjustment Mode. (Both the [Data Clear] and [Align Point] LEDs light up.
6. Close the Front Cover. Head Carriage moves and stops at Cartridge Holder 4.
7. Adjust the position of the Thermal Carriage with [<and>] keys so that the White Gear on the Thermal Carriage comes at the center of the Cartridge Holder 4.
8. Press the [Head Cleaning] key to save the settings. [Data Clear] and [Align Point] LEDs light up when it is saved.
9. Open the Front Cover and press the [Sheet Cut] key to end the Cartridge Position Adjustment Mode. Thermal Carriage moves to the Cartridge holder 2 and the [Data Clear] and the [Sub Power] LEDs light up.
10. Put the Ribbon Cartridge ONLY on the Cartridge Holder 1.
11. Close the Front Cover while pressing the [Cut Test] Key. [Data Clear] and [Busy] LEDs start blinking.

Thermal Carriage starts the Exchange Test with the following patterns.
NO Exchange Position Base point LED Setup LED
1 Adjusts Position
2 Shifted 8 steps to the left ON
3 Shifted 8 steps to the right ON

When the Cartridge Exchange Test is performed correctly in all the above 3 patterns, open the Front Cove and finish the Cartridge Position Adjustment Mode.

If the cartridge exchange test isn’t performed correctly on all 3 of the above, start over.

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE HELPED!

Robert Lambie

Member

30 January 2008 at 14:26

thanks for letting us know you got this sorted katie and more importantly, thanks for posting the solution.

Phill Fenton

Member

30 January 2008 at 19:53

Well done. I’m pleased you got it fixed. 😀

Alex Pirozek

Member

22 December 2010 at 16:26

Well i seem to have a little problem that’s started to become more frequent on my PC-600. I’m finding that i have to realign the head carriage more often so it picks up the cartridge. It seems to run out about 3mm to 4mm. Once realigned and the settings are saved it works fine for a while then the same thing starts again.
Is there any area that i should be looking at in the machine as maybe the problem is mechanical that’s throwing the carriage out. I’ll start to take it apart just to see if there’s anything obvious but in the mean time maybe someone else has had this issue and resolved it?

Alex.

Chris Wool

Member

22 December 2010 at 17:24

Alex just read about problems with the 600 cart position sensor being affected by a loose front cover. the later built ones had the sensor moved on the front cover to stop it happening. might be a clue for you

chris

Alex Pirozek

Member

22 December 2010 at 18:11

Thanks Chris,

It will be something silly as it doesn’t get heavy use, The only thing that springs to mind is the reflective panel, I’ll spend a day on the machine tomorrow to try and track the offending part down. I’m pretty sure that once aligned the machine stays aligned on the same power up, it’s only after the machine is turned off that the problem comes back.
That said though the problem doesn’t seem to come straight back after it’s turned on, it’s gradual and over a little time that the alignment becomes an issue.

Alex.

Martin Pearson

Member

22 December 2010 at 18:22

If that’s the case Alex then that would fit in with what Chris has said, as the machine is used and obviously vibrates a bit then the cover could easily work its way lose again, the looser it became the more the error would be noticed.

Alex Pirozek

Member

24 December 2010 at 12:29

We’ll i thought i would post back just in case it might help others in the future, I’ve been through the machine but couldn’t find anything unusual, there’s no play in the front cover at all and no sensor’s. The only thing that the manual says to check is the reflective panel on the front cover. After checking it the panel looked a little dull so i polished it back to make it shiny and so far so good, it must be used as a datum point for the Y movement so the carriage knows where it is in relation to the cartridge position. The sensor on the head (same one that reads the bar-codes on the carts) passes over this reflective panel (a little bit of aluminum).
Hopefully it will last as there’s nothing else that it can be (apart from the machine not saving the settings after alignment)
Alex.

Attachments:

Nicole Griffith

Member

28 July 2015 at 00:54

I NEED HELP!!!

I have followed the instructions above but I’m not sure what to do once I get to step 11, is it suppose to do the following buy its self or what i’m confused:

Thermal Carriage starts the Exchange Test with the following patterns.
NO Exchange Position Base point LED Setup LED
1 Adjusts Position
2 Shifted 8 steps to the left ON
3 Shifted 8 steps to the right ON

TIA
Nic

Alex Pirozek

Member

28 July 2015 at 18:21

This might help you from the PC-600 service manual
There are a number of reasons for not picking up the cartridge to be honest – check the reflective aluminium tag on the left of the cover to make sure it’s clean and polished (see earlier in the this thread), if when it proceeds to pick up the cartridge but it’s way off position and the head pushes the cartridge off then it will need alignment (steps in the PDF file attached). If it seems that it’s aligned but will not click in to the cartridge then it could be a problem cartridge case as I’ve had this on quite a few secondhand cartridges with no visible difference to one that picks up okay and one that does not.
Cheers,
Alex.

Attachments:

Cartridge Position Adjustment.pdf

Nicole Griffith

Member

29 July 2015 at 00:30

Thanks Alex,
I have tried what you suggested but it’s not working i’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.

ok so I have followed steps 1- 9 and everything seemed to happen correctly.
Once I close Front cover while pressing CUT TEST key the DATA CLEAR lights up straight away but not the busy, the head moves and then the busy light comes on along with 1 and that’s as far as it goes.

what do I do next? Can someone help me.

TIA
Nicole

Alex Pirozek

Member

29 July 2015 at 05:09

It’s probably not clear in the test but you need to install a cartridge in holder 1 as this is what it uses to perform the pick up test. If successful it will pickup and replace the cartridge 3 or so times in each position during the test. I think the cartridge has to have a correct PC-600 cartridge installed (correct PC-600 barcode as they are different to the PC-60)

Attachments:

pc600_v5-1_service man_P101-P103.pdf