BN-20 Red Areas Dark Banding

[Kevin Flowers]

Hi
sounds like you may be getting cross contamination in the capping station, don’t know the head set up of the BN20 but this can happen if you have a very low cartridge against the rest of the carts being full.

Kev

[Chris Jarvis]

Thanks Kevin,

If that’s the case, what would the fix be?

Chris

[Kevin Flowers]

Hi
sometimes if the foam has swollen in the capping station it can cause the problem, dampers becoming blocked so new dampers & just check the ink levels if you have a really low level in 1 fit new & swap old one back in as levels adjust.
Really depends on the age, use etc

Kev

[Chris Jarvis]

Thanks Kev,

It’s two year’s old from new.
I use it regularly, just about every day, but it doesn’t get hammered.
I look after it, I have too.

I’m not sure what to expect for wear and tear with the parts you’ve mentioned?

I wonder if the puddle of ink on the left guide is to do with the caphead sealing/not sealing?

It’s funny how everything cleans up to perfect, once it’s 80mm+ into the job?

Chris

[Chris Jarvis]

‘Forgot to say Kev:

CMYK Cartridges are 100%, 80%, 60%, 80%.

Chris

[Chris Jarvis]

So I guessing I need to buy and fit a new capping station to solve my problem?

What’s the best supplier for these?

[Ronnie Li]

quote Chris Jarvis:

So I guessing I need to buy and fit a new capping station to solve my problem?

What’s the best supplier for these?

We have OEM cap top in stock, do you wanna try ?

[Kevin Flowers]

Chris
sorry mate not seen this, if you want me to 100% it will cure your problem then I can’t. Capping stations are consumable items so it would never hurt to start with the basic’s. You can buy direct from Roland & it is best way of doing it with capping stations & dampers there are cheaper versions out there but you never know if you are getting good ones or just adding to your troubles.

Kev

Ronnie Li
please read board rules no selling of items or services in the forums sure admin will be along soon

[Chris Jarvis]

Thank you Kev.

Genuine parts makes sense.
I know how It’s so often a false economy to buy pattern parts, for anything.

[Chris Jarvis]

quote Kevin Flowers:

Chris
sorry mate not seen this, if you want me to 100% it will cure your problem then I can’t.
Kev

‘Forgot to say Kev.

Of course I see this forum as an much better alternative to being isolated (or at the mercy of people who are trying to sell you something) when sorting out things like this.
I wouldn’t hold anyone to the advice they (freely) give.

I’m attaching a photo of the dollop of ink I’m also getting on the right hand guide.
None of that has actually crept onto a vinyl job (yet).

My dark banding problem is only in red coloured areas, and actually only for about the first 25mm of the print job.
I’m making a red sacrificial bit to get the banding out of the way.

I will need to sort this out though, one way or the other.

---

Attachments:

[Chris Jarvis]

quote Kevin Flowers:

Chris
Capping stations are consumable items so it would never hurt to start with the basic’s.
Kev

Yes, I think I’ll just get a (genuine) capping station and the damper, no matter what.
They going to come in. If not right now?

[Kevin Flowers]

Chris

what’s your test print like ? and have you checked for anything on the bottom of the head as that ink drop is normally because of head gremlins

Kev

[Ronnie Li]

quote Kevin Flowers:

Chris
sorry mate not seen this, if you want me to 100% it will cure your problem then I can’t. Capping stations are consumable items so it would never hurt to start with the basic’s. You can buy direct from Roland & it is best way of doing it with capping stations & dampers there are cheaper versions out there but you never know if you are getting good ones or just adding to your troubles.

Kev

Ronnie Li
please read board rules no selling of items or services in the forums sure admin will be along soon

Thanks mate

[Chris Jarvis]

quote Kevin Flowers:

Chris

what’s your test print like ? and have you checked for anything on the bottom of the head as that ink drop is normally because of head gremlins

Kev

Hi Kev,

I’ll do a test print and see.

Do you mean ‘something’ stuck to the bottom of the head?
I’ll have a look, in any case.

Thank you.

Chris

[Chris Jarvis]

‘Forgot to say;

That brushed foil material (that you can see in the photo) is actually cut and finished. I placed it back next to the other ink drop and on top of the white vinyl that’s actually in the machine at the moment. Just to show where it came from.

That’s the only time any of that has got onto the material, and it was probably only because the brushed foil material hadn’t been pulled through enough to start the job proper. The foil stuff has enough ‘spring’ in it to lift the guides, and I think that’s all that happened there? I’ve had none of that on any vinyl yet.

I’ve ordered a cap top and damper. In case I need them right now, or at some stage later.

Chris

[Kevin Flowers]

OK sorry thought it was dropping ink as well as the cross contamination, be wary of anything that can cause guides etc to lift you can damage the head with first strike if you are unlucky. How many dampers have you ordered as i believe there are 8 on that particular head but don’t take that as gospel as not had one apart

Kev

[Chris Jarvis]

Hi Kev,

I’ve ordered just one damper.

‘Hadn’t realised it uses more.

It is dropping ink onto the left guide, but nothing more than that.

The contamination (dark banding) is only on anything red (magenta) and it clears to being perfect after about 25mm.
If the job begins with anything blue/green/yellow there is zero contamination/banding, and the print run is 100% perfect.

I’m not quite sure what to do to solve my problem?

Chris

[Kevin Flowers]

Chris
don’t take this has gospel but i believe you have 8 dampers 2 per colour CMYK, the ink drop could be contamination on the head, damper probs even wiper issues. It is a case of checking the cheap options first. The banding is the black flowing up into the magenta head. This is caused by some of the things as listed. Let us know how you get on be careful not to break manifold nipples when changing dampers

Kev

[Chris Jarvis]

Thanks Kev,

I’m guessing the cheap things you are referring to are the capping station and dampers?

The funny thing is, I’ve just printed a job that has no issues at all, and has areas of red at the beginning??

Thank you for the manifold advice.
That wasn’t supposed to be a pun.

Chris

[Kevin Flowers]

Chris
cheap option where that the bottom of the head doesn’t have any gremlins on, rubber seal on capping station is clean & sealing, pumps are working etc

Kev

[Chris Jarvis]

Thanks Kev,

I’ll check all those.

My gut feeling (which might be wrong?) is that the seal on the cap is getting past its best.

I’ve had a few ‘gremlins’ on the bottom of the head. So I know what havoc can be caused.

I still need to do a test print, as you advise.

[Chris Jarvis]

‘Thought I’d better give a progress report on this:

I ordered a capping station and one damper from Digiprint Supplies on 24th February (2016)
The parts have now been delivered on 9th March.

I fitted the new capping station to my BN-20 using a youtube guide.
Thankfully, this has solved my problem.

I found the trickiest part of fitting the new capping head was undoing the two feed pipe connections. They’re really tight, which they’ll need to be, but it does take more effort to undo them than you’d like. The small retaining spring needs care, especially when refitting (with the tweezers supplied with the machine when it was new).

So my original capping station has lasted 2 years and 3 months. The first year of use hasn’t been anything like as intense as the second year though, which is still not as intense as some print businesses would have a machine like this running.

A big thank you to Kevin Flowers for his help and second opinion with this.

[Kevin Flowers]

Chris
glad you got it sorted, they use to give a life span of 9 months to a year on them but most lasted longer

Kev