-
head cleaning sucking ink through on a cadet…any ideas???
Hi all
Been attempting to flush heads through with 2 carts full of flush alternating between heads by swapping the the 2 carts around. Some ink/flush coming through but not through the black head or the pipe from the pump that generally shows black. Do I assume that 1 head is black/cyan and the other is magenta/yellow as per the cart layout?
Can I suck ink through the lines prior to the heads….has anyone disconnected lines before the heads…if so how is this done please?
I’ve done head cleans at the maintenance station etc, and all other cleaning processes, then about 10 powerful cleans….by now the drain bottle ought to filled completely but it hasn’t.
I realise that the heads might still be partially blocked, however, by now and given 10 powerful cleans, I would expect to see the lines quite clear prior to the heads, but they are not. This possibly suggests a line blockage prior to the heads?
Anyone got any ideas please? I’m open to all suggestions and I don’t mind stripping the printer down quite a bit!
I’m a little dubious of the flush fluid from Time2maintain, it is different to Activasol flush, I have some of this too, different in that it doesn’t smell at all…. not that smell is much to go on, though, I would expect the flush cleanser to be pretty toxic!
I’ll get there in the end no doubt!
-
14 Replies
-
Hi
what results do you get from a test print? if all are firing then there is no blockage to the heads, if not it could be a number of things.
blocked head, blocked pipe to head (never had this happen), or more likely the – blocked pipe/capping cover before the pump or a broken pump.
try disconnecting the pipe from the pump (there two one for for each set of heads) to the capping station and connect it to a syringe and pull ink through, see what happens if pull flush through both lines to the head i would look at changing the pump.
it could also be air leaking into capping station/lines not a easy one to solve, just have to track it down.
you could also unscrew the waste bottle and run a powerful clean, see if ink comes out of both pipes.
hope it helps
Paul
-
I’ve had the dampers off today and flushed these through, but still not pulling through.
Who supplies spares for these machines now, now that B&P have gone? I could try new dampers first I suppose.
If its heads, I shall most likely junk the machine, as I’ve been quoted £600 plus each which is daft.
Red line prints on test print badly, so some ink getting through, black starts a hint of print, other 2 colours don’t print.
I suppose I could leave the heads on soak for a few more days.
Anyone else taken the dampers out, flushed through etc….anyone actually removed the heads.
I even thought about running a compressed air line at the heads…I’ve no idea what would happen, but it might assist unblocking?
-
quote merlinart:If its heads, I shall most likely junk the machine, as I’ve been quoted £600 plus each which is daft.Before you chuck it out why not offer it for sale? An equivalent new machine is in the region of 8K so it would be well worth re-conditioning with new heads etc.
-
I’ve just taken one of the heads right out, taken the dampers and electrical connectors off and run a healthy blast of compressed air through it up at my workshop where I build cars. Wow, what a stream of fine yellow ink fire out about a metre long, then a similar stream of red ink! I’m going back to blast flush fluid through it now, then put it back see if red and yellow test print, if so, out comes the other head! I might have something to report in due course, hope so!
I thought, this is similar to carburettor technology, a fine mist, and compressed air always sorts a blocked carb out!
-
Have you tried flushing it out with brake fluid – that dissolves most paint finishes 😕
-
quote Arthur Rayner:I’ve just taken one of the heads right out, taken the dampers and electrical connectors off and run a healthy blast of compressed air through it up at my workshop where I build cars. Wow, what a stream of fine yellow ink fire out about a metre long, then a similar stream of red ink! I’m going back to blast flush fluid through it now, then put it back see if red and yellow test print, if so, out comes the other head! I might have something to report in due course, hope so!I thought, this is similar to carburettor technology, a fine mist, and compressed air always sorts a blocked carb out!
must admit i like you style.
ps carb cleaner and thinners dries out to quick and re-blocks it all up.so the standard cleaner is best.
there are very fine filters in the manifolds and dampers. hope they are not blown out ?
tech 8 were doing 2 dampers for the price of one last month.
-
quote Arthur Rayner:Hi all…by now the drain bottle ought to filled completely but it hasn’t.I realise that the heads might still be partially blocked, however, by now and given 10 powerful cleans, I would expect to see the lines quite clear prior to the heads, but they are not. This possibly suggests a line blockage prior to the heads?
Anyone got any ideas please? I’m open to all suggestions and I don’t mind stripping the printer down quite a bit!
Actually sounds like quite a common problem when a capping station is passed its best.
If you are running the ‘new’ pump arrangement (rather than the old one that had a separate line per capping station) then ANY failure (air leak) between the capping station and the pump will result in little or no ink being drawn through either bank.
Symptoms include being unable to clean, prime/flush the lines etc. basically anything that requires ink to be drawn through.
Even after I replaced the pump on the cadet I used to run I still kept the old syringe ‘connectors’ inline to draw ink through without the need for the pump (as a backup).
Long story short…make sure the capping stations are sealing right. They are dirt cheap to replace and it’s always a good idea to carry at least one in stock.
Dave
-
Brake fluid made me laugh!
Still not pulling through, I’m not too sure what the dampers out to be doing, I pulled ink into the red damper for example but it still wouldn’t fire through the head, and curiously still not pulling much through the post pump lines, and consequently not filling the waste bottle much at all on powerful cleans.
I saw on Tech8’s site they have replacement dampers, manifolds and capping heads…I’ve had those capping heads off many times I must say!
I suppose if I replace these consumerable items first then check it all out again, having put the heads on soak again for a few days, then at least I must have exhausted most areas.
I hope I’ve not damaged the heads with compressed air, who knows at this stage.
I could then get Tech8 out to see it, has anyone here used them before?
All I now want to do is convert to Roland inks!
Thanks for help so far.
-
Actually Dave Roger’s diagnosis sounds quite a possibility. I was musing yesterday whilst covering myself in ink and stinking out the kitchen (awaiting the wife’s wrath!)…that it all relies upon a vacuum from the pump and therefore good seals all round to suck the ink through, and that this might be the problem.
Other head will come now, no idea how the manifold comes off, but one only learns by dismantling anything and everything!
Is it possible to shunt air down the lines from the cartridge ends, I suppose this means stripping the casing down, but why not?!
At least one gets to know the machine intimately this way….what a waste of time, must get back to my 3 wheelers!
-
re: capping stations.
to check whether one or the other is faulty…
cover off – and keep it off (wedge the microswitch with a swab!)
clean around them, on them & the head faces with cleaning fluid…don’t dry them.
Pinch / fold over one drain line at a time (to take that one out of the ‘loop’) whilst manually drawing ink – or doing a heavy clean. ie. the two lines coming from the bottom of the caps before entering the pump / T-piece.
If you’ve got one defective cap – it’ll start to draw ink on the good one as soon as the air leaky one is pinched.
Bear in mind that if you’ve been using full solvent inks such as activisol or elite that the plastics can get a little brittle and to my cost (and MUCH frustration) had cracked the cap on the underside where they pipe pushes on.
£16 and 20mins later…sorted.
Dave
-
I’ve ordered new capping heads/dampers/manifolds/wipers etc, should be here tomorrow, so will connect it all up and report back.
One question… having taken the dampers off the manifolds…I know that yellow is the rearmost and magenta to the front,
am I correct on the other head, the left as you look at it, is it black damper to the rear and cyan to the front?
I pulled the latter two off before I checked!
Both heads had a healthy stream of ink and flush come out once I’d put compressed air through…I hop this proves the heads are still OK…proof in the pudding!
-
quote Arthur Rayner:I’ve ordered new capping heads/dampers/manifolds/wipers etc, should be here tomorrow, so will connect it all up and report back.
And?
-
Yes good word and….
I’ve changed all the parts over, all came to £170….primed the new dampers easily, connected up to the new manifolds….several powerful cleans but still not pulling ink through yet.
Decided to soak heads for a few days on new capping stations as heads have been off the machine for a week or so….then I’ll try it all again!
Cautiously optimistic!
-
quote Arthur Rayner:Yes good word and….
I’ve changed all the parts over, all came to £170….primed the new dampers easily, connected up to the new manifolds….several powerful cleans but still not pulling ink through yet…
Is the pump actually working?
Dead pump (internal air leak/work cams) also won’t pull anything through….
Log in to reply.