Roland cleaning liquid questions

[Steven Taylor]

Hi Jean

With regards to what the cleaning liquid is, it’s definitely not IPA but a solvent cleaner I’m sure I read somewhere to never use Isopropyl alcohol on the printhead or capping station as it will damage the head and dry out the rubbers.

[Phill Fenton]

Yes the cleaning fluid in the cartridges is the same stuff. It’s the solvent used in the inks but without the pigments added

[Jean Oakley]

Thanks both, yes I did think IPA might be a bit harsh but was worth asking as I couldn’t find the spec for the liquid anywhere.

Of course additional question now…….

Does anyone have any idea how to open the cartridge without busting the bag containing the liquid?

I’ve looked online but only found clips for small printers🤔

[John Thomson]

I use Eco Solvent ink flush when I clean or soak heads ( 5 litres was £60.00 and will probably outlast me )

Ink splashes and wipers get cleaned with thinners.

John

[RobertLambie]

I have never really given this much thought, these days, I have always just assumed the Solvent Ink cleaner was just Ink thinner!
Going back to the 90’s I often worked on truck curtain siders as well as banners using Sericol Ink and Sericol Ink Thinner. I applied stencil vinyl to the truck curtain and either rolled it on or sprayed the curtain or banner with Sericol solvent ink. Using the ink, meant the lettering or graphics would not flake or chip due to how flexible the solvent ink was but also how aggressive the chemical was to bite into the surface of the truck curtain or banner material.

The ink came in a can which was thick like soft butter, but you mixed it with the thinner until it reached the desired liquid consistency for Rolling our spraying from a gun.

This is the same type of ink that Screenprinting is done with.

Long story short, my assumption at the time was that the watery ink in the carts of the likes of the Roland Versacamm, at the time, was just some form of solvent ink watered down with thinner to allow it to be fine and pure enough to be jetted from printheads.

Please note: I am certainly not, suggesting filling your cart with ink thinner or anything else for that matter. I am just sharing my thoughts after reading your post. 🙂👍

P.s.
Sericol is just one of many Ink brands. I am only using that as a reference because that was what I often used back in the day, before switching to Apolo Ink.

[RobertLambie]

Anyway, back to your question… 🤣

It has been so long since we had our Roland machines. is there not a syringe with a pin on the end, rather than a needle as such? You could just push that into the hole that the machine pin penetrates, on the cart, and pull back on the syringe to extract the fluid.

Failing that, just smash it with a hammer. 🤠 joking 😉

[David Stevenson]

Hi Jean, from memory those cartridges are hinged and open up quite easy after running a small knife round the seam at the edge through the sticker. It’s just a matter then of prying it open then to get to the bag inside. Snip a corner off it and pour it into your old bottle. Job done 🙂

[David Wilde]

Thanks Rob, that’s a really good idea!

We got rid of the last of our screenprint apparatus last year but still have a fair few half empty tins of Apolo Inks knocking around. I’m going to take your advice, thin them down and pour them in our Roland! Should save a pretty penny….

[RobertLambie]

Also, you could buy some glitter from HobbyCraft, tip that into the cart along with the apolo Ink and give it a good shake.
Voila, you now have Metallic Solvent Ink! 😎

[David Wilde]

This didn’t work, avoid at all costs. Spent most of the week scrubbing the print heads clean whilst looking a little bit like Elton John….

[RobertLambie]

🤣…

I just know someone somewhere is reading this, then running to their kid’s room to grab their glitter and give it a try!

🤠🤣