[Colin-T]

Thanks canny lad, I have sent them an email, hopefully they will get back and were on. They do the material I have read about, looks like the good stuff………thanks again

[Colin-T]

Thanks Derek, thats a great help. I wouldnt be able to apply it myself, I know my limits, it would look like it had been done by a circus animal! I am looking for it applied over al the edges too so it will last, I have read that this stuff is also 100% optically clear, have you seen it before?

[Colin-T]

I have worked on the Kongsberg xl22 cutter, as far as cutting tables go it was one of the most impressive bits of kit I have used. Very reliable and a great thing to use, very fast and accurate.

[Colin-T]

No problem, no if there isnt an "Update" heading it means the firmware cant be up dated.
But wait and see if it falls over, I hope its been fixed so cheaply that would be great.
But if it falls over, try my method from another PC on the network and post up the results, if it cant be updated and doesnt respond to ping in its "hanging" state, it needs a new network board fitted.

[Colin-T]

If its able to update, there will be an entry saying update, if its not there you will need to go to my advice and see if its responding to ping

[Colin-T]

Hi there, unzip the files that Mark gave you into some location on your computer. Then from the firmware update widow, navigate to the file and select it. Or as I remember he was ringing you today, you could speak to him on it.

[Colin-T]

Well worth a try I think, sometimes the firmware for the boards corrupts and loses communication with the network, reloading the firmware can give it a shake,…..

[Colin-T]

Not really, as if you run from another PC on the network, your eliminating the PC that’s driving it also. There would still be doubt,……..it would be best to try the clinical method. You could try plugging it into the network while its stumbling, and run the test but I would rather there was no doubt before I scare you with suggestions of parts and engineers.

Sorry but this is the safest approach to get a definitive result.

[Colin-T]

A Surge protector is never a bad idea,……..I think anything that can minimize potential damage is good. I have seen printers damaged that didn’t have one

[Colin-T]

No it doesnt have to be now or fresh, basically you should always get the message back from the printer that it is communicating in all states. So if it comes back and says reply from 000.000.000.000 destination host unreachable, the network board in the printer has failed (this can be replaced)
It should come back and say something like Reply from 000.000.000.000: bytes32 time<1ms TTL=64

It is comes back unreachable, you know whats wrong then,……hope this isnt too "Geeky", but it really easy to do

[Colin-T]

If you test this first, the result will tell. If it comes back saying OK and is communicating all should be well and it may be something on the PC but it sounds unlikely as it sounds like all this has been suggested before, and the engineer you had would surely have spotted that. If it comes back and is not communicating at that point (It should) this means there is something probably wrong with the network board in the printer.

Try this one first and see what throws up, this will be a solid starting point

[Colin-T]

No Problem
Go to "Start", then "Run", type in "cmd" then enter.
This brings up a dos window
type exactly how you see this, but remember to replace the bogus ip address with the one for your printer install. don’t use the exclamation marks but notice there is a single space after the word "ping"
"ping 000.000.000.000"

you will have to wait for the printer to fail again, sorry about the loss of ink etc but you need to try this as the machine is hanging

[Colin-T]

Hi Gary,
I think I have spotted your posts about this and remember thinking it was going to be a problem with the power management on the PC, but its clear you have exhausted that. Connect the machine back up to a network where you can connect OK. But I’m afraid you will have to try the machine again until it falls over,……..but this time when it fails and you have the processing notification, from a different PC on the network, use the "ping" command and try to ping the printer directly. Just lets see if it responds then go from there.

[Colin-T]

No problem, I think if you ring Roland they will most likely fix you up with a copy, or one of the members might have a spare lying around from an upgrade maybe. All you need to do is load it up, the software should autosense the machine on the other end and talk to it from there

[Colin-T]

Hi Jason, are you sure about the code as I have never seen this code either

[Colin-T]

I think they will supply it for free as it comes free with their machines. I would imagine they would welcome the chance to get another machine on their inks and under their banner. On another note, as long as your machine is a "V" it will work OK with Versaworks without paying an engineer.

[Colin-T]

Hi there, the mainboard in your machine is in the housing to the right of the machine, under the hard drive and everything else. Then you will see a "Head Driver Board" that sits flat on top of the mainboard,….after this is taken out, (It sits in a few white sockets) then you have access to the head fuses, each chanel has a fuse on it. They are black. You can check these with a meter to see if they have blown.
But head overcurrent, if your lucky is the head cables. One of them I think you will find has a connection bent over and is shorting out. (one of the outside edges usually)
The only problem you may have is that this can sometimes finish the head off in the process. Whenever I change a head on an Agfa or a Mutoh, I change the head cables as a matter of course.
Hope this helps

[Colin-T]

I never thought of that! thats the ideal solution really isnt it……..

[Colin-T]

Hi there, you need to remember that the adaptor is emulating a Parallel port, so in device manager you need to make sure that it is listed within windows as LPT1 and not USB. Then you should use the standard driver for the Roland from there.

[Colin-T]

Hi Martin, you have certainly done your maths here!
The ink you describe that you use now sounds familiar to me, it is made by the biggest ink manufacturer in the world, but made here in the UK. It can be used side by side with the original, no profile or colour issues and probably keeps the heads clearer to boot.

[Colin-T]

I think Steve should elaborate on his comments about the bulk ink systems, and also his experience of them, I am curious to know all of his findings. Unless he is bound by an agreement with his ex employer or the ink company he is trying to slag off that is……………just a thought. In my modest experience, engineers make the whole thing work together and not just the company that sells it, that is what we are there for, not just to bolt on new parts. But in 14 years, you must have become able to create profiles to do that,………..have you?

[Colin-T]

Hi there, its the same basic procedure for all windows versions,……..except that XP may have its boot disk, or system files on CD. I’ve used it a few times on XP, even used 98 system files to get windows jump started.
If you cross your fingers, everything is safe!

[Colin-T]

It sounds like the system files on c: have been corrupted, maybe a crash, power failure or whatever. It is looking for a copy of the system files from the place they used to be A:

Without these files, windows does not recognise the c: drive as a bootable disk, so goes to the next one in the boot order

If all else fails, stick in a boot disk and use dos commands,

SYS [drive1:][path] drive2:

Parameters

[drive1:][path]
Specifies the location of the system files. If you do not specify a
path, MS-DOS searches the root directory on the current drive for the
system files.

drive2:
Specifies the drive to which you want to copy the system files. These
files can be copied only to a root directory, not to a subdirectory.

Hope this helps

[Colin-T]

I worked on these Chinese machines a lot with ArtCut. You need to use them on a serial or Com port, Artcut works best with serial, as these plotters dont talk back.
I have attached a pdf showing how its done.

---

Attachments:

Plotter installation info.pdf

[Colin-T]

Creation do make CNC routers, in the same mould as Piranha, JHF, Flora Digital and the rest.
It relies on the creation of an *.nc file in some "G" code enabled software. This *.nc file is then loaded onto the USB hand controller using a software utility, called ZHBUSBConnect_E.
This utility access’s any one of the 8 different locations on the USB handset, loads the program in, that can be used on the CNC.
The hand controller must also be installed onto the PC with the correct drivers for the whole process to work.
Hope this helps, I have worked on a lot of these.

[Colin-T]

I may be stating the obvious here, but your not using your old profiles from before the conversion? Go to the material manufacturers site and download profiles fresh for your rip/printer setup. This may seem like old rope but I have fixed two customers this week with the same thing.
Hope this helps

[Colin-T]

It will do that, the profile has already been created for a set pass rate and head speed. Like spraying a car, slow it down and too much paint, to fast and the paint is too thin. Same basic principle apart from you will also have head lines to contend with, banding etc. You can do it with practice same as any engineer would, it gives a much better understanding of how the machine actually works too.

[Colin-T]

I am an engineer, its time consuming. Your dealing with the media’s ability to accept the ink really, doing a specific profile and concentrating on sheer speed will get you a profile but the print quality will suffer no matter what.

[Colin-T]

I have used both and prefer the eye-one with profile maker pro. Same basic principle to be honest but I think the test patches one profile maker are better.

[Colin-T]

Hi there, your error message means Cap Unit Protection Error.

Most likely a problem in the cap unit, maybe gummed up with ink and not reaching datum position. You may need an engineer but you could clean around the area and put some penetrating oil on the slides first. Then wind it up and down manually to make sure its free and getting all the way to the top. You wont hurt anything by trying, but if this doesn’t work you may need to call someone in.

Hope this helps you

[Colin-T]

Sounds like she knows her mind as she has decided she does not want to continue the way she was and asked for help from you. She is obviously very bright and will come out the other end just fine. I agree with the previous post saying "Because they can", there seem to be no limits in this day and age, 24hr pubs, nightclubs,……….no one seems to know when enough is enough.

[Colin-T]

I have my own theory on what is happening here. You have told this guy you’re an engineer; as you may have found out that it pays well or whatever reason. So you cant go back now and tell him you’re clueless, because then you couldn’t charge him for any of the countless hours of head scratching you have already done on the machine.
Or you just don’t what to look stupid?
You have ignored all of the good, sound and free advice people have given you on here. While you’re playing around with this machine, the heads are getting more dried up, the problem is getting bigger, more expensive to fix,…………..you’re wasting someone else’s money as you will walk away with some excuse when its totally buggered.
Get the guy to pick up the phone to any one of the reputable companies or engineers who know what they are doing, you are not helping him, just wasting his time and money.
For what its worth to you, that my advice.

[Colin-T]

The best advice you can get has already been given. Simple, you need an engineer. I am telling you this as I am an engineer, but anyone on here will give you the contact with an engineer they use. The longer you play the more expensive it could be.

[Colin-T]

I think you should look for a good engineer. After all this messing about with something you know nothing about means that when the engineer eventually gets there, he will be fixing the original problem and all the others you have caused. Do the guy a favour and tell him you dont have a clue what your doing, maybe the heads could be saved if you stop playing NOW. The heads are around £550 each to fit yourself, or pay a proper engineer.
Take this advice if you like,………..from an engineer.

[Colin-T]

Hi again, its no secret really, I did a clients machine the other week. You just slide each side out and off the rail. It is tricky at the ends of the rail, but the right one tilts at an angle and eases out. The left one was a two finger job, one finger curled around the cutout in the end plate of the machine. I suppose its fiddly, but you don’t need to pay anyone.

[Colin-T]

Hi there, you don’t need an engineer to change those bushes. If you have changed the outers, the inners take 10 minutes more. Its dead easy and takes care of the error for good (or at least until the next time they wear out and bind) I find if you use silicone spray anywhere near the machine it will infect the media and show up in the prints. Sorry to contradict but its just my opinion. If I were to use anything it would be dry PTFE as that wont attract any muck onto the rail, any muck on the rail accelerates wear on the rail.
Service on an Encad should really be just the usual consumables, spit pads etc. Why not continue and maintain it yourself?

[Colin-T]

Just realised your in the Roland forum………….scratch the comment on Activasol. Give the machine a good clean, powerful clean. If that doesnt sort it, get an engineer to look it over, that should sve a lot of time and get it earning money for you

[Colin-T]

You need to do some powerful cleans on it to get the heads clean and some fresh ink into the heads. After a while it may need some parts, at least be sure it is pumping properly. If it has been standing a while with Activasol in it, the ink will be slightly blocking the heads. Also putting some print through it should help flush it through. Failing all this, invest in a service for it and have it sorted and making money for you

[Colin-T]

Just a small hint,…………WD40 will atract more dust in the blade holder, you could try Dry PTFE instead, should last a lifetime.

[Colin-T]

Hi there, I have read your messages here and thought I would join up to hopefully help you. I have not seen your specific problem, but in truth it is entirely feasible to find it is an ink problem you have. The problem isn’t directly caused by the ink but is by the additives to help with the smell and also with the variations in the ink supply chain where there are batches that react with each other when in the machine. The first thing to try is a REPUTABLE third party ink or Roland’s Eco Sol MAX. I have seen many problems like this in my job, especially Activasol inks.