Pump Replacement

We've had some problems with our print heads since we first bought the machine. After a few headstrikes, I felt we had damaged the heads. Since headstrikes arn't covered under warrenty, i put off buying a replacement head (roughly $700) and just delt with it. We had to print terribly slow. When test printing our black head, we found blocked jets every time. We limped through for months untill I had enough and we finally ordered a new head and a tech to come out to install it. It cost a fortune, i'm not sure how much. I wasn't present for the install, but my co-worker said that after the tech replaced the head the test print looked the same! He then said that the tech went behind the head carriage and played with some tubes, replaced a coupling which they recommended. It wasn't untill they played around with the head carriage assembly where things started testing better. Makes me think we were ripped off. but the printer works now, beautifully.

Also, our supplier sold me on replacing some kind of coupling, or ink delivery system at the cost of a few bucks. I felt like they knew what they were talking about. Ever since a tech came out to install it. the ink nozzle wash station (at the very right of the carriage track, next to the head wiper) is always covered with ink. everywhere, i use about 3 times as many of those expensive synthetic q-tips to clean it now. is this a scam to get us to buy more q-tips? Has anyone else run into this problem?

In another situation, I had a really bad headstrike that really screwed up some heads. it was not cleaning up no matter how hard I tried. I ran a strong wash over and over. Did the nozzle soak a number of times, for hours. I soaked qtips and dabbed the underside of heads. Nothings, nozzles were continuing to be clogged. I talked to some techs, did some research online and noticed something peculiar. The little nozzle washing stations weren't draining the cleaning solution when i would squeeze some in after a cleaning with an eyedropper. some would drain, others would stay full. sometimes they would drain and sometimes they wouldn't. I asked the tech about it and he said my pumps were bad. So over christmas shutdown, i recieved the expensive pumps in the mail and installed them myself. It was a learning process, but if you have any basic mechanical knowledege, have tinkered around with cars, electronics, computers, tubes, you'll probably get it. I changed two pumps (the old ones were filthy, the solvent ink was everywhere and had ate away at gears and plastic.) and some hosing. the thing cleaned out perfectly after that, ever since then the printer has been running better than ever. I do most things at 8 passes bidirectional. Solid color cyan still gives me some problems. but if i dial in the heat correctly it usually works.

also, i do a lot of printing on orajet vinyl. 8 passes bi-directional. and full heat. 60C pre and 58C primary. dries nice. doing cyan on this set up is not a good idea. cool it down a bit for cyan.

send me an email if you're reading this.

rob.waterman@gmail.com