After reading my last post from a few months ago, I have some corrections in the terminology I used. I learned that the "couplings" I refered to in the last post are called "dampers" and after talking to a trusted source, have come to understand that replacing these with a larger capacity model is a positive thing. Since replacing these, and the pumps, our printer has been running without a hitch for months on end.

Things have been busy here over at the shop. We've picked up a used Mimaki jv3-160sp. THis model is the same as our JV3- 130 only 6 inches longer to make it 60" wide. It ran like complete crap when we got it off the shelf, and therefore it sat, collecting dust for a month, because we didn't want to pay to have a service technician come out to take a look at it. After extensive cleaning, it is up and running jobs now. The black heads aren't performing as well as the other colors. I've ordered a syringe, new bigger dampers and some tubing to go ahead and try to flush the heads from behind. While i'm in there, I plan on replacing the dampers.

The printer was shipped to us in service mode, which opens up a bevy of testing and adjustment options, also, the chirping sound is disabled when cleaning the unit. It's great.
here's a link to a .pdf describing the processes of enabling the service mode from start up. Also included are some extensive head calibration tests that we ran. The machine is up and running great. TO rip and run this printer we decided to get a new quad core intel with 4 gigs of ram. I've heard rumors about being able to run two printers with one rip via installing a 2nd Firewire card. We opted to go for a new computer for flexibility purposes. We may end up moving the computer to a new room. Altough the new quad core is very fast it hasn't been as big of an improvement as I thought it would be for ripping. CS3 suite runs very well. I did some benchmarking tests with photoshop and it blew everything else I read about online out of the water. Including the quad core macs. Rasterlink runs slower during editing and menu type functions compared to our other P4 with 2 gigs of ram.
Next up. flushing the heads through the dampers, and replacing the dampers.

edit: here is a link to a blog describing the differences between the dampers: http://www.digiprint-supplies.com/blog/

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

Reflective Material Round 2

We've abandoned using the avery 48" reflective "polyesterish" material. It was a simple problem. We ordered the wrong material for our Mimaki Inkjet. We've since switched to 3m white refelective with controltac for easy application. It seems to be very appropriate for use with solvent inks. It's a dream to print on. We can run it at 720dpi with 8 passes bidirection with no problem. No pooling. The ink dries well and we move on with our lives. We've been doing some saftey signs with no laminate on them. hundreds of them on multiple occasions and we haven't heard of any problems with any loss in quality of the ink.

Big Reflective Traffic Sign

Printing Dark Brown