Question does "preparing for long term storage" really work?

[netsol]

i have always been a skeptic and figure cleaning & a nozzle check every day is the only thing that keeps print heads in good condition

i read the suggestions to flush all lines, etc and figure it is the next thing to freezing ted william's head, so he can be brought back, in the future

i am looking for a bit of reassurance from members who have flushed and prepped eco solvent printers and were pleasantly surprised when they inked up again.

we will be storing a couple printers and i would like to avoid a daily trip to the storage unit

so, what is the verdict?

 

[ikarasu]

The thing that ruins the heads is the pigment drying and clogging the nozzles. If it's off for too long,.it can also clog all the ink lines.... Which is a pain.


"Preparing for long term storage" is pretty much flushing the lines with a solvent that evaporates and has no pigments in it - if there's no pigment left in the head.... There's nothing to clog it.


I bought a used printer.from across the country. The epsons have easy cleaning carts for storage... They ran them through the lines, and the printer didn't get ink in it for about a month as I re arranged things and it fired right up.

 

[netsol]

i know what it is, & as a tech, have done it many times

it's just i an not sure it isn't a complete waste of time

 

[ikarasu]

I mean, you could risk it.

But the science seems pretty sound.... When the ink touches the air it evaporates the alcohol and dries. Even capped, the head isn't air tight.... So without daily cleanings .. it stands to reason the ink would dry, and with how tiny the nozzles are, it doesn't take much to ruin it.


The cost of the cleaner + the bit of times it takes is way less than the cost of a head, so I wouldn't risk it

 

[cornholio]

I'm not sure, flushing out the pigments is enough.
For the tubing and dampers it works.
With some heads, there is a storage solution inside, that needs to be flushed at installation. (Roland and Mimaki for example and I haven't seen such storage or maybe testing solution advertised)
II was never happy to take out a head and store it(flushed) for a longer period of time. At least I flushed it again before I inserted it and it still wasn't sure to jet all nozzles right from the start.(if at all)

 

[netsol]

I'm not sure, flushing out the pigments is enough.
For the tubing and dampers it works.
With some heads, there is a storage solution inside, that needs to be flushed at installation. (Roland and Mimaki for example and I haven't seen such storage or maybe testing solution advertised)
II was never happy to take out a head and store it(flushed) for a longer period of time. At least I flushed it again before I inserted it and it still wasn't sure to jet all nozzles right from the start.(if at all)

you follow my thinking.
i will certainly do it. i am just not sure it is enough.
for years we used piezoflush for the epsons. truly a storage solution.
( i have a gallon of it now ( the library pack the manufacturer calls it)
i know it works, AND I KNOW WHY.

my question is simple:
i just wanted some feedback from someone who HAS FLUSHED, stored the machine and recharged and got a perfect nozzle check.

 

[netsol]

when a head is NEW, theyntest it with aqueous ink, flush then fill withnstorsge solution
(what you see in the head when you open the box)
the VIRGIN HEAD has never had eco sol ink in contact with the nozzles

 

[Solventinkjet]

In my experience a lot of people run longstore but never actually look at the lines to make sure they got properly cleaned out. So that ink stays in the system and makes bringing it back to life difficult. That being said, the success rate for even properly longstored machines coming back to life is not 100% and I'm note sure why.