Need Help Roland VersaCAMM SP300V Hardware Issues

[XaviO]

Hey everyone,

I have been troubleshooting, repairing, and replacing parts on our SP300V for about 2 weeks and I'm to a point where I'm stuck.

1. Originally our black (K) stopped printing completely, and I noticed that the manifold for the print head had somehow snapped so ink suction wasn't happening.

2. I replaced the manifold and the same issue was still happening. To be brief, I have done the following: Replaced the print head, tubing, manifold, dampers, scrapers, cap tops, I have done a head soak, I also found one of the 1.6v fuses to be blown so I ordered, soldered and replaced and verified it was now showing a voltage change with my multi meter when before it did nothing at all.

Unfortunately, after all those replacements, now blue and black are not printing.

I don't know what to try next and I really don't need our "repair people" to come back in after less than a month ago charging us $1000 and then our machine having all kinds of issues ever since.

What would be the next thing to look for to fix the blue and black not printing at all? Any advice, pictures, etc would be greatly appreciated because I am completely stumped.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Do a cable swap. Keep the head cables plugged in to the slider board but swap them at the heads so that the yellow/magenta cables are in the black/cyan head and vice versa. Do a test print and see what happens. If the black/cyan head starts firing and the magenta/yellow doesn't, you might have another blown fuse or other damage to the main board. If the black/cyan head still doesn't fire, the head's probably fried.

 

[XaviO]

Thank you for the suggestion. I did as you instructed and when running a test print, nothing printed at all, when I swapped the cables back, just M and Y printed. Am I screwed?

Do a cable swap. Keep the head cables plugged in to the slider board but swap them at the heads so that the yellow/magenta cables are in the black/cyan head and vice versa. Do a test print and see what happens. If the black/cyan head starts firing and the magenta/yellow doesn't, you might have another blown fuse or other damage to the main board. If the black/cyan head still doesn't fire, the head's probably fried.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Thank you for the suggestion. I did as you instructed and when running a test print, nothing printed at all, when I swapped the cables back, just M and Y printed. Am I screwed?

The black/cyan head is either fried electronically or ink isn't able to flow through the head. I would cap the heads and pull from the cap tube with a syringe. If you get ink through and the head still doesn't fire, it's probably fried. The head can fry for the same reason the fuse blew.

 

[XaviO]

The black/cyan head is either fried electronically or ink isn't able to flow through the head. I would cap the heads and pull from the cap tube with a syringe. If you get ink through and the head still doesn't fire, it's probably fried. The head can fry for the same reason the fuse blew.

Sorry for the noob question, when you say cap the heads what exactly do you mean?

 

[Solventinkjet]

Sorry for the noob question, when you say cap the heads what exactly do you mean?

Just make sure they are in the home position. That way the cap tops are sealing with the head so you can pull with a syringe.

 

[XaviO]

Ok so swapping around cables and pulling ink through with a syringe has gotten me to the following results:

1. Ink pulls through cap tops without issue
2. After putting everything back to where it was originally, I am only getting M & Y to print.
3. If I swap the cables again, only C will print.
4. Black pulls through all tubes without issue when using a syringe just wont print regardless of cable orientation.

So I think that means 1. Print head is fine but 2. Fuse may have blow again or something else involving the K&C inks?

 

[Solventinkjet]

Ok so swapping around cables and pulling ink through with a syringe has gotten me to the following results:

1. Ink pulls through cap tops without issue
2. After putting everything back to where it was originally, I am only getting M & Y to print.
3. If I swap the cables again, only C will print.
4. Black pulls through all tubes without issue when using a syringe just wont print regardless of cable orientation.

So I think that means 1. Print head is fine but 2. Fuse may have blow again or something else involving the K&C inks?

It sounds like the black side of the head is electronically damaged which is probably blowing the fuse. If I were working on the machine, this is the point I would suggest replacing the head. Sounds like ink flow is fine.

 

[XaviO]

It sounds like the black side of the head is electronically damaged which is probably blowing the fuse. If I were working on the machine, this is the point I would suggest replacing the head. Sounds like ink flow is fine.

Thank you for all of your help. Looks like the head we ordered was faulty. 2nd replacement head fixed the issue!

 

[Gabil]

Probably one or few blown transistors.

 

[geckophoto]

Just wondering what causes the fuses to blow? Power surges?

 

[Solventinkjet]

Just wondering what causes the fuses to blow? Power surges?

99% of the time its a short in the print head circuit. Usually ink splatter or corrosion on the head cables or someone working on the machine with the plug still in and not discharging it. Power surges usually take out the power supply or main board but can take out a head if you're really unlucky.