Cleaning Solution ?

[SignaPrint]

Hi All,

What is this cleaning solution we use to clean our machines manually?

I get the original "Roland" small bottle with nothing but Japanese type on it, is there something else that can be used?

 

[mrfern]

What are you printing with? DYE or ECOSOL inks?

 

[rushworks graphics]

if you have a local roland supplier, phone them up and they should stock it. we get ours from our local roland supplier here in nc. on the bottle is japanese but, it does say "cleaning liquid" on it in english.

 

[SignaPrint]

I am using Eco Sol Max on a VP540.

I use this stuff and get it easily from the local Roland agent, but I was just wondering what it actually is?

Acetone maybe?

You see its seriously costly and I maintain the machine once a week.

 

[artbot]

it's a combination of butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, and acetone. i've made the basic formula noted in the msds sheets.. but lately i've preferred to drop the cellosolve all together from the recipe. i think they use the cellosolve to simply keep the cost down. butyl carbitol is about $54 a gallon vs. butyl cellosolve at $28 a gallon. the more carbitol i've used the better the results. (cellosolve on it's own can cause mild coagualtion. carbitol on it's own turns the ink into silky fog)

currently i use 6 parts butyl carbitol 1 part acetone. before using this on your ink, do a small test for miscability and coagulation on a piece of aluminum foil. ...just in case you have some odd properties in your ink. one note about the butyl carbitol, it's very very very slow drying or almost "not drying" by putting some of this directly on the head platen (no acetone) or cap tops, it will render that area "undryable" if you are doing maintenance.

 

[jwhite]

My people are using a gallon of 3M CGS 80 .

Is this a proper substitute for roland cleaning solution for sp540v ecosol max ink ?

 

[Sticky Signs]

it's a combination of butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, and acetone. i've made the basic formula noted in the msds sheets.. but lately i've preferred to drop the cellosolve all together from the recipe. i think they use the cellosolve to simply keep the cost down. butyl carbitol is about $54 a gallon vs. butyl cellosolve at $28 a gallon. the more carbitol i've used the better the results. (cellosolve on it's own can cause mild coagualtion. carbitol on it's own turns the ink into silky fog)

currently i use 6 parts butyl carbitol 1 part acetone. before using this on your ink, do a small test for miscability and coagulation on a piece of aluminum foil. ...just in case you have some odd properties in your ink. one note about the butyl carbitol, it's very very very slow drying or almost "not drying" by putting some of this directly on the head platen (no acetone) or cap tops, it will render that area "undryable" if you are doing maintenance.

Wow. That was so nerdy. If I was a nerd chick....Look out!!!
as always Artbot.

 

[SignaPrint]

it's a combination of butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, and acetone. i've made the basic formula noted in the msds sheets.. but lately i've preferred to drop the cellosolve all together from the recipe. i think they use the cellosolve to simply keep the cost down. butyl carbitol is about $54 a gallon vs. butyl cellosolve at $28 a gallon. the more carbitol i've used the better the results. (cellosolve on it's own can cause mild coagualtion. carbitol on it's own turns the ink into silky fog)

currently i use 6 parts butyl carbitol 1 part acetone. before using this on your ink, do a small test for miscability and coagulation on a piece of aluminum foil. ...just in case you have some odd properties in your ink. one note about the butyl carbitol, it's very very very slow drying or almost "not drying" by putting some of this directly on the head platen (no acetone) or cap tops, it will render that area "undryable" if you are doing maintenance.

Thanks, man thats impressive. You know your stuff.

So...

A quick substitute, that will do the same job, that you can buy from a local store.....is???

If not then I take it that we all soldier on using these little bottles of butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, and acetone combined.

 

[artbot]

the carbitol is available at many sherwin williams part number (most major cities will have a sherwin williams industrial locatoin):

R6 K 28 (butyl carbitol or... diethylene glycol mono butyl ether)

 

[iSign]

and the location of the digital viscosity scale, the self funneling petri dishes & the calibrated eyedropper is??

 

[artbot]

oh i have a viscosity scale... i use it mostly when i'm doing shear stress tests on my tap water.

 

[J Hill Designs]

Zahn cup?

 

[Jim Hill]

I use the cleaning liquid that is in the cleaning cartridge for SOL ink.

When I purchased my printer they showed how to use a needle to extract a small amount and then I put in a small plastic aspirin bottle.

It works for me.

Jim

 

[kffernandez]

one note about the butyl carbitol, it's very very very slow drying or almost "not drying" by putting some of this directly on the head platen (no acetone) or cap tops, it will render that area "undryable" if you are doing maintenance.

artbot, do you think that butyl carbitol injected into the head would allow us to safely store used heads [DX4]? i've been asking about this before, and nobody seems to have any idea about it.

kelly

 

[artbot]

it would be great thing to try. butyl carbitol has an extremely mild solvent effect on the ink... mild as in it takes a while to melt it but does really get between the molecules when does. if you were to pour a small puddle on a table, that little puddle will be there for days (or weeks?). it won't melt a hole in your table or anything... i have most always my heads (installed) loaded with cleaning solution (i rarely run color...mostly printing from the black channel). so i've seen generally long term no issues (like months). one thing i'd try is to get an old head manifold and sink it in butyl carbitol for several days. take it out and scrape the outside with a razor. if the plastic seems fresh and brittle that's a good result. i've done this test myself over a day and had great results. storing a head for say ...years... i'd want to do a longer term test. the head manifold is the "least" solvent resistant part of the head. that thing will turn to chewing gum in three minutes when sunk in xylol. so it's the most vulnerable. that's the best i can tell you on the subject. we can only go with what we know. i'd hate to be they guy that informs you on a guess.

 

[kffernandez]

that's the best i can tell you on the subject. we can only go with what we know. i'd hate to be they guy that informs you on a guess.

so far, it's the most scientifically based idea that we can work with. i have some heads with a few bad nozzles. i think i'll try it with them if i can get a hold of some butyl carbitol.

but the thing is, i don't know exactly know where i can get my hands on some butyl carbitol around here - since your suppliers are practically non existent here in asia. but i'll try to look around some local industrial chemical suppliers and see if they can supply me some. can you pls. tell me what it's commonly used for? or which industry uses it most of the time? that could be a good lead.

btw, to the owner of the thread. i apologize for the off-tangent post. :Oops:

thanks!


kelly

 

[artbot]

it's a retarder. you should be able to find it most anywhere that carries CAB lacquers for finishing cabinets. butyl cellosolve is the most common for slowing down the evaporation rate of lacquers. but sometimes in very hot dry conditions, the cellosolve has to be used at such a ratio that it's better to use a small amount of carbitol. i also use the carbitol with the cellosolve to fine tune the blush of lacquers without greatly altering it's viscosity with cellosolve tends to do.

 

[player]

it's a combination of butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, and acetone. i've made the basic formula noted in the msds sheets.. but lately i've preferred to drop the cellosolve all together from the recipe. i think they use the cellosolve to simply keep the cost down. butyl carbitol is about $54 a gallon vs. butyl cellosolve at $28 a gallon. the more carbitol i've used the better the results. (cellosolve on it's own can cause mild coagualtion. carbitol on it's own turns the ink into silky fog)

currently i use 6 parts butyl carbitol 1 part acetone. before using this on your ink, do a small test for miscability and coagulation on a piece of aluminum foil. ...just in case you have some odd properties in your ink. one note about the butyl carbitol, it's very very very slow drying or almost "not drying" by putting some of this directly on the head platen (no acetone) or cap tops, it will render that area "undryable" if you are doing maintenance.

Could cutting it with cellosolve keep the solution from attacking the cap rubber?

 

[artbot]

the ink is much hotter of a solvent than carbitol alone. the only use for the cellosolve is cost saving.

 

[player]

the ink is much hotter of a solvent than carbitol alone. the only use for the cellosolve is cost saving.

Are you still using the same formula? What would you recommend to replace the Roland cleaner for regular cleaning?

Is it worth going home brew when I use very little Roland cleaner?