Dust Problems - Roland VS640

[Unitedhbn]

Hello folks. I'm having a lot of dust issues when printing with my VS640. Somehow dust gets on the media and ruins my prints. It doesn't happen all the time but lately it's been terrible. I have 4 air cleaners running 24/7 in my office now to help with this issue but the dust continues. I have heard of people using static rags that drag across the media before it enters the printer to remove any dust. However nobody has confirmed that this really works. Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with this.

Some assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Shane

 

[john1]

hmmm if the dust particles are showing up on the roll as it goes through the printer it could be a bad roll aka contaminated.

I usually white down the exposed vinyl while loading it up with a microfiber and i really have no issues. When laminating i use a painters tack cloth to wipe the print down with. Painters use these for wiping down parts before painting and man it works great and you can reuse it over and over and it's still sticky.

Good luck!

 

[Custom_Grafx]

I have the same machine and not any major issues with dust. You will find that the first section of the roll, dust is hard to avoid if it's been sitting somewhere for a couple of days.

The other thing is maybe too much ink? Other than that... the usual. Wipe your machine down regularly, vacuum regularly, and keep the area as tidy as you can. Open doors and windows also aren't great.

I've never tried the anti static stuff, but seen some people on the forum say it works and others who think it's a waste of money and you can achieve the same effect with some Christmas tinsel...

 

[Ken]

I keep a Swiffer duster/antistatic brush on top of each machine and give a quick wipe of the media if it has been sitting exposed for a while.
Ken

 

[rushworks graphics]

if you have air conditioning vent over head or near your printer that can cause dust from the air blowing through the ducts etc. just make sure in the moring before you start printing that you wipe down the printer and media.

 

[Unitedhbn]

Thanks for all your tips! john1 where do you get this painters tack cloth??

I had a wild idea of creating some type of vacuum system to remove dust from the exposed media. I think it would be easier to find a way remove the dust from the media before it rolls into the machine than trying to rid my entire office of dust. I thought of using an industrial vacuum and connect it to a long PVC pipe that runs the length of the media (on the back of the printer). I would drill holes every quarter inch and have it remove dust automatically before it rolls into the machine. I have no idea if this would work. Has anyone tried this or think it would work? I already have two "stop static" bungee cords that run across the front and back of my media to remove any charge that has built up from pulling off the roll. It works pretty well.

-Shane

 

[john1]

Hey Shane, This is what i use http://www.amazon.com/Paint-Painting-Dust-Dirt-Cloths/dp/B004P15GK4 My biggest customer is a body shop so i get them there but these are the same ones. I honestly have used 1 pack and it's lasted me almost a year with the little printing that i do.

 

[JoshLoring]

Never had a dust problem in 6 years. NOT once.

Clean room > temperature controlled > horsehair door sweeps on doors to prevent air getting in. > remove all media from printer after use, store upright on plastic and re-cover with the plastic it was shipped in.

Follow these steps and you'll never have issues. If your printer is in an area where people travel or work.. Good luck.

 

[Unitedhbn]

Thanks john1! So no one has any comments about my wild idea? Does it sound that bad? It would be nice to have a central vacuum in my office anyway.

If your printer is in an area where people travel or work.. Good luck.

BTW I work in the same room as my printer. This is why I think my vacuum idea may be my best bet.

-Shane

 

[Custom_Grafx]

I work around my printer... no problems.

What media are you printing? Are you laying too much ink?

I just try to keep my area as clean as possible. Like I said, wipe things down, regularly. Even inside the printer, to everywhere you can reach when you open the left and right covers, remove as much dust as you can without touching/damaging anything.

Remember when it goes 1000mm/sec it's bringing that wind with it and any dust gets picked up and thrown around in there.

Set yourself a day of the week and do it every week. Clean around the head, wipe around the whole machine, get rid of all dust on the printer, and like Josh said, keep your media as clean as you can.

 

[Dave Rowland]

No carpet! thats big answer - laminate flooring
Air Vacs can cause dust to be sucked in thru door cracks
The air tube on back of a JV3-160s did build up with Black speckled dust over 7 years.
material handling onto the printer.