Falcon Outdoor 48" no vacuum @ capping station

[sargdesigns]

Hello All,

Last night I was using a syringe to vacuum down the heads directly at the capping station in hopes of getting them to print a little better. After running another nozzle check and deciding to suck down the left head again I noticed it would now not create any vacuum against the head. (Weird because it was working fine right before this.) So, I recconnected everything and decided to try the other side of the capping station - right head, same thing, no vaccum. Did I dissconnect a line somewhere around the capping station on accident? I also tried to suck down from the waste tubes, no vacuum here as well, is this normal? I thought I could normally get some ink to come though? Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

Background Details: The capping station was replaced less than three months ago, however the printing down-time has been less than favorable - sometimes spanning a week with no jobs and I have to go back and clean everything up again to get it operational. I had let 91% iso sit in the top of the capping station for a day or two (with the heads rubber-banded over to the right) in hopes of soaking the heads (I didn't have any wash solution) and it seemed to be still be sucking down fine after that. The rubber surround on the capping station doesn't seem to have degraded, and like I said I was able to vacuum down the heads and draw ink through at least four times right before this happened so I don't understand how the capping station would have just failed - I think I am just overlooking something stupid?

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[omartinjordan]

I am no expert but it sounds like the heads are clogged. When you put solution in the capping station and run a cleaning does it pull out the solution?

 

[sfr table hockey]

I think you have the same capping station and print heads as on the older Rolands (CJ500, SC500, FJ series).

Anyway there are two clear lines that run from under the captops and go over to a small rectangular box. If one of those clear tubes have come off or if the spring to the flat piece that sits against that small rectangular box has come off, then there is an air leak.

I had bumped mine once and could not figure why there was the air leak untill I noticed that box.

Also make sure that one of the dampers are not loose or come off to create an air leak.

Just one thought.

 

[sargdesigns]

Wow, I am so out of it! I think this head cold is really getting to me, time to stop playing with mechanical things and go lay down.

The little white plastic lever that pushes up the station had come unclipped from the bottom so it was not pushing the station up to the heads properly, not sure how I managed to over look that, but yeah... :Oops:

Thanks again guys, you are always a ton of help! Many blessings in the new year!

-B

 

[tbaker]

just for future reference. Isopropyl alcohol is not a suitable replacement for cleaning solution for solvent printers. Use of this can ( and will) lead to clogging of things like, nozzle jets, tubing, your cap, etc.

 

[randya]

just for future reference. Isopropyl alcohol is not a suitable replacement for cleaning solution for solvent printers. Use of this can ( and will) lead to clogging of things like, nozzle jets, tubing, your cap, etc.

Regular isopropyl has water in it, definitely not a good choice.

Denatured alcohol is a much better, but I wouldnt leave it in there for more than a couple of hours without checking on it.

I can evaporate fast and cause more plugged nozzles.

Cleaning solution from a cleaning cartridge is the best choice.