Question Help Needed! - Mutoh 1624x - Cyan Dropping Out

[CalverleyDesign]

Question for Mutoh Users - I am printing really a simple Vector File that is full Color (Mainly Cyan) - but Flexi rip gets to 70% and then looses Cyan on Mutoh. I thought it was the head, so cleaned and cleaned and cleaned...you get the point...finally today...replaced the head through SW and printed a couple smaller jobs no problem...but this same graphic - imported it and almost exactly the same spot where it errored BEFORE I replaced the head...what the ?????

I am now thinking it is a ripping error within Flexi...or can anyone tell me if you've had the same issue. This is so crazy!! - Separate file with smaller image...did the same thing about 70% into it - which is making me wonder now (Printer or Software?)...running Mutoh 12 edition

See Images attached....Thanks!!

 

[GAC05]

Hard to tell from your photo - what does your current nozzle check look like?
Did you replace the dampers along with the head?
Nozzle check should be 100% with the new parts.
Having said that the break in color looks pretty abrupt for the head to be running out of ink. It would start to fade over distance or be borked from the start.
Maybe something in the file or rip.
Print some big CYMK color bars along with a bar of that problem color with all color correction turned off. If they look good and solid I'd see if I could rebuild the file and then RIP and test to see what you get.

 

[TriumphJim]

Question for Mutoh Users - I am printing really a simple Vector File that is full Color (Mainly Cyan) - but Flexi rip gets to 70% and then looses Cyan on Mutoh. I thought it was the head, so cleaned and cleaned and cleaned...you get the point...finally today...replaced the head through SW and printed a couple smaller jobs no problem...but this same graphic - imported it and almost exactly the same spot where it errored BEFORE I replaced the head...what the ?????



I have the same problem going on with my VJ1204. Last week, all of a sudden, my Cyan dropped out. I have soaked the head multiple times no luck. I have pulled ink through the dampers and it seems to flow well. I put a new maintenance station in per SW suggestion. I have new dampers comming in and that is my next step. My head still fires as I can see it spit solvent instead of Cyan after soaking it. Black, Magenta, Yellow are perfect and always have been. I have been emailing SW multiple times and not getting much help other than buy more parts. I finally got them to send me the latest firmware to see if that helps but of course it the firmware installer is erroring when it tries to open saying my printer doesn't have a serial number.

I am getting suspicious that the Cyan cartridge, bought from SW, I put in a few weeks before has done something. Especially seeing you having the same problem as I. My Cartridge is date coded 10/03/2021. What is yours?

Since the nozzle check shows the problem, Flexi doesn't have anything to do with that. I have been struggling with this for a week. This is too coincidental for you and I having the same problem. I'll post if changing my dampers helps.

Jim

 

[Solventinkjet]

Looks like a damper or other air leak issue. Do you see any air in the ink lines above the dampers?

 

[FatCat]

I had a similar problem with Magenta dropping out randomly. One time would print all day and no issue. Next time it would print 3 feet and drop out. Doing a strong cleaning or "little charge" would help but wasn't a permanent fix. Turned out the damper was to blame. If the dampers are older than 2 years I would look hard at those.

 

[TriumphJim]

I had a similar problem with Magenta dropping out randomly. One time would print all day and no issue. Next time it would print 3 feet and drop out. Doing a strong cleaning or "little charge" would help but wasn't a permanent fix. Turned out the damper was to blame. If the dampers are older than 2 years I would look hard at those.

Thanks, No air above the dampers but my next step is changing them out with the new ones I received today. Reloading the firmware did not help as well. I'm still suspicious of this Cyan cartridge given that two of us are having the same problem.

 

[TriumphJim]

I am back up and running. The final solution was to pull out the Cyan cartridge that I had put in before the problem and put a new one in. Cyan immediately came back in one channel and took two cleaning cycles to get the other channel full. All colors full and I have printed multiple banners and large vinyl with perfect results. If anyone is interested, my journey was as follows.

· Multiple long cleaning cycles.
· Overnight soaks
· New Maintenance station
· More Cleaning Cycles and overnight head soak
· Replaced all Dampers
· At least 6 cleaning cycles to get ink back to the head.
· Multiple nozzle checks with perfect M,Y, K but no Cyan
· Pulled and reinserted same Cyan cartridge
· Another soak.
· No Cyan
· Firmware reload – NO change
· Pulled Cyan and cleaned the port of the cartridge with solvent and cleaned the Cyan needle in the machine and reinserted. The cartridge had some Cyan residue around the port as well as around the pin area in the printer where other colors did not have that or had just a tiny amount. Reinserted.
· Had one full Cyan channel and random on the other channel for two nozzle checks then back to no Cyan (This got me thinking the something is amiss with the Cartridge and Printer pin interface)
· Put a new Cyan cartridge in.
· Immediately had one full Cyan channel and 50% of the other. I could now duplicate the pattern by doing a nozzle check, cleaning, nozzle check. Ran two full cleaning cycles and all channels good. Back to printing.

There was something amiss with that cartridge.

Thanks

Jim