HP 365 latex starting to get head crashes

[DrunknMonk]

Hi all, Ive been using the printer for over 2 years with very little head strikes, Now im getting them all the time, I will post some picts and a video.

things ive done
Added additional edge/vinyl holders, cleaned the backs of them.
cleaned all the holes in the suction bed
cleaned the curved stainless steel bed
added more suction to the printed jobs

it seams that its gathering under the heater, ive put my hand under it I can't feel any glue there, but its hard to reach.

Its ok if I use the take up, but ive been running 1m prints without the take up not problem for years.

Its the same material as I always run.

not sure what else to try !

 

[DrunknMonk]

Video,

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Is the head actually striking it. It looks like your material is hitting the curing units. Put the banner, fabric material protectors in and report back. There is probably adhesive stuck on the curing platen area. If you put the protectors on it will cover that area and if you start having issues you can remove them and clean them off instead of jamming your hand in there and trying to get it. The angle of the curing platen causes issues like this for us on thicker reflective materials. Take up reel solves all the problems though.

 

[greysquirrel]

agree with take up reel as well as banner felt guards. Have you had pm svc 2 performed yet? All of the air nozzles inside the heater are cleaned...that airflow helps keep media where it belongs

 

[DrunknMonk]

Thanks Grey, I will give it a try tomorrow, what's a PM SVC 2 so no I haven't, Air nozzles in side the bed are clear ive not looked at the heaters, I will check. Thank you.

agree with take up reel as well as banner felt guards. Have you had pm svc 2 performed yet? All of the air nozzles inside the heater are cleaned...that airflow helps keep media where it belongs

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Preventative maintenance Service 2

 

[NYCsignGOD]

i have the same issue when printing on 3m prismatic . doubled up the guides. i have also done the same but i see u cut the outside one ..Is that so the blade can cut the media?

 

[greysquirrel]

$475 for parts and about 2 hours for tech to service. The heater assembly will be pulled off of the front of the printer during service to be cleaned.

 

[DrunknMonk]

YES

i have the same issue when printing on 3m prismatic . doubled up the guides. i have also done the same but i see u cut the outside one ..Is that so the blade can cut the media?

 

[DrunknMonk]

UPDATE, there is glue on the stainless steel bed (like BIG EASY DOES IT said), under the curing heater, cleaned it off, and it is good again.

Thanks all for your input.

 

[jpescobar]

HP Latex are awful and very bad printers. Personally I trust japanese, german and british tech companies when It come to printing and finishing machines.
They're known for building robust and reliable machines.

 

[jimmmi]

HP Latex are awful and very bad printers. Personally I trust japanese, german and british tech companies when It come to printing and finishing machines.
They're known for building robust and reliable machines.

I dont think they are bad, they are just different printers. None printer has it all. All have pros and cons. Of course Japanese are top. But hp also. This specific glue on platten is user mistake. From a bad media, too much temperature or many other factors.
Hp has its own way of working. You just have to learn it as every other printer and machine.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

I dont think they are bad, they are just different printers. None printer has it all. All have pros and cons. Of course Japanese are top. But hp also. This specific glue on platten is user mistake. From a bad media, too much temperature or many other factors.
Hp has its own way of working. You just have to learn it as every other printer and machine.

I wouldn't say this is user error. I would say this is common issue. It has more to do with the how far you are through the roll when you load the material and the way HP designed the media path. Fresh material has a nice flat edge and loads pretty well. Material towards the end of the roll has a bigger curve. So when the media drops off the printing platen and onto curing platen it curls just a little bit and drags across the curing/drying platen for the first couple inches. Vinyl takes a long long time to build up like this, but start running a lot of prismatic or really any reflective and this adhesive can build up pretty quickly. Especially if you are loading and unloading and not printing full rolls every time.

 

[jimmmi]

Ok maybe you are right. Mine hasn't this but i haven't print prismatic yet. But this doesnt make it bad printer i think. Its has many benefits vs solvents, also the oposite. As i already told. Different technology, different pros and cons. Of course this is my personal point of view

 

[P Wagner]

I wouldn't say this is user error. I would say this is common issue. It has more to do with the how far you are through the roll when you load the material and the way HP designed the media path. Fresh material has a nice flat edge and loads pretty well. Material towards the end of the roll has a bigger curve. So when the media drops off the printing platen and onto curing platen it curls just a little bit and drags across the curing/drying platen for the first couple inches. Vinyl takes a long long time to build up like this, but start running a lot of prismatic or really any reflective and this adhesive can build up pretty quickly. Especially if you are loading and unloading and not printing full rolls every time.

This is a great point.

Traffic and safety sheeting such as HIP and Diamond Grade reflective films are a very expensive and relatively rigid class of medias. Using a reusable leader when loading the printer with these films saves a significant amount of media, minimizes the potential for crashes, and largely resolves the issue being raised here (adhesive migration onto the curing platens).

Is anyone here using any Roland, Epson, Mutoh-branded or Mimaki eco-solvent printer + OEM ink for regulated traffic signage?

 

[jimmmi]

This is a great point.

Traffic and safety sheeting such as HIP and Diamond Grade reflective films are a very expensive and relatively rigid class of medias. Using a reusable leader when loading the printer with these films saves a significant amount of media, minimizes the potential for crashes, and largely resolves the issue being raised here (adhesive migration onto the curing platens).

Is anyone here using any Roland, Epson, Mutoh branded or Mimaki eco-solvent printer for regulated traffic signage?

What do you mean Using a reusable leader?

 

[P Wagner]

HP makes a Media Saver kit for 60 inch medias for this purpose.

Many users take small 2-5 foot long butt rolls of PVC banner media (13-18 oz) and affix to the front of the print media before loading into the printer. The leader is ideally the same width as the print media, as this makes loading easier.

When ready to print, the leader should extend through the curing unit to create forward tension, allowing printing to start closer to the lead edge of the media. See example image below of a PVC banner leader - the media was advanced to show the leader, and would normally be retracted from this position to save media, while providing forward tension.

 

[jimmmi]

HP makes a Media Saver kit for 60 inch medias for this purpose.

Many users take small 2-5 foot long butt rolls of PVC banner media (13-18 oz) and affix to the front of the print media before loading into the printer. The leader is ideally the same width as the print media, as this makes loading easier.

When ready to print, the leader should extend through the curing unit to create forward tension, allowing printing to start closer to the lead edge of the media. See example image below of a PVC banner leader - the media was advanced to show the leader, and would normally be retracted from this position to save media, while providing forward tension.

This is pvc banner in the photo? The blue tape resists heat? If you put it to the take up is it going straight?

 

[P Wagner]

This is pvc banner in the photo? The blue tape resists heat? If you put it to the take up is it going straight?

In that picture, the leader is PVC banner,and the print media is self-adhesive vinyl, but could be almost any class of print media.

Masking tape is resistant to the heat that the printer is capable of delivering (a maximum of 116c/ 241f).

The take-up reel runs the same, with or without a leader being used. It is easier to affix a leader to a square front edge of the media than a ragged lead edge.

 

[jimmmi]

In that picture, the leader is PVC banner,and the print media is self-adhesive vinyl, but could be almost any class of print media.

Masking tape is resistant to the heat that the printer is capable of delivering (a maximum of 116c/ 241f).

The take-up reel runs the same, with or without a leader being used. It is easier to affix a leader to a square front edge of the media than a ragged lead edge.

Nice way. When do you fix the leader? In material position shown in the picture and then moving back to start printing?