ink spots while printing

[SignaPrint]

You use a word in a context with which I am not familiar. 'Smoothers'. I can infer what you mean but I'm not certain. Could you please explain your usage of 'smoother'?[/QUOTE

Sorry Guys, I / we know them as smoothers, they are the silver clamps that clip on at the ends either side of the outer pinch rollers. The long ones tend to keep the fiber of the banner material down so they dont contact the heads at all.

Looking at the pic, I am sure you are all right, this has to be build up on something and then it drops off.

Frustrating for sure ----

 

[rushworks graphics]

yeah, i always do the cap tops/wipers etc when i do a manual cleaning. the banner material i'm using at the moment doesn't seem to have many stray fibers on the edges like some of the other brands i have used, but, thats not to say it hasn't picked up anything from the outer edge.
your right on signaprint, frustrating!!!

 

[boxerbay]

i have seen this happen on a seiko 64s. i would have to clean off collecting ink off caps after every 10' of media to avoid the drips from happening. could be a weak pump diaphragm not holding the line pressure. how old is your machine and when was it last serviced. you might need to have the caps, pumps, diaphragms replaced.

 

[rushworks graphics]

my machine was bought in new last june/july. i actually had me tech around here about aweek and a half ago and he had a good look over the heads/caps/wipers etc as i was experiencing some slight banding and afew weak test prints on the black/magenta.
the only thing he said he would personally do is change the cap tops on the machine after every 6 months, but roland say you should/can do it after 12 months so, i'm basically not far off that. i may just go ahead and replace all 4 at $25 apiece and be done with it.

 

[SignaPrint]

@ rushworks graphics

Any luck yet with the spots - I am keen to hear how you sorted it out.

 

[Gabriel]

Are you using a Continuous Ink System Supply?

 

[rushworks graphics]

hey guys, were using the standard cartridge ink supply system.
when i do the next banner i will check and see, but i didn't get any spots on any prints i did afterwards. however, only seems to do it on banner so........we'll see!

 

[SignaPrint]

Strange only on the banner, you have me rattled with thought???

 

[dhawkes]

Spots & debris

Hello,

I am not an expert on this issue, but I would expect to see a more symmetrical drop if this was ink collecting on the nozzle. However the artifacts on your image are irregular which would make me think this is an issue with debris.

The below link is to troubleshoot "fisheye" which is a problem with ink not penetrating the media, but it also shows an artifact from debris in section 3: http://support.rolanddga.com/docs/D... Services/Manuals and Guides/RTG_Fisheyes.pdf

It would be a good idea if you gave our Tech Support people a call. They can probably best troubleshoot your problem and give you a few ideas on how to correct it.
Best regards,
David Hawkes
Group product Manager
Roland DGA

 

[rushworks graphics]

thanks for the info, media was cleaned/wiped down before it hit the heads(so to speak) and it looked like ink puddling or ink drops not fisheye.

 

[rushworks graphics]

Thanks for that link David. Not to hi-jack this thread, but do you guys recommend any solution to clean media that has dust/debris etc. ? We run our Roland (XC-540) in a room that unfortunately isn't 100% dust free and often run into problems (as shown in sample image 1) due to dust and surface contamination. I've tried blowing the vinyl off with a compressor before pre-feeding it, which works to a certain extent but all it really does is just put that dust back in the air. We are working towards sealing the printer off to eliminate these issues but in the meantime I would love to hear what Roland suggests to clean media before printing.

would like to know this also...

 

[Gabriel]

As an ultimate solution , try to replace the dampers, have you ever done that? They should be replaced from 6 to 6 months.
If that won't solve your problem, for sure is going to prevent other future problems.

 

[rushworks graphics]

we've only had the printer from approx last july and only started running it in about august, so nothing has been replaced yet. my tech said to replace the cap tops anytime now which i will do.

 

[dhawkes]

Dust free options

Hello all,
Dust and static are often the enemy. Unfortunately, the process and materials that are used in wide format printing create both. Add to that, the typical very dry air conditioned environment, and it compounds the problem.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Never use an air compressor, fan, or hair dryer near the printer. It tends to blow dust INTO the printer and makes the problem worse.
2. Inexpensive rigid PCV banner has more trouble with debris and “fish eye” (when ink can’t penetrate the substrate & collects on the surface). If you are experiencing dust issues, it would be well worth it to use a higher quality banner media. Wiping down the media is unlikely to be a big help. The debris tends to come from the edge of the banner material and collects on the head as it traverses the banner. As you might imagine, the cheaper the material, the more debris you are likely to have.
3. Create a dust free environment or at least make it better. Easier said than done. But if your environment is so dusty that it’s ruining prints, then your printer is in the wrong place. There was a recent article in Sign & Digital Graphics that may help: http://sdgmag.com/article/printing-finishing/inside-scoop-dust-busting
Here are a few more ideas that might help you get there:
· Isolate the printer – move the printer to a cleaner environment. If possible, put the printer in its own protected space
· Invest in door barrier systems – see through entry materials can minimize ingress of dust
· Don’t store media next to the printer. This is a little counter intuitive as most people do this on purpose. Rolls of media are heavy and you don’t want to have to walk with them very far. However, media is a prime source of dust. If you storing and retrieving media on a regular basis next to the printer, you might create a lot of airborne debris. Isolate it to prevent the problem.
· Clean regularly – though this is an obvious one, it often falls off the “to do” list after a busy day. Remember that when you clean, you will typically create some airborne dust, so avoid cleaning just before you print. A tack cloth is always better.
· Wear a hat or hair net when using the laminator – there is nothing worse than ruining a good print and lamination by discovering that there’s a loose hair in the middle of the print.

Best regards,

David Hawkes
Group Product Manager
Roland DGA

 

[Mochistlan]

printe heads dripping ink while printing

Hello guy,I hope someone can help me.
I have the same problem, with print heads dripping ink while printing. I am working on a mutoh blizzard 65 inches. with automatic bulk system, 6 from the 8 heads are dripping, first I tought that were the dampers, I replace the dampers, I change one of the not dripping head to a place where the head was dripping and the problem move to the print head that was dripping. I change the rubbers on cartridges of the 6 colors dripping same thing. I was thinking of the manifold where the dampers sits. any ideas. the problem I have it in monterrey mexico.
Thanks