Internal illumination inside printer

[96XP]

Here are two enhanced Roland Ecosol printers with internal illumination installed.
Very simple and inexpensive to do and offers a couple great advantages.
And as I didn't fully trust the adhesive which came on the strips, I added a few 'drops' of clear silicone in areas unseen, just to be safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmtUKLfVnLM

[video=youtube;HmtUKLfVnLM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmtUKLfVnLM[/video]



View attachment 95802

 

[phototec]

Very cool - this is something I have wanted to do to me SP540V for sometime now!


Did you us LED lights?


What type/size and where did you purchase them?

 

[rjssigns]

I lit up my SP540V with a 5 meter string of LED rope light from WalMart.(get the bright white) Cost a whole $14. Some sticky tabs, zip ties and half an hour it was done. There is enough of a gap on the back side under the ink carts to fish the plug through.

 

[Saw Trax]

Nice!

-Larry

 

[bloobird0]

nice!
how did you do with the power supply?
Do you take it from the printer itself? or is it connected to the wall plug?
When you need to switch it OFF, did you place a switch button somewhere or simply disconnect from the wall plug?

 

[rjssigns]

nice!
how did you do with the power supply?
Do you take it from the printer itself? or is it connected to the wall plug?
When you need to switch it OFF, did you place a switch button somewhere or simply disconnect from the wall plug?

Not sure if the question was directed to me, but I'll answer anyway. The rope lights just plug in. When I go by the printer in the morning I just plug them in. If I forget to unplug them they only draw 9 or 10 watts.

 

[96XP]

Didn't know this post would draw interest, however, since it has I'll offer a few quick details.

I ordered the LED flat strips from China, off eBay. Super inexpensive and I was patient enough to allow time for delivery. Many of you may already work with led lighting and have stock to work from.

Waterproof SMD5050 2 x 50CM 30 LED Flexible Strip Light White 12V


I didn't want to upset the system, so routed fine wiring out of the machine to an external step down transformer. Wiring exits the left side, out the bottom then down the leg and to the back, keeping it well away from the docking area.
Current draw on 1 strip came to .4 DC amperes, so used a 2.5 (overkill) to feed it as it was the lowest I had on hand.
Where there were already cutouts through the bottom of the metal casing in the maintenance area, I slit a piece of scrap PVC tubing to go around the edge to protect my wire (exiting the machine) from possibly rubbing on that sharp edge and shorting over time.
Took less that a 1/2 hr to do the full install.

*Though to note, and I mentioned in the video description that the adhesive 3M strip on the back of the lighting was poor. It didn't keep the strip nice and flat on the inside of the plexi lid once heated and it showed signs of being to soft, so I removed it (the strip) and put 2 way carpet tape onto the back, trimmed it, and reinstalled. That worked. And being super safe, I also added a few dabs of silicone as I wouldn't want to risk the strip ever possibly falling down, out of place, and into the path of the head while in motion. (better safe than sorry)

 

[Rojo]

I did this to my Mimaki. Bought the 15' strip from LED Wholesalers and trimmed it down. They have a neutral white(4100-4500K) that works great. Not blue at all. Added their dimmer to control the intensity. Use it everyday.
http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=846

 

[John Thomson]

After reading this I have done the same to my printer, ordered 5m roll of leds from Ebay with a power lead.......going to get some 90 degree joints to do the back and both sides of my laser as well.

Thanks

John