JV-33 Nozzle Test ?? and head issues ...

[lknmedia]

Should nozzle test always be 100% perfect?

What is an acceptable amount of loss? None in my view but ...

We are having issues with a 3rd party ink manufacturer and the head they replaced ... initial test after install of supposedly NEW head showed drop outs on 2 channels.

Repeated soaks, cleanings etc ... no change. Swapped colors ... no change (definitely in the head) ...

Replaced .. ribbon cable, pump, capping station, dampers. Flushed all lines ... same issue.

So they (3rd party ink manu) take our original head and run an ultrasonic cleaning and flush ... now it is bleeding yellow into the cyan ... looks like manifold is busted?

So I have two heads ... one unusable and one supposedly new that is missing many C and M bars ...

I say they send it back to Mimaki (they did get it from them right? and Mimaki must have a warranty) and send us another NEW head ...

Should I accept a head with a nozzle test that is less than 100%?

Am I missing something?

 

[4R Graphics]

If they are supplying you a new head because there ink broke your head no way you need a new head that should be 100%. if you are down hard and losing money maybe a feew missing nozzles just to get back up but if you can wait DEMAND a new 100% head.

And I had a head that was loosing sections come to find out the membrane between the 2 channels was broken.

After owning a JV3 and a JV33 the 33 is faster and better all around but the DX5 print head is not as internally tough as the DX4 head.

 

[benjercorp]

Problem is that not even Mimaki is Honoring the warranties on the heads anymore ..
that is why I always recommend the end user to do a nozzle test before switching into a 3rd party ink and another nozzle test a week or a month after and test will tell you the truth !!!
BJ

 

[lknmedia]

Problem is that not even Mimaki is Honoring the warranties on the heads anymore ..
that is why I always recommend the end user to do a nozzle test before switching into a 3rd party ink and another nozzle test a week or a month after and test will tell you the truth !!!
BJ

That is what we did and why we got them to replace the head ... perfect pattern prior to the switch ... had other issues with the ink/cartridges that contributed to the head failure .. all due to the 3rd party ink.

UPDATE ... vendor is sending us another new head overnight ....

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Curious to what 3rd party ink your using

 

[MikeD]

I try to keep the perimeter of the head and capping station clean so the printer can clean itself well. If many nozzles are out in the test draw at the beginning of a shift we do a soft clean and test draw again. If there are more than 5 missing we do a normal clean and then hard if its still bad, then nozzle wash or pump tube wash or custody wash depending on what it looks like. However, if there are 5 or less missing nozzles, we just start printing. Since the inks are solvent based, the act of printing actually does some cleaning and the nozzles usually clear up after a few prints. I would prefer the test to be 100% every time, but because of redundancy in the print head it's not essential.