Jv-33 print problem

[Vinylman]

I need some help.
I am running a JV-33/160 and the YELLOW ink has stopped printing properly.
At first it was just one side of the print head that was missing part of the pattern,
I have done numerous cleanings, pulled ink down through the capping station, and even pulled the damper and pulled ink from the bottom of the damper.
It seems like the yellow damper are not as full as the rest of the colors.

Is there something I am missing?

I just ordered new dampers from DigiPrint, but they won't be here for several days.

I need to print several time critical pieces in the next couple of days.
So time is critical.
I hope artbot has some ideas, he seems really on top of the Mimaki printers.

 

[Artgunner]

It sounds to me that you have a problem with a capping issue and or clogging of that color jet within the print head. There is a fine screen in the manifold that if clogged it will not draw down that color or jet. You may be able to draw other colors or jets. This is what I understand for what it is worth. You can break it down by process of elimination by starting at dampers, then manifold, then print head, then capping station, then pump. The pump draws the ink through all stated. If there is an issue between those points then it will not draw ink and you will have a failure in some form.

I am fearful you are having the same problems stated in other threads. I would strongly suggest you download ArtBots JV33 Bible PDF file stickied at top of this forum. Understand workings and go from there. If you need it yesterday, then a tech is advisable or outsource. Seems these machines experience this too often and is why several of us are trying in vain to understand the workings to combat this issue when it happens. And… of course it will happen when you have a ton of stuff to print. The ultimate key is to keep the machine printing and heads wet. I feel sure others here have some good tips as well. Hope all works out well for you.

Art

 

[SightLine]

Only thing is Artbot does not have a JV33. He runs a JV3 which is significantly different in areas of ink flow and the actual print head. The valved ink system and dampers are totally different on the JV33. Unlike the older JV3 dampers for the DX4 heads which whoudl have some air in them the JV33 DX5 head dampers should not have ANY air in the dampers at all - and I will tell you this.... it is a major pain in the butt to get all of the air out of one. The way I did mine when I changed them - I have a big liter bottle of flush solution....

I pretty much fill a small glass dish about 4 inches deep. Then with a large syringe full of flush with a tube on it connect it to the new damper, fully submerge the damper, and while hoding the dampers valve open fill it with the flush till ALL of the air is out of it. Then while it is still submerged remove the syringe and tube (so any residual pressure and pressure from removing the tube does not get air back in it). VERY carefully handle it only from the edges at this point - if you so much as look at the side of the damper wrong the valve will open and let air in it.... connect the top tube and install it in the head manifold. Do a couple of ink fills to flush the flush out and get ink flowing. Alternativley you could do the above with actual ink but that would be ungodly messy.

The dampers and ink system up to the DX5 heads are very fickle when it comes to air in the system and also pressures. I'm sure there must be some easier way to get the dampers totally filled. I've tried a couple of other methods I've found searching here and on the web - none seem very intuitive or easy though.

From what you posted though - you are going to need to pull your yellow dampers and get the air out of them. Once thats done I'd say do an ink fill, then a nozzle wash where you fill the cap top with cleaning fluid and let it soak for a good hour.

 

[k.a.s.]

I dont really have a clue what is wrong but have you called Brian at Pioneer? If anyone can help I would think he could, he just helped me through a problem the other day. That said, if you have somthing you need printed right away and you dont get it fixed e-mail me a file and I can run it for you.

Kevin

 

[Vinylman]

Thanks for the responses.
ArtGunner thanks for your response regarding the download I've already done that have those files available and am fairly familiar with the operation of the printheads dampers on my JV -33. That being said I'm going to go through the suggestions on this forum and any others that may be given here and try to isolate this problem and get it behind me.

Kevin, thanks for the offer I'll definitely keep that in mind. The wife and I were over in Hartville just last week, but I didn't have time to stop and say hello.

Any other ideas?

 

[Vinylman]

The problem is "partially" solved.
After numerous clean cycles, and several bouts of opening the ink valves, then drawing through the capping station I have regained enough YELLOW ink flow to limp along.
The YELLOW dampers are still less than 1/2 full, and they will be replaced over this week end.

Thank You to those who gave assistance.:U Rock:

 

[SightLine]

Glad to hear you are at least up and running. You might also be able to slow the machine down enough to keep the yellow channels primed until you get the new dampers in. There is a another thread on here somewhere with another method with an image of filling the new dampers.

You will definitley need a syringe and a bit of tube to get the new ones filled. While I say there should be NO air in the dampers on these one of mine - specifically the end magenta one has been running fine with a very tiny bit of air in it - the bubble at the top of the round section is about the size of a grain of rice. I know if one is half empty though - that is a definite problem.

If you have not changed a damper on these yet it's a bit different than a JV3. There are 2 long metal retaining clips run along the top of the dampers which you must carefully remove. Then each of the dampers can just be pulled up - make sure to ONLY grab them from the edges. The slightest amount of squeezing will force ink out of one making a mess. Once it's off the head manifold you just squeeze the tube clip at the top to detach it from the tube. Have some paper towels handy to catch and/or wipe any ink drips up.

 

[Robert M]

Cap top

Didn't read all ths posts but I would change the cap top first and then work up to the dampers. Is the pump working well?

 

[Vinylman]

Robert,
why change the cap top?
The pump works excellent, and the capping station is in great shape also. This machine is maintained daily, and has seen only light , regular use.

 

[Rooster]

I don't run a dual cmyk set-up in my 33 so I'm not sure how the carts are loaded and where on the head the yellow prints from.

If the yellow ink is not printing from one end of the head only (CC/MM/KK/YY) then it's unlikely it's a capping station issue. If there's air in the lines it may have come from a cart running empty or a leak higher up the ink delivery chain. I do know that on a dual CMYK set-up that both carts feed into a single ink line. So air in one yellow damper is automatically air in the other.

Given that the y connector is very close to where the carts load, I'd expect that your air leak is related to a bad o-ring at the cartridge or even possibly the y connector. If the air got in near the damper it would have had to work it's way back up to the y connector before if could travel down to the other damper. A highly unlikely scenario.

 

[Robert M]

Cap top

Those cap tops are the source of some strange ink starvation issues. All it take is a small imperfection in the rubber gasket and the suction will be off. I have seen printers where only one color is dropping off, common sense would tell you that if the cap was bad all the colors should be dropping out, but changing the cap fixed the problem. I do think that sometimes it is just the tubes that run from the bottom of that cap may have been clogged but if you have it all apart I would just change the cap. Rembember if you do it the cap has fittings for 3 tubes but Mimaki only uses 2 of them, you need to use the plug off the old cap on the unused fitting.
I have Mimaki caps at www.solventinkjet.com