LEC2-300 owners??

[dreko]

Just curious how many of you have one of these printer.
I purchased mine middle pandemic 2020.. haven't done massive amounts of printing with it...that should change this year.

So far it's been rock solid, curious if any other owners have had issues (with more volume printing)
Or if it's had an white pigment issues..

thanks

 

[Mantaworld]

We have been using ours for most of 2020.....after several months we only had one issue and it was when we wanted to use white.....the ink would not come thru the head. Performed a Head soak....cleaned out the ink line from cartridge thru to damper....installed new damper ....shook the crap out of the white cartridge....filled the ink line with ink...performed a head clean and it has been working ever since.....here is the secret I believe.....you have to shake the white cartridge every other day.....it does not like to just sit.....even the routine cleaning the machine does itself is not enough....shake the cartridge up to thoroughly mix the white...this has worked for us for the past few months with no further issues....our machine runs 6 to 8 hours a day 7 days a week.....cheers

 

[dreko]

Hey Mantaworld,

Ok, good to know. I try to keep the white cartridges shaken as often as possible. What was a head soak? Did you use the roland cleaning solution for that?
I'm thinking of trying to use the new clear gloss ECO-UV (EUV5) ink, into the slot of the ECO-UV (EUV4) I'll see if I can swap internal ink bags...
Apparently the clear gloss on the EUV4 has a known yellowing issue. I'd have to agree, as it looks quite yellow to begin with, and seeing a older sample from Roland.. it looks like a horrible dirty yellow.
The new EUV5 is reformulated to be clearer with better prevention of the yellowing (I hope!!)
I'll let you know if I'm successfully able to swap inks..

 

[Mantaworld]

Here is a link to the steps when performing a head clean...this is not the exact same machine as yours...but it's what I follow when I do them.

cheers

 

[dreko]

Ok, thanks for that video! I'll do this... I'm assuming you are using a Roland cleaning fluid? (Could I just use Isopropyl Alcohol?)

 

[Alpha Star]

I don't like being locked out of service mode on the LEC2-300. That's about all I have to say.

 

[Morten CHristensen]

Personally I would never buy a product, where you are not able to access the service menu.. it is your freakin´printer!
Please stop this nonsense Roland and others!

 

[dreko]

I saw a program called Peck2 (Is that the service mode/control software the technicians use?)
I'd like to be able to do remote cleaning operations via the internet.

Have earlier Roland printers allowed access to the service menus/mode?
My Epson printers allow this, it's a great function when one needs to access.

 

[mr-blue]

Hello, I read this interesting thread. What things do you print with these printers and what's the special benefit against ecosol or latex? And a special question: when the printer rewinds the job to add a gloss layer - is it using any position marks to align the gloss layer? Will the gloss layer passes exactly - also when doing long jobs?

 

[dreko]

Currently, I'm using this printer for fine art projects. I'm doing multiple pass printings... the nice thing about the VersaWorks and this printer... it backs up to the origin perfectly. This allows me to do many print passes... currently I'm up to 8 consecutive multi layered prints!!
Yes, the gloss layer or white aligns perfects and into registration. No position marks needed.

 

[mr-blue]

Currently, I'm using this printer for fine art projects. I'm doing multiple pass printings... the nice thing about the VersaWorks and this printer... it backs up to the origin perfectly. This allows me to do many print passes... currently I'm up to 8 consecutive multi layered prints!!
Yes, the gloss layer or white aligns perfects and into registration. No position marks needed.

Wow, sounds very cool. We own a Photostudio and think about this printer to create special prints. You rewind the prints multiple times to get special artwork effects? Can you show an example? I noticed some UV-Inks dry very hard an others more flexible. How about the Eco-UV5 inks, are these flexible enough not to break, when rolling your prints - even with multi layered prints? And is printhead clogging (special white inks) is a problem?

 

[dreko]

What kinds of substrates are you planning on printing onto? The Eco UV5 ink is supposed to have better adhesion, the clear is not as 'yellow' and it more 'clear'... not sure how flexible it is in comparison to the other inks EUV2, EUV4.

So far no breakage with multi-layered prints. Print head will clog with white ink... you have to keep the ink flowing, maintenance going, etc... all white pigments will eventually settle out of suspension.
Post a link or PM the photostudio URL or Instagram. Curious to see what kinds of projects you are working on

 

[dreko]

Any LEC2 owners hit the auto cleaning cycle during printing? Apparently when the internal clock hits a certain point with the Roland, it then begins a internal count down of cleaning every 30 mins when printing. So if your long banner print takes 45 mins... well... 30 mins into the printing the LEC2 will stop the job and start cleaning AGAIN! Of course it cleaned before it started printing 30mins earlier... besides the wasted ink and time... it leaves a visual defect during the cleaning pause. Still waiting on Roland for a solution. Any other owners have advice on how to get through this without losing time and material like we're currently doing????

 

[mr-blue]

Any LEC2 owners hit the auto cleaning cycle during printing? Apparently when the internal clock hits a certain point with the Roland, it then begins a internal count down of cleaning every 30 mins when printing. So if your long banner print takes 45 mins... well... 30 mins into the printing the LEC2 will stop the job and start cleaning AGAIN! Of course it cleaned before it started printing 30mins earlier... besides the wasted ink and time... it leaves a visual defect during the cleaning pause. Still waiting on Roland for a solution. Any other owners have advice on how to get through this without losing time and material like we're currently doing????

Roland Solution:
"
This device counts the printing hours. As soon as the accumulated number of printing hours reaches a specified point in time, automatic cleaning is performed. When the cleaning is finished, the accumulated printing time is reset. This cleaning is performed during the printing process, so that the print quality may be affected.
To avoid cleaning during printing, first determine the time until cleaning. Next, use the RIP software to confirm the time required for printing. If the time required for printing is longer than the time to clean, perform normal cleaning before printing. This will reset the cumulative print time. Alternatively, you can change the print quality to reduce the time required for printing. Either of these methods can be used to prevent cleaning from being performed during printing.
"

 

[mr-blue]

Any LEC2 owners hit the auto cleaning cycle during printing? Apparently when the internal clock hits a certain point with the Roland, it then begins a internal count down of cleaning every 30 mins when printing. So if your long banner print takes 45 mins... well... 30 mins into the printing the LEC2 will stop the job and start cleaning AGAIN! Of course it cleaned before it started printing 30mins earlier... besides the wasted ink and time... it leaves a visual defect during the cleaning pause. Still waiting on Roland for a solution. Any other owners have advice on how to get through this without losing time and material like we're currently doing????

On my RF 640 I can choose between "Interval Time" and "Interval Job" for periodic cleaning. Interval Time is like you describes, Interval Job does the same but not during jobs. In my RF 640 its located in "Menu / Sub Menu / Periodic Cl./" where you can choose between "None", "Page" , "Interval (JOB)" and Interval (Time). But maybe Roland has removed this in newer machines for costumer and its only in Service Mode. But Service Mode is not available for costumers on Roland-machines an more - you need a service laptop with certificate to change anything. Hope this helps.

 

[dreko]

Yes, Roland has eliminated the 'Periodic Cleaning' from the menu.. as well are removing 'Time to Clean'
Was in the Owner's Manual, then at some point my upgrade wiped it out. As you say, possibly available in the Service Mode.. but I cannot access.
I guess I'll have to get a tech in...

 

[mr-blue]

Get a tech in to make a simple setting… thats new Roland policy. :-( I Go with Roland More than 20 years and next should be the lec2. But its to expensive to call a tech every time i want to make a Setting or want to change dampers etc. So i look for alternatives now.
Roland has become very customer-unfriendly. I have recently waited weeks for answers from the service department. They didn't send print samples and couldn't answer questions about their decal primer. They couldn't even name the material you need for it. I then asked a Chinese supplier, got all the answers within hours and had print samples of my own files sent directly from China in just 3 days.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Roland Solution:
"
This device counts the printing hours. As soon as the accumulated number of printing hours reaches a specified point in time, automatic cleaning is performed. When the cleaning is finished, the accumulated printing time is reset. This cleaning is performed during the printing process, so that the print quality may be affected.
To avoid cleaning during printing, first determine the time until cleaning. Next, use the RIP software to confirm the time required for printing. If the time required for printing is longer than the time to clean, perform normal cleaning before printing. This will reset the cumulative print time. Alternatively, you can change the print quality to reduce the time required for printing. Either of these methods can be used to prevent cleaning from being performed during printing.
"

Good ol' Roland, screwing over their customers once again. If the printer is printing there should be no need to clean as the heads are constantly firing, cleaning is only needed when the printer is not in use. Our epson will occasionally clean itself in the middle of a long job, but always between panels, never in the middle of a print.

 

[dreko]

Ok, I guess it's good I can call a tech in... and have them do something with the Peck software. My dealer has told me Roland will not allow anyone to rollback the firmware on the printer. Even though they strongly encourage me to update the firmware. Nice.
The printer is under the extended warranty, so I'm hoping this is going to get resolved. Every print I'm making is ruined as the stoppage during the printing... leaves a noticeable visual line/break... as well as a physical bumpy UV inksurface. Seems like Roland doesn't care at this point.
As they ask... are your felts and wipers new? (yes) Have you cleaned the machine? (Uh... it's auto cleaning non stop????) Is the power of the printer turned on? (ok, they didn't ask me that.. but I'm waiting for it)

Owning a Epson, when I need something done, Decision 1 comes out right away. No interrogation from Epson support. No long delays in responding, no dodging/ducking my questions. I swear as a first time Roland owner, I HATE the treatment I'm getting.
I suspect (all??) roland printer owners dislike the company attitude? (I do like the machine itself)

Ugh... the world is getting worse and worse. Business is getting harder and uglier. Thank you Roland for adding to the shit pile.

 

[dreko]

Just an update to this old thread (incase it helps anyone in the future)
I updated the firmware.. which brought some new menu choices

The LEC2-300 has a 60 minute print timer... once you hit 60 mins of print time (cleaning, with no option to turn off or adjust)