Let's Build a DTF Printer (For as cheap as possible!)

[UpAndPrinting]

Got a stash of i3200(A) heads, some control boards and some t-slot coming in. Next project will be a 4 head printer for under $2500 if all goes well. Parts cost is dirt cheap, and width is just based on how much t-slot rail we want to use. Experimenting with doing some open source printer nerd stuff to help others who want to build their own.

I fully support this open source project. There should be more of them out there. I've watched countless hours of videos from people who document certain modifications. But a full beginning to end open source custom printer would be the best.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Perks of having a company partner who designs circuit boards and firmware for a living, and loves open source stuff. Pretty much all the kinematic stuff is done, waiting on the dev stuff from Epson for their heads. Glad they started pushing the 3200/1600s out for development. The XP600 heads are pretty mediocre. We cannot open source their stuff, but the compiled firmwares and drivers and such are all distributable.

 

[inkmerge]

Great job!

 

[jonnes86]

Ok, so I wanted to try DTF for myself, since it is the hot new thing. I run mostly Mimaki gear at my shop, but their new TxF300-75 is about $24,000 too much for my blood. So, time to look around for a better solution.

For specs, I want 17" width, roll handling, 6+ ink channels, Epson heads, compatible with common DTF software. Also, CHEAP and used.

$100 local pickup deal on an Epson Sure Color P5000, needs capping station apparently.
$20 on eBay for pirated Epson service program, reset counters, printer no longer cares about the capping station, yay, $230 saved.

Ok, now we need refillable cartridges. eBay and US based sellers want $200-300 for a set, gross. AliExpress, $81. 2 sets bought, one for cleaning solutions, the other for ink. No need for chip resetters on these.

Maintenance chip resetter, $8 on AliExpress. The Stylus Pro and P5000 use the same resetter, but the 4900 ones are listed much cheaper as it is the older model number.

Ink, cheap is also the name of the game. Looking at SDSs on tons of brands. Seems everyone's using similar formulations. Nice. 6x 500ml bottles sourced for $90. CMYKWW bottles

Software, CADLINK is cheaper, but AWFUL to use. Also, I can't manually define the ink channels as I wish, something I want to do for fluorescent and custom inks in the future. Also, handy if that bargain basement printer's TFP head gets a clogged channel. So, reluctantly, I blow $595 on a copy of AcroRip 11. Mediocre software, prints well. Why do we still have dongles these days? Also, dongle now emulated by an Arduino Nano. Infinite copies of AcroRip acquired.

Shaker, going cheap, a $7 plastic tub works for now.

Powder, generic DTF powder 1KG (2.2lbs), $20.

Oven, well, more precisely, Harbor Freight's cheapest heat gun $22.
DTF Film, first roll seemed to be wrong material and I want stuff quickly. 100 meters of Vortex DTF Film Dragon Hot Peel sourced from the local GSG, $70. Cheapest thing I have ever bought from GSG, amazing. Seems decent, but only 13" width, but fine for now.

Mimaki aqueous flush (3) I had in stock, dirt cheap at like $26 for 2-liter bags. GREAT aqueous cleaner. Basically free.

Setup on the printer was done where the left 6 ink bays were used. Ran a lot of flushes with cleaner to remove old ink and filled 6 channels, CMYKWW setup. Put AcroRip in single pass mode, 1440x1440 DPI. Test results are looking pretty good. Some banding and the printer seems to hate USB, so have it on network (we have 2 P5000s, both with that issue and one still runs stock inks). Printing is decently quick with the TFP head at the higher DPI, but the printer seems to have a general dislike for clear films. Automatic nozzle checks have a damn seizure when trying to detect clogged nozzles. White ink lacks a shaker/circulator, so regular cleaning cycles on the channel pair that has my white inks are done. Did a nice size stack of shirts, some leather, some wood and a bunch of other crap over the weekend. Really happy.

Damage total: $934.00

If I do more prints, a shaker/oven would be nice, but not much room for improvement given the insanely cheap cost. Most similarly equipped dodgy Chinese units are easily in the $4k+ range for 17" width. Not a huge fan of Epson's idiotic firmware that asks for a $900 service call whenever it feels you should replace the $19 wiper, but the service program gets around that well.

Smoke_Jaguar Any chance you want to give more info on how you used the Arduino Nano to emulate the dongle?

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

Just fond a software emulator for most USB dongles that I use as of late.

 

[Patrick Farrell]

might be worth looking into a used/cheap infrared flash dryer from screen printing. That and some ACM or aluminum sheet could easily make you a decent inline oven. Maybe couple with a PID temperature controller of some sort. I like where this is heading.

Would the foam core of the ACM handle the heat?

 

[VizualVoice]

Would the foam core of the ACM handle the heat?

ACM core is solid (not foam) polyethylene which (without looking) I think is good for a few hundred degrees, and the aluminum skin should give it structural stability I'd think. Also couple that with using an actual IR heating element where it only heats the item it's pointed at not the surrounding air I think it COULD work (at least for a while). I'd probably also insulate it with some rock wool. My conveyor oven for screen printing is basically a big metal box with 3 IR elements that hang out over a rolling fiberglass mesh belt. Underneath that belt is some foil-faced rock wool (maybe an inch total thickness?) over the bottom which barely gets warm on the outside yet garments going through hit that magic 320°F. I definitely wouldn't want to do it without some form of insulation though.