I looked in the dealer portal for the ink change procedure but I didn't find one. I have done this conversion on JFX200 machines which use the same head system and ink. In that case Mimaki requires you basically change everything out that touches the ink and flush the system. So bottle holder, primary filters, sub tank, print head, and cap top. In practice you only change the head if it clogs up during the conversion. That's probably why it is so expensive. They are quoting changing everything.
Lucky for you the UCJV300 doesn't use primary filters so that cuts those out. I usually don't recommend changing the cap top as it's not necessary unless you aren't getting suction. And like I said above, we only change the head if it fails to make it through the conversion. So that would leave the bottle holder, sub tank and flush.
Bottle Holder x 2 - $444
Sub tank x 1 - $139
Bottle of Flush x 2 - $106
Total parts - $689
Now if the head doesn't make it through the conversion, add about $3200 on to the bill. I've never had one fail but it's something I always warn my customers about before they decide to proceed.
I'd say the going rate for service these days is anywhere between $150 and $200 per hour but a Mimaki employed tech is always going to set you back much more due to them having to fly out and stay in a hotel and because they simply charge more as the manufacturer. They technically should be the best tech you can get. If your dealer has a tech, they usually charge less and are closer so you don't have to pay so much travel cost. If I were to be hired here in Denver to do the same conversion, the total cost would probably be around $2000 if the head doesn't need to be changed.
I can't know what your skill level is so it's hard to say if you could do it yourself. As a tech for over 10 years I will say that this machine is medium difficulty to work on. It has a pressure system which adds to the complexity, the ink lines are black so you can't simply look at the line to see if you have ink flow, the inks cure with light so working on it for an extended period of time requires you to be careful not to leave it exposed for too long, and the head area is jam packed with no room to maneuver. If that sounds fun to you, give it a try! Just keep in mind that the worst that could happen is you break the head and need to call a tech in to install a $3200 head! Also, getting your hands on a tech manual will be difficult. I'm not allowed to give them out.
