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MutohVJ-1624 Nocturnal Ink Consumption

J_Print

New Member
Two times within the last week and half, I've left the shop with no flashing "low ink" warning, only to return the following morning to "no ink" messages (magenta in both cases).

Has anyone ever run across malfunctioning cleaning cycles? I suspect that cleaning operation may be chugging ink. We haven't had a major uptick in production, and these cartridges generally last a month (maybe less in crunch time, this isn't crunch time).

Any ideas would be most appreciated.
 

J_Print

New Member
I've run a couple manual cleanings with a fresh magenta cartridge (440ml). After 2 Normal cleans, and 1 Long clean, I'm down to 99% according to the mutoh ink status. I know that gauge may not be perfectly accurate, but the Mutoh would only run two cleaning cycles overnight. So maybe my cleaning theory is in the tank.
 

Joe House

Sign Equipment Technician
It's probably time to replace the maintenance station. How long had it been since you've done that?
 

J_Print

New Member
It's probably time to replace the maintenance station. How long had it been since you've done that?

I replaced it in May.

I just ran a cleaning and kept an eye on things. The only problem I saw was a clog in one of the twin tubes that carry the waste ink out of the machine. Any possibility of replacing those tubes without the whole maintenance station? And would a clogged tube create any kind of excessive ink dump?
 

Solventinkjet

DIY Printer Fixing Guide
Are the ink cartridges actually empty when the machine says they are? If they are actually empty, you have a siphon effect happening in the maintenance station. If the carts are not empty, your maintenance station is not working at full efficiency.
 

fuzzy_cam

The Granbury Wrap & Sign Guy
You might also check the cleaning interval settings on the Mutoh. Ours is set to every 12 hours (I think)
 
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