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Need help with my ucjv 300 mimaki printer. Gloss is fading

J

jedmarc

New Member
smileyred.jpg




Guys I need Help! I have a mimaki Ucjv 300 and I print in full gloss, I notice that after a week the gloss looks scratched off and then eventually everything will look matte and the gloss will fade. I notice that when I use a cloth to clean it the gloss comes back! When I print I also notice that it is a bit sticky and not dried completely. Now the tech came here 3 times and everything is okay, the lamps are new the board is new too! they also made me buy 3 lamps to try and dry it copletely and the problem is still there. I also notice that the gloss has a bit of texture on it like its not curing properly. Please help!
 
L

L&Bdesignworks

New Member
Hi There! Any luck with the issue? I have a tech coming out tomorrow.

My problem is, it seems to be outgassing or something and anything clear has an ugly texture where anything sits on it, mostly if I lay them flat.


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DL Signs

DL Signs

Never go against the family
Looks un-cured, clear looks pretty heavily layered too. Try something, do a test print with the same settings, then on your Mimaki you should be able to go into setup/ UV mode, and there should be a 'no print' option, it'll go over it with lamps only. See if that cures it, or at least better. If it does you either need to slow it down, do several thinner layers & more passes per layer, or do the extra no print at the end if it's enough. The heavier you go, the more UV it needs to cure it, and clears just don't seem to cure the same as colors, possibly the lack of colored pigment to absorb the UV???? Even with layering colors heavy for textures & embossing, running it too quick can cause curing issues on most UV printers. Just like painting, multiple thin coats always looks better and cure better than one or two heavy ones. Takes longer, but that's why you charge more for the specialty stuff. Also make sure firmware is most current, if it's a common issue, that's how many are fixed. A couple other things that could cause issues are ink is old, bad batch, or not mixed well...
That's about all I got for common things.

But yeah, let everyone know what tech says, or if you get something to work to help others.
 
L

L&Bdesignworks

New Member
DL Signs said:
Looks un-cured, clear looks pretty heavily layered too. Try something, do a test print with the same settings, then on your Mimaki you should be able to go into setup/ UV mode, and there should be a 'no print' option, it'll go over it with lamps only. See if that cures it, or at least better. If it does you either need to slow it down, do several thinner layers & more passes per layer, or do the extra no print at the end if it's enough. The heavier you go, the more UV it needs to cure it, and clears just don't seem to cure the same as colors, possibly the lack of colored pigment to absorb the UV???? Even with layering colors heavy for textures & embossing, running it too quick can cause curing issues on most UV printers. Just like painting, multiple thin coats always looks better and cure better than one or two heavy ones. Takes longer, but that's why you charge more for the specialty stuff. Also make sure firmware is most current, if it's a common issue, that's how many are fixed. A couple other things that could cause issues are ink is old, bad batch, or not mixed well...
That's about all I got for common things.

But yeah, let everyone know what tech says, or if you get something to work to help others.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I haven't tried adjusting settings on the printer, just in raster link so far, but good Ideas. I'll share these with the tech too and see what he says!
 
Smoke_Jaguar

Smoke_Jaguar

Man who touches printers inappropriately.
UV inks are composed of photoinitiated compounds that respond to the specific wavelength (395nm if I remember correctly), so typically pigments will not change curing properties. Even using UV reactive pigments like Dayglo and glow in the dark on custom mixes we've done will not cause issues curing.

Gloss ink uses a delayed lower powered cure to let the ink settle down and smooth out to get the effect whereas matte just cures right after jetting. Main thing I have seen causing this issue is ink buildup on the UV lamp units. They are easy to remove on the UCJV300 and simply unclip from the side. Carefully clean the glass to avoid scratching it, can use a razor blade if you feel daring. Missing nozzles can also do similar, and clear is a pain to check. I use cheap DTF film and use it for checks because I can look through the material and see where the light deflects for each nozzle a lot easier than on something like white paper or vinyl.
 
L

L&Bdesignworks

New Member
New update- tech came in and we're still doing some troubleshooting. He took some of the samples to check with his team, and may also be sending to mimaki.

A few things that we had adjusted:

UV AdjVal- 25% (formerly zero)
Changing cyan level 280% as opposed to 100%

Still having some issues with strange "fogging" now, but not nearly as bad as before.


The tech did verify the expiration date on the ink as well as check the lamps, and said that everything was in proper condition. I believe you checked a few other things as well. I showed him this forum to share the ideas too.

Not sure I have a great update otherwise.
 

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L

L&Bdesignworks

New Member
Update here from Mimaki!

They're evidently acknowledging this issue now and provided some documentation on some possible solutions.

From the mimaki contact:

"Turns out you are not the only one with this issue. You may have just been one of the first people with this issue. I just received this trouble shooting guide for what seems to be your exact issue. Let me know if this helps."

We'll see if this helps in the next few days.
 

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  • UCJV330 UCJV300 series Glossy clear print guide Ver1.0.pdf
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Kemik

Kemik

I sell stickers and sticker accessories.
Not the best guide, seems like anyone with this issue would have already tried less % of clear and increased UV light! :rolleyes:
Someone in another tread recommended STS Inks UV Clear. I think I am going to try it, I just need to find a local Canadian Supplier.

I emailed STS and asked for a list of Canadian Suppliers, they sent me 4 phone numbers for Contacts in the USA.
I replied back with a thanks, but do you have Canadian Suppliers?
They replied back with a simple "Yes"..
Great customer service! o_O
 
Smoke_Jaguar

Smoke_Jaguar

Man who touches printers inappropriately.
I have had much better luck with STS clear. Pigmented inks are a lot more forgiving of bad storage conditions, but clear can have much more visible degradation. Since it's imported in shipping containers, it can take weeks of months of sitting in hot or freezing conditions compared to inks sourced domestically. Gotten clear ink that looked like eggnog in color fresh after opening. Also, a big complaint is getting a fresh liter with only 3-4 months left on it.

Also, good to shake all inks. And, shake it well, don't rock it like a baby. Since it has lots of time to settle, bubbles tend to work their way out of the ink by the time it gets to the subtanks.
 
L

L&Bdesignworks

New Member
I suppose it was just a 'yes or no' question

Interesting thought with a different brand ink. I've not heard of that brand before, not sure what the general consensus is on using aftermarket inks?

It's nice that it's a lower cost as well!

Generally, I'd be worried about quality, but if I'm having issues with OEM anyway, can't imagine it would hurt. Just getting a little tired of throwing away prints/money/time at this issue.
 
L

L&Bdesignworks

New Member
Smoke_Jaguar said:
I have had much better luck with STS clear. Pigmented inks are a lot more forgiving of bad storage conditions, but clear can have much more visible degradation. Since it's imported in shipping containers, it can take weeks of months of sitting in hot or freezing conditions compared to inks sourced domestically. Gotten clear ink that looked like eggnog in color fresh after opening. Also, a big complaint is getting a fresh liter with only 3-4 months left on it.

Also, good to shake all inks. And, shake it well, don't rock it like a baby. Since it has lots of time to settle, bubbles tend to work their way out of the ink by the time it gets to the subtanks.
Click to expand...
Totally agree. I ordered a pair of clear liters, and only one showed up so they sent a replacement a week or two later. Later. The first bottle had probably over a year of usable time, where the second bottle only had 3 months on the listed expiration date.

Good to know that you've had good luck with the STS clear. It looks like they have a comparable to the lus. 175, but I'm currently using 170. I think that would cause any issue?
 
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