new printhead not firing on one side

[jdigital]

Can anyone help me with this? I have installed many a printhead with no problems. Today, I had to install a (LcLm) head. First I turned to main power off, installed the head then put new dampers on, pulled ink into the dampers, did a couple of ink fillups and cleans, went to do a test draw and no Lc. Lm nozzles are great. There is ink visible in the capping station screen and the pumps are working fine. still no Lc. I also pulled ink through the lines from the pumps just to make sure ink is flowing properly. Everything looks good but Lc not firing. I am not getting any errors on the LED screen. I have a feeling the motherboard is shot. Is this true? or is there something else I can try?

 

[Jeff South Florida]

You say you have replaced heads before but I did not see that you put the head rank in the printer. I think Mimakis need this input. You could get lucky and replace a head and not put it in and the head still work but you could also have problems.

 

[jdigital]

are u referring to the Head ID?

 

[Robert M]

Head Rank

The head rank issue has always been interesting to me. We service Roland printers and had a couple of heads come in where the head rank was not readable. My tech installed them and used the rank off the old head, no problems. He believes the head rank may just be an Epson serial number for the head? I'm not so sure, anyone know that the rank is really an electrical adjustment to the head?

 

[Jester1167]

My guess is the ink hasn't fully reached the head. Do a cleaning and another test print?

 

[jdigital]

The ink is in the head. I see it in the capping station screen when I run cleans and fillups. It's also pumping through
BTW, I have a jv3 160sp. I even switched cable ribbons from LcLm to CY. When I did this my Lc was firing in the test draw but the yellow printed a solid line forward, then a diagonal line back. Could it be the motherboard???

 

[National Sign Co. - Print]

put a brand new ribbon cable on the side of head not firing. Switching ribbons will not work as each color fires at different volts and over time the ribbon cables function based on what connector is "firing hotter" than another.

99.5% sure it is that ribbon cable the new head wants to fire at a different frequency than the ribbon cable has been used to so it is not a fully connected charge.

 

[jdigital]

Merritt, I already tried that. no success. thanks though

 

[National Sign Co. - Print]

next would be the slider board that could of gotten jolted by using new head with old ribbons.

 

[jdigital]

if it's the slider board, wouldn't en error show up on the screen?

 

[National Sign Co. - Print]

Not if it is a voltage issue.

 

[Graphics2u]

next would be the slider board that could of gotten jolted by using new head with old ribbons.

So should you always change Ribbons with a new head?

 

[National Sign Co. - Print]

So should you always change Ribbons with a new head?

We do..

Just based on history with our bigger production printers. I kind of look at it like changing your old but not the filter.

I would say it is a shops working preference on how they operate and maintain machines. What works for one may not work for another.