ok here we go again BANDING

[lookinc]

Of coarse Its 11 pm here in philly and I have a Job to get to fed ex by noon.
I have recently had some banding issues with my xc-540 I using the latest versaworks and solaris inks. I am printing using a mat calenderd vinyl profile high speed 540x360 dpi.about three feet into the print im geting banding in what seems to be all the colors like the printer is runing out of ink. test print shows no drop out. a quick cleaning makes it go away if I poss the print. I tried several deep cleanings cleaned the print heads very well. had to draw the ink back into the heads with a syringe. any one have any suggestions before I call Roland tech YIKES. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Sticky Signs]

Have you tried slowing down the printer or running in uni-directional mode?

 

[lookinc]

I will try that right away

I am wondering as to how the speed of the head would need to be changed. I have been using the same material and profile for 4 yrs now. Is there something that might be going bad like a pump or the lines are getting clogged like arteries. perhaps a good system flush might help any other suggestions on what to look into?
thanks Ben

 

[Sticky Signs]

Well, first off, I'm not a fan of using 3rd party inks. Sure, you save a couple bucks on ink but in the long run you waist way more on bad prints and down time. Could be a bunch of stuff going on but did you check your feed calibration? It could also be the pinch rollers are getting old and may have a flat spot in them. I don't know, just a couple ideas for ya.

 

[lookinc]

no flat spots

feed calibration wouldnt be an isue because it happens about three to five feet into the print goes away after quick cleaning and comes back after about five feet or so.but thanks for the ideas any others would be welcomed.
Ben

 

[kffernandez]

i would check the dampers. seems like ink starvation to me, or air getting into the system. there might be clogs as well. this happened to me before.

if you're trying to finish a job, the easiest way to finish it is to slow it down. like what was mentioned earlier, uni direction, and slowing down the carriage speed works.

once you have time, you can check the dampers, and lines for air. if everything looks fine. do a flush with the cleaning solutions for your ink.

if those don't work. come back here, and post the progress.

 

[4R Graphics]

I dont own a roland and I dont use versaworks but it sounds like ink starvation.

In Flexi you can set the cleaning cycles Im sure in versaworks you have the same option.

I would try and set the cleaning cycle to run more often so it will print a little stop clean heads suck ink and go back to printing this sholud allow the dampers to fill up and stop the ink starvation.

You could also baby sit the printer and every 6 to 12 inches pause the print (which on my JV3 will cycle the pumps) and then unpause and print then pause repeat until done.

To fix the problem I would flush the lines and put new dampers on.

 

[LarryB]

I had the same problem with banding and was using Solaris inks so I ended up switching back to Roland inks. The cost savings was not there when you figured all of the reprints and the wasted ink with cleaning cycles.

I talked to the people who package Solaris ink and they told me it is profile issue causing the banding. If you have lots of time and talent to figure you own profiles then it may work.

It has been 1 month since I switched back to OEM inks and I can tell you it has been the best move. No banding issues whatsoever.

 

[Large Format]

Ink starvation,yes, but it is an XC-540 a relatively new printer. Solaris is a good ink but it as not as clean as OEM. Have you tries printing in the "full width" position in the users menu. This gives the dampers a little more time to recover. You test this theory with a fill test print in the service menu.

 

[cdiesel]

Can you post up a pic of what's happening, and then a test print immediately after? Sounds like dampers, but the pics should tell us for sure, and exactly what heads are having the problems.

 

[artbot]

also, is your shop abnormally cold because of winter? if it's all colors, i doubt it's a damper or a clog. universal ink starvation is always the ink (not necessarily just the manufacturer but the conditions too). print larges sections of each color at full speed and jack the levels up on each color to exacerbate the issue. see if all the colors are starving or just one. if it is just one you can systematically isolate that issue with damper/line and pump tube swaps.