PC-600 Banding Question?

[powerhousegraphx]

Do I need a new print head????? I am at the end of my wits now... A couple days ago I was doing color tests and I finally got the color I was looking for and the printer was printing perfect(very good quality no lines). Then I went to print the finished version and got lines through the whole print. I have been adjusting line pitch(per manual instructions) and nothing seems to work. I have cleaned the head and even bought a new cleaning strip. Still nothing works. I have attached a couple of pics for you to see whats going on. If anyone knows what to do PLEASE let me know what to do next??

 

[Sign Works]

The most crucial bit of info regarding the PC-600 is that it is imparative that you properly clean the print head immediatly after each print session, before you shut the printer off and the print head has a chance to cool down, if you fail to do this any foreign debris/particles left on the print head when it cools down may harden/crystalize and when you go to print again that can break off and scratch, damage and or destroy the print head. This is how it was explained to me and all it takes is one time to destroy a brand new print head, my PC-600 is over 5 years old, prints beautifully and I've never replaced a thing on the machine.

Yes it looks like the head is bad on yours, you might want to check with Cammtech for confirmation and repair info. What brand ribbons are you using? Years ago I encountered the gaps in the prints when trying aftermarket ribbons, switched back to Roland ribbons and have not encountered that problem since.

http://www.cammtech.com/

 

[StreamlineDesign]

We never subscribed to the "clean after every print" theory on our PC-60. As a matter of fact, we never once cleaned the heads. In the ten+ years we have it, we have had to send it in for service two times -neither related to not cleaning the heads. We still use it, and still don't ever touch the heads. Not disputing that head-cleaning can't be helpful in certain cases. Just from our perspective it's never been needed.

 

[weaselboogie]

I really don't think it's cleaning the heads ( which wouldn't hurt to be cleaning after every use )), its making absolutley positive that the printing surface is completely clean. A friend of mine still has one of these and he cleans down the vinyl with alcohol spray before every print and he's never had a problem.

Its' the process of why the head gets damaged. The print head drags across the vinyl and if there's anything on the vinyl, lint, dirt, speck of sand, it's getting plowed over by the print head.

My old place had a pc-600 and we had to send it back twice to get the print head replaced and we never printed that much with it. At the time, it was $600 a pop.