Print tracking to one side, Mimaki JV3-130SPII

[defarge]

Hi all, I've searched and searched, and tried several fixes, with no luck. I have a JV3-130sp2, about 4 years old, with about 38,000 feet of media printed. I had some overspray problems, and a tech replaced all 4 caps. Now everything I print crawls to the left by about 5 inches over a 16 foot print. My media roll at the back and takeup roll at the front are in good alignment, no telescoping or anything. My machine has printed GREAT for the whole time I've had it - nothing like this has happened. Here are the things I've tried: leveling the machine (it was 8mm higher on the right, after leveling, no change in print.) Cleaning the sensor "eye" on the carriage, as well as the tabs it detects - no change. Cleaning the pinch rollers and the rod they push against, no change. I am printing on 3M IJ35 C 10. I've shut down/restarted, re-ripped, and the file always starts in the right place but tracks to the side. I often print 40 feet or so at a time, this is killing me. Sorry for the novel, thanks in advance for any ideas as to what's going on.

 

[defarge]

I mis-spoke, it crawls to the right (or actually uphill as the printer was originally set up).

 

[J Hill Designs]

if you jog material does the vinyl crawl, or does the print crawl but vinyl remains correct?

 

[jfiscus]

If I am hearing correctly, the material is feeding correctly, just the print is going off to that side?

I am not familiar with a Mimaki, but this looks like our old Roland's "stair-stepping" when the encoder strip or strip sensor eye was going out.

 

[defarge]

The vinyl stays correct, but the print walks over to the side. The sensor eye has been dislodged by head strikes a few times, and I've cleaned it with cleaning solvent a couple of times, maybe that's it.

 

[defarge]

Oh man, I just checked on the eye - apparently cleaning it with solvent is no good. The black plastic housing had kind of rotted thru in some places. DANG. On the hunt for a new eye.

 

[J Hill Designs]

ouch

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Yup, encoder strip, which you already figured out. And also, never clean the encoder strip or eye with anything but a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with water (they recommend distilled), they are easily damaged, as you've also figured out...

 

[defarge]

Thanks. At least if I had to destroy a part, this one isn't super expensive. I was able to perch it in the slot to get a fairly straight print, good enough until the new one arrives.