Roland SC500 ink drain problem

[pr33d]

Hello, This is my first thread, and english is not my native language so bear with me =)

We use an old Roland sc500, and after this weekend I return to work to find that some of the ink cartridges are empty. The ink waste container has been overfilled and ink dripping down on the floor. This has happend once or twice before.

Why does this happen? My theory is some kind of sifoning effect but how to avoid it, I don't know.

We currently use Versi Color bulk system, but this has also happend using standard Roland ink.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

//J

 

[Gabriel]

Hi there!

Check out the level between the print-heads and the cartridges. Maybe the printer is not in a good position and the cartridges are on a higher level than the print-heads.
Hope that helps...keep us posted.

 

[sfr table hockey]

The only bulk ink I use are in the reg 220 ml refill carts. Not sure if the bulk system you use can get a pressure build up in the carts. The 220 refill carts have a hole in the front top so no way for pressure to build.

One thing that I have done is cliped a small spring type clip over the two pump lines when the printer is not in use. I put the clip just after the pump and before the lines go into the drain bottle ( my drain bottle is in the front and the pump lines go direct to it). I have done this more for stopping air from drying out the drain lines when the printer sits for a few days. I alway flush the drain lines before I use the printer but this seems to help and it would also stop the potential draining of inks from the bulk carts.

Some have said you should never do this but on the Older Rolands I don't see how it would be an issue as our printers do not wake up and do cleanings like other newer printers.

Check to make sure the also that the captop filters are not raised up and touching the heads to cause the issue.

 

[pr33d]

One thing that I have done is cliped a small spring type clip over the two pump lines when the printer is not in use.


Check to make sure the also that the captop filters are not raised up and touching the heads to cause the issue.

Thanks for your reply. I think I'll try to clip my pump lines and see if it solves the problem.

About the captop filters. I thought the whole idea with the filters was that they should touch the print heads to "suck" ink when cleaning etc. So the rubber seals on top of the capping station are supposed to seal the capping station to the print heads but create a little gap between heads and filters?

 

[sfr table hockey]

The captops should seal with the rubber part just tight enough to make sure that there is no air leak. Doing a flushing allignment in the service menu says to raise the captops just till the left edge of the left captop touches the left head, then hit enter and it alligns.

Now the filter mainly stops the ink from splattering in the captop and not make a mess. The ink has to pass through the filter to drain in to the drain line which is being sucked from the pump. You could still draw ink (I think) without the filter but it would possible splatter more. If the filters actually touch the head it can create a syphon and drain your carts or if it rubbed the head enough it may plug a nossle by pushing something (dried ink) up into the head.

Some printers now have a screen that holds that filter down. Just hope the screen does not come loose and contast the head. Some have made a screen for our printer.

 

[blackdog01]

I also have an SC500 and about 3 weeks ago replaced the right print head. Since doing so I have had this same problem twice where I come in and the printer has drained 2 or 3 ink cartridges out to the floor each time (from the side with the new head). This is not only a mess but an expensive problem with the cost of ink! Its happened on the same inks and the same head. This machine is running roland inks except for a light cyan and light magenta aftermarket ink that i had in stock. (2 of the colors that drained after different occastions)
The head i replaced was purchased from an aftermarket source. I also changed the dampers and recalibrated the machine. My thought is that its some how related to the head, the calibration or something of that nature? I have started switching off the main power at night to avoid this issue. I dont know if that helps but maybe someone out there knows how to fix it.

 

[sfr table hockey]

I also have an SC500 and about 3 weeks ago replaced the right print head. Since doing so I have had this same problem twice where I come in and the printer has drained 2 or 3 ink cartridges out to the floor each time (from the side with the new head). This is not only a mess but an expensive problem with the cost of ink! Its happened on the same inks and the same head. This machine is running roland inks except for a light cyan and light magenta aftermarket ink that i had in stock. (2 of the colors that drained after different occastions)
The head i replaced was purchased from an aftermarket source. I also changed the dampers and recalibrated the machine. My thought is that its some how related to the head, the calibration or something of that nature? I have started switching off the main power at night to avoid this issue. I dont know if that helps but maybe someone out there knows how to fix it.

Has it gotten a lot hotter since the change on the head. Temp would have to go up a lot, I would think, but it might cause more pressure in the carts and thus force the ink through to the drain bottle. However they should all do that then. The only thing else that could cause this is the head touching the filter. I don't think it's possible to install the head lower than it should be so that should not be the issue. I know you can install them crooked and then they won't set propper on the captops.

If the head was defective it would not charge with ink possible but should not create a syphon.

Could one damper be not holding the vaccume and causing the captop to fill and once the whole head is touching fluid cause the other lines to draw and act like a syphon?

You could put a clip over the drain line when not in use. I would think that just turning off the printer would not prevent this as the pump has nothing going on with it while the printer is idle or turned off. I turn mine off every night.

Is altitude a big change from where you get your carts to where you live but then again all of Denver would have this issue then. I hate opening something up after getting there to have it explode....

 

[Robert M]

Cap tops

Try using the new solvent cap station developed by Mutoh for the falcon series. they have a wire mesh in them to prevent the sponge from touching the head and causing them to drain. they will work in the sc and cj series Rolands


i have them on my site www.solventinkjet.com

 

[blackdog01]

Interesting points. I believe the head is installed and calibrated correct as it does print correctly. The temperature doesn't seem to be any hotter than normal. We are only located about 120 ft above sea level, don't think that is an issue. I bought some dampers from a company online for about $3 each and changed all them in my machine before the head. I wonder if that might be the cause. Since I've started turning the machine off I haven't had this problem occur again. My thought was the machine was waking up on its own and doing a cleaning and during the process caused the drain. Maybe next I will try a new capping station. thanks for the assistance.

 

[blackdog01]

A couple other issues with my SC500. When printing a solid fill, it will print fine for a couple feet and then suddenly leave a large light strip across the media like the ink stopped flowing. Its very random and was wondering if anyone else has come across something like this? It also happens on some non-fill prints and its quite annoying reprinting all the time. I've since bought a new (used) printer but still run this one frequently.

 

[sfr table hockey]

A couple other issues with my SC500. When printing a solid fill, it will print fine for a couple feet and then suddenly leave a large light strip across the media like the ink stopped flowing. Its very random and was wondering if anyone else has come across something like this? It also happens on some non-fill prints and its quite annoying reprinting all the time. I've since bought a new (used) printer but still run this one frequently.

I am getting a similar thing where it does not matter what is being printed, but my one waterbased CJ gets a bit of dropout (not sure what color is causing this) for about 1 cm or 3/8 of an inch, it leaves a lighter area. And it goes back to printing normal after that. The yellow cart was causing issue where the head would drop right off and even the damper would run dry so I knew it was a cart or air lock issue. Seemed to get that fixed, but the band issue even happened before that. Something seems to causing enough of a draw that a head does not recharge fully (may only take one color to do it) but yet in a few passes does charge and continue on.

If you happen to be right there when you notice it happen and can stop the print and do a test print it would help possibly with showing what color is the issue. If all colors are still fine then it's something else.

When I get a chance to replace all the dampers at the same time, at least it would eliminate that problem........ you go first and let me know.....

The other to do list is to install all refill carts to eliminate any car issues that may cause a draw.

 

[mario70lopez]

roland sc500 draining all the ink

Ive een using my sc500 for about 3 months or more and do ink draining ive tried everything everyones mentioned, Yes the roland original sponges that are in the cap top will drain your bottles, get the metal screens, ive clipped my drain hoses that go into the bottle.Im now gonna start turning off the machine, the only thing i did is repplace the cap top, so i imagine its that or the pump, trust me i get into my sc500. i do remember one specific thing in my old captop, my air release hoses where clogged completely, and it worked great, Im actualy thinking of clogging them.