Roland SP-300v Ink, Head, Cap Problem?? Lots of drop outs

[xxxmain]

Hi everyone! First post. I was on google looking for a solution to my problem and this forum kept coming up, so I joined.

I have a Roland SP-300V that has worked almost flawlessly for 7ish years now. It’s used almost every day for a few hours (5 days a week). The machine sat unused for two weeks and when I went to use it the printer went through all of the motions when I sent a job but no ink was coming out. I ran the standard cleaning mode and did a test print to see many drop outs and smudged ink (#1 on pic).

I did a manual cleaning then another test print with much better results but still a bunch of drop outs (#2 on pic).

Here’s where I may have screwed things up a bit. I ran out of cleaning solution but thought manual cleaning again was a good idea. I used methyl hydrate (same as denatured alcohol?) to clean the heads and did a test print (#3 on pic). It got worse. After, I read something on the internet about not using alcohol to clean the heads as it evaporates too fast and could cause ink to dry out.

So, I ran to my local Roland dealer and bought the insanely overpriced cleaning solution and did another manual clean then test print (#4 on pic). I’ve done several manual cleanings and standard, medium, and even heavy cleanings through the machine and the test print keeps coming up the same as #4.

I’ve been doing a bunch of reading about possible causes and see that caps could be a big problem. I will order these parts and replace them but it will take time for them to arrive and would like to get this going so I can finish some current jobs.

My current caps look to be in great shape and when I wet the sponges with cleaner it absorbs quickly as if it isn’t dried up inside. I’ve always dropped a few drops of cleaner into them when I do manual cleanings every month or so. But, they are 7 years old so they could be the problem (it is strange that they just stopped working suddenly over the two weeks the machine wasn’t used).

I’m going to try the coffee filter trick (cleaner in coffee filter stuck between heads and caps to soak heads for 20-minutes), I just have to look up how to shut everything off so I can manually move the heads and caps apart to put coffee filter in.

Is there anything anyone else can think of that I can try now without parts that could fix this? I attached images of 4 test prints.

Image recap:
#1 after two weeks of no use and one standard cleaning
#2 after manual cleaning with proper cleaning solution
#3 after another manual cleaning but this time with methyl hydrate (denatured alcohol) stupid mistake!!!!
#4 after multiple manual cleanings and machine cleanings with proper cleaning solution again - nothing seems to change on this test print after each new manual cleaning

Sorry for the long post, thanks for any help!

 

[xxxmain]

Update and more questions. I've attached an updated image of the test prints.

#4 is from my last post. #5 is after I did the coffee filter trick to soak the heads for 30-minutes. I gained some new dashes for each color.

I then soaked the head in a similar manner as the coffee filter way but I didn't use a filter. I just clamped off the lines from the caps, filled the caps with cleaner, then soaked the heads directly in the cleaner and caps. #6 is after that head soaking and it got worse.

I'm now going to soak the head again using the coffee filter in between.

My question is, does the fact that after soaking with the coffee filter I got more dashes mean that the head is clogged??.. or could it still be the caps that aren't sealing? I'm assuming the fact that the test print changes each time I clean means that some extra jets are being cleaned out?

Thoughts?

 

[Sign Works]

You just need to pull some ink through the heads & capping stations using a syringe. Pull lines off at the Y fitting going to the pump (if your just pulling air then manually move the print head carriage slightly left or right, you will feel when the head gets a good seal on the capping station). Sounds like your capping stations might be old (like mine) and need replacing so that they keep a good seal on the heads, this allows air to back up in the lines before the dampers/heads, you basically just need to get the air out. You can pick up a syringe at your local feed store.

 

[xxxmain]

Excellent, thanks! I'll pickup a syringe tomorrow and try that.

I'm going to order new caps and install those as well, but I'm just looking for a quick fix to get a few jobs done before the parts show up. Hopefully the syringe trick will do it.

 

[xxxmain]

So I remembered that I had some small 3cc syringes around. I tried one of those to draw the ink through the heads and caps by removing the hose from the Y (would a syringe of this size be strong enough to draw the ink?). I was only able to draw a single drop of blue and no red ink at all when I connected to each of the two lines. I was able to pump the syringe in and out without any draw or noticeable resistance in either direction. Does this help to indicate that the seal between the heads and caps is the problem? and that is why the syringe pumps so easily as it's just pumping the leaked air?

I had the machine turned off and unplugged and I used the manual oval tool to ensure the caps were snug up against the heads.

 

[Sign Works]

This should work fine, do one line at a time and draw just until you start to get ink in the syringe (no need to waste a lot of ink). Sometimes this causes a bit of ink cross contamination in the dampers (ie - black in cyan or magenta in yellow) but all you have to do is print some specific ink color squares until the unwanted color clears, you'll need to utilize the "Preserve Primary Color" function in Versaworks to do this.

 

[xxxmain]

This should work fine, do one line at a time and draw just until you start to get ink in the syringe (no need to waste a lot of ink). Sometimes this causes a bit of ink cross contamination in the dampers (ie - black in cyan or magenta in yellow) but all you have to do is print some specific ink color squares until the unwanted color clears, you'll need to utilize the "Preserve Primary Color" function in Versaworks to do this.

Did you see my post just before your last one? I tried a small 3cc syringe and couldn't draw any ink from either line (other than a single drop from the blue). I'm guessing that means that there is a leak between the heads and the caps?

Thanks for the help with this.

 

[Sign Works]

So I remembered that I had some small 3cc syringes around. I tried one of those to draw the ink through the heads and caps by removing the hose from the Y (would a syringe of this size be strong enough to draw the ink?). I was only able to draw a single drop of blue and no red ink at all when I connected to each of the two lines. I was able to pump the syringe in and out without any draw or noticeable resistance in either direction. Does this help to indicate that the seal between the heads and caps is the problem? and that is why the syringe pumps so easily as it's just pumping the leaked air?

I had the machine turned off and unplugged and I used the manual oval tool to ensure the caps were snug up against the heads.

I always do this with the sub power turned off, havn't turned off the main power ever. You don't want to pump air into the lines, you attach the ink line to the tip of the syringe and draw the plunger back to pull ink through dampers,heads & capping stations, if there is no resistance when you pull the plunger back then your more than likely pulling air from between the head and capping station because they do not have a good seal, move the head carriage slightly to the left or the right (whichever way has a little play) and see if this creates a seal. I also usually do a very thorough manual head cleaning along with the capping stations prior to using the syringe, dabbing with a soaked cleaning swab on the rubber seal portion of the capping stations helps the heads to get a good seal.

Probably unrelated but make sure any ink carts didn't run out, I have had this happen without the cart sensor working properly to inform me that the cart was empty.

 

[Sign Works]

Did you see my post just before your last one? I tried a small 3cc syringe and couldn't draw any ink from either line (other than a single drop from the blue). I'm guessing that means that there is a leak between the heads and the caps?

Thanks for the help with this.

I use a Monoject 20ml syringe, kinda overkill but its the smallest one the feed store had and provides a very strong draw.

 

[xxxmain]

Cool, I'll try moving the heads around a bit to create a better seal. Otherwise, I'll try to source some local Roland parts tomorrow and install a new pair of caps.

Thanks!

 

[xxxmain]

Brilliant!!! It works again! I moved the heads around like you said to find a good seal and the syringe drew both inks easily. Now she's printing perfect again! Thank you so much. I'll order some new caps and replace those ASAP but for now the machine works and can finish jobs until parts come.

Gotta love the internet... we're all technicians now Thanks again!

 

[player]

Definitely new caps are in order. That is what happens when they go, you get lots of dropouts. Then when you get them back, within a day or 2 they drop out again.

Watch what you do with the syringe. If you pull too hard you can ruin the head. There is some type of membrane you can pop.