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Roland UV ink - Strong Odor is giving us headaches

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sunshine101

New Member
I own new Roland LEF-20 printers. They've worked great but the odor from the Roland Eco-UV ink is making my wife and I very sick. We're both getting headaches from it. The odor is soooo very strong. I've been in contact with Roland since the first week describing the issue. They sent out a Roland rep and our install tech (who has been really nice & helpful but unsuccessful correcting this issue) but the Roland factory rep didn't check the lines or the inside of the BOFA. Our install tech checked the capping stations. The Roland rep said everything looked ok and advised adding additional ventilation which we've done but it's still not a solution. He said we would have to live with it. I think it's more likely we'll die from it sooner than later based on the fumes/odor. If I'm getting headaches am I also getting cancer? I've installed a 1700 cfm fan to remove odor from the room. That's like a small plane engine but still it's not intended to run 24/7 so that's just a temporary fix to pull fumes out when we're in the room. Roland said to run the BOFA filter 24/7 but the manufacturer (BOFA) said they do not recommend running the BOFA filter 24/7 so Roland and BOFA differ in option on how the Bofa is intended to be run therefore that's not the solution either. I've opened several cases with Roland. The last one on Aug 6th. I was told it was being escalated but I have yet to hear a response. It's the 15th. The units we were shown prior to purchase did not have this issue so despite the ink odor being unbelievable others units may not have be having the issue we are.

Is anyone else using a Roland with the Eco-UV ink? If so is the odor overwhelming you as well? Are there any other manufacturers that make ink that will work in the LEF-20? Maybe someone else's ink won't overwhelm us with the odor/fumes? I don't know what to do? My last call to Roland support the rep Garrett said "What would you like Roland to do?".... I was taken back by that question. I'm an end user. My unit is new and under warranty that's why I'm calling Roland for support. Not to be sarcastic but If I knew how to fix it I would. That question kind of dinged my opinion of Roland support. Not receiving a response in 10 days also sucks a bit. Find the problem and fix it is my only request. So far that has not happened. I'm definitely open to suggestions. Thank you in advance. :)
 
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player

New Member
sunshine101 said:
I own new Roland LEF-20 printers. They've worked great but the odor from the Roland Eco-UV ink is making my wife and I very sick. We're both getting headaches from it. The odor is soooo very strong. I've been in contact with Roland since the first week describing the issue. They sent out a Roland rep and our install tech (who has been really nice & helpful but unsuccessful correcting this issue) but the Roland factory rep didn't check the lines or the inside of the BOFA. Our install tech checked the capping stations. The Roland rep said everything looked ok and advised adding additional ventilation which we've done but it's still not a solution. He said we would have to live with it. I think it's more likely we'll die from it sooner than later based on the fumes/odor. If I'm getting headaches am I also getting cancer? I've installed a 1700 cfm fan to remove odor from the room. That's like a small plane engine but still it's not intended to run 24/7 so that's just a temporary fix to pull fumes out when we're in the room. Roland said to run the BOFA filter 24/7 but the manufacturer (BOFA) said they do not recommend running the BOFA filter 24/7 so Roland and BOFA differ in option on how the Bofa is intended to be run therefore that's not the solution either. I've opened several cases with Roland. The last one on Aug 6th. I was told it was being escalated but I have yet to hear a response. It's the 15th. The units we were shown prior to purchase did not have this issue so despite the ink odor being unbelievable others units may not have be having the issue we are.

Is anyone else using a Roland with the Eco-UV ink? If so is the odor overwhelming you as well? Are there any other manufacturers that make ink that will work in the LEF-20? Maybe someone else's ink won't overwhelm us with the odor/fumes? I don't know what to do? My last call to Roland support the rep Garrett said "What would you like Roland to do?".... I was taken back by that question. I'm an end user. My unit is new and under warranty that's why I'm calling Roland for support. Not to be sarcastic but If I knew how to fix it I would. That question kind of dinged my opinion of Roland support. Not receiving a response in 10 days also sucks a bit. Find the problem and fix it is my only request. So far that has not happened. I'm definitely open to suggestions. Thank you in advance. :)
Click to expand...

Take it back and refund you your money?
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
If it's making you money and you intend to keep it you'll need to have ventilation.

One thing that would be handy to know is if the fumes are lighter or heavier than air. If lighter you may be able to do a hood type system or hood with curtains instead of the complete room.

I'd talk to your local HVAC contractor about an exhaust system with MUA(make up air). You'd be amazed at what a properly designed system can do.
 
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Davidford7

New Member
My first question is what speed are you running the BOFA at? Probably not the issue but I thought I'd ask. Next do you vent the output of the BOFA out of the room?
I agree with you that sometimes Roland support is nominal. I bought a LEF-20 about 4 months ago and the odor has not been a issue, but I have it in a not so tight room. As a matter of fact I have had 2 LEF-20 in the last 4 months and neither have had a odor problem. The first was replaced for printing issue only after making many phone calls to the higher ups at Roland.
I'll send you a PM with my number so we can talk.
David
 
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Ragnabrok

New Member
Also had an LEF-12 with the BOFA, running at about 30% 24/7 the only time i could smell anything is when the cover was opened to remove whatever was printed. The door on the BOFA is part of the seal, so make sure it closes tightly.
 
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sunshine101

New Member
I have 2200 cfm duct fans installed... + exhausting outside.

Hello,
Thank you everyone for your replies. Insight from pros with years of experience is amazing. I'm grateful. :) In regards to ventilation. I have a 1700 cfm exhaust duct fan installed plus a 750 cfm intake fan installed + I open the doors to add air flow. I'm forced to keep the Bofa on 2 almost 24/7 just to be able to walk into the room. I am not exaggerating, it can get really bad at times. The thing that's odd to me is that the odor peaks then goes down. Sometimes I walk in and it's barely noticeable then hours later it's so strong it makes me dizzy so it's something with the unit itself. I checked the vent between the bofa and LEF-20 I see & feel no leaks there. My install tech is very nice. He checked the capping stations to make sure it was seating properly but found no issues. He brought a Roland rep with him but no one has checked the lines for leaks or opened the actual Bofa filter to see if it's working properly. The last Roland rep I spoke with said to add something around the door to better seal it but that's pointless if it's a huge door and we open it constantly when the units in use. The Roland rep who came here said add ventilation and live with it. If i add an extra seal around the door the fumes will be trapped in there and simply go in my face as soon as I open it. I didn't like the Roland support tech asking me on the phone what I want Roland to do about it. I felt like he was intentionally trying to put the ball back in my court like I was asking him to take ants to the moon or something crazy. I wasn't, I was just calling for help. If I had the answers I would have fixed it myself. Going on two weeks and no response from Roland. So I've moved out of the room. I now work in another room and only walk in to setup print jobs then leave. Back & forth back & forth (friggin' nightmare). I really want Roland to support this unit and get the issue fixed. The eco-UV ink has a very very very strong odor. I'm told unlike the eco-sol ink so maybe I just need to get a 3rd party ink but that'll likely void the warranty. So I'm stuck.... at times it makes me dizzy and I'm getting headaches. What's on my desk at this moment? A memo pad, pen, halls wrapper, and Goodys headache medicine.

Is anyone else having this issue with the ink/printer odor being really really strong in the entire room? Are there 3rd parties to buy non-Roland UV ink for the LEF series printers? The LEf-20 works fine but the smell is overwhelming at times. Suggestions?
 
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player

New Member
If your printer is not leaking ink, and is printing as it should, there has to be something wrong with your ventilation.

Can you show us pictures of your setup? The BOFA is vented to the outside? How long is the ventilation pipe or tube? Is it covered or could wind be making things go bad?

There are lots of guys here who have dealt with industrial fumes and would be able to give you a much better analyis with photos and measurements of the room, vent length etc.

It is a problem that can be greatly reduced with the right eyes on it...
 
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Ragnabrok

New Member
Just a shot in the dark, the LEF-20 sits on top of the BOFA, with a short dryer-vent-looking hose that goes into the bottom of the LEF, and there is a plate on the bottom of the LEF that gets removed, and a grate replaces it. Has that grate been changed, or is the BOFA hooked up to a closed vent?
 
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sunshine101

New Member
player said:
If your printer is not leaking ink, and is printing as it should, there has to be something wrong with your ventilation.

Can you show us pictures of your setup? The BOFA is vented to the outside? How long is the ventilation pipe or tube? Is it covered or could wind be making things go bad?

There are lots of guys here who have dealt with industrial fumes and would be able to give you a much better analyis with photos and measurements of the room, vent length etc.

It is a problem that can be greatly reduced with the right eyes on it...
Click to expand...


Hi,
Thank you for your response. The ventilation duct is only about 8 inches or so from the back of the bofa to the outside vent. The vent is not obstructed so ventilation from the Bofa to outside is not an issue. Inside the LEF-20 you can feel the suction from the Bofa so that's also pulling air properly. I don't know if it's actually filtering it due to the odor. The advertisements say the Bofa "virtually eliminates odor". That's definitely not happening unless the odor is all coming from within the LEF-20? I have a hood with 1700 cfm duct fan on the side of the room with the printers and on the other side of the room I have a vent pulling fresh air from outside with an extra 750 cfm fan. I also open doors when working. The problem is the duct fans like the Bofa are not intended to run 24/7. Their intended to be run when we are working. So that isn't a fulltime solution. The printers we were demo'd prior to purchase are not having the same issue we've been told and someone else responded saying they also aren't experiencing the issue where the odor is overtaking the whole room.
 
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player

New Member
It seems like you have a lack of make-up air. You have 1,700 out, but only 750 in. Is the BOFA also removing air or is it the 1,700? I am not familiar with BOFA.

Despite opening a door, I propose you have a negative pressure in the room. When I had a full size Devilbiss auto spray booth I think our makeup air was 10% greater than the exhaust fan in the booth. This gave us a slight positive pressure.
 
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