Roland VS-540 Black Bad nozzle test

[divers2deep]

Also, with the single head VS, why would this only be the black ink having issues, if the pump was acting up. I'm simply trying to grasps how everything works in this machine, I appreciate your feedback.

 

[bilge]

Do you self install printheads, or call out a tech ? If self install, where are you purchasing the heads from.

self install. In my country no any Roland tech. I bought 2 RE printers from China, one with eco sol ink, another with dye ink. If I call tech from China, I have to bear all his travel expences including visa fee plus 2000 RMB for service. Usually I bought the heads from Sign-in-China.com. Twice from Singapore. Replacing the printhead is quite simple, takes an hour. In the manual it says 15 min, but I don't rush. Take it very carefully, specially avoid ink drop to spoil printhead and recheck everything connected before turn on the printer. Only trick is to enter service mode. I can enter only after 1 out of 10 attempts. This printhead doesn't last long, max 18 months if you lucky enough.

 

[phototec]

Quick but risky test is swapping the lines. I don't know 6 color configuration, but black is on the 2nd or 3rd pair of ink lines of 4. Close the choke manually, then plug 3rd pair in 2nd and 2nd into 3rd. Test after power cleaning, your test pattern will be changed, but you can see the status of 4th (black) line of test pattern. The risk is ink leakage (it might damage printhead electronics) and getting air into the ink lines. If you do it carefully, it works.

What is: Close the choke manually? What does this mean?

 

[bilge]

sorry for my poor english. here is the picture

 

[jfiscus]

Also, with the single head VS, why would this only be the black ink having issues, if the pump was acting up. I'm simply trying to grasps how everything works in this machine, I appreciate your feedback.

From each individual cap comes a seperate tube, Cyan & Black then connect in a "Y" and go into one pump, and Magenta and Yellow "Y" into the other pump. The tube coming from the Black and into the "Y" maybe the culprit or the black cap seal is bad or not seating correctly/firmly; that is my thought. I think there is a capping station vertical adjustment for these printers also?

 

[divers2deep]

Update on this, I tried slowing the print head to 700 and going uni directional and my prints are now perfect ? however a 9 minute print is taking 40 minutes, but im printing. could this lead us towards something else, any thought ?

 

[bilge]

Update on this, I tried slowing the print head to 700 and going uni directional and my prints are now perfect ? however a 9 minute print is taking 40 minutes, but im printing. could this lead us towards something else, any thought ?

When you print higher resolution -lower speed (I guess you now print at 1440x720) it produce smallest droplets ie fixed 4 or 7 picoliters, no variable dots. If you have a loop you could see the dot sizes at the edges of the print. When you print lower resolution-higher speed 720x360 it produce up to 3 sizes of droplets like 7, 14, 28 pl. means the nozzles open wide. If printhead has mulfunction it can't make enough pressure to push ink then air enters into the printhead channel. When I dismantled this printhead there was very hard ink build-up in the clogged channel. Maybe you can try to wash yourself or ask the service who has the equipment like Print Head Doctor, there were some youtube videos about how to wash Epson heads.

As I undestand you already replaced the damper several times, so it's not a damper. The cap-top and pump is ok, also you soaked it with cleaning solution already. If it is cap top related then only the right and leftmost channels will have problem, sometimes random drop out on different channels. I think you should swap the pair of ink line connector #1 to #2 (don't need to change dampers). Then your test pattern row #4 still missing with different color (C) then it is printhead itself. If problem appears on test row #1 then the choke valve #6 or needle is clogged, but unlikely. In this case you need to make reverse flush.

PS. I've tried to upload a picture, but it gives an error

 

[caci072]

Update on this, I tried slowing the print head to 700 and going uni directional and my prints are now perfect ? however a 9 minute print is taking 40 minutes, but im printing. could this lead us towards something else, any thought ?

Did you ever solve your problem? I have the same one...any idea what's the problem?

 

[Papajo]

You should check if there is any trace of visible damage under the head. Damage to the head can create a way for the air to get in, and while printing air will slowly replace the ink inside the head. Your problem really looks like air is coming in, although most of the time this happens somewhere between the connection to the dampers and the lower surface of the head and you won't see any bubbles going through the ink lines.

Head damage can be tricky to spot on those. The surface can look bent, distorting the reflection. The best way to check is to use a flashlight and mirror. You should look closely where the gap is on the test print (center-left of the head, close to the front).

EDIT : Oh, sorry... Old thread.

 

[ewded]

Update on this, I tried slowing the print head to 700 and going uni directional and my prints are now perfect ? however a 9 minute print is taking 40 minutes, but im printing. could this lead us towards something else, any thought ?

Try bi-directional 300, if it works it means that your pump cannot keep up with the demand and needs to be replaced.

 

[Papajo]

The pump is only used for cleaning. There's no pump supplying the head during printing, the head just siphons the cartridges.

 

[ewded]

The pump is only used for cleaning. There's no pump supplying the head during printing, the head just siphons the cartridges.

In that case there may be air in the tubes, they allow some flow but not on high demand. Maybe.