Timing Issue? Black vs. Color... Falcon Outdoor Jr.

[mtt481]

I'm hoping someone here can help. As you can see from the image I posted we are appearing to have a timing issue with the black and color ink. The white space on the right hand side of the blue is not supposed to be there. We have played with our print positioning parameter and it has not made any change at all. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Auburnpeanut]

I don't think it is a timing issue. Generally that will never have to be changed. If you have recently changed a print head or had a head strike, you need to check the alignment of the print heads to each other. Quickest way to check if it is off is to do a nozzle check print. If the boxes/lines or color are off from the black, it is alignment not timing. The outdoor junior has little small wedges and screws that allow you to adjust front to back and side to side where one head is sitting in relation to the other. That is generally what causes the black to be off from the color. We used to have two of the machines. Don't anymore. I still have some brand new parts for the machines that we are selling off. Let me know if you need anything. Hope it helps.

Peanut

 

[mtt481]

Peanut, thank you, didn't think the alignment would be the cause but I'll try that first thing tomorrow! I would be interested in stocking up on some parts, what all do you have?

 

[CRD]

Run machine test print with the four colors.
First adjust manually the black compared to the colors in height (horizontal) so they are almost at the same line if they are not. Peanut described about the wedges. In other words you loose up the head and align it and then fix and test print untill it is correct. Can take some time.........................................
If there is a gap between between black and the colors vertical then you need to go to maintenance and adjust this in firmware the this gap to zero.
More to come when I am at home as with Flexi you can make final adjustments and checks.

Paco

 

[mtt481]

Got it dialed in, thanks guys! Much appreciated!

 

[mtt481]

Ok guys, next question. We're now getting periodically an E074 error code thrown. Sometimes it will work, other times I get that error code. Check the belt tension, made sure it was even and wasn't crawling, cleaned the encoder strip, cleaned and greased the rails, checked the motor and pulley and all seems good. Any thoughts on what to look for next?

 

[CRD]

This is the most problematic error I found sofar that is unpredictable.

Mostly it has nothing to do with the encoders or the motor or the tension of the belt.
With a tiny friction this error can be thrown up.
Happens often when it leaves the capping position.

Sofar this you can check.

Check if the maintenance station is not pushing to much/hard upwards and the capping is sticking a little to the head which cause friction when it has to leave the home position.
With the two screws in the front of this unit you can alter the heigth.

Also check the large screw at the rigth handside that blocks the head when it is parked on the cappingstation.
if you turn it out, anti clock wise 2 turns see if the error amount reduces.

On the main board there is a resitor measuring the y motor current.
I suspect this one to change in value overtime and cause the false Y error reading pop up more.
I do not have the schematics and currently do not have the time to dig into this more.

Mine machine prints fine every single job send to the que.
But as soon as a job is busy and a next one is send to the que it will throw this error as soon as the first is done the head returns to the home position and then for the next job the head needs to move again.

I hope this helps.

For the ultimate head alignment.
In Flexi rip and print screen, go to the Advanced tab and tick the printmarks box and choose SWATCH all colors option.
Print a little square and check the corner lines where the black lines needs to line up with the colors.
This is the most acurate way I could calibrate the head.

Paco

 

[Auburnpeanut]

Peanut, thank you, didn't think the alignment would be the cause but I'll try that first thing tomorrow! I would be interested in stocking up on some parts, what all do you have?

Private message me and I will give you a list of what we have with some pricing.

Peanut

 

[Auburnpeanut]

This is the most problematic error I found sofar that is unpredictable.

Mostly it has nothing to do with the encoders or the motor or the tension of the belt.
With a tiny friction this error can be thrown up.
Happens often when it leaves the capping position.

Sofar this you can check.

Check if the maintenance station is not pushing to much/hard upwards and the capping is sticking a little to the head which cause friction when it has to leave the home position.
With the two screws in the front of this unit you can alter the heigth.

Also check the large screw at the rigth handside that blocks the head when it is parked on the cappingstation.
if you turn it out, anti clock wise 2 turns see if the error amount reduces.

On the main board there is a resitor measuring the y motor current.
I suspect this one to change in value overtime and cause the false Y error reading pop up more.
I do not have the schematics and currently do not have the time to dig into this more.

Mine machine prints fine every single job send to the que.
But as soon as a job is busy and a next one is send to the que it will throw this error as soon as the first is done the head returns to the home position and then for the next job the head needs to move again.

I hope this helps.

For the ultimate head alignment.
In Flexi rip and print screen, go to the Advanced tab and tick the printmarks box and choose SWATCH all colors option.
Print a little square and check the corner lines where the black lines needs to line up with the colors.
This is the most acurate way I could calibrate the head.

Paco

Paco couldn't have said it any better.

 

[mtt481]

Paco couldn't have said it any better.

Thanks guys, got it all up and running again and now after printing a few jobs, I'm getting no black firing at all. Thinking it's the fuse so now I get to tear it all apart and check that. I'm about ready to take a sledge hammer to this thing, would be way more fun than dealing with this stuff every day!!!

 

[mtt481]

Private message me and I will give you a list of what we have with some pricing.

Peanut

PM Sent

 

[mtt481]

Well if anyone wants this printer cheap... i'm willing to sell it... I'm done with this thing... too much of a pain in my *** to deal with.

 

[mtt481]

And now it appears both head fuses are blown... it's never ending with this thing.

 

[CRD]

Slow down..........learning curve........
I run this baby with the covers off at the righthand side so I can see what happens while the machine is cleaning.
Most important with these machines is to keep the lines clean and the sponge in the cappingstation wet but do not store it with strong cleaning fluid as this will swell the foam which then contact the head and cause crosscontamination.
Waste lines to the waste bottle and the lines from the cappingstation to the pump all need to be open.
If you have some cleaning fluid and a syringe push this through the lines or if no fluid listen of the air passes through.
If you bougth this machine used you have to run this over once to make sure all lines are clean.
If you run a cleaning cycle check if the ink flows through the waste lines. Black and color have different waste lines.
If it does not then it is not the fuse.
Lot of ifs..............
In basic this machine is very simple to troubleshoot if you know what you have to do.
Pull the power cord if you work on the machine. That is the only way not to shortcut and blow the fuse.


Paco

 

[mtt481]

Lol yeah I'm gonna be a pro with this thing by the time I'm done... So it was printing fine then all the sudden in the middle of a job the black stopped printing. Did some digging checked the head, cables etc all seemed fine. Bypassed the black print head fuse and black started printing again which then tells me it's the fuse that is blown. Then while doing that the color fuse blew as well so basically I'm sitting there now with a brick. Need to replace the two fuses or the whole main board. Preferably haut the fuses as it's much cheaper. I understand finicky but sheesh there is a learning curve as you said! Does anyone have any of the fuses by chance?

 

[CRD]

Use two fuse holders of 5x20 mm and solder them over the curent broken fuse with wires.Easier to change the fuse then.
Like I said if you are working on the machine remove the power cable.
Does the colorhead prints with bypassed fuse?

Paco

 

[mtt481]

Yes the color does print as well when I bypass it. Fantastic idea pack! Then just use a 20amp fuse in the holder correct?

 

[mtt481]

Seem to be going backward even more now, lol... Soldered the fuse holders and put the fuses in and when I go to turn the machine on, the image attached is what is happening. Any thoughts on this one? Seems maybe the main board?

 

[CRD]

2 amp max fuses to be used.
20 amps is like a bypass with a wire
Where did you find the 20 amps?

Paco

 

[mtt481]

2 amp max fuses to be used.
20 amps is like a bypass with a wire
Where did you find the 20 amps?

Paco

Sorry yeah meant 2amp.