Use JV# for a Coroplast Printing?

[decalit]

I have an old JV3 i pretty much use only for banners, just wondering if any one has tried to raise the head up all the way and try to print on coroplast?

 

[Brink]

I don't have a JV3 but I do have a CJV30. Not the same machine for sure due to the differing head(s) and the contour cutting on the CJV. It is pretty much the same printbed though. My CJV wouldn't do it.

 

[decalit]

I think the machine would pull the coroplast, i am going to put a piece in the machine tonight and manually slide the carriage over and check the clearance.... just thought i would try to re purpose an old workhorse...

 

[Brink]

I thought the same thing. The Pinch rollers did pull it through, but the head would not clear. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

[eahicks]

Absotively, positlutely NOT.

 

[decalit]

Yeah I checked it out, the head does not come close to clearing the substrate.... oh well it was worth checking out

 

[Brink]

I think it was Ben Franklin that said. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". Hey it was a great idea. Too bad it didn't work. I would have been looking to get myself a JV. LOL

 

[rubo]

I think it was Ben Franklin that said. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". Hey it was a great idea. Too bad it didn't work. I would have been looking to get myself a JV. LOL

Actually...it does work. I ventured and gained. I have a homemade flatbed printer - Mutoh RJ900 and I run materials up to 1.5" thick - and it was my choice to stop there (and the length of tubing involved). So the problem was to rise the printhead to accommodate the thickness. The solution - to rise the printhead to accommodate the thickness. Two linear actuators, two linear bearings, one laptop power supply, a switch, some precise surgery and you can have a flatbed. And you still can use it as a roll to roll - just lower the head. The cost of conversion was about $800. So I'm able to print on ceramic tiles, glass, wood etc...with waterbased inks, but it's a different story altogether. Now, your printer is Mimaki, but I think any printer with straight media path should work. If you don't want to bother with much engineering, just put couple of spacers under the railing that carries the printhead - and you'll have the clearance you need - but only that - you won't be able to print on anything thicker or thinner than your coro height. As far as heat - you can post heat with an external heater. Her are some videos of what I've done to my printer:

z-axis motion:

[video=youtube;oybTJP3kTp0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybTJP3kTp0[/video]

tile printing:

[video=youtube;2PyXcrOqC4g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PyXcrOqC4g[/video]

Cheers!

 

[Brink]

Actually...it does work. I ventured and gained. I have a homemade flatbed printer - Mutoh RJ900 and I run materials up to 1.5" thick - and it was my choice to stop there (and the length of tubing involved). So the problem was to rise the printhead to accommodate the thickness. The solution - to rise the printhead to accommodate the thickness. Two linear actuators, two linear bearings, one laptop power supply, a switch, some precise surgery and you can have a flatbed. And you still can use it as a roll to roll - just lower the head. The cost of conversion was about $800. So I'm able to print on ceramic tiles, glass, wood etc...with waterbased inks, but it's a different story altogether. Now, your printer is Mimaki, but I think any printer with straight media path should work. If you don't want to bother with much engineering, just put couple of spacers under the railing that carries the printhead - and you'll have the clearance you need - but only that - you won't be able to print on anything thicker or thinner than your coro height. As far as heat - you can post heat with an external heater. Her are some videos of what I've done to my printer:

z-axis motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oybTJP3kTp0
tile printing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PyXcrOqC4g

Cheers!

Pretty neat looking "rig" you have there. I don't think I'm butchering my printer to get one though. LOL