violent media loading design finally broke roll assembly - can I print sheet?

[iSign]

well, just the latest in a long history of this printer being a POS... but it's my POS & I need to limp along and get some jobs out, since I'm not ready to take it out back and shoot it quite yet...

...so, until a technician shows up with the new roll assembly, and puts back all those springs & gears that spilled out all over the floor... I'm as good as dead to make any money... unless I can trick the printer!

So, unlike my old mimaki JV3, this L25500 isn't set up for printing sheets... only rolls, and it always wants to know everything about the roll, so HP tells me there is no way to print until everything gets fixed.

I'm not surprised that the HP lab coat geeks say I "can't" bypass the whole roll loading process, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone here knew a way to get a job out in a bind like this.

Anyone else ever had years of heavy rolls slamming in to the weakass plastic parts result in a broken roll assembly? I always knew this day would come.
I've had mysterious small chipped plastic parts fly out of this thing before, so it was just a matter of time.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

I had loaded sheets into my L25500 before. Just a lot harder to line and square a run up. But it works. I remember it prompting me saying the roll load direction was not detected and you could try again or continue. I just continued and printed as normal.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

well, just the latest in a long history of this printer being a POS... but it's my POS & I need to limp along and get some jobs out, since I'm not ready to take it out back and shoot it quite yet...

...so, until a technician shows up with the new roll assembly, and puts back all those springs & gears that spilled out all over the floor... I'm as good as dead to make any money... unless I can trick the printer!

So, unlike my old mimaki JV3, this L25500 isn't set up for printing sheets... only rolls, and it always wants to know everything about the roll, so HP tells me there is no way to print until everything gets fixed.

I'm not surprised that the HP lab coat geeks say I "can't" bypass the whole roll loading process, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone here knew a way to get a job out in a bind like this.

Anyone else ever had years of heavy rolls slamming in to the weakass plastic parts result in a broken roll assembly? I always knew this day would come.
I've had mysterious small chipped plastic parts fly out of this thing before, so it was just a matter of time.

Just a note the loading assembly is the same on the L360. I never use the tray to push the roll on. lift either side on and then push back by myself. I hate the way it drops and shoves it back.

 

[iSign]

Thanks Big Easy!

yep, I loaded it manually, clicked continue when it said "may be detached from core" and was able to print a job!

HP will be here with all new roll holder assembly parts next Thursday.

I'm grateful I will still be able to print this weekend though.
I was out of town for a week & leave for another week in June, so getting caught up is essential right now!

 

[Santimus]

I had the same problem a couple years ago. Since then I've stopped using the loader. It throws it in there with too much force. I place it in manually now.

The parts & labor were ridiculous through HP so I repaired it myself. I had to rebuild the cracked parts where the screws/bolts go into. Build up the cracked parts and reinforce them. HP used hollow plastic for this area which is very cheap considering the weight of a full 60" 150' roll of banner material is hard to lift and maneuver alone. I used our laser to cut out acrylic circles with holes just wide enough to fit the bolt in. I slid those into the existing hollow (and now cracked and borken) areas for the bolts. Then I fused with acrylic cement. I will atttach pics of the before and after to show what I mean. I know not everybody has access to laser cut acrylic so just use common sense and judgment on how to go about reinforcing the broken areas. You want to make it stronger than it was built so this doesn't happen again!

Hope this helps anyone who doesn't want to pay HP to come out!