What goes bad in a print head ? DX7

[autoexebat]

I'm just curious of what actually goes bad in a print head ? I know they can get clogged nozzles and there are some circuit boards on the sides , but other than that what else can fail in a head itself ? I'm on my 2nd print head in less that 1.5 years and I'm just confused.

Thanks

 

[Solventinkjet]

Head strikes can physically damage/close nozzles
Manifold can crack which lets air in and throws off the pressure
The filter inside the manifold can clog or break and let particles through
The piezo crystals that push the ink out can become deformed or jammed
Nozzles erode over time on really old heads which cause nozzle/dot deformation
The membrane that separates the channels can break causing cross contamination and pressure issues
The head cable and/or terminal can become corroded/damaged/dirty which causes the head signal to be interrupted or shorted
Normally a short in the head circuit will blow the head fuse but sometimes it will damage the components on the head itself
In my experience, dye sub ink kills heads faster than solvent for some reason

 

[autoexebat]

Thanks , I'm just trying to narrow down a few things to why I can't print a grey gradient , although I have a perfect test print and my new head is just a little over a year old on my VS300i .

 

[iPrintStuff]

Have you ever been able to? Could it be a profile issue?

 

[autoexebat]

Yeah , when I first got my new print head a year ago I could easily . I've been printing the same files and using the same profile since 2013 . Test print is perfect , this is why I am so confused . Nothing has changed , It's a printer ( vs300i ) I use in my home 1 to 2 hours a day .

 

[iPrintStuff]

I seen the nozzle check in the other post now, I wouldn’t quite call that perfect! Are those persistent nozzles out? Had any head strikes?

 

[autoexebat]

No head strikes , I posted one yesterday that wasn't the best but I didn't one today and looked great .

 

[P Wagner]

To draw on a widely-used analogy: large-format printers are akin to musical instruments, such as a piano or a guitar. They all require re-tuning at periodic intervals to bring them back to producing the proper tones. The area that will be most noticeable with a non-linear printing device is near-neutrals and grays, as opposed to saturated colors. The frequency for tuning depends on the required accuracy of the output (notes in the case of the music instrument, color in the case of the printer), For a performance artist, the instrument is tuned on a daily basis, while for the average user, maybe 1x year or less.

With printers, this is referred to as re-linearizing the print mode. Most RIPs have a function for this.

 

[autoexebat]

Thanks for the reply , but that doesn't sound like something I am able to do . unless I fork out another 2 grand for a head.

 

[P Wagner]

Thanks for the reply , but that doesn't sound like something I am able to do . unless I fork out another 2 grand for a head.

Re-linearization does not require a new printhead, but it does require a color measurement instrument called a spectrophotometer that is supported in your RIP.

 

[iPrintStuff]

Do you use the same print profile for all your media? (Assuming you don’t build your own). Have you tried switching profiles and checking the difference? Or even go to the manufacturer and see if they have a profile for that particular media?

 

[autoexebat]

Yes same profile , same media since 2013 . I have changed to different profiles with no changes at all . I don't update or changes things , I mainly print and laminate the same thing over and over again .

 

[iPrintStuff]

Different profiles with the exact same results seems highly unlikely, that’s the whole point of having different profiles; as all media’s are different.

try download some new ones and see how that goes, or bite the bullet and get a spectro. Probably cheaper than a new print head! (I don’t think it’s the print head)

 

[Bly]

If you linearise with a spectro it should bring your greys back to neutral.
That's the point. It compensates for wear and tear on the heads, different media and climatic conditions.

 

[netsol]

as well as differences from ink cartridge to ink cartridge. if you haven't linearised in 7 years your grey SHOULD need some work

 

[autoexebat]

Where do you get this tool and how do you even use it ? This print head is only 13 months old .

 

[abboud911]

Head strikes can physically damage/close nozzles
Manifold can crack which lets air in and throws off the pressure
The filter inside the manifold can clog or break and let particles through
The piezo crystals that push the ink out can become deformed or jammed
Nozzles erode over time on really old heads which cause nozzle/dot deformation
The membrane that separates the channels can break causing cross contamination and pressure issues
The head cable and/or terminal can become corroded/damaged/dirty which causes the head signal to be interrupted or shorted
Normally a short in the head circuit will blow the head fuse but sometimes it will damage the components on the head itself
In my experience, dye sub ink kills heads faster than solvent for some reason

Please how can I check the printhead fuse for roland vs-640 since after 2 days of installing the print head , it stop printing , any help please or picture for the fuse location ?