Why do you need to flush out old ink when changing manufacturers?

[Tony Rome]

Can someone explain this, does everyone agree?
Yes, I know it is preached, BUT, wouldn't the old ink just work it's way out of the line.
What am I missing?
Roland SP540V thinking of switching from Roland to generic...
PLEASE don't preach about warranty, I understand Roland's death grip on us.
Warranty aside, what is the issue of not flushing first?
Thanks!

 

[iSign]

co-mingling fluids always has it's risks...

 

[artbot]

mix the two out in the open somewhere. if you see any

kind of particlizing of the two inks, it's a big no-no. depending on the chemical make up it will be harmless or coagulate. from ss2 to triangle jvs you don't flush. hell, from tiangle jvs to triangle biosolvent to jvs no flush. just depends.

 

[Bly]

Bordeaux ink carts in my rolands were just plug and pray.

 

[signage]

What Artbot said, some of the chemical make up of different inks will not mix and still flow, they will start to dry or worst have a hot chemical reaction possibly melting something.

 

[FatCat]

It seems to me I've seen most 3rd party ink companies state that it is usually OK to just plug in their ink if you're using OEM.
(Most I've seen state their inks are chemically compatible with OEM - be sure to check for yourself though, lol.)

However, they do warn if you're already running another 3rd party ink to never switch without flushing since they can't know what stuff is in the other ink.

 

[rushworks graphics]

re the roland warrenty/death grip you spoke of........its illegal for any manufacturer to void warrenty if you change inks! they can not do this.

 

[CS-SignSupply-TT]

Magnusson-Moss Act is what "rushworks graphics" is referring to. As you make the decision to move from OEM to 3rd party (if you are still under warranty), take the opportunity to have your printer serviced and brought back to manufacturer SPECS before the warranty expires. Then you will be assured, by the manufacturer, that your your printer is in good working condition. Then, once the warranty expires, make your move to 3rd party inks. Be aware, expect to get your hands "dirty" when it comes to the light service and maintenance you will be expected to perform on your printer. Just like your car, truck, boat, HVAC..., there are certain services that must be performed to keep your printer running properly.

 

[randya]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson–Moss_Warranty_Act

Enacted in 1975, it is the federal statute that governs warranties on consumer products.
A "consumer" is a buyer of consumer goods for personal use.

 

[JWesthead]

Flushing your ink system regardless of your printer manufacturer serves 3 purposes that I can see. 1. As everyone has mentioned, the inability to know if any reaction is going to occur. 2. Not all inks have the same gamut so if you are color managing you will have inaccurate results until you are completely running the new set. it will be unknown how long that would take depending on what colors you are printing. you will be chasing your tail for a while. 3. lets face it....they love to see you just flushing ink and solvents into a waste tank!