XC 540 SOLJET III without power for maybe 3 months

[Bassolino]

Hi!

I just got my hand on a pre-owned XC 540.

Only one problem i think the power has been out for about 3 months... What to do. At first nothing came out on the test prints. Now i have 3 heads working. They dont print good but its getting better better for every cleaning cycle and manual cleaning cycle.

Is there anything else i can check? Should i use a syringe to get the ink flowing?

See the attached test print...

http://www.dbdevelopment.se/images/test%20print.JPG

 

[BALLPARK]

Congrats on the XC-540, great machine!!!

You have your work cut out for sure trying to get the heads back. I have saw a few sites that offer head cleaning services. I have never used them, but perhaps do a search on google or someone here might have a link.

I would try the following... Not an expert or a tech, but have had similar issues with multiple Roland SP,VP & XC series printers.

* Run the solvent flush (Cartridges) procedure and try to purge the lines, then refill them with new Roland Inks.

* Manually clean the heads several times. (Then, if they heads are still shot after 10 or so attempts at the standard manual clean procedure. LIGHTLY pat the cleaning solution directly on the head, do not rub the tip of along the head. Only use lint free swabs to clean your machine. Again do not do this unless you cannot get the heads to print like they should.) Then run a heavy clean cycle, while it is still slightly wet on the head nozzles. I would not suggest to run a more than a couple of heavy clean cycles during a day.

* Replace you wipers on the machine. Chances are the old ones are shot.

I have had some issues with Roland heads before and never had to send them off to be repaired. Most times you can get it back, but it takes a lot of time & it will not be 100%.

GL... That machine is a work horse and I think the best 54" printer/cutter on the market. Great colors, speed and cutting abilities.

 

[artbot]

i'd assume that those heads are so dried up that you will have to take them out of the machine. my suggestion is take them out. buy those little ingredient containers used for cooking (tiny bowls). fill each one up so that you can sit the head across the rim so that the bottom of the head rests lightly in cleaning solution. also order manifolds for each head. they are $25 each and will eliminate the possiblity that no matter how clean you get the bottom of the head, the screen/filters inside the head will still be clogged or give you slow ink flow causing ink starvation regardless if you get a good test print. of course get new dampers, and clear empty carts. fill those up with solution and push and pull the fluid agressively with a syringe back and forth through the lines, purging the dirty fluid into the carts. (there are many posts about making your own cleaning solution, i'd suggest making up about a gallon and going through it like water will only cost you about $30). also take out the pumps and capping station and dunk those in a container full of cleaning solution. no matter how clean you get your heads, you will still have to contend with a gummed up pump that can't properly pull or caps that can seal. also, remove the ss protective ring around the bottom of the head, that will be encased in petrified ink. put it back on before going about the rest of the cleaning.

after your heads have soaked for a few days you can test them by (very carefully, go painfully slow) setting a pump tube/syringe and lightly feeding a bit of solution down the manifold (remember you will have to cap off the opposing manifold tip (you can use the smallest vacuum ends from a auto supply store). look for tiny dots appearing consistantly all the way across the bottom of the head. it is also possible to view the bottom of the head with a loop and you can usually see the holes that are clogged.

the chance that all those head will fire perectly is doubtful. but cleaning a printer that has sat that long should be a bit of a tear down. or else you will have issues even if you get brand new heads... still too many dirty gummed up parts.

 

[Bassolino]

Thanks guys!

So I did som detective work and the machine has been out of power for 5-6 weeks. Maybe 2 months.

Since all stores that sell spareparts around where i live is closed during the weekend i tried my best to clean the machine with foam sticks.. And the sol clean solution that came with the printer. And now i can actually see some improvment on the testprints! So what do you guys think about my issue now? Can i avoid replacing the heads? See the attached images below from the new test prints!

PS
I will buy new wipers and do a the headcleaning cycle and empty the machine from ink and run a full sol cleaning solution through it tomorrow.

 

[artbot]

looks very bad. those M and lm patterns almost look like physical damage, the K and C look like there's hope. the Y looks similare to a clogged manifold (usually there will be missing halo near the middle of the pattern. i would not continue with cleaning patterns. as described earlier. take out the heads. also when cleaning the heads outside of the machine, you can lay the head on a folded paper towel. eyedrop a decent amount of solution right next to the head. the solution will absorb into the paper and create a light vacuum pulling ink down and away from the head. when you pick up the head there will be an ink pattern left behind that you can visibly track your progress.

 

[Noumenon]

You can soak the heads without removing them. There's several posts on how to do it. I was in the same situation about 6 months ago. Used machine, sat for 2 months, lines had been emptied of ink but the system wasn't flushed properly. After 2 or 3 head soaks, replacing the caps & dampers, and a bunch of automatic and manual cleanings, I got 5 of 6 heads back.

You can pull all the heads if you want, but I'd take a look at the service manual first so you know what you're getting into when it comes to calibrating them after putting them back in. I've read that the difficulty in calibrating is compounded when removing more than one head due to a lack of reference. Truth is though, after being moved around the machine will probably need to be calibrated anyway. The tech said mine was WAY off.

 

[Bassolino]

Problem solved!

I actually manage to soak the heads when they where mounted in the machine.

I took small pieces of foam and put these on the captops drenched in cl sol solution. Volia! Problem solved.

Thanks for all the input!