Mimaki UJF3042HG loosing ink very fast

[tatotiburon]

Hello, a few months ago i bough a mimaki flatbed for promotionals printing, the machine works great but i noticed that i'm loosing ink too quickly, right now i don't have a large production, this machine have two white catridges and i have to buy a new pair today because i ran out of white in only two months and barely used...

I know this machine have some cleaning process in the background so i ask for any tips, if somebody have this machine and can give some advice i will be forever greatfull.

Thanks for your help

 

[nate02]

Hello, a few months ago i bough a mimaki flatbed for promotionals printing, the machine works great but i noticed that i'm loosing ink too quickly, right now i don't have a large production, this machine have two white catridges and i have to buy a new pair today because i ran out of white in only two months and barely used...

I know this machine have some cleaning process in the background so i ask for any tips, if somebody have this machine and can give some advice i will be forever greatfull.

Thanks for your help

These printers burn through ink with the automatic cleaning turned on. We have a 6042 with the 600ml cartridges and noticed we went through a primer and clear refill without even using it for printing. We flushed those lines and set the printer up for CMYKWW.

White is tricky because you really want to keep it flowing so you don't run into issues. You can turn off the automatic cleanings in the settings, then run manual cleanings when print quality suffers (nozzle clogs). If you're not running white or cleaning the white head regularly, there's more of a chance the nozzles on that head will clog. White is also thicker than CMYK (see what comes out last from your waste tank). You need to be diligent if you're going to turn off the auto cleanings, but it can save ink in the long run. Also perform nozzle wash at the end of the day if the white isn't used but CMYK was.

 

[tatotiburon]

These printers burn through ink with the automatic cleaning turned on. We have a 6042 with the 600ml cartridges and noticed we went through a primer and clear refill without even using it for printing. We flushed those lines and set the printer up for CMYKWW.

White is tricky because you really want to keep it flowing so you don't run into issues. You can turn off the automatic cleanings in the settings, then run manual cleanings when print quality suffers (nozzle clogs). If you're not running white or cleaning the white head regularly, there's more of a chance the nozzles on that head will clog. White is also thicker than CMYK (see what comes out last from your waste tank). You need to be diligent if you're going to turn off the auto cleanings, but it can save ink in the long run. Also perform nozzle wash at the end of the day if the white isn't used but CMYK was.

Yes i noticed that, tooked your advice and unplugged the machine every night after a very good nozzle wash, thanks man

 

[nate02]

Yes i noticed that, tooked your advice and unplugged the machine every night after a very good nozzle wash, thanks man

I wouldn't unplug it every night, especially if you're running white ink. I don't believe any cleanings are performed when the machine is off (but still plugged in) but the white ink is circulated at periodic intervals to keep the particles from settling.

 

[ptmiff]

Hello from Scotland, I too have noticed problems with ink loss since the latest firmware update. Before the update, I'd get warnings when the ink was either nearing shelf life expiry or the cart was empty. Now, since the update .. my cartridge can go from 30% to 1% in seconds. This then stops me washing the nozzles (important) and I then have to wait two days for a new cart, as there is no point stocking spares because of the shelf life! On the plus side, the print quality is fantastic, the print area on a golf ball is increased due to the way the ink is laid down in 'waves'. The other point connected with this original thread is that if you don't switch off the power the machine switches itself back on and takes itself off nozzle wash and resets to the back of the machine. Again this has only happened since firmware update. Does this ring any bells with anyone?