Cleaning head in dreamjet miracle 329 - questions about alcohol based inks

[kamil]

Dear People,
I would like to ask you on your opinion about how to clean the head in dreamjet miracle 329.

From my knowledge, it's dx5 print head (8 colors), water based.
The inks are water based containing diacent alcohol, 1-methoxypropan-2-ol. So it's like an eco-solvent...but not eco solvent. Can't use eco solvent inks.

questions:
1) Do you have any idea who on the market sells alcohol based inks for plastic (abs)?
2) Do you know what cleaner I can use to clean the head (any 'standard') ? Please help me on this
3) The print head gets random clogs. It has few deffered nozzles. The printer supplier informed us that we can do is to add cleaner to the station and let the head sit there for whole weekend. Fine it works sometimes but not always. Plus cleaner is very expensive from them. On the web I see many people suggesting reverse flush to help on this topic. Do you have any idea why we are clogging so often? Do anyone have any experience with alcohol based inks for plastics?
4) Supplier also told us to use syringe and to push cleaner from the top of the head into the head but with force only to do big drops of cleaner below. On many movies I see people making a waterfall from all nozzles. Is it fine to do such? Will it help?

how the printhead looks? I showed it in this thread help identify dx5 version - dreamjet miracle 329

 

[artbot]

can't answer all questions but some suggestions:

heads must be wet at all times. if you let the printer sit, fill the caps with a water and soap solution.

best "soap" bissell hard floor cleaner for a surfactant. it's a non-sudsing soap.

warm cleaner works better on clogged head for waterbased than room temperature.

flushing to see the "waterfall" in the head can be dangerous. epson heads are very fragile. one tick too much pressure and it collapses inside.

also try printing the cleaning fluid vs cleaning then printing ink

you'll probably need to stick to coated substrates with the printer. what's the abs product that you speak of?

 

[kamil]

Many thanks Artbot for replying.
1) plastic cards on size of credit card on which we print. They're precoated to make the ink stick better
2) could you explain to me in more detail the soap? I live in Europe so I don't know if all products you mention are available here.
3) "warm cleaner works better on clogged head for waterbased than room temperature." - heat the cleaner up?
4) "heads must be wet at all times. if you let the printer sit, fill the caps with a water and soap solution."
capping station right? water and soap solution? in what ratio?

5) also what do you think about reverse flush?

 

[artbot]

1) plastic cards on size of credit card on which we print. They're precoated to make the ink stick better
2) could you explain to me in more detail the soap? I live in Europe so I don't know if all products you mention are available here. BASIC "HARD FLOOR MACHINE CLEANER"
3) "warm cleaner works better on clogged head for waterbased than room temperature." - heat the cleaner up? YES, LUKE WARM
4) "heads must be wet at all times. if you let the printer sit, fill the caps with a water and soap solution." 4:1 WATER/SOAP
capping station right? water and soap solution? in what ratio?

5) also what do you think about reverse flush? DANGEROUS, THAT WOULD BE PULLING INK FROM THE CAP UP THROUGH THE MANIFOLD?