DCS 7200z error 1439

[rcali]

Normally error 1439 pops up when the capping station of the Direct Color Systems 7200z needs replacement, however, the capping station I was printing with popped this error at 2 months instead of its normal 3-4 month life span. I replaced the capping station and the error repeated. I replaced the capping station again, the error is still halting the machine from running.
I replaced the B board as prescribed by a DCS technician, and the error is still there. The printer hasn't functioned for over a month, I am worried that the print head (which I just replaced) will be trash by the time error 1439 is resolved and I will have to buy a new one simply from not running ink through it.

Has this happened to anyone else? A repeated 1439 error on DCS 7200z. Was there an eventual solution? What was that solution?

Thank you!

 

[dstt9901]

rcali:

I'm looking over your response here. I'm wondering if you got anywhere with this error. I've gone through about 4 capping stations in the last 6 months, several with no warning, and several others with this error code as the indicator, and then error code 1419 every time after that. DCS did give me a possible answer to error 1419, but it seems apparent that doesn't always work. I just had a capping station that just went down because one of the pump motors appears to have seized and sent ink all over the bottom of the machine. I'd be happy to know what you managed to find since this thread appears to be empty.

Thanks.

 

[rcali]

rcali:

I'm looking over your response here. I'm wondering if you got anywhere with this error. I've gone through about 4 capping stations in the last 6 months, several with no warning, and several others with this error code as the indicator, and then error code 1419 every time after that. DCS did give me a possible answer to error 1419, but it seems apparent that doesn't always work. I just had a capping station that just went down because one of the pump motors appears to have seized and sent ink all over the bottom of the machine. I'd be happy to know what you managed to find since this thread appears to be empty.

Thanks.

Hey dstt9901

I found out a lot of things. I could probably be a DCS tech myself now lol.

Capping stations have about a 2 to 4 month life span, shorter if you run the machine a lot, longer if you're just doing a nozzle test and white block prints once a day.

First I had a capping station go out because it was simply its time, then I had that white leak which was the circulation pump dying on one of my white tanks.( within the next 6 months, I had to replace all of the circulation pumps.) In the time it took to receive a new capping station/ the time the white pumps were going bad without being noticeable, I had gotten clogs in my white ink lines which messed a whole slew of things.

Replacements that I had to get the machine running again past the 1439 error: 4 new capping stations, one was actually a dud, a new mother board because a capping station fried it, a new print head because being down for so long siezed it, a new b board, a new harness cable to the b board* and a new print head ribbon cable. I also did an error cycle reboot with a tech wherein we unplugged and replugged in everything, powering off between each item and checking for the correct error.

* Turns out, this harness cable was from a new manufacturing partner and it was wired in the wrong order and was one of the main culprits if not the main reason the printer would not work.

Honorable mentions in the order that I remember them, not in an order of importance:

1. Replace the entire ink line system if you never have, and when you do so, replace the male bulk tank fittings on all of your white tanks (and the female ones, but my new lines came with female fittings attached and new dampers attached to them.)

2. Even though the DCS manual says to clean the capping station and print head with IPA, DON'T, use DCS monomer flush to do your cap cleanings/ wipe the print head if you have to.

3. Check your encoder strip via the following menu path on the epson panel: RIGHT ARROW BUTTON--> MECHA ADJUST --> CR SCALE --> ENTER
if it comes up red, you need a new encoder strip. This can mess up the capping station in that the printer can't read what its correct location is, so it might not be capping right.

4. Check your lamp and print head heights with the DCS calibration tool, no it does not come with the printer, you have to order it if you don't have it. Sometimes the lamps will slip out of place and catch in the capping station which will make the printer think it needs a new capping station. Here is a video on that:

Theres one more thing about the white gears of the printer carraige/ capping station but I can't remember right now. I might remember tomorrow.

Oh, and the stupid cable under the capping station that hook to the impossible back wall plug in apparently no longer do anything so it doesn't have to be plugged in.

Let me know if anything helps, that is if you can get it past the error to check said things.

 

[rcali]

 

[dstt9901]

Hey dstt9901

I found out a lot of things. I could probably be a DCS tech myself now lol.

Capping stations have about a 2 to 4 month life span, shorter if you run the machine a lot, longer if you're just doing a nozzle test and white block prints once a day.

First I had a capping station go out because it was simply its time, then I had that white leak which was the circulation pump dying on one of my white tanks.( within the next 6 months, I had to replace all of the circulation pumps.) In the time it took to receive a new capping station/ the time the white pumps were going bad without being noticeable, I had gotten clogs in my white ink lines which messed a whole slew of things.

Replacements that I had to get the machine running again past the 1439 error: 4 new capping stations, one was actually a dud, a new mother board because a capping station fried it, a new print head because being down for so long siezed it, a new b board, a new harness cable to the b board* and a new print head ribbon cable. I also did an error cycle reboot with a tech wherein we unplugged and replugged in everything, powering off between each item and checking for the correct error.

* Turns out, this harness cable was from a new manufacturing partner and it was wired in the wrong order and was one of the main culprits if not the main reason the printer would not work.

Honorable mentions in the order that I remember them, not in an order of importance:

1. Replace the entire ink line system if you never have, and when you do so, replace the male bulk tank fittings on all of your white tanks (and the female ones, but my new lines came with female fittings attached and new dampers attached to them.)

2. Even though the DCS manual says to clean the capping station and print head with IPA, DON'T, use DCS monomer flush to do your cap cleanings/ wipe the print head if you have to.

3. Check your encoder strip via the following menu path on the epson panel: RIGHT ARROW BUTTON--> MECHA ADJUST --> CR SCALE --> ENTER
if it comes up red, you need a new encoder strip. This can mess up the capping station in that the printer can't read what its correct location is, so it might not be capping right.

4. Check your lamp and print head heights with the DCS calibration tool, no it does not come with the printer, you have to order it if you don't have it. Sometimes the lamps will slip out of place and catch in the capping station which will make the printer think it needs a new capping station. Here is a video on that:

Theres one more thing about the white gears of the printer carraige/ capping station but I can't remember right now. I might remember tomorrow.

Oh, and the stupid cable under the capping station that hook to the impossible back wall plug in apparently no longer do anything so it doesn't have to be plugged in.

Let me know if anything helps, that is if you can get it past the error to check said things.

Thanks for this. It seems a lot of your issues are greatly different than what I'm experiencing. Glad you were able to get a lot of this repaired.

You are giving me quite a few other things to consider here, namely in the encoder strip. I had often wondered if this has been going back to home in alignment with the cap. Prints don't seem to be an issue, but if home is contaminated, that could be a viable issue. I'll take a look.

We've checked our lines, and even had a 3rd party tech look at them, those are still good. I'd be curious about the white gears. I've never used IPA on any gasket with as much rubber is involved. If I need to break up the ink, I'll use the monomer flush.

The head height is a really interesting issue as well. When I took over this printer 8 months ago, there were a few problems that I was just told were just the way the printer handles it, namely an arbitrary adjustment of the height in printing clear braille that never made sense to me. Now I'm wondering if your check and video is worth checking out.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[rcali]

Thanks for this. It seems a lot of your issues are greatly different than what I'm experiencing. Glad you were able to get a lot of this repaired.

You are giving me quite a few other things to consider here, namely in the encoder strip. I had often wondered if this has been going back to home in alignment with the cap. Prints don't seem to be an issue, but if home is contaminated, that could be a viable issue. I'll take a look.

We've checked our lines, and even had a 3rd party tech look at them, those are still good. I'd be curious about the white gears. I've never used IPA on any gasket with as much rubber is involved. If I need to break up the ink, I'll use the monomer flush.

The head height is a really interesting issue as well. When I took over this printer 8 months ago, there were a few problems that I was just told were just the way the printer handles it, namely an arbitrary adjustment of the height in printing clear braille that never made sense to me. Now I'm wondering if your check and video is worth checking out.

Thanks for the insight.

On the capping station: I was informed in November of 2023 that Epson dropped their support of the DCS 7200z so DCS would no longer receive authentic parts for this printer as of MAY 2024. Especially authentic (Epson made) capping stations, they would need a new manufacturer by May of 2024. I have purchased a capping station between May and now so I think they found a new vendor but the vendor is not Epson.

Encoder strip: The encoder strip tells the print carriage where to be on the x y and z axis, so if its bad, it can lead to print irregularities/ possibly capping problems.

Ink lines: I had never checked them, it is simply that they were original to the machine (5 years old) and it was recommended to me that they should be replaced every two years.

The Head, laser eye and UV lamp height: When a tech came in to trouble shoot and semi train me he immediately adjusted one of the print's lamps because it was hanging slightly too low. A lamp hanging too low can cause capping issues by snagging while entering and exiting the capping dock as well as printing issues by scratching the prints. I especially had issues with my lamps scratching my clear braille before I recalibrated everything with the calibration tool shown in the video.

The gear thing: I believe this is in the capping station replacement guide, there's a little notch on the left most gear of the underside of the capping station that should be pointing towards the screw holding the gear it lines up to. Please see photo. Also in the head height video, there is the discussion of the orientation of the gears on the carriage, I personally print/ have my machine set to narrow.

 

[AKA TRE]

DCS Machines are a nightmare...

Side Note: I have one for sale if anyone is interested.