Don't know how to appraoch this..........................................................

[Gino]

We have an sp540v.... an old guy, but works perfect. Our furnace went out 2 weeks ago and the guy is having trouble finding the gas ignitor for up inside the boiler or wherever. Therefore, the whole shop is kinda cold, but in the last few days, we can't get the room with that printer above 44º. With it being that cold, would it be harmful to use it ?? Having to depend on the printer's heaters and whatnot, I don't know if ambient temperatures in the room could/would affect anything. I'm sure things are not what they're supposed to be on the inside of the machine.

Any ideas ??

Gino

 

[White Haus]

I think the biggest thing will be the media quickly warming up from the heaters, it's likely to buckle and potentially cause head strikes. No idea of the viscosity of the ink at that temperature...but I would imagine it wouldn't be ideal for the heads.

Are you able to add a heater to the area temporarily? Wouldn't want the old fella to get frostbite.


From the user manual:

Use at an ambient temperature of 20 to 32ºC (68 to 90ºF).
If the machine is used at an ambient temperature less than 20ºC (68ºF), then depending on the type or width of the media, wrinkling or temperature-caused unevenness may occur. If this happens, try lowering the temperature of the print heater and dryer by about 2ºC. To obtain stable printing results, however, the machine should be used at an ambient temperature of 20 to 32ºC (68 to 90ºF).

 

[Jim Hancock]

Multiple factors that may keep the printer from getting good results at that temperature:
1. Ink viscosity is likely to be thicker, resulting in the print head having difficulty firing correctly.
2. The unknown factor would be if this would cause any internal damage to the print head trying to fire against a thicker ink.
3. Will the vinyl warm up enough to actually allow the solvents to soften the vinyl enough to allow the pigments to bond to the vinyl?
4. Will there be enough heat to drive off the solvent, allowing the ink to dry?
I wouldn't be surprised if you were to get some kind of head heat error code...

 

[damonCA21]

Get a couple of cheap electric fan heaters and point them at the printer to warm it up before using. If the heat is localised around the printer is should be fine.

 

[Gino]

This is all kinda what I figured. Think I'll put all my print jobs together and heat that room up to about 60º and try printing on designated days.

Thank you all..........................

 

[netsol]

or rent/borrow a propane heater (console or bullet)

your area is pretty large,

remember to set a pot of water on top of the heater to let water boil and add humidity to the air. or run a vaporizer.

 

[Gino]

I don't really care too much about the outer shop, 8,800 sq ft. We can work in 50º, so 40 something isn't too bad. It's the computer room which is about 1,260 sq ft where all the computers and roland are located. I have tow torpedo heaters. Both run on kerosene. Together, they'll heat up anything to 72º in about 10 or 15 minutes. Just have some fumes, so careful where we put them.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Couple of portable electric radiant oil heaters running 24/7 will keep that room warm.. might take half a day to get there. It's warm this year in TX, you can come borrow mine

 

[JBurton]

My print room reached 38F during that last cold snap. Worst thing has been the cheaper materials buckling during loading. All we have worried with is a propane heater during the day and a smaller electric heater during the nights. Fortunately, being an HP, it'll help warm the room right up, but typing any real amount on a keyboard in a 40F room is torture. (For a few days, I was pretty scared it would dip below freezing as it was 10F outside). One thing on my list for this year, fix the gas line to that building.

 

[JWitkowski]

I don't really care too much about the outer shop, 8,800 sq ft. We can work in 50º, so 40 something isn't too bad. It's the computer room which is about 1,260 sq ft where all the computers and roland are located. I have tow torpedo heaters. Both run on kerosene. Together, they'll heat up anything to 72º in about 10 or 15 minutes. Just have some fumes, so careful where we put them.

Any device that burns a carbon-based fuel uses up oxygen and releases carbon monoxide, which is a killer. The danger is that CO cannot be detected by smell, taste or sight. For many victims, by the time you realise you are being affected (poisoned) by it, it's too late. Many have died when they are within a few feet of a door to fresh air. Using such portable heating devices is a deathly risk.

 

[damonCA21]

Any device that burns a carbon-based fuel uses up oxygen and releases carbon monoxide, which is a killer. The danger is that CO cannot be detected by smell, taste or sight. For many victims, by the time you realise you are being affected (poisoned) by it, it's too late. Many have died when they are within a few feet of a door to fresh air. Using such portable heating devices is a deathly risk.

Electric heaters don't. Nor do all filled radiators. Nobody is suggesting the OP has open fires burning in their shop...

 

[Gino]

Any device that burns a carbon-based fuel uses up oxygen and releases carbon monoxide, which is a killer. The danger is that CO cannot be detected by smell, taste or sight. For many victims, by the time you realise you are being affected (poisoned) by it, it's too late. Many have died when they are within a few feet of a door to fresh air. Using such portable heating devices is a deathly risk.

Understood, but we've been using kerosene heaters in the shops for about 30 some years. In all those years, no one died, however, we did have an employee who would get headaches while no one else had any symptoms. Thanks for the help.

 

[Medina Signs]

Kerosene heater is fine - yours probably has a thermostat, if noot there are inline thermostat for those. I would use it if I had to, and I have had to .
Good Luck - no head strikes - they are bad.