Gerber Solara Ion X - Printing Issue (Ghosting & unexpected printing)

[WrapSpot]

I have a Gerber Solara Ion X. I've had it about 9 months and I got it used. (it is a 2009, it was decommissioned and installed by Gerber Techs).

From the day the Gerber Tech installed it we have always had an Encoder Failure error on start up.

Intermittently we have had "Data Link Errors"...maybe every 10-20 4'x8' prints the printer will missprint a line and then shut down....and then give us a Data Link error.

I called about it early on, but since the Data Link Error was so intermittent, tech support basically told me they did not have any solutions except to keep the logs when it happened.

Last week the printer started giving us a Data Link Error every 6 feet of printing then every 3 foot of printing...till it would not go past the first line of printing.

I contacted Gerber and emailed them the logs. On Thursday they said the encoder error was causing us a problem. I replaced the encoder strip and the encoder sensor ($600ish). This fixed the encoder error, but did not correct the Data Link Error from coming up after it printed the first line.

I contacted Gerber and they suggested upgrading to a pre-beta firmware "J" build since a lot of people got unusual and intermittent Data Link Errors. We agreed and this did, in fact, correct the Data Link Error.

However, now the print is terrible SEE ATTACHED PHOTO. If you look closely, you can see the ghosting and then about a foot into the print the colors go crazy. The white band should not have any color in it, the text should be yellow and the box should be a solid blue.

The new suggestion is to replace the flex data cables ($500ish), but they did not send them overnight as instructed so I'm waiting to see if that cures the problem.

I have tried many things (different files, re-seat connections, check grounds, look for obstructions, etc).

Does anyone have any insight(s)?

Thanks!

 

[Fred Weiss]

Just to be clear, Gerber discontinued all flatbed printers 14 months ago in April 2011. Here's a link to a discussion of that event. So the used Solara you purchased 9 months ago was already on it's way to being unsupported.

Gerber Scientific Products was acquired 11 months ago by Vector Capital. Here's a link to an article about that.

 

[J Hill Designs]

how are you connected from computer to printer? 'data link error' sounds like you are having throughput problems. and as for the picture: looks like mis-calibrated heads.

 

[WrapSpot]

how are you connected from computer to printer? 'data link error' sounds like you are having throughput problems. and as for the picture: looks like mis-calibrated heads.

We have a network connection.

Gerber says a Data Link Error is not related to network connection.

To rule out any issues with the file or the computer I ran a test file that is part of the internal memory. It gave me the same problems.

 

[WrapSpot]

Just to be clear, Gerber discontinued all flatbed printers 14 months ago in April 2011. Here's a link to a discussion of that event. So the used Solara you purchased 9 months ago was already on it's way to being unsupported.

Gerber Scientific Products was acquired 11 months ago by Vector Capital. Here's a link to an article about that.

Yes, I was told (by Gerber) that they would continue to support the printer for 5 years and provide inks even longer.

Vector Capital sounds like a private equity firm. If they are anything like the one I use to work for they will suck any remaining life out of Gerber.

 

[WrapSpot]

Well, it turns out the problem was the flex cable that runs from the gantry board to the carriage board. I replaced it today and it is now running well.