Suggestions How do you diagnosed that Epson dx 5 head in good condition

[sushanta]

I have one year old Epson dx5 head got recently minor head strike. After that nozzle test shows Y1 is not perfect. Our local technician try to solve the problem but unfortunately now magenta and yellow both are not working. They advice me to change the head. But they are not sure that head is totally bad or not. Please suggest me.

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[Michael-Nola]

Hey sushanta, I'm working from my cell so will have to be shorter than I'd like. My main statement is that I rarely see actual need for head replacement on those style heads other than drying out and clogging up. If you can see physcial damage to the head plate, then it is damaged. But if you cannot, the head plates on those are generally stronger than the belts or X-axis motors on those machines. This means that something else is usually causing your quality issue other than head physical damage.

Poor print quality on those heads (aside from dry clogs) is almost always due to damper, gravity ink flow, and vacuum line/pump issues.

If you struck something and then IMMEDIATELY lost and couldn't recover nozzles ... May be a nozzle issue. But if you struck something and then maybe gave up for the night or your wiper or cleaning station isn't working right ... Different story.

Anyway for a real analysis to even begin by the internet folks, you need to post pictures of the following: nozzle check, patches of C, M, Y, & K separately, pictures of cleaning station, and the head plate itself (send to maintenance mode).

Also, where are you located? I see helpful people all over this forum offering to stop by other shops if they are local or as they travel. I'm in New Orleans and DC regularly as well as everywhere else if that helps!

 

[sushanta]

Dear Michael,
Thank you very much for your valuable suggestion. I have attach two photographs of head top and bottom. Rest pic will attached tomorrow.
Regards
Sushanta

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[McLain]

I have experienced what you describe MANY times: probably over 100 times. One time I went into another room and the print head struck the slightly jammed media maybe 50 times. Anyway....

I agree with Michael-Nola above about the print head being very durable. If your docking station is functioning properly, then a few simple runs of the cleaning utility should clear the problem. In every case when my print head would "not clear" it was that the docking station was not working correctly due to clogged ink lines, worn out pump, disconnected vacuum line on ink capping plate, etc. etc. I've had to replace the docking station a few times with the printing head I'm using now and you know what, the technicians were saying I needed a new head. "You need a new head" seems to be the standard response.

The most important thing in clearing the clog is PULLING INK out of the head with vacuum suction (at least in my case). If your docking station has lost suction and can't pull ink down and out through your print head, you will definitely develop clogged nozzles after head strikes. Sometimes you can get them to go away by simply waiting overnight (assuming your machine does periodic cleanings while idle). Sometimes you can get them to go away by printing large solid blocks of the color that is clogged. Sometimes mine would go away if I printed a foot or so of an image with heavy ink coverage in the highest resolution possible (1440 dpi in my case). Sometimes resting the print head over a solvent soaked cloth for 10 to 15 minutes would do it.

I don't see mention of what machine you are using. Is it a Mutoh? Mine is a Mutoh 1604 with eco-solvent inks. If your machine is not printing with eco-solvent inks, then perhaps my situation is not relevant.

If you decide you need to buy parts to fix the machine yourself, I've had excellent luck with sign-in-china.com. The parts are super inexpensive and arrive quickly.

Good luck. Hope you solve the problem.

 

[sushanta]

I have experienced what you describe MANY times: probably over 100 times. One time I went into another room and the print head struck the slightly jammed media maybe 50 times. Anyway....

I agree with Michael-Nola above about the print head being very durable. If your docking station is functioning properly, then a few simple runs of the cleaning utility should clear the problem. In every case when my print head would "not clear" it was that the docking station was not working correctly due to clogged ink lines, worn out pump, disconnected vacuum line on ink capping plate, etc. etc. I've had to replace the docking station a few times with the printing head I'm using now and you know what, the technicians were saying I needed a new head. "You need a new head" seems to be the standard response.

The most important thing in clearing the clog is PULLING INK out of the head with vacuum suction (at least in my case). If your docking station has lost suction and can't pull ink down and out through your print head, you will definitely develop clogged nozzles after head strikes. Sometimes you can get them to go away by simply waiting overnight (assuming your machine does periodic cleanings while idle). Sometimes you can get them to go away by printing large solid blocks of the color that is clogged. Sometimes mine would go away if I printed a foot or so of an image with heavy ink coverage in the highest resolution possible (1440 dpi in my case). Sometimes resting the print head over a solvent soaked cloth for 10 to 15 minutes would do it.

I don't see mention of what machine you are using. Is it a Mutoh? Mine is a Mutoh 1604 with eco-solvent inks. If your machine is not printing with eco-solvent inks, then perhaps my situation is not relevant.

If you decide you need to buy parts to fix the machine yourself, I've had excellent luck with sign-in-china.com. The parts are super inexpensive and arrive quickly.

Good luck. Hope you solve the problem.

Hi McLain
This is thunderjet machine which is made in China. Here I attach some today's pic of nozzle test, capping station etc.

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