Installing a DX4 printhead in SP-300

[Designer85]

Can anyone tell me the best way to make sure a newly installed printhead in an sp-300 is aligned correctly? I've just installed one and I'm having touble getting the ink to flow right. I attached a syringe to the cap hose and gently pulled ink through, but there is so much pressure the syringe wants to pull back up. I'm getting some ink through, but not a good flow.

When I lower the cap and look at the printhead, there is ink on the printhead and a cap full of ink. At this point I can easily pull the rest of the ink from the cap, but the problem repeats as soon as I've raised the cap back.

Please help! I've been without a working printhead for months and finally got enough money to get one only to run into this problem. Thanks!!

 

[Vinylman]

Did you open the valves to the ink cartridges, BEFORE trying to pull from below the docking station?

You might end up blowing out your new print head if you continue to try to pull ink without the valves being open.

Try a test print, then a STRONG cleaning then get into the head alignment procedures.

 

[Designer85]

Can you tell me what you mean by having the valves open/closed? All I did was take the old printhead out, hooked up the new one and changed the dampers and put everything back like it was.

 

[Mosh]

Buy a new printer. The time and money you are going to waste you could have a new printer. There are lots of lease options if you don't have the cash. Or check with your local area economic development. We have a local deal where companies can get loans for 3%. YES 3%, can't beat that with a stick. Money is out there so this shouldn't be a raodblock for you (unless you have a fica score of 2.)

It takes money to make money (or lose it in my case)

 

[Designer85]

Thanks for the insight, but not an option. I just have to adjust the printhead (or so it seems). It's alot easier to do that than to spend $10G's or more on a new printer. Must be nice.

 

[Mosh]

Hope it works out for you. you did say you have been down for months, well that should be more thn 10K in work. You need to do at least 3K to 5K a week to be in business, I think anyway, so months should justify a new printer.

 

[Designer85]

It's not our primary business (we screen print, use the sp-300 as alternative income). That said, we still have a need for it to be working asap. Thanks.

Any technical help in getting this issue fixed would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Vinylman]

If you are unfamiliar with what "opening/closing" ink valves means, you may be going beyond what is safe for you to try to do without either a technicians assistance, or at least the proper documentation to lead you through each step.

A thorough search on the net can give you a few pointers, but to do this correctly you need specific info.

 

[GSGservice]

If there is ink in the captop you have the head in pretty much the correct place. The only real way to align the head is in service mode you can check the bias, vertical, horizonal, along with bi-di. Short of that really the next best thing to do is look at the nozzle test pattern and use that as a gauge to see if the colors are spaced out the same from the two different heads. If you are using cartridges there should be a straight flow through the heads to below the cap station.

 

[Pacific Coast Sign]

Is the other head printing? If so you may have a blown mainboard fuse ... common when non-techs install heads. Did you unplug the printer before starting to work on it?

 

[Sharon Thornton]

Did you get it set up ok

We have got a new DX4 printhead to fit to our uniform cadet plus and wondered if you got yours set up ok in the end. Would you recommend doing it yourself?