Suggestions JV33 - Magenta starvation but comes back after hard clean

[odshawaii]

Hello,

Not sure if anyone here has experienced this issue...

I have one magenta (far right) that seems to be starving everyday practically, but everytime I do a hard clean, the magenta comes back to life.

I was considering popping off the damper and try to inject cleaning solution into the nipple with hopes to unclog it. But of course I'm considered that if I do that, I may open up another can of problems.

Anyone have suggestions?

I attached a photo for reference. Test draw #1 is before the hard clean, and Test draw #2 is after the hard clean.

Take note that some other colors aren't at 100% but it's the magenta I am having the ink starvation with.

 

[Solventinkjet]

The fact that is comes back after a cleaning means it's not clogged but the ink flow is not working properly. When was the last time you changed your dampers and cap top?

 

[odshawaii]

The fact that is comes back after a cleaning means it's not clogged but the ink flow is not working properly. When was the last time you changed your dampers and cap top?

The damper and cap top were recently replaced a few months ago. The pump is about 6 months old too.

 

[Alan the Tech Wiz]

Hi. Don't try flushing the printhead yet. Your problem could be down to the position of the cap top to the surface of the head. If it is too close to the right hand nozzles it will cause drop out.
First things to check.
1: original cap top? If not i suggest getting a new one after checking step 3.
2: all hoses correctly attached to underside of captop and pump?
3. Power machine off using main switch. On cap the printhead and move it to left side service hatch. See if the ink strip left by the cap is even distance from edge or closer to left side? If closer to left side and 3rd party cap used then the capping unit might need replacing due to the stopper arm which raises the unit being deformed by solvent and wear.

I hope this helps. Putting solvent into a head with blocked nozzles can cause the base plate to detach. Resulting in a printhead replacement.

 

[odshawaii]

Hi. Don't try flushing the printhead yet. Your problem could be down to the position of the cap top to the surface of the head. If it is too close to the right hand nozzles it will cause drop out.
First things to check.
1: original cap top? If not i suggest getting a new one after checking step 3.
2: all hoses correctly attached to underside of captop and pump?
3. Power machine off using main switch. On cap the printhead and move it to left side service hatch. See if the ink strip left by the cap is even distance from edge or closer to left side? If closer to left side and 3rd party cap used then the capping unit might need replacing due to the stopper arm which raises the unit being deformed by solvent and wear.

I hope this helps. Putting solvent into a head with blocked nozzles can cause the base plate to detach. Resulting in a printhead replacement.

Thanks Alan - I checked the hoses between the captop and the pump and they didn't seem to be super snug (made adjustments to them).

If that doesn't work, I'll replace the cap top again with a new oem one. I can't recall if I used a 3rd party cap the last time.

 

[odshawaii]

Hi. Don't try flushing the printhead yet. Your problem could be down to the position of the cap top to the surface of the head. If it is too close to the right hand nozzles it will cause drop out.
First things to check.
1: original cap top? If not i suggest getting a new one after checking step 3.
2: all hoses correctly attached to underside of captop and pump?
3. Power machine off using main switch. On cap the printhead and move it to left side service hatch. See if the ink strip left by the cap is even distance from edge or closer to left side? If closer to left side and 3rd party cap used then the capping unit might need replacing due to the stopper arm which raises the unit being deformed by solvent and wear.

I hope this helps. Putting solvent into a head with blocked nozzles can cause the base plate to detach. Resulting in a printhead replacement.

This is what my cap top looks like after a hard clean (see pic):

Any suggestions?

 

[L.D]

When you replaced your cap top did you make sure the third port hole to the left was capped off. Sometimes new cap tops don’t come with the blue or black stopper for the third port on the cap bottom.

 

[odshawaii]

When you replaced your cap top did you make sure the third port hole to the left was capped off. Sometimes new cap tops don’t come with the blue or black stopper for the third port on the cap bottom.

Yes, it came with a 3rd port hole with a blue stopper that's still on there.

 

[eesanopi]

Hi,

I'm pretty sure the problem is your new cap, maybe you need to adjust it using the [HASHTAG]#ADJUST[/HASHTAG] menu.

About he 3rd port with the blue stopper, sometimes this stopper is low quality and has a non-visible damage, to ensure there are no vacuum leaks I usually remove it and apply heat to melt the plastic and make a good seal, but if the stopper is ok then you will need to change the cap top for a mimaki original spare.

Regards

 

[odshawaii]

Hi,

I'm pretty sure the problem is your new cap, maybe you need to adjust it using the [HASHTAG]#ADJUST[/HASHTAG] menu.

About he 3rd port with the blue stopper, sometimes this stopper is low quality and has a non-visible damage, to ensure there are no vacuum leaks I usually remove it and apply heat to melt the plastic and make a good seal, but if the stopper is ok then you will need to change the cap top for a mimaki original spare.

Regards

Thanks, I'll give it a try and replace the cap with a brand new one.

 

[odshawaii]

Hi,

I'm pretty sure the problem is your new cap, maybe you need to adjust it using the [HASHTAG]#ADJUST[/HASHTAG] menu.

About he 3rd port with the blue stopper, sometimes this stopper is low quality and has a non-visible damage, to ensure there are no vacuum leaks I usually remove it and apply heat to melt the plastic and make a good seal, but if the stopper is ok then you will need to change the cap top for a mimaki original spare.

Regards

Just installed a new oem cap top and the exact problem still persists. The pump, cap top and dampers have all been replaced just a few months ago.

However, the printhead is a few years old.

Hopefully someone here can help shed some light on this. The brightside to this is that I am still able to recover the magenta with a hard clean.

 

[L.D]

Did you do a ink fill after you replaced the cap?

 

[odshawaii]

Did you do a ink fill after you replaced the cap?

Yes I did

 

[eesanopi]

Yes I did

did you check the adjust for the new cap top in [HASHTAG]#ADJUST[/HASHTAG] menu?

A test that I do is to use a syringe in the pumping line to "feel" if there is enough vacuum, first I switch on the cartridges valves in the [HASHTAG]#TEST[/HASHTAG] menu. If the vacuum is not solid or it's lost quickly then you have to do adjustments in the cap.

 

[odshawaii]

did you check the adjust for the new cap top in [HASHTAG]#ADJUST[/HASHTAG] menu?

A test that I do is to use a syringe in the pumping line to "feel" if there is enough vacuum, first I switch on the cartridges valves in the [HASHTAG]#TEST[/HASHTAG] menu. If the vacuum is not solid or it's lost quickly then you have to do adjustments in the cap.

Yes, I've done the cap adjustments based the best I could.

Any chance you can share a video or step-by-step photos of that syringe test you are referring to?

 

[eesanopi]

Yes I can, but only on weekend, sorry but very busy.

 

[odshawaii]

Yes I can, but only on weekend, sorry but very busy.

No problem, thank you.

 

[eesanopi]

odshawaii, here the procedure if you still need it.

Boot the printer pressing REMOTE + ENTER if you are not in permanent service mode, using UP & DOWN keys go to [HASHTAG]#TEST[/HASHTAG] and press ENTER, look for CARTRIDGE VALVE and press ENTER again, you will see 8 dots in printer display, each menu represents an ink valve, to activate it you select desired valve (dot) using LEFT & RIGTH keys then press UP or DOWN keys, you will hear the valve activation, activate only the valves where an ink cartridge is present. After this you are ready to pull with a syringe from the pumping line, see the attached video and pull gently.

Note that are two pumping line, in the video one line is free, so the syringe is pulling air from this line and is probably you don't see any ink entering to the syringe, to assure you are not pulling air from this line you need to bend it, in this way you will pulling only from the capping, some ink will come into the syringe, in this point you need to feel the vacuum, if you don't feel it or it losses quickly then you need to change or adjust cap top or the service station could be damaged.

I hope this info will be enough clear, let me know if not and remeber to pull gently.

Regards

 

[odshawaii]

odshawaii, here the procedure if you still need it.

Boot the printer pressing REMOTE + ENTER if you are not in permanent service mode, using UP & DOWN keys go to [HASHTAG]#TEST[/HASHTAG] and press ENTER, look for CARTRIDGE VALVE and press ENTER again, you will see 8 dots in printer display, each menu represents an ink valve, to activate it you select desired valve (dot) using LEFT & RIGTH keys then press UP or DOWN keys, you will hear the valve activation, activate only the valves where an ink cartridge is present. After this you are ready to pull with a syringe from the pumping line, see the attached video and pull gently.

Note that are two pumping line, in the video one line is free, so the syringe is pulling air from this line and is probably you don't see any ink entering to the syringe, to assure you are not pulling air from this line you need to bend it, in this way you will pulling only from the capping, some ink will come into the syringe, in this point you need to feel the vacuum, if you don't feel it or it losses quickly then you need to change or adjust cap top or the service station could be damaged.

I hope this info will be enough clear, let me know if not and remeber to pull gently.

Regards

Thank you for the steps and video. I will give this a try soon and update this post.

 

[odshawaii]

odshawaii, here the procedure if you still need it.

Boot the printer pressing REMOTE + ENTER if you are not in permanent service mode, using UP & DOWN keys go to [HASHTAG]#TEST[/HASHTAG] and press ENTER, look for CARTRIDGE VALVE and press ENTER again, you will see 8 dots in printer display, each menu represents an ink valve, to activate it you select desired valve (dot) using LEFT & RIGTH keys then press UP or DOWN keys, you will hear the valve activation, activate only the valves where an ink cartridge is present. After this you are ready to pull with a syringe from the pumping line, see the attached video and pull gently.

Note that are two pumping line, in the video one line is free, so the syringe is pulling air from this line and is probably you don't see any ink entering to the syringe, to assure you are not pulling air from this line you need to bend it, in this way you will pulling only from the capping, some ink will come into the syringe, in this point you need to feel the vacuum, if you don't feel it or it losses quickly then you need to change or adjust cap top or the service station could be damaged.

I hope this info will be enough clear, let me know if not and remeber to pull gently.

Regards

So I tried the steps you shown me. I pulled ink from both lines gently and ink were drawn out on both (vacuum on both lines). It wasn't just air like how it was shown on your video.

I am not too sure if I performed it correctly but the problem is still there. Just a reminder that the cap top is just about brand new.

Maybe the print head is faulty? It is several years old.