Question Latex 560: How do I know when it is time to replace a printhead?

[Lindquist]

We purchased an HP Latex 560 back in April. We have not had any real problems with it; just a few user-created errors while we learn the machine. Now, I am getting concerned that it may be about time to replace some printheads, but I have no idea how to tell when I should.

This is my current ink usage since installation:

Magenta: 3,332.77 ml
Light magenta: 1,516.98 ml
Light cyan: 1,373.91 ml
Cyan: 6,946.00 ml
Latex Optimizer: 2,271.73 ml
Yellow: 4,214.81 ml
Black: 2,202.70 ml

Will the printer prompt me to replace printheads when the time comes, or should I be watching for something else?

 

[ColoPrinthead]

The printer will tell you, either by a panel alert or by the head not working well anymore.

 

[eahicks]

Well that's what I thought too... then I started getting some serious banding and drop out of colors, yet no alerts from the machine. Plot tests determined I had a couple heads not printing right, and extra head cleaning did not help. Changed out the 3 suspect heads and all was well. These were only at around 2800-3000 ml mark.
Really disappointed it gave me no alert. Our 260 always does if there is an issue.

 

[TomK]

HP 310 owner here for 1.5 years, and it never told me once to replace a head. I too noticed by crappy prints and such. There is also a few keystrokes in the service menu you can run to show you the # of dropped dots per print head and if over a certain amount you then replace the head.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

The printer does have alerts about print quality, but nothing directly related to change heads. We just run them till we can't get a satisfactory output.

 

[Lindquist]

Can anyone give me an idea of what typical ink usage before replacement would be? eahicks mentioned 2800-3000 mL; the way the sentence is phrased I took that to mean that they should do better than that. My cyan printhead, in particular, is well beyond that.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

HP warranties the heads up to 2,000ml, in the past have been able to use theirs heads for up to 8,000-10,000ml on a 26500, but have also had to swap them out around 4,000ml.

 

[Lea Marc]

We have a 360 and although the printer does track the usage and lifespan of the printhead it doesn't really know when it needs replacing. We have replaced a few here when we noticed poor print quality and banding in certain colours, when we took out the heads to inspect them one had a rip in the encoder strip on the bottom. After replacing that head and re-calibrating it printed fine again. For sure the damage to the heads weren't helped by a number of bad head strikes usually on banner material but you could see ink build up too on the heads, another sign they needed replacing.

 

[papabud]

i have the hp 360. my machine doesnt tell me when to replace a head. i usally watch for banding or run a test print to check them. mine tend to need replacing about 8000 ml to 10,000 ml. i have had to replace a few sooner but not often.

 

[Sign.ed]

Does any body run rest plots on a schedule? Monday morning, as soon as the machine is fired up I run a test plot, make sure the heads are still good. I had a magenta go from fine to holy sheets over a weekend. So I just run a test every Monday, while I clean our Roland and wait for onyx to wake up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ericm]

To find out if the head is bad do a forced drop out test anything over 86 to 96 replace the head it's that simple!!!!!!!!

 

[oldgoatroper]

Maybe it was overkill, but I ran a test print every morning, date-and-time-tagged it, and filed it, for ten years over the course of two UV printers... Although the test print was necessary, filing it was mostly was a waste of time, but was sometimes helpful in tracking if a nozzle or group of nozzles out was just random or part of an on-again, off-again trend.



Usually threw out test prints more than a year old at a regular interval.

 

[Sign.ed]

To find out if the head is bad do a forced drop out test anything over 86 to 96 replace the head it's that simple!!!!!!!!

So how do you do this?

 

[ericm]

So how do you do this?

I'll post up a step by step

 

[TomK]

So how do you do this?

From the LCD screen on the HP:

service utilities -> scan axis menu -> force drop detection -> ok - it will run and then display the #'s on the screen for you.

 

[Burt Sherry]

HP Latex 560, what is the code to get into service mode?
Found it. 3174.

 

[AGCharlotte]

hmmm did not know about that force drop detection... I had 500-700 per color. Guess I need some new heads!

 

[balstestrat]

hmmm did not know about that force drop detection... I had 500-700 per color. Guess I need some new heads!

You have that much you should be able to already see it from the crap quality of prints. Like months ago.

Are you sure you there's not another explanation?

 

[AGCharlotte]

You have that much you should be able to already see it from the crap quality of prints. Like months ago.

Are you sure you there's not another explanation?

I had noticed a little banding on occasion recently but not enough that I felt the quality was off. Was holding off buying new heads since we're supposed to be replacing it in the next few months. Just did a few test prints to check the heads and everything looks good. Not sure how that force drop detection was getting numbers so high if I'm not having issues.

 

[Melks]

I recently replaced all the heads on my HP Latex 115. I noticed banding when printing grey's. All heads had 5,000-10,000+ mls ink used. I had not replaced the heads since new (3 years) and the force drop detection was not showing any heads were badly clogged up. I noticed a big difference as solid colours were no longer "grainy" looking. Printer runs like new again!