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Mimaki JV3-160SP - Routine cleaning?

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MarkH42

New Member
We are primarily a screen printing shop, but we purchased a used JV3-160SP several months ago. Aside from an occasional banding issue, it has been working great. My question is, what is the recommended procedure for cleaning - weekly, monthly, etc.? Every week, I slide the cartridge out and clean around all of the heads with the cleaning solution and q-tips. Then I do the same thing around the capping station heads and wiper. My question is, should I be doing a "nozzle wash" and/or "disway wash" (what the hell is a disway, by the way) every so often, or only when there is a problem? Is there anything else we should be doing to keep this thing humming along? Thanks in advance for your help! I have learned a ton just by reading through the posts in this forum.
 
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MarkH42

New Member
disway dismay

Thanks for the reply. "Why do a nozzle wash?" Good question - I don't know - I am new to digital printing. I guess, from your answer, that a nozzle wash is only needed if they are clogged, so that answers one of my questions. The Mimaki cleaning manual is, like many English documents written by a person from Japan, difficult to understand. Maybe not for a person with a lot of experience with these machines, but it is for me. Now if can just figure out what a disway is and if mine needs a good washing......
 
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MarkH42

New Member
Forgot the part about "sleep clean". I don't know what the settings are or how to check, but it comes on and cycles every hour or two. The guy I bought it from told me how he had it set and I promptly forgot what he said. In any case, after several months, it hasn't failed to fire up Monday morning and print quality stuff, so I'm thinking it is set in a good place.
 
D

drive

New Member
MarkH42 said:
Thanks for the reply. "Why do a nozzle wash?" Good question - I don't know - I am new to digital printing. I guess, from your answer, that a nozzle wash is only needed if they are clogged, so that answers one of my questions. The Mimaki cleaning manual is, like many English documents written by a person from Japan, difficult to understand. Maybe not for a person with a lot of experience with these machines, but it is for me. Now if can just figure out what a disway is and if mine needs a good washing......
Click to expand...

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA
Yea, I just went thru my newest JV-5 manuals with some co-workers yesterday. Always good for a laugh, as well as some creative wording/spelling in the printers menus!
 
gabagoo

gabagoo

New Member
First off lose the q tips and get foam cleaning tips. Regular q-tips are not wound to tight and you can and will get fibers coming off of them.
as to a cleaning schedule, here is what I do.
Mon Wed and Fri I clean the wiper and the wiper assembly and wipe in where the sponge is using cleaning fluid on a lintless towel piece. (kim wipes) I then clean around the capping station. Put 5 drops of cleaning fluid in each cap and then when the power is off I swing the head over and clean around the heads
Tues and Thurs clean wiper and assembly and then each cap and put 3 drops of cleaning fluid in.. done

Friday on top of the regular cleaning I do a 60 minute nozzle wash and also use alcohol to clean the rods the head moves on and reoil with 3 in 1

I run a disway wash once a month, when I remember lol

My machine is over 4 years old and runs pretty good.
 
M

MarkH42

New Member
Wow - that is an impressive routine! I guess with the remaining time you have each day after doing that you dedicate 30 minutes to actually printing?! Given the repair costs on these machines, it sounds like a good example of the old "ounce of prevention" adage. After reading your cleaning regimen, I can definitely say I will be stepping mine up a notch. I will probably do a nozzle wash every Friday, then clean around the heads, capping station and wiper every Monday. Like you, I'll try to remember to do a disway wash every month or so.

I was so impressed by the Mimaki manual that I tracked down the guy who wrote it and hired him. Our new motto is "Building of the signs with speed to make small the cost payments".
 
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bmw_ante

New Member
MarkH42 said:
Wow - that is an impressive routine! I guess with the remaining time you have each day after doing that you dedicate 30 minutes to actually printing?! Given the repair costs on these machines, it sounds like a good example of the old "ounce of prevention" adage. After reading your cleaning regimen, I can definitely say I will be stepping mine up a notch. I will probably do a nozzle wash every Friday, then clean around the heads, capping station and wiper every Monday. Like you, I'll try to remember to do a disway wash every month or so.

I was so impressed by the Mimaki manual that I tracked down the guy who wrote it and hired him. Our new motto is "Building of the signs with speed to make small the cost payments".
Click to expand...

Change the capping and "around head" cleaning to Friday if you are not printing on weekends, Less chance to get a crash during sleepclean on weekends then... But the best is to do this friday AND monday... Mimaki says this should be done every day ..

If you clean on Mondays then ink builds up around heads and capping the whole week and then when you dont print under the weekend it may crash info the capping...
 
M

MarkH42

New Member
That makes a lot of sense and I will probably do it on both days just to be on the safe side. I'm not sure how I survived before I found this forum. Thanks again!
 
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Vinyl-Decals-Direct

New Member
Sorry to revive a old thread!
very good advice guys, thanks, we have just purchased a JV3160S and this info will be handy,

We seem to be using a lot of ink into the waste bottle, sleep clean is set to 4 hours but wanted to know if we can alter this with no problems?
 
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