Mutoh Printer keeps turning itself off - please help!

[Alexandra Lewis]

Hi everyone,
I have a Mutoh printer VJ 628 and it has been working good since I purchased it last April.
This week, however, it has been randomly shutting down/turning itself off.
It often happens after a print job has finished that it will shut itself completely off (despite more print jobs in the queue).
Yesterday it started turning off even more frequently. As soon as I turn it back on, it fires up then it makes the sound of a switch being tripped, then turns off. (It is a sharp click right at the head of the printer).
I phoned Mutoh, who went through some basic stuff like changing outlets and plugging all cords in tightly, but to no avail.
It is super frustrating and I would be so grateful if anyone had any ideas as to what might be wrong.
(I live in Thunder Bay which is extremely isolated and I don't even know if techs would travel 8 hours out here).
Thanks so much,
Alexandra

 

[Bradley Signs]

Give it a raise.

 

[Alexandra Lewis]

Give it a raise.

Sorry what do you mean by give it a raise? I don't know all the printing terminology yet

 

[Johnny Best]

"Give it a raise" is his form of humor. He means it is like an employee not working so you give it more money to work.
The printing terminology is "i don't know the answer, so I will try to be funny"

It sounds like you need to go into your RIP controls and see if you changed something with your setup. Are you using Flexi?

 

[Alexandra Lewis]

"Give it a raise" is his form of humor. He means it is like an employee not working so you give it more money to work.
The printing terminology is "i don't know the answer, so I will try to be funny"

It sounds like you need to go into your RIP controls and see if you changed something with your setup. Are you using Flexi?

Oh ok oops!
I haven't changed any settings in Flexi, it's so bizarre.
Literally I am turning on my printer, doing a Nozzle Check, then once the printer has done the Check it shuts itself completely down. I can't figure it out

 

[Alexandra Lewis]

Anyone else have some insight? We live 8 hours away from the nearest Mutoh tech

 

[jfiscus]

Start by keeping it simple.
Unplug every cord plugged into it besides the power cord and leave them unplugged for now, go ahead and remove the print media also.
Now go ahead and unplug the printer, now hit the power button and hold it 10 seconds. Leave it unplugged and off 15 minutes.
Plug the power back in and turn the printer on. See if the problem is still recurring; if so then the problem is inside the printer.

 

[Alexandra Lewis]

Start by keeping it simple.
Unplug every cord plugged into it besides the power cord and leave them unplugged for now, go ahead and remove the print media also.
Now go ahead and unplug the printer, now hit the power button and hold it 10 seconds. Leave it unplugged and off 15 minutes.
Plug the power back in and turn the printer on. See if the problem is still recurring; if so then the problem is inside the printer.

Hi! I tried all of your advice, and unfortunately it is still having the same issue.
It's so strange because when the printer shuts itself down, it will always finish off a print nice and smoothly - it doesn't leave a fuzzy edge.

I closely inspected what happens inside when the printer powers itself off:
What’s happening is that the head will come to it’s capping station to do a clean, then the print head then surges twice all the way against it’s stop, the rubber wiper comes up instantly creating the clicking noise, and then instantly after that the printer powers itself off.

I noticed what looks like a hydraulically actuated sensor with air in the line (pictured - this is on the right-hand side of the Mutoh VJ628).

Could there be any chance that this could be causing the issue?

 

[Alexandra Lewis]

Hi! I tried all of your advice, and unfortunately it is still having the same issue.
It's so strange because when the printer shuts itself down, it will always finish off a print nice and smoothly - it doesn't leave a fuzzy edge.

I closely inspected what happens inside when the printer powers itself off:
What’s happening is that the head will come to it’s capping station to do a clean, then the print head then surges twice all the way against it’s stop, the rubber wiper comes up instantly creating the clicking noise, and then instantly after that the printer powers itself off.

I noticed what looks like a hydraulically actuated sensor with air in the line (pictured - this is on the right-hand side of the Mutoh VJ628).

Could there be any chance that this could be causing the issue?

 

[Alexandra Lewis]

I have a photo of the capping station (and a video of the shut down) if anyone had any idea as to what's going wrong

 

[Sando]

Post a video of powering it up and then do a nozzle check so as it shuts down. Put it on youtube and put a link up. It sounds to me like you need to get a tech out there, the control unit or the firmware is most likely the culprit. I still have a running 1604 as well as a 1624 and I have seen about all of it and what you are describing is not part of about all of it.

 

[Solventinkjet]

I have a photo of the capping station (and a video of the shut down) if anyone had any idea as to what's going wrong

That picture is of the air release valve and it shouldn't have any fluid in it. That being said, it is not the best design and it almost always gets ink in it after a while. I don't think that is causing your issue.

I am willing to bet it's one of two things. Either the head lock mechanism is failing and the head is not being locked/unlocked properly which causes motor errors or the maintenance station is failing and the wiper is not moving as expected. Do you get any errors in your software when the machine turns off?

 

[Bradley Signs]

Sorry what do you mean by give it a raise? I don't know all the printing terminology yet

Sorry... American humor....

 

[Joe House]

If you bought it last April, as in 2 months ago, this should be under warranty and a tech should be out there taking care of it. Or was this 14 months ago? Or was there some clause when you bought it due to your location?

 

[brycesteiner]

I have a photo of the capping station (and a video of the shut down) if anyone had any idea as to what's going wrong

I'm wondering if the wiper is coming up too far and the sensor is not detecting the head moving over and therefore not slowing it down, striking the wiper and tripping the power switch from an overload.