My ROLAND UV VIS MG-640 ink reader in Versa (and on machine) not reading correctly. Dealer says its "nothing they can fix"

[depps74]

Subject says my problem. But the specifics are that my ink reader in Versa and my machine does not work. It reads empty but the cartridges are not, I can hear and feel the weight of ink. Plus out of my own budget restraints I have had to run prints risking it and they come out fine, with plenty of weight still in the tanks. My tech says they have done what they can (updated the firmware). Roland basically laughed at me. I am at my wits end, I cant run prints without knowing if there is full tank. Who here drives a car without a fuel gauge? Anyone else having this issue?

 

[netsol]

not that i don't feel your pain, but, doesn't this leave you in the same situation as every one of us who has converted to bulk ink?
i am surprised they can't do anything for you, though

 

[netsol]

so, it reads that ALL ARE EMPTY?

 

[Roland Certified Tech]

Subject says my problem. But the specifics are that my ink reader in Versa and my machine does not work. It reads empty but the cartridges are not, I can hear and feel the weight of ink. Plus out of my own budget restraints I have had to run prints risking it and they come out fine, with plenty of weight still in the tanks. My tech says they have done what they can (updated the firmware). Roland basically laughed at me. I am at my wits end, I cant run prints without knowing if there is full tank. Who here drives a car without a fuel gauge? Anyone else having this issue?

Are you using genuine Roland brand ink?
if so, power off the printer at the Main Power switch.
Pull out the in cartridges..
Turn on Main Power switch and the panel power.
Wait for printer to start up and ask for the ink cartridges.
Put them in slowly one at a time and let’s see what happens.

 

[depps74]

Thanks everyone, to respond

not that i don't feel your pain, but, doesn't this leave you in the same situation as every one of us who has converted to bulk ink?
i am surprised they can't do anything for you, though

ITs not bulk its the cartridges

 

[depps74]

so, it reads that ALL ARE EMPTY?

no just depletes really fast an when the exclamation point hits, its not even close to being empty prob 1/2-13 tank remaining so I have to "guess" if I have enough. Even when Versa prompts me that it does not have enough ink it will print fine and cartridges feel full. So I am basically going on a feeling if it's full. I have no fuel gauge.

 

[netsol]

my HP T1700dr is the only printer i haven't converted to bulk ink.
i don't think it is all that accurate anyway (I KNOW MY Mutoh wasn't)

 

[Solventinkjet]

I don't have any experience with that model but it looks like it uses the Epson DX7 head which means it most definitely uses Epson's ink cartridge system. A common issue with that system is, when the ink end sensor breaks, it either flags a brand new, full cartridge as empty, or it flags as empty prematurely. The sensor itself is a plastic lever that, if tapped slightly, tells the printer it's near empty. Once it flags as near empty, there's no going back, It will shortly become empty no matter how much ink is left. Take a flashlight in look in one of the cartridge slots that isn't having problems and compare it with the bad one. A lot of the time you'll see the lever is missing or sitting at the bottom of the cartridge holder because it broke off. They are flimsy. You might just need a new ink end sensor although, they might force you to buy a whole cartridge holder to get it.

 

[MrDav3C]

So I had a similar issue on my Roland SG3. Noticed the ink cartridges were reading as empty very quickly when they clearly still had ink in them.

What I believe may be the problem is that Versaworks is registering ink usage during cut only jobs. So basically every time I print, laminate and then cut, the software is registering double the amount of ink usage.

I even had a Roland tech come out and look at this, after a lot of explaining and showing them the ink usage they agreed something wasn't right and apparently the issue was passed further up the chain to Japan / china / wherever I can't remember but then we heard nothing more from Roland regarding this.

I took a small amount of solace in the face that we can at least use the cartridges until they are actually empty but yes it's a nightmare never really knowing how much ink is truly left before we start a big print run!

 

[netsol]

I don't have any experience with that model but it looks like it uses the Epson DX7 head which means it most definitely uses Epson's ink cartridge system. A common issue with that system is, when the ink end sensor breaks, it either flags a brand new, full cartridge as empty, or it flags as empty prematurely. The sensor itself is a plastic lever that, if tapped slightly, tells the printer it's near empty. Once it flags as near empty, there's no going back, It will shortly become empty no matter how much ink is left. Take a flashlight in look in one of the cartridge slots that isn't having problems and compare it with the bad one. A lot of the time you'll see the lever is missing or sitting at the bottom of the cartridge holder because it broke off. They are flimsy. You might just need a new ink end sensor although, they might force you to buy a whole cartridge holder to get it.

That would probably be a great 3d printer project.

 

[netsol]

you would be a hero if you scanned one of those into solidworks and posted it online

 

[cornholio]

SG3 doesn't have a mechanical ink end switch. It uses the pump and filler sensor timing to find the empty bag...
In my 30 years of Roland printer service, i never had a bad ink end switch on a Epson cartridge...

 

[netsol]

So I had a similar issue on my Roland SG3. Noticed the ink cartridges were reading as empty very quickly when they clearly still had ink in them.

What I believe may be the problem is that Versaworks is registering ink usage during cut only jobs. So basically every time I print, laminate and then cut, the software is registering double the amount of ink usage.

I even had a Roland tech come out and look at this, after a lot of explaining and showing them the ink usage they agreed something wasn't right and apparently the issue was passed further up the chain to Japan / china / wherever I can't remember but then we heard nothing more from Roland regarding this.

I took a small amount of solace in the face that we can at least use the cartridges until they are actually empty but yes it's a nightmare never really knowing how much ink is truly left before we start a big print run!

But isn’t ink usage “best guess” from the rip anyway?

 

[cornholio]

But isn’t ink usage “best guess” from the rip anyway?

It's the printer, that counts the printed drops and pump cycles. So especially the pump cycles are not very precise(especially per channel), since it sucks on all channels on a DX7 head at the same time.

 

[AB Rolan]

Do you shake your ink pouches? It is always good idea, maybe once a week. Def couple times per month. If you shake ink 20-30 seconds and try to keep ink towards outlet. Wondering if that might help??
The arm system isnt super technical, someone mentioned if you get false empty readings periodically...just a thought.