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Oh Boy! Do I need a new Head?

MrSalumi

New Member
Hey all.. I went out in the shop this evening to run a few prints and two feet in to the print I see this huge black ink blob.. I let it print another 8 inches and saw another one! ****!

Cancelled everything and ran the heads over for a look.. Here is what I found.. It's leaking pretty good.

I'm bracing, since I really don't want to hear the answer. Someone please surprise me :)

PS. I am running a Roland SJ540 and this is the black head...
 

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rjssigns

Active Member
Check the simple stuff first. Our printer will occasionally "barf" on a print. We remove the ink cart, rock it back and forth and re-install. Sometimes new carts will have an odd pressure build up in them.(Roland inks)

Check the damper also. If it is bulged out or sucked flat it is junk.

With 3rd party inks there may be pigment blocking the nozzles in the head, which leads to a buildup of ink. When the head moves it sometimes dislodges the blockage leading to a big "barf" spot.
 

westpointsigns

New Member
New Cartridge or Aftermarket ink?

I've heard of some batches of aftermarket inks being thin enough to run through the printheads.
 

MrSalumi

New Member
3rd party Bordeaux Ink.. It's been running through the machine for more than a year with Zero problems.. Until now maybe..


Visually the dampeners look fine. No bulging or sucked flat... Blockage maybe? I think I am going to order two dampeners and an S cap and start there.

What other causes could create too much pressure?
 

premiercolour

Merchant Member
Use a syringe full of cleaning solvent, inject it through the pump. Maybe there is clog some where from cap top down to pump.
 

rjssigns

Active Member
Certain 3rd party inks will cause your printer to experience arteriosclerosis. The ink because of its solvent makeup sticks to the inside of the lines and causes clogs and hardening. It is more of an issue on the waste side of the pump.

The lines on my printer were actually(to use a scientific term) crispy.

Everything I have told you thus far I have experienced because of 3rd party inks. In a nutshell: Tried that, killed it, rebuilt it, never again.

There is more to be aware of, but I'm not going to bother. You've chosen your path.
 

MrSalumi

New Member
WHOOOO HOOOO!!!

So I had checked the dampers earlier and everything looked fine, so I ended up flushing the pump to that set of heads. I didn't see any obvious blockages come out in my bag but what I did notice was that the waste tube was very constricted. I ran a new tube and fired her up. And 20ft later I have no blobs to report.

I'll keep crossing my fingers but I can't help but think I may have dodged a bullet :)

Thanks for all of your help everyone.
 
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