Replacing Roland Dx4 Printhead On Sp-540v?

[phototec]

My replacement DX4 print head will be here Monday, I have not replaced a print head before, is there is anyone who has done this on a SP-540V, who can you give me some tips, pointers and or offer any guides etc. to help me do this correctly?

Shortly after my Roland dealer (70 miles away) sold me the printer, they changed and are no longer a Roland dealer and the nearest Roland tech is 4 hours away at $150 per hour travel time alone. So, needles to say I have to become my own tech. I'm pretty good at fixing things and in the past worked for a large electronics company so I know how to work on sensitive electronics. We ALWAYS had to wear a static strap on our wrist and the other end attached to the grounded chassis of any electronic equipment we worked on.

Thanks in advance, It would really be appreciated.

 

[printhog]

Get the service manual. It explains step by step. It isn't just unscrew screw in.. there are alignment and calibration of both axes to do. Too much to guide you through in this forum.

its only a freaking sign!

 

[phototec]

Get the service manual. It explains step by step. It isn't just unscrew screw in.. there are alignment and calibration of both axes to do. Too much to guide you through in this forum.

its only a freaking sign!

Ok, I understand that, so did you replace your printhead yourself and do all the alignment and calibration of both axes?

And did it all work out in the end?

I have read horror stories of people trying to do their own printhead replacement and blowing fuses and or the new printhead.

 

[printhog]

Yes I've replaced my own. Even rebuilt and revived dead heads.

Do the recalibration following the steps in the manual. Its well explained.
Yes it worked out fine.

But having the manual is critical. A service tech from a Roland dealer went off memory and killed one of my machines by disconnecting heads with power. After multiple issues from his incompetence I bought the manual and took over.

We gutted the poor thing and rebuilt. Ink lines were purged, chips replaced and lots of things were fixed. But without the manual the calibration is a lost cause. You calibrate mechanically first, then electronically by offsetting minor errors and saving to the printers memory.

These printers are made very cheaply. So be delicate. They can be worked on successfully if you take common static and electronics repair precautions. But if you aren't comfortable, get a tech.

I've replaced head board power transistors, motion control ic's, repathed bad board connections, and reconfigured the soldered on head board fuses to use common glass fuses from radio shack. I've disassembled and rebuilt carriage linear bearings and outsourced many parts to common electronics versions. The machines can be worked on. But you need to be confident doing it.

Heads are a consumable item, generally at 3 years or 6 billion shots. There is a shot record printed on the service report. If you're near or over 6 billion they get prone to fail.

So I've gone offbook on these machines with success. But I've owned and serviced almost every kind of graphics tech from the last 25 years, I'm very comfy taking these apart. But if you're not, hire a tech to do it. Being comfortable in the work is the key to not making mistakes.


its only a freaking sign!

 

[phototec]

Yes I've replaced my own. Even rebuilt and revived dead heads.

Do the recalibration following the steps in the manual. Its well explained.
Yes it worked out fine.

But having the manual is critical. A service tech from a Roland dealer went off memory and killed one of my machines by disconnecting heads with power. After multiple issues from his incompetence I bought the manual and took over.

We gutted the poor thing and rebuilt. Ink lines were purged, chips replaced and lots of things were fixed. But without the manual the calibration is a lost cause. You calibrate mechanically first, then electronically by offsetting minor errors and saving to the printers memory.

These printers are made very cheaply. So be delicate. They can be worked on successfully if you take common static and electronics repair precautions. But if you aren't comfortable, get a tech.

I've replaced head board power transistors, motion control ic's, repathed bad board connections, and reconfigured the soldered on head board fuses to use common glass fuses from radio shack. I've disassembled and rebuilt carriage linear bearings and outsourced many parts to common electronics versions. The machines can be worked on. But you need to be confident doing it.

Heads are a consumable item, generally at 3 years or 6 billion shots. There is a shot record printed on the service report. If you're near or over 6 billion they get prone to fail.

So I've gone offbook on these machines with success. But I've owned and serviced almost every kind of graphics tech from the last 25 years, I'm very comfy taking these apart. But if you're not, hire a tech to do it. Being comfortable in the work is the key to not making mistakes.


its only a freaking sign!

Thanks a bunch, I appreciate you taking time to give me the pointers, you are so right about the incompetent tech, I'm sure there are good techs out there but a have head a few stories about so called Roland techs that do more damage than then repair and some that just keep changing out parts til they get it fixed (I can do that cheaper than hiring them)....

I have the service manual however i was told there are a few parts the need interpretation for the non-tech person like me.

 

[printhog]

The manual should have a step by step outline of each service need, and the follow up repairs or adjustments to get back to function. If confused PM me a copy of your manual and your question.

its only a freaking sign!

 

[Charly L]

You've rebuilt a head. I have fluid leaking from the sides of a dx4. Any suggestions. I think it's from under the teflon plate.

 

[Charly L]

Also, how inportant is it to change the wires out when replacing a head?

 

[printhog]

Dx4 heads have two ports on top, and the jet plate on the bottom. Input and output. All the inkways in between are sealed. Any leak from the intake ports could be a bad seal. Any leak from the jet plate, aka membrane, or other part below the input ports are fatal failures.
Can occur when the head is over pressured from users trying to force the head clean from the input side, from head strikes, and commonly from ultra sonic cleaning with head submerged to far. Ultra sonic fractures the internal structures of the head.

As for the head cable, for the price is worth switching.. the likelihood of a blown fuse or head from shorting those tiny connectors is very real. Over time the contacts can get kind of glued into the connector and the metal contacts can be broken loose from the plastic carrier when pulled out. When reusing it's easy for a contact to bend and short. Always inspect the contacts with a loupe before reusing.

its only a freaking sign!

 

[No Lemon]

I just got done replacing 1 of my print heads on a Roland VP540 and was very easy just following the manual. One thing to make sure of is to have plenty of ink.. It drains all the ink in the system and refills it after your done replacing the head. I had a blue mist around things I would print and now that's gone. Should have done it earlier.

 

[phototec]

I just got done replacing 1 of my print heads on a Roland VP540 and was very easy just following the manual. One thing to make sure of is to have plenty of ink.. It drains all the ink in the system and refills it after your done replacing the head. I had a blue mist around things I would print and now that's gone. Should have done it earlier.

The blue (cyan) mist is the same problem I have, some say it's caused by static but all the other colors are perfect and even the test print looks fine so I guess I will change out the black/cyan head and see if the cyan over spray goes away.

I know you need to flush/fill the head when finished with the head replacement, however I have NOT heard that is uses lots of ink, more that 440ml of all four colors (SP-540V)?

 

[No Lemon]

It won't use 440ml of each color I would say it filled up my ink bottle about a third to half of the way.

 

[Charly L]

Great thread. Lots of great info. The 2 I took off have are dead. One I found in a bag of parts I think I fully recovered. Ironic I think. I figure the guy I bought it replaced it and left it in the bag for dead. I also have 3 new dx4's from a epson stylus pro 10600 which should be arriving today.

These heads are for water based inks. Replacing manifolds. Do i need to purge the heads before introducing eco-solvent cleaner through them?

Also, I keep reading about voltage inputs. Some tech's say it's not necessary, others say it's very important. Any suggestions on figuring out the voltage settings on the heads so I can input them in my SP-540V?

 

[printhog]

Great thread. Lots of great info. The 2 I took off have are dead. One I found in a bag of parts I think I fully recovered. Ironic I think. I figure the guy I bought it replaced it and left it in the bag for dead. I also have 3 new dx4's from a epson stylus pro 10600 which should be arriving today.

These heads are for water based inks. Replacing manifolds. Do i need to purge the heads before introducing eco-solvent cleaner through them?

Also, I keep reading about voltage inputs. Some tech's say it's not necessary, others say it's very important. Any suggestions on figuring out the voltage settings on the heads so I can input them in my SP-540V?

You'll need to replace the manifold seals with eco solvent resistant ones on those 10600 heads. Whether they'll work is an experiment.

Haven't ever crossed from a water based unit to solvent, but I'd soak overnight and manually flush with a mild cleaner and water mix till it's clear, and then flush with at least 100 ml isopropyl followed immediately with a similar thorough manual eco solvent flush. (Manual flush using a syringe, very low pressure to avoid blowing seals- look for a good "comb" of fluid coming from the Jets, all equal, no divergent sprays)

Any water or left over ink will congeal with eco solvent contact, so take care to get all the old inks out.

The head rank is the code for the printer to properly execute the Variable dot sizes. You can print perfectly fine without it if you disable that option in your rip. But don't expect 1440 dpi doing after that.. best you'll get is 720. Still put the head ranks in to ensure proper head life.


its only a freaking sign!

 

[Charly L]

These are new heads. Not sure if they'll have fluid or be dry. As far as soaking them. Would roland solvent cleaner be fine?
I was thinking of running air through them first with a syringe.

 

[Charly L]

Maybe air, 100% isopropyl and the roland ecosolvent cleaner?

 

[printhog]

It's a total experiment... If you're sure they haven't seen ink, then just run eco solvent cleaner thru them. But first replace the manifold seals. Can't stress that enough.

It's not a thing I'd be doing, heads aren't that expensive.

its only a freaking sign!

 

[Charly L]

I need one more head. Where do you suggest to source them? Also, thanks for all the help

 

[printhog]

Google them. I've had good results from one particular vendor, but others here haven't recently, so I won't recommend. I've seen prices from $240 to $1550.. so shop. There are some other threads about that.

its only a freaking sign!

 

[Charly L]

I see the norm being 500. Haven't seen anything for 240. I've been googling for days.