The Flex cable on the Roland Versacamm SP 540v

[Jeepgirl]

The cable from the printer/cutter head to the Main Board has been replaced because the cable got caught when the printerhead was going back and forth while printing.

I managed to find parts from America, Indonesia and Germany and replaced the cable with new flex cable covers. The printer has been going lovely but yesterday I noticed the cable was not pushing off smoothly when the printhead moved - the flex cable on the bottom (which becomes the top one on the cutter carriage, was not flowing but loosely folding under itself when starting off, which then did not help the 'cable' inside the flex cable covers. And it just about got caught again... I think I saved it in time before getting caught up but I think the cable may have a kink in it - what is going wrong?

If any one can help I would appreciate it. The machine is in great condition, been maintained, and has done steady work over the years not thrashed.

 

[damonCA21]

Get OEM parts. I imagine Germany is from Digiprint? That and Indonesia are going to be cheap chinese copy parts and not the same quality as the originals.

 

[netsol]

it is also possible that reassembling it, you put the little rivets in the wrong hole. being off by less than an inch makes the ribbon "bunch up"

 

[Jeepgirl]

Get OEM parts. I imagine Germany is from Digiprint? That and Indonesia are going to be cheap chinese copy parts and not the same quality as the originals.

It is very difficult to find the parts. I have 3 cables that have been sent that aren't even the width of what I ordered

 

[Jeepgirl]

Is it possible to put the first 300 mm of both the flexi cable and the white cable in a sleeve together for the first maybe 300 mm (or less) from the cutter head attachment along so that the bottom flexicable does not bunch up? Yes I did put all the rivets in the same place. Thank you netsol and damon for your advice - it really is appreciative.

 

[Jim Hancock]

Verify your installation using the attached guide.

 

[Jeepgirl]

Verify your installation using the attached guide.

Thank you Jim. My cable is bunching up at the top by the carriage... the cable looks tidy the same as in the pdf you tagged me in... but when the carriage starts to move across the bottom flexicable starts to bunch up along that little channel. It isn't flowing smoothly off from the starting point. That white cable now has a slight kink in it now too... should I replace and start again? The parts are hard to source in NZ

 

[Jim Hancock]

I'm assuming you have found OEM flex guides somewhere, as they are very rare. Hopefully you still have the originals. I would verify the length and hole spacing is the same on the new guides as on the original. If they're not an exact match, this could be your issue. You can easily modify the new ones to match the old OEM guide. I'm also assuming everything is clean and ink free, both the guides and the frame. And yes, I would replace the kinked ribbon cable if you have a new one.

 

[Jeepgirl]

I have the old ones and made sure the holes were in the same place. Yes everything is clean and ink free. The printer is in very good condition... apart from the guides... and will look for a new ribbon cable.
Thank you Jim.

 

[Jim Hancock]

Also verify the length is the same. The length is the critical dimension for proper operation of the cable movement during printing.

 

[netsol]

Verify your installation using the attached guide.

there was a time i would have killed for this guide.
it looked so simple as i pulled it apart...