Piezoflush "Bleeding"?

InkjetMall Customer Support PiezoFlush
1

I use a 4880 just for GO coating gloss prints. As I have noted before, the results are very, very good.

The other ink channels are filled with Piezoflush. Lately, right after a clean cycle, the GO seems to be contaminated by Piezoflush. At the beginning of the print it is more pronounced, and diminishes by the end of the print. Subsequent GO coats are fine. Any ideas as to the problem?

Thanks.

2

Bump…

3

The PiezoFlush is being pulled up into the GO channel because of the capping station. Sometimes it just takes a bit of lint on the edge of the capping station to break the seal and let air in. The head then (although it defies sensibility) sucks up the ink rather than the ink being sucked out by the capping station. Sometimes the capping station is actually very gunked up. The other possibility is that the capping station remains much to wet because the drain tube is gunking up. One of those is probably the culprit. Take a flashlight and look at the cleaning station and capping structure.

4

Thanks Jon, I will look into all of the above.

5

I was very happy with PiezoFlush.

Now I have a problem.
As I did not intend to print for long period, beginning June 2015, I filled my Epson 4900 printer with Piezoflush.
After this filling nozzle check was OK

Now, end of December 2015, I made a nozzle check. It was not good.
I tried power cleaning, new filling with with Piezoflush.
Result even worse.

When looking through the ink cartridges, filled with PiezoFlush, some are dark, the other not.

I’m really in problem.

Is my PiezoFlush obsolete? The PiezoFlush bottle that I still have is marked “Lot 130802 Exp.008/15”. The cartridges were filled with the two other bottles that I did order.

Could it be a problem with the printer?

What should I do?

I attach copy of Nozzle check patterns in June and December 2015.
Also a scan of two PiezoFlush cartriges, on dark the other not.

6

Midero,

Four questions for you.

  1. How did you originally fill the Epson 4900 with PiezoFlush? What was your procedure to introduce the PiezoFlush to the printer and get a confirmation of nozzle check?

  2. What did you do with the cartridges after introducing PiezoFlush to the printer? Leave them in the printer with the vent open? In the printer with the vent closed? Out of the printer?

  3. Did you turn off the printer when you left it with PiezoFlush?

  4. When you returned to the printer after several months, what procedures did you do to replace the PiezoFlush with ink or how did you determine that the nozzles were clogged?

Thanks,

Jon

7

Hello Jon

1/ To fill the Epson with PiezoFlush, I did use SP4900 Service program to make an initial charge. I made a nozzle check with the Epson support program.
2/ I did leave the PiezoFlush cartridges in the printer with vent closed.
3/ The printer was turned off.
4/ When returning to the printer, I made a nozzle check with the PiezoFlush cartridges. As result was bad, I did first Power cleaning cycles with the PiezoFlush, bad results and then new initial charge with the SP4900 program. I didn’t install the Epson original cartridges.

Thank you for your help.

Michel

8

Hello Jon

Sorry not to have answer.

What should I do?
Buy a new Piezo Flush and try again charging my printer?

Regards

Michel

9

Dear Michel. Where your vents accidentally still closed when you did you power cleaning cycles when you returned to your printer? This can cause the issues you are reporting. Check that the vent plugs (orange) are out of the carts.

I think you need to do an init fill if there is air-issues in your ink lines. If you are in a pinch and your flush is low in the cart, you can get away with adding just a bit of distilled water to the flush carts so they don’t run dry during the init-fill process.

best,
Walker

10

I used the cartridges with the orange vent plugs on the carts.

Is that the issue?

Regards

Michel

11

that is the issue.

Pull the orange plugs, do an init-fill. Hopefully you haven’t back-pressured your cleaning pump too much to kill it.

best,
Walker

12

Unfortunately, you are right.

The pump is dead. After a new charge of PiezoFlush, with open vents, that is no change in nozzle check pattern.

Can the cleaning pump be replaced?

Regards

Michel

13

Get the damper assembly and cleaning assembly from Compass Micro (they keep these in stock as regular items for a reason lol). Whenever you change the cleaning assembly (pump) you need to also switch out the damper assembly. Those two parts fail together.

You also need the wiper blade as well (also normally stocked item there).

Compassmicro dot com

best
W

14

Hello

I have been on the CompassMicroinc site.

I understand I have to order:
513 1617068 pump unit $229.00
514 & 515 1617069 wiper & wiper assembly $ 14.08
517 1655135 selector unit (w/damper) $ 191.70

Is that correct?

Thanks for the help

Michel

15

yes. That is correct.