Mimaki JV33 & JV5 Tips & Tricks

Morning Start-Ups
A good start for a good job...

WF

When the customer starts the printer up in the morning, they should go through the checklist that includes some important verifications. Check the cleanliness of all parts involved in the cleaning sub-system to be sure that they are running properly. If you did a good job in shutting the printer down and cleaning it the day before, then your start up will only take minutes. Check the status of the ink and EasyFill PRO: check ink levels, room temperature and humidity. During winter time (0C- 20C), make sure to expose the printer to temperatures of 25C or higher for more than an hour to allow the ink to adjust to proper running conditions. All these factors are not immediately perceived by users, but they can affect in the ink behavior in a short period of time.

Daily Maintenance
Taking care of your kid
Good daily maintenance is mostly the duty of the end users. A printer that is correctly maintained will rarely have problems. There is not a fixed checklist to go through, although many environmental factors affect your printer like dust, air, room heating systems, etc. These factors will determine how often and to what extent the end user will need to perform maintenance.

Ver. 1.1 - 03/01/10

Technical Services

Mimaki JV33 & JV5 Tips & Tricks

Capping Station
Solvent inks are designed to be fast drying. During non-printing times the pigments can dry up around capping border. This can cause the capping to close improperly on the printhead during stand-by, cleaning and when the printer if off. The ink is brought to the border by the head itself, by misfired nozzle, etc.; and it is drying there. When the head is coming back to the capping station, for stand-by, the capping is raising to close and seal the nozzle plate, to prevent ink from drying around the nozzles. When an improper sealing occurs due to pigment build-up, nozzles are likely to be clogged when restarting after off time; this is caused by air leaking into capping drying the pigments. When pumps are trying to suck ink from the head, they are sucking air (totally or partially). We suggest cleaning around the rubber edges of the cap with a swab and JVV Flush and also using the Pump Tube Wash in the St. Maintenance menu to keep your cap clean.

Clean around the rubber edges of the caps with a swab and JVV Flush

Ver. 1.1 - 03/01/10

Mimaki JV33 & JV5 Tips & Tricks

WF

Due to the design of the JV5 and the routing of the ink lines if you have one cap that is not sealing correctly you will have problems with the other heads also (because one ink line is split between the four heads). Feel the rubber gasket of the cap with your gloved hand. If this rubber is very stiff or hard then it may not be sealing correctly under the printhead, we recommend to change it.

Ver. 1.1 - 03/01/10

Technical Services

Mimaki JV33 & JV5 Tips & Tricks

Wipers
Wiping, not plastering
Before, during and after cleaning cycles, heads are wiped off by a rubber blade. Using our special material blades which are not affected by our inks, increases performance. Wipers must have a straight edge to work correctly which requires cleaning three times a day (minimum). Wipers collect the excess ink from the nozzle plate. Clean the wiper housing as well of gelled ink. Customers must pay attention and keep the wiper and the housing clean and free of gelled ink or dried pigment build-up, dust and debris. We suggest to change the wiper often.

The wiper is an essential part of the cleaning process and its effectiveness.

Ver. 1.1 - 03/01/10

Mimaki JV33 & JV5 Tips & Tricks

WF

Problems with Filling Ink

Problems with Ink Flow or with missing color channels can be caused by a number of reasons. The Ink Train itself includes many more components that that of the older Mimaki machines for example. Also the fact that the ink lines are divided into four heads makes it more difficult to diagnose. Watch the dampers when performing an ink fill. The valves inside the dampers should all be pressed in while the pumps are running.

Damper valve pressed in allowing ink flow

Ver. 1.1 - 03/01/10

Technical Services

WF

Mimaki JV33 & JV5 Tips & Tricks

Technical Services

Ver. 1.1 - 03/01/10