What is a eco solvent printer?
A eco solvent printer is a type of large format printer that uses a nozzle to spray various colored patterns onto specialized materials. Generally used in the advertising, graphic, and CAD industries, before 2004 it was mainly imported machines. eco solvent printers are mainly divided into two categories based on nozzle technology: piezoelectric eco solvent printers and thermal foaming eco solvent printers.
What are the methods for dealing with clogging of the nozzle of a eco solvent printer?
eco solvent printer nozzle blockage treatment method
When a eco solvent printer is spraying, the nozzle of the machine does not produce ink, resulting in a lack of color in the image content, which is commonly referred to as "nozzle blockage", especially for angel machines, which is the main factor affecting the image quality and yield. Discussing the reasons for nozzle blockage can help to better understand the machine and improve image quality.
The principle of the nozzle of a eco solvent printer is similar to that of a bicycle pump commonly used in daily life. The iron rod of the pump that moves up and down is the soul component of the nozzle - the piezoelectric crystal. When it is found that the pump cannot release air, there are two reasons: the air path is blocked or the pump iron rod is not working.
The nozzle is of course much more complex than the air pump, so there are various reasons for "blockage", roughly including the following situations:
1. After ink accumulates to a certain extent in the nozzle of a eco solvent printer, it blocks the nozzle hole outside. This is the most common way of blocking because the solvent in ink must evaporate into the air to dry the image. Therefore, ink is a volatile liquid that easily evaporates in the air and produces solid substances. When spraying onto fabric, there will always be some ink residue around the nozzle. After drying in the air, this ink will gradually make the nozzle smaller or even block it. However, because it is located outside the nozzle, it is easy to clean, which is why the nozzle is often cleaned
2. Damage to piezoelectric crystal: It is certain that the nozzle cannot spray ink. A typical piezoelectric nozzle can last for about a year, but in factories with a lot of printing work, it is normal to use it for less than a year.
3. Fatigue damage of piezoelectric crystal: The phenomenon is that the nozzle of the eco solvent printer sometimes sprays ink, sometimes it cannot spray ink, especially when the inkjet volume is large (i.e. when spraying dark images), the "blockage" phenomenon is obvious. At this time, the best method is to replace the nozzle with a new one.
4. Blockage of the filter inside the nozzle causes the nozzle to not output ink: When using the nozzle for a long time, especially in factories with insufficient printing tasks and frequent shutdowns at night, the ink does not flow in the nozzle for a long time, and it is easy to adsorb on the walls of the internal filter or ink channel, reducing the cross-sectional area of ink flow and causing the nozzle to not output ink
5. The viscosity of ink is too high or too low: The viscosity of ink is too high, resulting in poor fluidity of the ink, and the amount of ink ejected by the nozzle per unit time is not enough; The viscosity of ink is too low, which means it is too thin. It is easy to suck in air when the piezoelectric crystal is pulled back in the nozzle, and ink cannot be sucked in, resulting in air being sprayed out; Both can cause the phenomenon of the nozzle not producing ink. Customers often require that the environment in which ink is stored is very important. Before use, the ink should be placed in the environment where the ink is used for at least 24 hours, because the viscosity of the ink will be high when placed at low temperatures, and the viscosity will become very low at high temperatures. This viscosity difference is significant, and once ink with large viscosity differences is mixed together for use, it will cause the phenomenon of inability to spray ink
6. Malfunction of the driving circuit: The aging of electronic components in the driving circuit and the accumulation of too much dry ink dirt may affect the voltage of the driving nozzle, causing the nozzle to not output ink or the ink output to be unstable.
7. Types of Ink: Due to improper control of the amount of desiccant, some manufacturers' ink dries too quickly, which can easily cause ink blockage on the outside. Although it can be cleaned, the cleaning time interval is relatively frequent. Once the nozzle is not used for a long time without timely protection, it may cause permanent damage to the nozzle when spraying again.
8. Frequent ink replacement: In many cases, the nozzle may not be properly protected during ink replacement, which can also affect the inkjet status of the nozzle.
9. Machine operating environment temperature and humidity: It is generally recommended to have a temperature of 22-25 degrees and a humidity of 40-70%. High and low temperatures can affect the viscosity of ink and cause ink shortage in the nozzle, which is often mistaken for "nozzle blockage".
10. Nozzle driving voltage: Appropriate nozzle voltage will make nozzle inkjet smoother.
Ink thickening problem
Low winter temperatures are an external factor contributing to ink thickening. Under the influence of temperature, the thinning and thickening of ink is a physical phenomenon, but the change is in form rather than essence (the basic properties of ink).
The ink is too thick and has a high viscosity, but it is best not to use diluents or ink conditioners to adjust its viscosity. Because when users need to adjust ink properties, there is a limit to the total amount of various additives that can be contained in the original ink produced by the ink manufacturer. If the limit is exceeded, even if it can be used, it weakens the basic performance of the ink and affects the printing quality. In addition, the viscosity and consistency of ink are related, referring to their properties rather than their phenomena.
The phenomenon of ink thickening caused by temperature can be solved by the following methods:
(1) Place the original ink on a radiator or next to a heater, allowing it to slowly warm up and gradually return to its original state.
(2) When in urgent need, boiling water can be used for external heating. The specific method is to pour boiling water into a basin, and then put the original bucket (box) of ink in the water, but to prevent water vapor from entering. When the water temperature drops to around 27 ℃, take it out, open the lid and stir evenly before use. The temperature in the workshop should be maintained at around 27 ℃.
What are the maintenance methods?
To clean the nozzle of the eco solvent printer, you need distilled water, a lint free scrubbing cloth, and a plate.
1. Soak the cloth in distilled water.
2. Gently clean the nozzle at the bottom of the nozzle with a damp cloth (do not wipe) 3 to 5 times.
Repeat this process for all nozzles to be cleaned. Each nozzle should use a clean area of cloth to avoid mixing of nozzle colors. Test the nozzle to see if it is blocked.
If there is still blockage, heat the distilled water slightly and place a small amount on a plate. When placing the nozzle on a plate, the water level should not be higher than 2CM above the bottom as water may leak behind the chip
Stand the nozzle upright in warm water. Wait for 30 seconds, dry the nozzle before testing.
Each nozzle should be cleaned with clean water. In addition, the nozzle can also be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner.
To clean the petals, alcohol and cotton swabs or a lint free scrubbing cloth are needed.
Turn off the power of the eco solvent printer.
Soak the cloth or cotton cloth with alcohol.
Gently scrub the core behind the nozzle to remove dirt or ink.
Repeat this process for each nozzle, ensuring that each nozzle is cleaned with a clean part of a cloth or a clean cotton swab. Take the nozzle out of the small frame and gently wipe the contact strip on the small frame with a clean wet cotton swab or cloth. After cleaning, install the nozzles and ensure that they are correctly installed in place. eco solvent printer ink cartridge leaking -
After completing the ink suction, do not immediately remove the syringe. Wait for 20 seconds until the pressure is balanced before removing it to prevent air from entering.
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