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Manual Ink Purge and Printhead Swabbing

Introduction

If manual dry wiping and automatic printhead maintenance (AMS) is not functional, the following manual Ink Purge and Swabbing procedure can be used to attempt to recover nozzles.

Equipment

  • Safety glasses with side shields

  • Gloves (for example: Ansell Microflex 93-260)

  • Foam Tipped Swab

  • Cloth-Poly Wipe 10cm x 10cm (lint-free)

CAUTION

The underside of the UV lamps may be hot, avoid touching them.

Procedure

  1. Select the Maintenance tab.
  2. Select the Manual-Maintenance icon.
  3. Select [Purge] for the first color channel that requires nozzle recovery.
    NOTE

    Do not select more than one channel.

  4. Slide open the maintenance station drawer.
  5. Press the Purge button.
  6. Position the foam end of a swab or, if necessary, a lint-free cloth at one end of the printhead as shown in the figure below.
  7. Slowly move in about 2 seconds the swab or cloth from one end of the double printhead to the other to clean the nozzle face.
    IMPORTANT

    Make sure the seam on the swab does not contact the printhead.

  8. Discard the swab or cloth. A new swab or cloth must be used to clean the next printhead.
    IMPORTANT

    Always make sure that the swab or cloth is clean before you use it.

  9. Use a new dry swab to clean around the openings for the printhead. Run the swab around the perimeter of the opening. See path in figure below.

    Use the tip of the swab for the short ends. Turn the swab to the seam side to clean the long ends. Turn the swab to the seam side to clean the long ends.

    Take special care to remove ink from the gap between the metal plates of the printhead and carriage base plate. See area indicated by the white ellipses in the figure above. Discard the swab.

  10. Select [None] for the color channel that has just been swabbed. Then select [Purge] for the next color channel that requires nozzle recovery and repeat steps 5-9.

    Continue until all printheads that require cleaning are purged and wiped.

  11. Inspect the swabbed printheads for any residual ink. Remove with a clean dry swab if necessary.
  12. Close the Maintenance station drawer.
  13. Print a nozzle check to evaluate the effect of the wiping.

    If necessary, repeat the above ink purge & swabbing procedure on those printheads that still show dropped nozzles.

    NOTE

    For additional information, check the video: Keep PH nozzles firing

Parent topic:
Printhead Maintenance
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