The right way of sealing carts...

[dashisiong]

Hi,

I have a question and would like to ask some experts here.

After refilling the customer carts, usually i will seal it with blue tape. My way of doing it will be like this:

1) Spray some water on the print head, clean the side cart and put the blue tape on the head.

2) use my thumb to press the blue tape on the head for about 10 sec.

3) Then quickly use a clip to store the carts.

The next day i will remove the clip and look at the result. Usually the result will be good...head is clean and everything look good.

But after removing the clip for few hours. I check the head again and found out that the print head have some ink started to flow out. The worst part is after 1 to 2 days when i look at the head, the ink have flow out and cover all the silver head!!!

I think i have not done the right thing...anyone can help me?

Thanks

 

[ghwellsjr]

This is something that I have no experience with and this article seems to say you are doing the right thing but maybe there is something in it that might help:

http://users.adelphia.net/~inkprocessusa/taping.html

 

[mikling]

You need to leave a water mist on the cart. Not clean up all the water. Make sure the slip has a firm and pliable cushion to conform the tape to the printhead.

 

[Tin Ho]

I guess there is still a little bit of increased internal pressure left by refilling ink into the cartridge. There is probably some air trapped in the sponge. It is the internal pressure being higher that is driving the ink to flow out from the drainage of the print head.

 

[dashisiong]

I guess there is still a little bit of increased internal pressure left by refilling ink into the cartridge. There is probably some air trapped in the sponge. It is the internal pressure being higher that is driving the ink to flow out from the drainage of the print head.

Yes, i believe what u say is correct....but any solution u can suggest???

 

[mikling]

That's why there is something called Deep Vacuum Filling and why it is the best and only professional way to refill in a business scenario. Syringe and needle is great for the home refillers but you'll need to offer value to the consumer in the long run and that means OEM quality refills with deep vacuum.

 

[dashisiong]

hi,

I would like to know if we use deep vacuum, the sponge have to be 100% dry before filling?

Thanks

 

[mikling]

The whole story of deep vacuum filling is long. A detailed explanation can be had at inkprocess website.
As long as a cartridge arrives in a PERFECT used condition, syringe is ok. When it arrives in suboptimal condition like previously refilled by ??? and how???? and refilled how many times?????, air gaps and path of least resistance is your enemy. Priming clips and syringes can't cut it in those scenarios well at least not for a perfect refill ... maybe good for a while. Only a deep vacuum and centrifuge can salvage those situations.

 

[Tin Ho]

If your ink fill hole is at the top of the cartridge and it is large enough you can use your syringe to suck through it to reduce internal pressure inside the cartridge. You will need to DIY some kind of tubing and adapter between the ink fill hole and the syringe. This is something you have to figure it out but it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Also you can give the cartridge some sort of vibration such as knocking the cartridge lightly with a screw driver to allow air trapped inside the sponge to escape. Or as mikling suggested buy a professional refilling machine, usually made in China. Those machines should be able to refill most HP ink cartridges. But those machines usually takes a lot of work to keep them up. They are not cheap and not reliable. You may want to see a demo before buying one.

 

[mikling]

Tin Ho, this might actually be a very bad thing to do. Why? Because if you remove ink faster than the sponge can supply to the needle hole on extraction, you are going to pull air down into the sponge. So the second you have foam entering your syringe, you've introduced air deep into the sponge via the exterior side of the wall of the needle. This concept is called "path of least resistance". If you do this a few times then you are actually setting up a situation dashisiong has run into and will eventually lead to air problems.
If you want to remove ink, do it from the very top.