As anyone who’s popped out of the office for an ice cream this afternoon will know, hot weather can be hard on productivity - not just for people, but also for the equipment we use around our print room. Spending a little time and effort on specific hot-weather maintenance is an easy way to make sure that time and money are kept at a premium by avoiding breakdowns and repairs.
Best of all, many of these tips also apply when the weather turns bitterly cold later in the year. Here’s what our Head of Technical Services, advises.
– Keep the machine enclosed
Making sure that you close the panels will avoid dust build up, which can cause slowing down and blockages, particularly when it’s hot.
– Keep it ventilated
Checking that you’ve got good airflow around your machine is essential in hot weather. If the equipment is stuck in a corner surrounded on all sides then your printer could overheat. Keep an eye on the temperature and clear space around the edges for air to circulate to keep the machine cool.
– Don’t leave your printer by the window
Leaving your printer in direct sunlight can play havoc with sensors that are used to detect or advance media, causing various production problems, as well as introducing expensive replacements or repairs down the line.
– Avoid sitting ink
If you leave ink sitting then this can cause problems such as head strikes and blockages. Instead, leave the printer on so that the ink is circulating around the machine rather than clotting in one place. This is best practice for all standard cartridge sizes and essential if you have a printer with a larger ink tank.
– Don’t leave the print-head high off the machine
If you do leave the printer for some time like this then dust can get underneath and start causing issues, as well as drying any excess ink around the head and potentially introducing air into the ink system, which risks producing a head strike.
– Make sure your ink is running smoothly
In addition to avoiding sitting ink, it’s a good idea to schedule regular cleaning of the ink caps and ink station. This will avoid any build up inside the machine and make sure that the ink flow is easy.
– Correct profiling
Ensuring that media and ink are profiled correctly will mean you are able to guarantee you’re getting consistent results and you’ll be able to systematically remove any issues as and when they arise.
Regularly maintaining your printer has many advantages and is particularly important if you’ve invested substantially in it. Regular maintenance will ensure that:
– The machine is still working at optimum performance, even in hot weather;
– Prints are produced consistently and without faults;
– The lifespan of the printer is increased and the machine will last longer;
– Downtime and a drop in productivity can be avoided;
– You can reduce wasted spend on ink or media that end up producing unusable prints.
And with that, you can afford to buy another round of ice lollies for your team. So, you can see that there are several great reasons to look after your wide-format printer - do that, and the machine will look after you.
Post time: Sep-28-2022