Roland Printer Shutdown Tips

Maintenance and Planning tips to ensure your Roland printers will be up and running when after a holiday/break.

1. Remove media from the machine

Remove any media from the machine prior to shutting it down.
Leaving media in a machine while not in use may cause a head crash. To prevent such damage, ensure media is removed from the machine when preparing to shut down.

2. Regular manual cleaning

To prevent clogs, ink spillages and further damage ensure your roland equipment is regularly, manually cleaned - inside and out.
The biggest fear of many printer operators is that components will clog if left idle for a long period, leading to lengthy cleaning processes and potential damage to the system. Heads and cap tops can foul, potentially causing the nozzle heads to clog or deflect, or ink accumulating in the head can get messy droplets of ink on your print material.

3. Wiper Maintenance

To ensure your machine wipers function properly, ensure they are replaced when necessary.
Each Roland system has different elements; Roland TrueVIS series users should check and replace wiper fluid if it is really dirty, while Roland VS series machines have a wiper and a wiper felt that should be maintained.

4. Run test prints regularly

Run test prints both when you go on a break, and when returning to your machine to prevent banding and blurry graphics.
Problems with clogged or deflected nozzles, which may cause banding and blurry text or lines , can be spotted early by carrying out regular test prints, so make this a priority both before a break and when you get back in the print room. Keep your Roland cleaning kits well stocked with items like swabs, so you can tackle issues as soon as possible -they're specifically designed for Roland machines so really make life easier.

5. Inspect the pad cutter for wear

To ensure efficient cutting check the pad cutter for wear and replace if necessary
A culprit of inefficient cutting in a print/cutter system is often the pad cutter; this strip of Teflon fitted just below the cutting blade does get worn and shredded, causing spotty or erratic cutting. Make a quick check of the pad cutter before a holiday shutdown and replace it if necessary – your equipment deserves a new vacation outfit too and they're easily obtainable from your local Roland Technical Service Centre.

6. Enable automatic cleaning

Leaving the primary power source switch on when leaving for a holiday/break will ensure that the printer's automatic cleaning system can function.
Luckily, a lot of your pre-break to-do list is covered by the clever automatic cleaning systems fitted in Roland printing and plotting equipment, which work when you don't. Before you head out for long weekend (or even just overnight) remember to turn the machine off at the front panel but leave the primary power source switch on at the back. This will enable the automatic maintenance system to do its stuff, keeping the device spick and span for when you get back to the print room.

7. Cleaning your UV printer

Although the cleaning procedure may differ it is just as vital to keep on top of routine cleaning with your UV printer as any other.
If you keep up with a regular cleaning and maintenance routine, you can rest assured that your device will survive a winter shutdown without any issues. The same is true for UV devices – although the cleaning procedure may differ in a few ways, regular maintenance is all you need to ensure that you return from your holidays with a refreshed body, mind and printer.