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HP Latex 3000 Printer Series - Troubleshoot substrate issues

Loading issues

The substrate cannot be loaded successfully

A substrate cannot be loaded unless all printer subsystems (e.g. the ink system) are ready.
If the printer is unaware of the carriage beam position (after a printer recovery or shutdown), go to the Internal Print Server and select Carriage beam position > Carriage system recovery.
Check that the spindle is correctly inflated.
Try using the Internal Print Server to advance the substrate at least 3 m, then move it back and try to load it again. If it will not load, perhaps the substrate is not attached to the input core: try a different roll.
If the Internal Print Server displays a message 'The carriage beam height is not suitable for loading substrate', call your service representative (see HP Customer Care CentersHP Customer Care Centers).

The substrate has jammed

If the printer reports a substrate jam, follow these steps.

Press an emergency stop button as quickly as possible to minimize damage to the printheads.

note:
The printer may shut itself down automatically.
Wait about 10 minutes for the printer to cool down.
Open the front door.
Remove all substrate and pieces of substrate from the printing zone and from any other parts of the printer into which they may have fallen. Check the curing zone in particular. Make sure that nothing remains on the substrate path. If you are unable to remove all obstructions, call your service representative (see HP Customer Care CentersHP Customer Care Centers).
Use Print Care to start the printer in service mode.
Use the Print Care diagnostic menu to raise the carriage beam, and check underneath for any pieces of substrate.
Use the same menu to lower the carriage beam to its normal position.
Before restarting the printer, check that all circuit breakers are on and all emergency stop buttons released.
Use Print Care to restart the printer in normal mode.
Reload the substrate.

The substrate is not attached to the core and/or spindle

If the printer detects a lack of tension during the substrate check after loading, it will ask you to confirm the winding direction.

If the roll is not firmly attached during printing, you may see banding on your prints, or hear metallic noises.

If you see an error message numbered 41.00.00.62 or 41.00.01.62 while printing, it means that the substrate may have become detached from the spindle, or the core is slipping on the spindle. This could mean that you have reached the end of the roll, or the spindle is not correctly inflated, or the dual-roll differential hub is locked. The substrate is automatically unloaded when this error occurs.

You should respond to this error in the following ways.

Check whether you have reached the end of a roll.
Check that the spindle is correctly inflated: one valve for the single-roll spindle, and both valves for the dual-roll spindle.

note:
If you are using only one half of the dual-roll spindle, only that half needs to be inflated.
For dual-roll printing, check that the differential hub is unlocked.
Check that the inner diameter of each substrate core is not too large for the spindle.

If the roll is not firmly attached to the input core, proceed as follows.

Unload the roll from the input spindle and load it onto the output spindle. Take care to avoid telescoping.
Raise the pinches and, using the Internal Print Server, raise the carriage beam to its maximum height.
Unload substrate from the roll and pass it backwards through the printer towards the input spindle. Attach it to the empty core on the input spindle, securing it with adhesive tape. Wrap a couple of turns of substrate around the input core. Take care to align the substrate with the output roll.
Lower the pinchwheels.
Go to the Internal Print Server and select Substrate Load/Unload, then select the printer configuration and press Load.
Select the correct substrate in the Internal Print Server.
Press Move substrate in the Internal Print Server, then Back, and wait until all the roll has been wound onto the input spindle.
You may decide to cancel rewinding when the substrate is detached from the output roll. Then attach it to the output core to print immediately, or rewind it completely onto the input core if you want to remove the roll.

The substrate is not flat

If the substrate does not lie flat when it comes out of the printer, but has shallow waves in it, you are likely to see defects in the printed image, such as vertical stripes. This can happen when you use thin substrate that becomes saturated with ink; it can also be caused by the combination of heat and vacuum pressure that is applied to the substrate.

Check that the substrate type you have loaded corresponds to the substrate type selected in the Internal Print Server and in your software.
If you are using a paper-based substrate, try changing to a thicker substrate, or reduce the amount of ink.

Printing issues

A spindle latch suddenly opens during printer operation

If a spindle latch is not closed before starting the substrate load, or it is opened by someone after the spindle was already moving or while the substrate was under tension, the spindle can move out of place. Closing the latch in those conditions can cause an incomplete latch engagement, and then at some point the latch may spontaneously open completely.

The best solution is to eliminate substrate tension, avoid spindle movement, and then close the latch properly. To do this, return to the substrate load/unload menu, ensure that the spindle is properly in place (in case of doubt, extract it a bit and then push it back fully inside again), then close the latch (the blue part should now go down completely).

The substrate advances with a loud continuous sound of vibration

A loud continuous sound of vibration during the substrate advance can be caused in the following ways:

The input spindle is not applying tension.
Wrong tension or vacuum settings result in an incorrect balance of forces on the main roller.

If you hear this sound, here are some suggestions:

Check that the substrate you are using is the same as the one you have selected in the Internal Print Server.
Check that you are using the generic substrate presets for the category. The use of incorrect values may result in incorrect substrate behavior.

note:
Only substrates with high friction along the platen or substrates that easily wrinkle with temperature need high output tension values. Check that your output tension is recommended for your substrate.
Check that there is no telescoping of the input roll.
If you are using the roll-to-roll configuration with dual-roll spindles and you see smears, or the substrate is not adhering to the platen, mainly at the outer sides of both rolls, you are recommended to use the center support with both spindles.

Once installed, you can try to move it up slightly from its calibrated position if you are suffering from wrinkles or the substrate is not adhering to the platen at the outer edges. This could mean that the support has been calibrated below the correct position.

Otherwise, you can try to move the support down a bit if you are suffering from wrinkles or the substrate is not adhering to the platen at the inner edges near the center of the printer. This could mean that the support has been calibrated above the correct position.

note:
Although the center support can be installed while printing, you are recommended to stop the job, unload the substrate, and reload completely, even unwinding the substrate from the output spindle. See Load a roll (dual roll-to-roll configuration)Load a roll (dual roll-to-roll configuration).
Reload the substrate and try to minimize skew while loading. Check that you using the correct loading procedure.
Increase the input tension in steps of +5 N/m from the recommended setting for each category until you eliminate the issue.

There is skew or telescoping on the output spindle

Extreme skew (approximately 10 mm peak to peak) and telescoping in the output spindle while it winds can be caused in two main ways:

The substrate has not been correctly loaded and aligned during the loading procedure.
The roll loaded in the input spindle is skewed, and this skew is transferred to the output spindle.

note:
When printing with dual rolls, you are more likely to notice skew on the output spindle. However, it is not necessarily a problem. If it becomes a problem, proceed in the same way as for a single-roll configuration and consider the use of the recommended center support for dual-roll spindle in both input and output.

note:
If you notice that one of the substrate edges is not as well tensioned as the other between the platen and the main roller, showing a wave-like shape as it enters the platen, then you are likely to have skew, and you should consider the use of the center support for dual-roll spindle in both input and output.

Generally, the main contributor to skew is an imprecise substrate load, and the effects of that are worse with wide rolls. However, if you have some skew or telescoping but this does not affect your print quality, and does not generate wrinkles in the substrate (see There are wrinkles and ink smears on the substrate), there is no need to take any action. However, you are recommended to reload the substrate in order to eliminate any potential problem.

Some substrate rolls already come with skew; in that case the recommendations are as follows:

Try to load the substrate following the correct procedure, taking as a reference of the roll's width the average between peaks of skew.
Start with the recommended configuration and increase vacuum and tensions step by step (i to iv), following the table below.

There are wrinkles and ink smears on the substrate

Wrinkles in the substrate indicate that the substrate settings that control the substrate shape are not optimized. This can cause various printing defects.

Colored bands in area fills in the vicinity of the wrinkles
Ink smears if the printhead touches the substrate
Cockle
A substrate crash if the printhead's movement over the substrate is impeded

There are various reasons why wrinkles and other consequent effects could appear while printing:

Incorrect loading of the substrate
Incorrect routing of the substrate through the printer
Incorrectly positioned edge holders
Drying and curing temperatures too high for the substrate
Differential expansion of the substrate due to variations in temperature
Insufficient tension settings
Non-uniform tension across the substrate when loading

If your prints suffer from any of the defects caused by wrinkles, here are some suggestions.

Check that the substrate you are using is the same type as the one you have selected in the Internal Print Server.
Check that you are using the generic substrate preset for the substrate category. The use of incorrect values may cause incorrect substrate behavior.
Check that there is no telescoping of the input roll.
If you are using the roll-to-free-fall configuration, check that the knob is released to ensure substrate tension.

When printing in the roll-to-free-fall configuration and you see diagonal smears of ink, the substrate may have been badly loaded; or the tension roller may be causing wrinkles in the substrate. In the latter case, you can try using the tension roller knob to reduce the pressure that the roller exerts on the substrate, as shown below:

To restore the tension roller pressure to normal, pull the knob and turn it as shown below.
Reload the substrate and try to minimize skew while loading. Check that you are loading the substrate using the correct procedure.
If you have experienced a substrate crash because the lateral edge of the substrate in the print zone is not flat enough, and is raised or even partially cut because you are not using edge holders, then you are recommended to use them.

note:
If you are already using edge holders, check that they are correctly positioned (see The substrate edge holdersThe substrate edge holders).
Try reducing the drying power and curing temperature.
Start with the recommended configuration and increase vacuum and tensions step by step (i to iv), following the table below.

note:
If you have suffered a substrate crash, try starting with step iv and moving backwards up the table until you find settings that work.
Try reducing the curing temperature and ink quantity, and raise the curing airflow to help in reducing the substrate's thermal contraction.
Consider changing the printer configuration. Use the roll-to-free-fall configuration as it is least prone to wrinkles.
If you cannot get rid of the wrinkles, try raising the carriage beam slightly, so that the printhead is not so close to the substrate.

For information on how to adjust printer settings, see Edit a substrate presetEdit a substrate preset.

There are ink marks on the substrate

This problem can occur if any component in contact with the substrate is dirty. Check the pinchwheels, diverters, print platen, curing module plates, and roller, and clean them if necessary.

If the ink marks occur at the sides of the substrate and not in the center, and you are using the substrate edge holders, check that they are correctly placed and clean.

The substrate sticks to the platen

When the substrate sticks to the platen, the most likely causes are excessive heat applied by the drying system, excessive vacuum, or a dirty platen, which increases friction and can impede the substrate advance. In the latter case, the substrate may rise up in a bubble or wave before reaching the platen.

Here are some suggested ways to correct the problem:

Check that the substrate you are using is the same type as the one you have selected in the Internal Print Server.
Check that you are printing on the correct side of the substrate.
Check that you are using the generic substrate preset for the substrate category. The use of incorrect values could cause incorrect substrate behavior.
Reload the substrate and try to minimize skew while loading. Check that you are loading the substrate using the correct procedure.
Increase vacuum and tensions step by step (i to v) following the table below, until you find settings that work.

There are physical marks on the substrate

This only can occur when substrates sensitive to permanent deformation are used. These marks are usually seen in isolated areas and mainly caused by high curing temperature or substrate tensions.

Here are some suggested ways to correct the problem:

Check that the substrate you are using is the same type as the one you have selected in the Internal Print Server.
Check that you are using the generic substrate preset for the substrate category. The use of incorrect values could cause incorrect substrate behavior.
Reload the substrate and try to minimize skew while loading. Check that you are loading the substrate using the correct procedure.
Try to reduce curing temperature and ink quantity if possible, and raise the curing airflow to help in reducing the substrate deformation.
Reduce tensions and modify vacuum settings, following the table below step by step (a to c), until you find settings that work.

There are drops of ink on the substrate

note:
In the above example, the distance between the drops is about 1 cm.

If you are using the substrate edge holders, clean them.
Clean the sides of the printheads and the sides of the printhead slots.
Clean the electrical connections to the printheads. See The Internal Print Server recommends replacing or reseating a printheadThe Internal Print Server recommends replacing or reseating a printhead.

Print length issues

The print is shorter than expected

Some substrates naturally contract when they are printed on and cured, this can mean the total length of the print is shorter than expected. If this is the case, you can expand the length of the print from the RIP, which will compensate for the contraction of the substrate. Alternatively, change to a less thermal-dependent substrate to reduce the contraction.

How to achieve better consistency between jobs of the same length

The printer has been designed to maximize consistency in the length of the printed substrate. However, there are external variables that can contribute to variability: substrate variations and enviromental conditions.

Select a substrate which is less susceptible to expansion when being printed on. Most paper-based substrates have a tendency to expand.
- If you need to print on a substrate susceptible to expansion:
  - Ensure that the density of ink is similar between each tile (if not, the tile with less ink might be shorter).
  - If possible, decrease the heating temperature.
  - Reduce the ink restrictions as much as possible.
- Make sure that the roll is left within the room where the printer is located for at least 24 hours, this is to ensure the complete roll has the same temperature as the printer.
Do not touch the print adjustments (no change of substrate advance compensation) between tiles.
Print all the tiles at once.
- Do not split the jobs at different times (1 tile one day, and the 2nd tile the 2nd day)
- Do not change the print mode or the substrate width between tiles.
To print the tiles all at once, we recommend the following:
1. Create the tiles from the Internal Print Server.
2. If you are creating the tiles from the RIP, ensure that you send all the tiles within the same jobs sent to the printer/Internal Print Server.
The objective is to make sure that there is no pause between the tiles. When using the Queue mode in the Internal Print Server, there is still a small time between jobs, which could add more variability between the lengths of the tiles.
In order to make sure that even the first tile has less difference in length compared with the other ones, add a top margin of 50 cm.

In case you have to reprint one tile, in order to ensure the length will be as close as the previous jobs:
- Make sure that the substrate and also the ambient temperature of the printer are the same as when the previous job was printed.
- Add a top margin of 50 cm.
But in any case, when having to reprint a tile later, there is a higher probability that the length will be different from the other tile length. The total length repeatability depends on the substrate, the changes in environmental conditions, and the contents of each job (mainly when the substrate is reacting differently depending on the ink density).

Collector issues

The collector stops winding

The collector has a safety timer that will stop rewinding substrate if it is not fully collected after 30 seconds, and will stop unwinding substrate after 5 seconds if the substrate loop is not detected by the collector sensor. If you have a lot of substrate to be collected lying on the floor, you will have to restart the collector by clicking the corresponding icon.

If the collector keeps stopping, and collector movement causes the substrate to be tight between pressure roller and collector when winding, there could be an object blocking the collector sensor path, or the winding direction may not have been selected correctly when restarting the collector.
If the collector keeps stopping, and collector movement makes substrate loops accumulate on the ground when unwinding, it is possible that the winding direction has not been selected correctly when restarting the collector, or that the collector sensor or electronics are broken and should be replaced.

The collector occasionally fails to work correctly

The collector may fail to work correctly if its optical sensor is dirty or blocked by some obstacle.

The collector winds in the wrong direction

Check that the winding direction is set correctly in the Internal Print Server.
Check that there is no obstacle blocking the collector's optical sensor.

The substrate is detached or winds around the collector in the wrong direction

Here are some possible explanations.

The winding direction has been set wrongly.
The collector has been loaded wrongly.

There is skew or telescoping on the collector

This may happen if the substrate was not properly aligned when attaching it to the collector core. You are recommended to follow the loading instructions; in particular, align the substrate well.

note:
If you have a lot of substrate lying on the ground after printing in roll-to-free-fall mode, and you want to attach it to the core, you are recommended to choose a core that is the same width as the substrate, so that a good length of substrate can be aligned around the core before you attach it.

If you cannot resolve the problem satisfactorily, you are recommended to use the roll-to-roll configuration instead, which has better winding performance.

The substrate has jammed on the collector