How to Perform Daily Nozzle Maintenance with a BCH Manifold System for White Ink Printers

Question:
I recently purchased the manifold system shown in your product listing. I'd like to know how to carry out daily maintenance using water for the white ink nozzles. Specifically, for the ones highlighted in the image I sent, do I need to swap the lines connected to the white dampers with those on the maintenance side? And do I run a print head cleaning while they’re swapped?

Answer:

Step-by-Step Guide for Daily Nozzle Maintenance

1. Understand the Layout:

   • The white dampers (connected to your white ink channels) typically supply ink from the main tanks.

   • The maintenance side of the manifold (usually identified on your setup) is designed to supply flushing fluid—often distilled water or a cleaning solution—for periodic maintenance.

2. Swapping the Tubes:

   • You are correct: to perform maintenance, you need to temporarily swap the lines from the white ink dampers to the lines connected to the maintenance fluid.

   • To prevent vacuum issues or false sensor readings, make sure this swap is done with the printer turned off or idle.

3. Use Distilled Water:

   • Use only distilled water for daily nozzle maintenance. Avoid alcohol-based solutions for regular maintenance unless performing a deep clean, as harsh solvents may degrade damper seals or printhead internals over time.

4. Run a Cleaning Cycle:

   • Run a standard printhead cleaning cycle after you’ve swapped the tubes to the maintenance side.

   • This flushes any settled pigment (essential for white ink) out of the nozzles.

   • After the cycle, inspect the nozzle output using a nozzle check to ensure even and consistent flow.

5. Return the Lines:

   • Once maintenance is complete, swap the lines back to the original white ink dampers. This is crucial—if you forget, you may print with water instead of white ink, damaging your media and affecting print quality.

6. Optional: Purge Mode:

   • If your system supports it, you may use the manual ink purge or flush mode via your RIP software or printer menu to push fluid through the white ink channels without triggering the waste ink pad counter.

Additional Help via Video

We’ve created a helpful video walking through this exact process. You can view it directly on our YouTube channel [https://youtu.be/DUMoE8yLzWs]. It provides a visual explanation and shows where to connect and swap the lines, how to perform the cleaning, and what to expect.

Important Note on Printer Repairs

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. So, we cannot provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We offer an in-person evaluation and repair service via our local diagnostic facility [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]. Given the high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis. So, it might take a few weeks to get your printer to drop it off. Our services are structured to repair the whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we acknowledge that our rates aren't the most economical. Thus, we highly recommend that you resort to self-help via online research. You can start by checking out YouTube or visiting our YouTube channel's homepage [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]. Look for specific videos using the search icon next to "About" on the right-hand side of the menu bar. I receive dozens of queries every day asking about videos for specific topics. Having created videos over the past nine years, it's challenging to remember every single one. Therefore, using YouTube's search function would be most efficient. Plus, YouTube might suggest relevant videos from other channels that could assist you.

Thank you again for your support and being part of our BCH Technologies community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out again with more questions—we’re always here to help in any way we can!