SERVICE BULLETIN

Tipping the printer allows ink in the reservoir chambers ...

Date Issued: 09 April 2007 to flow thru the hole surounding the ink level sense probe ...

SB 745 into the upper air chamber ...

where it can block the ink hose port.

PRODUCT: Phaser 8400, 8500, 8550,8560, 8560MFP,

WorkCentre C2424
SUBJECT: Criteria to Determine if Printhead Failure
Caused by the Printer Being Tipped While Hot
OPERATIONAL GROUPS: ALL

PROBLEM
Several problems can be associated with a Printhead that tipped
while hot including Massive Jet Loss, Ink Reservoir Overflow, and Check valve
Ink in the Air Purge Hose.

CAUSE
Tipping the printer while the Printhead is still hot. The printer
should be powered off and allowed to cool for 30 minutes before
moving.

SOLUTION Air Hose port Funnel

Overview Figure 1. Cutaway view of printhead revealing interior

The solid-ink printer, while in its powered-on state, contains features. The dotted line indicates the air spaces above the
liquefied ink. Only when the printer has been turned off and ink reservoirs.
allowed to cool for 20-to-30 minute does this ink solidify. Once the
ink has solidified can the printer be safely moved or shipped.
While its ink is in a liquid state, tipping or tilting the printer allows
ink to infiltrate upper portions of the printhead. This ink infiltration
causes serious, multiple jet loss and well as ink overflows. The ink
blocks the flow of pressurized air thru the purge hose into the
printhead during a cleaning cycle; purges become ineffective.
Similarly, air in the reservoirs is block by the ink so it cannot vent
out as ink is melted into the reservoir. Since the ink cannot
displace the trapped air, it backs up the ink reservoir funnel and
overflows.

Bulletin Contact: Terry Ennis E-Mail: terry.ennis@xerox.com

USSG SLDS Codes: B26, B34, B71 April 09, 2007 Page 1 of 1
 SERVICE BULLETIN

Air chamber

Ink level
sense probe

@;;;
@@

 Figure 3.

@@


;;
Hole connecting
air chamber
to ink reservoir
Ink Reservoir Overflow
Following an ink melt cycle, look for:
• An abnormally raised level of ink in a reservoir (shown in
the Magenta reservoir). Ordinarily the ink level is
maintained even with the filters in the reservoir (as shown
in the Black reservoir). Ink should not rise above the
Ink flows in funnel filters.
thru the filter and
then thru one-way • If the ink level rises high enough it overflows and leaks
check valve into between the metal reservoir funnel and the plastic
insulating panels. (See Figure 4).
Ink reservoir ink reservoir
Figure 2. View of printhead with plastic insulation panels
removed

Ink in Air Purge Hose

Look for:
Ink in the purge hose where it connects to the printhead. This is a
sure sign the printer was tipped while hot. Ordinarily the hose
appearance is uniformly translucent. See Figure 3.

Bulletin Contact: Terry Ennis E-Mail: terry.ennis@xerox.com

USSG SLDS Codes: B26, B34, B71 April 09, 2007 Page 2 of 1
 SERVICE BULLETIN
Look for:
• Ink accumulations under the printhead or on the
printhead’s circuit board. Successive ink melt cycles and
overflows cause ink to accumulate under the printhead.
• If there are ink accumulations under the printhead (Ink
Reservoir Overflow), then the printer was probably tipped
while it was in a typical user setting.
• Ink accumulations often lead to printhead movement faults
such as 7,010.43. (See Figure 5)
Massive jet loss
Look for:
• Many missing jets in the same color. May be in multiple
colors. See Figure 6.
• If the lost jets occur when the printer is powered up, but
there are no indications of Ink Reservoir Overflow as
described earlier, then the printer was probably tilted (while
still hot) after it was shut down.
Air bubbles form in the ink when the ink cools and solidifies
following the shutdown. A power-up cleaning cycle flushes the air-
bubble laden ink out of the printhead. If the purge hose is block by
ink and cannot properly pressurize the printhead, then the purge
cannot flush out the air bubbles that formed in the ink when the ink
solidified. The jet loss is due to air bubbles in the printhead due to
an ineffective purge cycle.

Figure 5.

The ink melted to fill the reservoir cannot immediately displace the
air trapped in the reservoir. Instead the ink backs up in the ink
reservoir funnel and overflows. Since the ink overflows between
the metal reservoir and the printhead’s plastic panels it is not
immediately apparent that the overflows are taking place. Only
after numerous ink melt cycles, which may be hours or days later
after the printer was tipped, does the problem reveal itself.
Multiple missing jets may occur during high-coverage printing due
to ink starvation. Since the ink is not refilling the reservoir, the
printer prints to the point that there is not enough ink to supply the
jets and they run dry. This failure will look similar to the illustration
in the next topic, Massive Jet Loss.

Bulletin Contact: Terry Ennis E-Mail: terry.ennis@xerox.com

USSG SLDS Codes: B26, B34, B71 April 09, 2007 Page 3 of 1