I have owned my Anajet Sprint DTG since July 2009 (3 1/2 months as of this post) The print quality has been high, and the print performance is as advertised.
After 2 1/2 months I had already replaced the first set of ink cartridges, and I got a
warning that my waste tank was full. I emptied about 600 ml of waste ink from the tank.
Now a month later, and less than 30 items since changing the cartridges, the back "C" cartridge is empty. I tested the waste tank using a slender stick in from the top and have discovered that it is now about half full.
Automatic maintenance set at 12 hours. Maintenance was lacking the first few months but since emptying the waste tank the first time maintenance has been followed well.
The machine is level and on a sturdy bench. The climate is fairly humid and warm.
Though I am only estimating, it looks like in just over 3 months there has been 900 ml of ink that has passed into the waste tank. The first instance tech support suggested that poor maintenance was the cause. I am waiting to hear back from them this time, but would like to hear any feedback out there.
Automatic maintenance set at 12 hours. Maintenance was lacking the first few months but since emptying the waste tank the first time maintenance has been followed well.
Ink goes into the waste tank one of three ways typically:
1) You tell the printer to do a cleaning (i.e. head cleaning, power clean,... depending on your printer).
2) By firmware. Every piezo print head based printer has firmware that tells the printer to periodically spit ink out of all nozzles to make sure nozzles not being used will not clog (at least this is the theory).
3) By automatic software cleaning programs. You stated in your post that you have it set to do a cleaning every 12 hours. Well, that means ink comes out of the print head every 12 hours. This can add up over time.
The other way that has been posted several times in this forum typically happens when you put cleaning fluid in the capping station and park the print head over the capping station. Because your printer uses a gravity feed ink delivery system, the height of the ink cartridges are important for ink flow. If they were lower, then you would have ink starvation problems. If they were higher, you would have ink coming out of the print head. But if you put cleaning fluid in the capping station and park the head over it, the cleaning fluid will slowly flow down into the waste tank and can create a suction effect that will start to pull ink out of 1 or more ink channels. If this happens, it typically drains all the ink out of the cartridges unless you catch it in the process. It does not sound like this is what happens to you.
So I would focus on the three ways listed above to determine if this is why your waste tank is filling up.
I have the AnaJet FP-125, so if anyone who has a Sprint wants to correct me, go ahead. I turned off my Auto Maintenance. I just don't need it...ever. And I use the white ink in my setup. I print enough and do my own head cleanings, so the auto maintenance was just overkill. Don't know if that is all of your issue, but it's probably most of it.
I have the AnaJet FP-125, so if anyone who has a Sprint wants to correct me, go ahead. I turned off my Auto Maintenance. I just don't need it...ever. And I use the white ink in my setup. I print enough and do my own head cleanings, so the auto maintenance was just overkill. Don't know if that is all of your issue, but it's probably most of it.
How many shirts do you print daily? Is 2-3 enough to avoid the auto maintenance? I generally have to do at least one print head clean before printing each day.
In training I was told that the auto clean only happens after 12 hours of idle time. So theoretically if you're printing every day, it should only have time to do one before you start the 12 hour clock over again.
Does anyone know how much ink is wasted for each cycle of the head cleans? I know the SPRINT has three levels of printhead cleans, and that they get more intense with each successive one. I'd be curiouos to find out exactly how much goes away with each clean.
I don't have the Sprint, I have the older FP-125. I don't use the auto system maintenance. I run a nozzle check first, and then do the head cleanings if necessary.
Sometimes in the middle of a large job, or if printed many shirts (75+), I'll notice a little banding. I'll run another nozzle check, and if it's not good, then I'll do another head clean.
It's imperitive that your wiper blade and capping station be CLEAN.
The head cleans don't use that much ink, but running many of them a day does add up. If you don't have many shirts to do, then try to bunch them up for 1 or 2 days worth of printing, and then flush your system with cleaning fluid or distilled water for the rest of the week.
Running cleaning solution through all the tubes and dumping ink into the waste tank, plus ink charges (which cost me a bunch to charge the machine initially, i.e. at least 10-12 ink charges to get all eight channels to the head) cost too much to do that weekly. I'm 100% sure that just printing a shirt or two a day is less wasteful.
So I guess, what I'm wondering is this: Can I skip my 12 hour auto cleans if I'm printing daily? From what you're saying, it seems like I could.
I agree with Sean. I would turn it off. To me it uses more ink than needed, and gumms up the capping station. The auto maintenance by itself will suck about $20 per week. Printing every day is good, but you may still get some buildup of pigment in the lines at just a couple shirts per day. I'd flush once a month, unless you can bring your volume up to 10 to 20 shirts per day and then you might be able to go 2 months. The idea is to keep the pigment forcefully moving through the lines and dampers. I would say it's about 7 to 10 bucks of white ink to flush the lines.
Ian
__________________ imprimeo! ....Digitizing, DTG and Embroidery..FREE Embroidery SOFTWARE Sierra Consultant, Stitch ERA Universal Dealer, Digitizing trainer for GUNOLD USA
I know that this is a real old post, but I thought I'd add that if this is used to not have white ink sitting in the printer too long.....the least wasteful way to recharge is to attatch a syringe to the output tube on the maintenance area, draw the ink (you can watch it) up to the dampers and into the head, do one head clean... and you are good to go. This allows you to only waste the cleaning fluid from one side and not ink in the tubes on the other.
__________________ imprimeo! ....Digitizing, DTG and Embroidery..FREE Embroidery SOFTWARE Sierra Consultant, Stitch ERA Universal Dealer, Digitizing trainer for GUNOLD USA
Anajet Sprint waste ink tank filling 
