Wow just took my capping station out of my dtg printer and what a experience that was! My printing quality was dropping daily and looking really faded, so I was looking at the capping station and it looked like it was getting stuck on gunk and stuff. So I took it out of my machine, all was good and I started cleaning all the dried ink off when out popped the little springs in the bottom of it. Needless to say my heart was beating a little faster, tried to put them back in and finally was able to do so with the help of my sister and our 4 hands. Theres something to be said for maintenance, theres alot of dried ink in there that you cant really see! Its now printing like it did when it was new! Also I have decided that I will now be buying a capping and wiper station to have on hand, just in case! Well live and learn, I now know that I can install and reinstall a capping station!
The capping assembly is a wear part. It is recommended that you replace the assembly with a new one once a year, especially if you are printing white ink. In the case of the Kiosk the capping assembly consists of the capping station, pump, and wipers. You should replace all these components as they are all wear parts. The capping assembly basically acts like a vacuum cleaner, pulling ink from your print head, so it's very important for the proper functioning of your printer for the assembly to be working properly.
We'll be getting in a new capping station soon and I'm a little (lot) nervous about taking the old one out and replacing it. We have an HM-1 Kiosk - is there a video link someone has that I can see how to do it right?
I think you can get on SWF's web site and they have videos to show you how to do them. Its not that bad just take a deep breath and relax!! Take your time and it will be okay!
Harry,
I also have a kiosk and stripped the small cog in the wiper pump assembly. Have installed new one but was wondering how the pump actually works. Im a fitter machinist by trade so worked out the gear mechanism but what does the ink tube that runs through the pump do ??
Cheers
The tubes are wraped around a cam that pinches and rotates against the tube. I've heard it discribed as to be like a heart-lung machine.
Ian
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The formal name for this type of system is a peristaltic pump. As Ian pointed out, there is a cam inside the pump that pinches and opens the tubing that the waste fluid flows through. The constant pinching and opening action causes the fluid to pump. One of the main advantages of this type of pump is that the fluid stays totally within the tubing and never touches any moving parts in the pump.
Wow! capping station 
