Epson Printer Heads - Are They Shared Between Models?

[OM2]

Are Epson printer heads shared like they are for Canon printers (for specific models)?

Just wondering

Thanks


Omar

 

[PeterBJ]

Some print heads may be common to more printer models, but Epson print heads are not user replaceable. Installing an Epson print head is no simple task. A service manual and an adjustment program and probably also a set of feeler gauges are a must.

 

[OM2]

peter, thanks. i didn't know that. so one a print head is gone... ur stuffed?

are the epsons more reliable than canon (and therefore don't need to worry about print heads)?

 

[jtoolman]

I not at all an expert on Print Heads but from the little I know, the Canon heads are made to be user replaceable possibly because by the nature of how they operate, they are basically destroying themselves as they operate. Each droplet of ink being boiled and expelled out through the nozzles by the equivalent of a mini explosion. Thus the reason they have many extra redundant nozzles that come into play as others are damaged or clogged beyond help. This apparently happens under the radar and you / us users don't even become aware of the ongoing damage until the head simply reaches a point that it no longer has enough working nozzles to operate. You know simply replace the print head.

Of course, other problems can occur to a print head as is evident by the numerous posts on cleaning Canon heads by soaking in various fluids to help clear out clogs.

But as long as the logic board is not damaged by the bad head, or vice versa, at least Canon Print heads are easily user replaceable and a replacement usually will solve the problem.

Epson heads however are cold firing Piezo heads. I don't now exactly how they operate but they apparently do not undergo such a brutal condition during firing off a droplet of ink. So they tend to last a very long time, barring clogs from infrequent use. So they are built into the print carriage itself and not easily replaceable by the user. Though if your very handy you may be able to swap the old head out for a new one without too much trouble, if you don't break something along the way. I've seen it done and it is not that difficult once you learn how.

Joe

Joe

 

[OM2]

joe thanks for the great reply. more educated i am now.

 

[turbguy]

Canon print heads (at least on consumer printers) don't have "redundant" nozzles to take the place of those that stop functioning. Depending on the "level of print quality" that is expected, you might not "notice" a very small number of non-functioning nozzles, but a service test print will easily expose them...(unless they are yellow, in which case the print matrix is VERY hard to see in white light).

Redundancy would require the print head to detect and communicate back to the logic board that a certain nozzle is "inoperative" and would have to make changes in the driver or firmware to accommodate placing ink in the required spot(s) using other nozzles. Not impossible....

 

[kittiekat]

Jtoolman is right. In our office, we used to have an Epson printer and when the print head expired/gave up, we were doomed. We tried to replace it and had a technician twerked it. The technician said it was okay and we ended up paying a lot more than just buying a new printer. After a few days, the Epson printer was not working anymore.

So, we ended up buying another printer. This time, it's Canon. And so far we are loving it!

 

[jtoolman]

Canon print heads (at least on consumer printers) don't have "redundant" nozzles to take the place of those that stop functioning. Depending on the "level of print quality" that is expected, you might not "notice" a very small number of non-functioning nozzles, but a service test print will easily expose them...(unless they are yellow, in which case the print matrix is VERY hard to see in white light).

Redundancy would require the print head to detect and communicate back to the logic board that a certain nozzle is "inoperative" and would have to make changes in the driver or firmware to accommodate placing ink in the required spot(s) using other nozzles. Not impossible....

When you say consumer, are you referring to desktop small Canons letter or A3 size?
Do printers like the PRO-1-10-100 or the PRO9500 MkII have heads with extra redundant nozzles or it is only on the ipf series?
I watch a CANON seminar where the presenter bragged about the many thousands more nozzles the heads on that line or printers had.
The only way that would make sense is if those extra thousands of nozzles were acting as back up. I wish I could find the You Tube link.
He also discussed some of the physical differences in the actual geometry of the EPSON vs CANON head nozzles. Physically they are different and supposedly explain why CANON print heads apparently clog less than EPSON.
Found It!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IEYM4jqNAs

Joe

 

[turbguy]

Lets just say desktop printers for now. My old (2004?) Canon i960 has 512 nozzles for each color. For 6 colors, thats more than 3000 nozzles. EACH ONE has to fire for the best quality. EACH ONE fires and is recorded during a service test print matrix. There are no redundant nozzles. Examining the printhead on my PRO-100, it looks very similar. Industrial machines may be different.

As to "clogging", that's really a "suspicion" of what might be causing a printing problem. The only real way to confirm clogging is to microscopically examine the nozzle for a solid deposit. As for Epson printheads, they require a SOLID VOLUME of incompressible fluid in the firing chamber to operate, A tiny amount of compressible fluid (read: air) will stop successful firing in it's tracks.

That said, clogs do indeed occur, particularly if a printer sits unused for a long period and ink in the ink channels/nozzles dries, or solidifies for some other reason.

(and I still gotta watch the video).

 

[turbguy]

BTW, less nozzles does not a worse printer make. If you increment the paper by smaller amounts, the same "resolution" can be achieved. It just prints slower.