Why are the newer Canon printers executing so many clean cycles?

[mikling]

Has anyone tried to think about why they would do this even when they have smaller cartridges?

Does anyone have a service manual that indicates what those cycles really are? Are they clean or prime cycles?

and how much ink is actually removed per cycle?

I know many make claims that this is the case, and it may well be true but in the older printers the service manuals actually specified the cycle details.

We need to know more because even on my Pro9000, I hear multiple more cycles than my MP500 which hardly has any and the both use CLI-8, so I'd be interested to know if anyone has any technical facts on these things.

 

[pharmacist]

To optimize or increase revenues. Profit is not a criterium, much more profit is.

 

[websnail]

Not sure about the Pro9000 but as regards the iP4700's etc... there was a post a ways back where someone did a comparison on the build quality complete with photos and it seems the newer printers have much lower quality parts. This included the cleaning station which IIRC consisted of a much simplified approach compared to the older style.

Having not had the chance to look at a newer printer properly I couldn't give a definitive reason but if that information were accurate then it's highly likely the cleaning routines are increasing to compensate for the lower quality cleaning system. Sort of like a car wash with half the bristles missing on the cleaning wheels... You have to go through twice to get the car properly clean...

Crud analogy but you get the idea.

 

[pharmacist]

So cheaper to manufacture, more necessary cleanings, faster ink draining, forcing people to buy new cartridges more often, increase revenues and profit. Canon is happy !!!

 

[ghwellsjr]

Maybe they also want customers to void their warranties sooner if they are unwilling to buy OEM cartridges.

 

[qwertydude]

I know for a fact they don't need so many "cleaning" since I disabled ink monitoring after the first set of oem carts and never looked back. They never clogged even after cleaning cycles were reduced, only problems I ever had were some flow issues but that was problems with cartridges not print heads clogging.

 

[leo8088]

Do you know for sure it does many more cleaning cycles? It takes a hell lot longer to start up. If it is doing cleaning cycles it should take 5 maybe 10 seconds longer. 5 to 10 seconds of cleaning cycle is going to suck out a couple of cc of ink. I am not convinced that it actually does more cleaning cycles. But I can't explain why it takes so slong to start up. It is doing something.

 

[mikling]

It looks like so far it is all guessing and some swagging.

I think we need someone with a service manual who can look it up or someone who has taken a newer one apart and measured the outflow from the priming pumps.

I am suspecting that there is more to this and the general consensus might be wrong. For example, given the amt of times the heads of the Pro9000 I have makes motions and sounds I would expect that a serious amount of ink would disappear but I don't find that to be true. Yet, on my MP500 there is hardly any head "actions" going on unless I don't use it for more than 24hours which is what the service manual states.

There is possibly a correlation between size of nozzles, and size of nozzle strip that is being accommodated and that while much sound ensues, maybe more wiping and smaller volumes each cycle are being withdrawn.

 

[irvweiner]

Glad you gents brought this topic up--my 2 month young Pro9000 MKII undergoes a 'cycling' after 'almost each 8x10 or alignment check. I do not know definitely if the carts are being 'exorcised' or the waste pads under the print head are scrubbing the nozzles but it sure sounds like clinking of coins in Canon's direction. However, my inks usage (refills) does not appear to be much greater than my first s9000 or my recent i9900--but the MKII cycling frequency is much greater than I have ever experienced including my wife's Epson R280.

I'm using refillable carts with ARC chips, the Canon ink monitor display has not yet indicated low or empty carts even though I rarely turn the printer off. My paper profiling for this new printer has generated several cart refills except for the R&G inks as others have observed, might be more beneficial to replace one or both with cleaning solution and enjoy the new auto printhead cleaning function!!
Edit: my last week's batch of profile print targets (18+ pgs) did drop the R&G levels by 1/3, but my normal print making with the i9900 during the last 5 years drained the R&G at a snails pace.

irv weiner

 

[ghwellsjr]

Irv, maybe you are using one of the paper types that don't use the red and green inks. See this post.