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Author Topic: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure  (Read 2261 times)

John Caldwell

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4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« on: July 13, 2013, 09:20:18 pm »

This 4900 is new to me for only two months, as it's a refurb sent to me as warranty replacement of 4900 that suffered head failure. This 4900 is giving troublesome results with the cassette tray path: It fails to collect sheets and draw them into the transport. The sheet moves slightly towards the printer rear, and is then dropped back in the cassette tray. Only if I apply gentle force to rear during the moment that the handling apparatus is "ingesting" the sheet will the sheet feed and go on to print.

These results are being seen with all the materials I'd been using with my old 4900: Canson Baryta and Platine; Museo Silver Rag, Epson PLPP - routine stuff and materials which never once failed to feed from the cassette from my first 4900.

Does anyone have any insight regarding field adjustments that might possible increase the ability to grab sheets from the cassette? I groan to think of sending this 4900 back to Epson. They told me they do not service 4900 printers in the field once the original factory warranty has expired, so I believe this will be another return, for another refurb.

Thanks everyone,

John-
« Last Edit: July 13, 2013, 09:44:37 pm by John Caldwell »
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Mark D Segal

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2013, 09:54:55 pm »

Most of those papers are too heavy or too thick for the tray. You need to feed them one by one through the slot on top of the printer. Be guided by the advice in the manual. If you've managed to get them through before you were fortunate. It isn't expected behaviour. To make sure the mechanism in your printer is OK, get a small amount of the paper recommended in the manual for that tray and see whether it works.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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John Caldwell

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2013, 10:02:02 pm »

Mark more than 2000 sheets of these media had been fed from the cassette of the prior unit. This unit is clearly behaving differently and the question is what, if anything, can be done to recreate the performance of the prior 4900. What do you feed from your 4900's cassette?

John-
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Mark D Segal

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2013, 10:21:39 pm »

John, just because something that wasn't designed to work worked, doesn't mean it always will work. You were fortunate. Do you have the manual? Read page 39 to see what can be fed through the Paper Cassette. It's light stuff. Much of the stuff you mentioned above is heavier or thicker than that. HOWEVER, if Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper does not work in the Paper Cassette you have a problem because it is in the "approved list" for the cassette, and if you have such a problem you will need to get back to them - unfortunately. On a side note, I have qualms about refurbished printers. My experience with an Epson all-in-one was not good. They replaced three or four of them in a row, all defective in the same way - yellow channel failure. We finally agreed they would send me a new printer because relative to the low cost of such a printer this stream of turnarounds was becoming ridiculous for both them and me - problem solved. You may need to "negotiate". At the end of the day they are responsive - especially for issues in-warranty.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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John Caldwell

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2013, 10:29:02 pm »

Yes Mark I'm aware of the specs for the cassette but since Prem Luster doesn't feed either, I'm believing this machine isn't right. As for the refurb aspect I'll give it one more go before I insist on a new unit. Thanks Mark. John-
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Mark D Segal

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2013, 10:30:32 pm »

Yes Mark I'm aware of the specs for the cassette but since Prem Luster doesn't feed either, I'm believing this machine isn't right. As for the refurb aspect I'll give it one more go before I insist on a new unit. Thanks Mark. John-

Sounds like you're right.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Wayne Fox

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2013, 08:00:59 pm »

Feeding a lot of fiber type paper through the cassette feed of any printer can cause problems, as the paper dust will eventually cover the gripper rollers to the point they will slip.  Those rollers are grooved in the 4900 which helps mitigate that, but it can still be problematic.  Doesn't sound like you've printed enough with the refurb unit to be a problem however, and if the problem has been present since the this unit arrived, it sounds like you're best bet is to call Epson.
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Mark D Segal

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2013, 08:05:14 pm »

Useful observation Wayne - and if that's what's happening it could indicate the *refurbing* of that printer wasn't carefully enough implemented.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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jed best

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2013, 08:20:30 pm »

Hi John,

I have a 4900 and have cassette feed both alot Epson Exhibition Fiber and Canson Plantine successfully. The only adjustment I had to make was to increase the platen gap for the Canson.
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John Caldwell

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2013, 08:35:52 pm »

Thanks everyone. Jedbest, your experience describes the results with my first 4900. Yes, Wayne there is no way this is a dust problem. The unit has just had too little use for that.

We'll see what Epson says.

John-
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Mark D Segal

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2013, 10:12:37 pm »

Thanks everyone. Jedbest, your experience describes the results with my first 4900. Yes, Wayne there is no way this is a dust problem. The unit has just had too little use for that.

We'll see what Epson says.

John-

Remember John - you got a refurb - you don't know what use it's had before it came to you and how well *refurbed* it was.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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John Caldwell

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Re: 4900: Cassette Tray Path Failure
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2013, 09:27:47 pm »

The cassette path appears to have been solved:

1) Replacement of pickup roller assembly permitted sheets to leave the tray, only to result in paper jams further down the line on the "deck side" of the path (meaning the actual printing plane). We reasoned that jams were occurring as a consequence of media deformation at the leading edge.

2) We imagined the cassette tray's rear side was not lowering properly so the entire tray was replaced with a new part. The tray replacement, and the new pickup roller, has this unit working correctly wit 100% feed and 0% jams. We can't comment about long term results, but we can say that 25 sheets have fed, and several weights of media have been tried. This includes spec and "non-spec" papers like 310 weight Platine, Museo Rag and Baryta Photographique. My first 4900 fed more than 2000 sheets of those papers without any problems, so I'm hopeful this will too.

In summary, I think the tray's "rear door" was at fault from the start and the actual pickup roller was not. Otherwise you'd have to blame the initial failure on two unrelated parts.

John Caldwell
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