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Repairing  HP DesignJet , Z3100, Z3200ps, Z Series Printers
 

INTRODUCTION by Mark Lindquist

Repairing Z3200 Printers - Notes on Tools, Materials, and Procedures 
Mark Lindquist 12/10/2014 - updated --1-03-2017


This is a journal about my printers. These are my own personal notes about repairs and maintenance
I have done to my printers.  I have made this web site mainly for my own benefit
so that I have a record of what I have done.  It is free for anyone to view. If you use this information
do so at your own risk - I assume no responsibility for errors.  If you find any links that are not working
just copy and paste them into your browser. Some may be obsolete.



Above: The Lindquist print studio with 3 HP Z Series printers, 3200 and 3200ps. 
A fourth Z Series printer is in another room.  The third Z3200ps is being
set up in the photo - notice the ink and printheads on table.

HP sells a "care pack" which is an extended warranty, for their Z Series printers.  When I buy a new printer, I try to buy a service contract.  If things go wrong, I want to get back printing as soon as possible.  But after several years go by, or even a few, what happens when problems occur and service personnel are not available, or the repairs are just too costly to afford?  I had such resistance to the suggestion that I could fix my own printer.  Several people on the Luminous-Landscape Photography Forum said it could be done (particularly Bryan Glynn, and Ernst Dinkla, long time Z Series printer users); they insisted it was doable. 
I brought the issue up on the forum, and several people agreed with me that there were design flaws, but ultimately, the conclusion was that the printers could be worked on.

I have the skills to do printer repair work - I have built machines all of my life over a 45+ year career as a woodworker and photographer and have built a great deal of equipment including electronic control  panels and
robotic devices in my
sculpture studio. I even use robotics to do some of my abstract photos.


Portrait of Mark Lindquist in his sculpture studio, by John McFadden



RC-ACR I - One of Mark Lindquist's Custom Made CNC Controlled Camera Robots

I began working on my printers with the belt replacement procedure, but soon discovered several other things needed maintenance and repairs as well,  but my attitude has always been that it's "small" work with detailed and precision requirements done in confined spaces and I didn't want to do it.

I found that that was not always the case when working on the Z series printers particularly when the machine is torn down to the frame.

Working on any of the Z series printers is not difficult, in fact it is rather a similar experience, either working on the 24 inch models or the 44 inch models. And the Z 3100 models are the same as the Z 3200 models. This is convenient particularly since the parts are interchangeable.

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All Images Copyright © Mark Lindquist Photography 2000-2017 - All Rights Reserved

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