Finally got my old plotter working after it jammed up on a 40-page set of plans

Had a big deadline last Thursday and my HP DesignJet just started eating paper halfway through a residential set. Took me 2 hours to clear the roller jam and recalibrate it. Has anyone else had luck with the manual feed trick on these older models?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucasw841d ago

The manual feed trick is absolutely the way to go on those older HP plotters. I've had a DesignJet 500 that would jam on anything heavier than bond paper, but feeding it by hand with the roller tension backed off a bit saved me more than once. You gotta make sure you're pulling the paper straight and not letting it sag on the feed tray though. Also, if you've got a roll loaded, try trimming the leading edge square before you start - a slightly crooked edge can grab the roller uneven and cause a jam right at the start. I even started keeping a T-square next to my plotter just for that.

jenny_lane121d ago

Has anyone tried checking the paper feed sensor on those older plotters? I had a similar issue with a DesignJet 450C and found the little sensor flag was just gummed up with paper dust and adhesive residue. A quick clean with some isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab made a huge difference. @lucasw84 is totally right about the manual feed being a lifesaver, but sometimes the machine itself is fighting you. That crooked edge trick you mentioned works great, but I'd also add watching out for static buildup on the platen if you're running synthetic papers like polypropylene - that's what kept jamming mine more than the alignment.

keith2741d ago

Wow, I NEVER thought about static buildup on polypropylene being the issue. @lucasw84 have you run into that with the synthetic papers on your 500? I'm wondering if a dryer sheet rubbed on the platen would help cut the static or if that'd leave too much residue.