|
Why is the MIS CFS better than the other units on the market?
First of all, MIS was the original inventor of the Continuous Flow System. We did all the research.
Our price is set for the end users, not for distributors who want 50% profit. Our system is
under a 60 day limited warranty.
Our system does not cause spitting due to siphoning. You can purchase all
the CFS parts in bulk if you want to make
your own or resell them. The MIS CFS will work with most inks including Epson ink, Archival
ink, Quadtone ink, or ink made for Epson printers by other companies. If you start with virgin
empty cartridges, dye sublimation inks can be used in a CFS. The MIS cartridges for Continuous Flow
all have a 1 micron filter built into them so pigmented ink can be used with out causing clogging.
What comes with the MIS Continuous Flow System ?
Each CONTINUOUS FLOW SYSTEM contains a set of continuous flow cartridges, ribbon tubing, mounting
bracket, switch activators, acrylic bottle tray, 4 oz bottles with modified caps, charging
accessories, and installation manual. Ink is included. You can select dye based ink, archival ink
or MIS Quadtone B & W ink (there are 3 types).
How does it work ?
The Continuous Flow Cartridges install into the printer just like the Epson cartridges. A set of
tubes, come out of the cartridges and go to the bottom of the ink bottle reservoirs. The
ink bottle reservoirs sit on the desktop right next to the printer, on the same level. As the
printer prints and uses ink, the exact amount of ink that is used is drawn into the cartridges
from the bottles. The ink level in the cartridges remains constant. The tubing is held with
a bracket mounted on the printer, so there is enough slack in the tubing to allow the print head
to traverse from right to left without causing any problems. In some applications the printer
cover must be removed.
If I see air in the tubing, is this bad ?
The MIS CFS is designed to have some air space on the top of the cartridge. This air space acts
as a siphon break. If it were not present, there is a chance that ink could siphon directly from
the bottles into the printer making a huge mess. If you see any small bubbles in the ink lines,
these will be absorbed by the air space in the cartridge. It is not something to be concerned
about.
The air space on the top of the cartridge will expand and contract with changing weather conditions.
It is not unusual for the ink to retract as much as 6 inches from the cartridge when the printer
is not being used. This is just the effect of the air space on the top of the cartridge expanding.
It does not mean there is something wrong. However, if the ink in the lines totally disappears
and drains back to the bottle, this indicates that there is a leak in the line. This is a serious
problem and the CFS cartridge should be replaced.
Does the MIS System have a siphon Break ?
Yes, we have designed a siphon break into the Continuous Flow System. Without a siphon break, the
ink can start to flow from the bottles into the printer on its own, making a huge mess. Our filling
technique leaves about 5% of the cartridge volume empty. This empty space is an air pocket at the
top of the cartridge. When ink comes in from the supply tubes, it drips on the sponge and becomes
available to the print head. Without the siphon break, the cartridge would be 100% filled and a
solid column of ink would exist between the bottles and the print head. When the printer starts to
print, it is like sucking on a tube to start a siphon. Once the siphon starts, the ink will flow
on its own, by gravity. Our filling method prevents this.
Is there a CFS for the wide format printers like the 3000, 5000, 7000, 9000 ?
Yes, the CFS for the 3000/5000/7000/7500/9500 is now available. They are listed on the same
page with the desktop units. Go back to the
previous page.
Can I use prefilled cartridges with the CFS ?
Yes. We now ship 870, 890, 1270, 1280, 1290 systems with original Epson cartridges
with the tubes attached. There is no assembly work needed. The cartridges are brand new and have the
chip installed. Installation can be done in about 15 minutes. The older printers come with
empty cartridges.
Can I read the installation instructions before I purchase ?
Yes. We have converted all of the installation instructions into PDF documents. These can be found
on the instructions page. As a general rule,
these will always be the latest revision.
What inks can I put into a CFS ?
We offer MIS Archival ink, MIS Quadtone ink and MIS dye based inks. Other inks can be used as long as
they are compatible with Epson inks. With the introduction of our F-16 Chip Resetter, we can now
offer Empty CFS units for the chipped printers. This means that all of our inks will work and other
inks, including some Dye Sublimation inks will also work.
Do I have to buy ink with the CFS ?
No, our CFS pricing includes the inkset. If you all ready have MIS ink on hand you can use your
own ink. You should have at least 4 ounces of each color to get the CFS started. The
reservoir bottles hold 4 ounces each.
Can I change the ink in the CFS ?
Yes, but, changing the ink, by putting a different ink the reservoir bottles is not recommended.
The serial dilution process will take at least 5 cartridges full of ink to reach the 90% pure
point. During this period the colors will be unstable. Even after 10 cartridges full of ink have
been used, the dilution will still not be 100%. Furthermore, if you mix a non MIS ink with the
MIS ink we can not be responsible for the results. Minor banding and excessive bleeding can occur.
How do I go about changing the ink in the CFS ?
To change from one type of ink to another, the cartridges must be replaced. A new set of CFS
cartridges is required. This can be purchased separately. You can not just
pour different ink into the reservoir bottles and let the change take place over a long period
of time. This does not work. See Knowledge Base
procedure
for How to Change Ink Types in a CFS.
How do I fill the reservoir bottles ?
When the CFS reservoir bottles reach the refill point, simply remove the top from the bottle and
pour in more ink. Alternatively, keep a spare 4 oz set of inks handy and when you get low, just
unscrew the cap and slide a new bottle in place of the empty one.
How do I charge the CFS tubing lines for the first time ?
Charging the tubing lines must be done very carefully. We learned during our year of research,
that this is one of the critical success factors in making the CFS units work correctly. Pushing
ink from the bottles down into the cartridges does not work. The printer must draw the
ink from the bottles into the print head. This is done by printing several pages of our purging
images supplied with the CFS units. Forcing ink into the line either by pressure
causes problems later on. It is a little time consuming but, it only has to be done once. The
instruction manual that comes with the CFS unit provides detailed instructions on how to charge
the lines.
I have heard there is a vacuum pump available for charging the CFS cartridges ?
Yes, there is a simple vacuum pump available that uses a 60 cc syringe and a couple of check
valves to create a vacuum. We do not include this with all CFS units, because we think the
refill method we prescribe in our instructions is superior. However, we have had many calls
from users of these Vacuum pumps, saying it works great. It is your choice. You can purchase
this Vacuum Pump or the components to make
one from our website.
What is a bottom fill adapter and what does it look like ?
 MIS-BADP
The Bottom Fill Adapter is a molded clear acrylic part. The
tip of it will fit perfectly into the rubber seal on the bottom of any Epson cartridge. We use this
for filling the cartridges from the bottom. It twists onto the end of the syringe. You can
purchase these on our Accessories page.
Is there an optimum arrangement of the bottles on the tray ?
Yes, we have determined the best bottle arrangement to keep the tubes from getting tangled. This
arrangement for the 6 color units is shown below. If your installation calls for one twist in the
tube, then the bottle arrangement has to be changed accordingly.
What happens if the reservoir bottles go empty ?
This is not something you want to happen, obviously. But, if it does happen it is not necessarily
catastrophic. First of all, when the bottles first appear to be empty, there is still ink in the
cartridge that will prevent the printer from sucking in air. When the extra ink in the cartridges
is gone, then the printer will continue to try to print without ink. This is not good. It can
lead to damage to the printer if it continues for a long time. If you find the bottles are empty,
and there is no ink in the lines, the CFS cartridges must be refilled, the same way they were
when you first install the CFS. When reinstalled this should re-establish ink flow through
the print head. If it doesn't then the printer will need repair. It is very important to keep
a watch over the ink reservoirs. If the ink level falls below the surface of the tray, it is
time to add ink. There is enough ink in the reservoirs to be equivalent to 12 cartridge sets,
so running out of ink is not something that will occur in a short time.
Why do I have problems getting the tubing into the bracket ?
The ribbon tubing material has a very high friction coefficient. It tends to stick
to the material the bracket is made from. Some rubbing alcohol will solve
this problem. Use a paper towel and put some alcohol on the tubing. This will make it easy to
assemble. If the tubing becomes too loose in the bracket, warp some black electrical tape
around the tubing to make the bracket grip the tubing tighter.
How much money will I save by using a CFS ?
Let's do some calculations. Assume you purchase the CFS-EX-A Continuous Flow System which comes
with 4 oz bottles of MIS Archival Ink.
| Cartridge Set Cost Each |
$56.12 |
| Cartridge Sets Saved |
x 12 |
| --------------------------------- |
---------- |
| Cost of 12 Cartridge Sets |
$673.44 |
| CFS unit cost |
- $169.50 |
| =============== |
====== |
| Net Savings |
$503.94 |
That's $503.94 the first time you have to fill the reservoir bottles. It pays for itself after
25% of the ink in the reservoirs is used. The next time you fill the reservoir bottles
you will have saved $673.44 - $96.00 = $577.44. If you purchased pint bottles of archival ink instead
of the 4 oz bottles, your total savings would be $2332.26 when all of the ink was used.
Have you made any improvements to the CFS Units ?
Yes. After shipping only a few of the early units, we made some design changes to improve the
appearance and function of the CFS. We changed the bracket from the black plastic T-Shaped bracket,
shown in the above photo to a clear plastic design that is flat. Plus we changed the switch
activators from the solid yoke type design to individual pieces of rigid foam. And
we put friction pads on the sides of the cartridge and eliminated the rubber band hold down. If
you have one of the early units, give us a call and we will send you the new items.
Following the above changes, we have made additional changes including the following.
- We no longer ship needles with any of the CFS units. The Bottom Fill Adapters are used instead.
- The fitting on the black cartridges is now pointed at 6 O'clock instead of 9 O'Clock to help
prevent the plastic material in the fitting from wearing out.
- The material the brackets are made from was changed from acrylic to polycarbonate to eliminate
breakage.
- An extra middle bracket was added to several of the units to keep the tubing from going up
and down or from rubbing on the printer.
- The bracket for the 1270/1280/1290 units was changed to be larger and it now has a 45 degree
bend in it to keep the tubes higher. During installation the yellow tube is now in the front.
- We have started making an optional set of cartridge clamps for the 1280 units to keep the
cartridges down and prevent red light problems.
- The tubing bracket for the 1200 unit was also changed and now has a 45 degree bend in it.
This keeps the tubes up higher to prevent dragging. During installation the yellow tube is now in
the front.
- The F-16 Chip Resetter was introduced on May 15, 2002. This allows CFS units to be used on Mac
computers and it also allows us to reset an "out of ink" red light on the printer.
- We have added a tube clip to the top of the cartridges to keep the tubes more organized as
they exit the cartridge area. The installation of these clips helps prevent the tubes from
touching the printer when the carts travel to the far left. It also provides strain relief for the
fittings.
- For the 1270/1280/1290 CFS units, we have abandon using the modified cartridge hold down
clamps in favor of a tie wrap nylon strap. It is less expensive and easier to install. Plus it
discourages the lifting of the cartridges.
We are working on further improvements in all of the units. Next year (2003) will bring some beautification
to the 1270/1280/1290 CFS units and a maintenance mode for the F-16 to keep the CFS units fresh
when not in use for extended periods. Plus we will have a more detailed troubleshooting section
to help you solve problems with out having to wait for an email answer or a return phone call. Look
for CFS units for the 780, C80, C62, C42, C82, 960, and 2200. We are working on them.
| 
