got an old inkjet printer sitting there doing nothing?  make a diy vacuum tool - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 06:21:59 am
content: thats right, if your inkjet printer has a self cleaning capability then you have almost everything it takes to make one. your looking for the "Rolling Pump" its enclosure and the hoses attached to it. prepare to spend an hour dismantling it if you want to keep parts. otherwise tear it apart.but watch those fingers!it is a VERY quiet pump, almost no vibration, and a strong little bugger. in addition you will need a "blunt needle tip" (the kind that goes onto syringes) and bend it around a screwdriver slightly to get the right angle of attack.they run on either 6-12volts dc and if your lucky you wont need to buy additional tubing (they are sometimes up to a foot long on the older Epson Artisan's )the needle tip will fit nearly perfect as most printer tubes are pretty much the same size. just squeeze the tubing and it lets go!Go the extra mile and make a foot peddle for it!simple. elegant.and if your a real cheap skate watch Mikes Electric stuff's SMD tips.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 06:32:42 am
content: Any photos on what you've done ?Still have one or maybe two old parallel port HP inkjets stashed somewhere in my garage.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 06:34:26 am
content: I will have some up sometime tomorrow, should make good conversation.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 11:24:07 am
content: I know some of the Epson models drive the cleaning pump off the main paper feed assembly, which might be a stepper motor on some models or a 48V brushed DC.The proper term for this type of pump is aPeristaltic pump. (Not surprisingly,they've patented this use of them.)

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 11:27:58 am
content: lets not wait until tomorrow. how many "home use" canon's here?

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 11:49:31 am
content: Useful tip, but, these pumps are intended to be used very little. A few hours over the life time of the printer. I would not expect them to be designed to last for more than a few hours.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 11:55:32 am
content: lol they can handle more than a few hours

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 12:27:30 pm
content: Quote from: CompElitePC on June 14, 2013, 11:55:32 amHave you done some life testing?They are not required to operate for longer than it takes to fill up the bit of wadding in the bottom of the printer with ink they suck from the head. Bearings and seals won't be designed to last any longer than that, if they do it is because they couldn't make them any cheaper.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 12:42:45 pm
content: life testing.. ok how bout 90 days 8-10 hours a day and running fine.edit.your absolutely right they do have a short life 209 hours ouch

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 01:45:17 pm
content: the pictures are lousy like their life span...that foot pump will come in handy.what your looking at is a OKEN SEIKO RTS27B01R8X060805 resistor44 QFP100QFPBTW this came out of a Epson Artisan 800

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 03:00:15 pm
content: Quote from: CompElitePC on June 14, 2013, 12:42:45 pmhttp://www.okenseiko.com/en/product/rollingpump/vacuum/As you probably saw 209 hours is their best, 16.7 hours their worst.I didn't know that previously. I just knew nothing in inkjet printers especially consumer grade printers will be over engineered and the life requirement in a printer is only a few hours.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 03:07:55 pm
content: Quote from: Rufus on June 14, 2013, 03:00:15 pmYea, to be honest with you, I never gave it a second thought, however I guess I have been running it pretty hard then... I will see about a foot peddle save whatever life is left... jeez. Thanks for saying something, it never occurred to me, and I started thinking after you said that... I said "he might be right" lol and you are!

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 03:30:06 pm
content: Quote from: Rufus on June 14, 2013, 12:27:30 pmHave you seen just how much wadding there is in your average inkjet printer? Far more than you'd expect!I have disassembled many inkjets (mostly brothers) and have a few of these peristaltic pump assemblies somewhere (and another pile of $1 printers to disassemble sometime), hadn't thought of using them as vacuums, will have to try that out.

author: don.r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 04:10:56 pm
content: Quote from: Rufus on June 14, 2013, 03:00:15 pmGiven that they are basically free in discarded printers, they may still be an attractive proposition. Granted, you have no way of knowing how much life there is left in the pump and tearing down an old printer every month or two to get to the pump could become a bit tiresome. I wonder if they would have enough suction for a desolderer if an inline filter is stuck on?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 05:15:19 pm
content: Quote from: don.r on June 14, 2013, 04:10:56 pmThey are a nice proposition. Enough suction for a desolderer?? nope unfortunately, it just does not have what it takes... at least the one I have, some have pretty good kPa's but it would boil down to test and try, Great idea though!