Hi Charles, I have zPrint 7.10.3 install files if you need it, I can sendt it to you. We have used this version thru the whole progress from XP - to 7 and now Win10.
I bougth a Z-510 Spectrum new in 2006, but its been parked the last year. Mostly print plugs and molds with it, and when I now started it up to print some sand moulds it failes booting.
My problem occurred to be an error coming up at booting saying comm error on headcard, flags = 1f , but in the boot sequence it stops and says 0601 Diskette Error . (I have hooked up av vga screen and a keyboard to the machine)
After buying and installing a complete new headcard from 3DS, it still stops with the same error.
Thing is, I think the “hard drive” could be damaged, or the boot file corrupted. The hard drive on this machines are a 40 pin IDE flash of massively 32MB
I can not find any of my former contacts from z-corp, and a reply from 3DS about a fresh boot file or a new IDE flash with boot config have not shown up.
I have now ordered in an “of the shelf” 40 pin IDE 32MB flash unit, and was hoping that some one could be willing to copy the file from their 40pin IDE flash on a working machine, and share the file with me…
So I think I found a source for pva thats a bit cheaper… they want to have me order about 88 pounds cost is just under 10 delivered. It is 1788 grade and about 300 mesh they said
I finally found some people talking about the Z510.
Anyhoo, sorry to send this off on a bit of a tangent but as there’s already a captive audience of 510 users.
I’m trying to revive our school’s Z510 and have hit a stumbling block. It boots, and seems ok, I can send a job to it but then it randomly throws an overheat error on either head 2 or 3.
I’ve replaced the heads for both of these but no luck.
Not sure if there’s anything else I can do and there is zero budget for repairs (like I said, school, we got the thing when our budget was flush a few years ago but even then they bought it 2nd hand).
So any ideas, hacks, etc? I’d really like to get this going again.
A few things to try and figure out the source of the problem… Old or contaminated binder can be a source of overheating heads. Flush the lines and leave bleached water in them overnight. Make sure the filters are clean and you can pull fluid easily through the lines. If it’s hard to pull that can cause heads to go out also.
Clean the shiz out of the pogo pins with alcohol and make sure the ribbon cable is seated well. Are you using oem heads or knockoff?
My machine had lots of dried up binder in the lines. I pulled a lot of clean distilled water through until it ran mostly clear. I also ended up blowing the lines out with compressed air at the connector inside the printer. There was a lot of gunk.
Yeah that makes sense then that they are clogging and overheating. I would let them sit a few days with bleach and really flush them out. Remember anything past the filter that is smaller than .5 microns will go through the printhead and could easily clog the heads.
We have a full pack of heads from HP which I believe are oem right?
You’ll have to excuse any noob questions as I’m part of the IT dept and this has been passed to us as the head of DT who left about 1 1/2 year ago was the only one who knew about this unit. the DT dept just left it sitting there and now came to us and said ‘make it run’. Nice…
We do have some personal motivation to get it going though. We’re all into tabletop gaming in IT and would like to print out some of the OpenForge map tiles for game night.
Thanks for the suggestions. A good clean out of the lines, etc. was our next ‘go to’ so I’m glad to get some confirmation that has a possibility to fix the problem.
As an aside, anyone know where we can get a head bleed kit (or if you can mcGuyver one together from an old print head)?
This is another thing that’s gone walkabout for no real reason (I mean what would anyone else want with it?).
eBay for a bleed kit. I have the one with the bottle not the funnel. Instead of the syrynge to bleed the lines I made a tube with one of the pieces from the printhead for each color. Then hook up the tube to the syrynge.
I know the Z510 pretty well and I have the tool used to recap the septums (the part under the printheads that leak). For a school, I don’t charge for recapping. I charge five bucks per septum which is 20 total. The diaphragm and metal cap both get replaced. I also do a printhead service that takes HP 10 and HP 11 then cleans them internally. If you would like to know more about either process, let me know. I am somewhat connected to a limited number of parts. You never know what I might have on hand. Just ask me. I am limited however, to the Z310, Z310 plus, Z510 and Z810. Happy printing
that would be great. I have a few leaky septums. How would that work to get them replaced. Is it easy to get them out of the machine and send to you? What kind of parts do you have for the 510?
It is pretty easy to remove the septums. Basically it’s the following steps…
Press the metal release buttons of all four CPC connectors in the binder supply area. This will allow you to remove the amount of binder from the line that would otherwise run everywhere making a mess. I use a bleeding kit of all four binders.
Using a a mirror or if you know how, remove the entire gantry. On the underside, you will see the four vinyl tubes. With a slight tug, they should pull off. Last step is to remove the four E-clips. At that point, the septums should lift out. Be sure to hold onto the PE washer from topside as well as the E-clips.
Sorry, I don’t have any of those but people have searched for Nalgene jerrican and had success. The fittings are made by CPC and were hand configured by ZCorp. You might be able to order from 3DS but I’d be afraid of the cost. I know for sure that the Z310 bottles were custom for that unit. You are fortunate to have the Z510. While you are on CPCs website, you will probably find a good replacement for the leaky multipoint connector.
Thank you. Can you send me your contact details via email and we can work out the septum replacements. Also I would be interested in what parts you have for the 510. Thank you! jimmineycricket1 (at symbol) yahoo.com
Hi Charles, could you please point me tothe ZPrint 7.10 download link, I cant find it on 3ds website:( thank you email would work to at 3digitalcooks at gmail dot com
Thanks a lot! Yes I did, I am fighting my own battle trying to set this printer up and running… also making a daily vlog 6 to share more about my experience hope the link doesnot bother anyone.
Good to see that you are up and running I never had a 310 machine, I waited to purchase until the Spectrum z-510 was released in 2006. The first machine I bought is sold, but I still have a 2007model Z-510 in the office. Since I newer had the 310, I could not speak for that actual machine, but hooking up the Z-510 thru Z-print have many times been a struggle thru the years. We always had a dual network card in the computer operating the printer, where one card was dedicated for the z-510. Hooking it up thru the network never was a hit. Remember we bought a laptop for the lab to operate the printer, and I almost gave up getting it online even with a manually setup fixed IP…
Thanks! I wouldnt say up and running quite yet, but at least connected!! The whole connection thing was a little bit bizarre. Now its time to fine cartridges, tubing, filters and clean everything!!! Do you have the pressing part to remove airpockets from the powder? does it has holds in it? I might make one but cant find pictures of it.
It’s a straight forward perforatet steel sheet with the area of the build chamber (5-10 mm less) It’s got a typical drawer handle on the middle. The sheet is 1,5-2 mm thick
I have a Z510 too, that I didn’t use for a long time. I can’t find my ZPrint anymore (it has been thrown by IT guys…). The only release I found is 7.15 but the setting only proposes Zprinter 150, 250, 350, 450, 650 & 850.
I searched without any success to download it… It would be really great if one of yours could share an old release like 7.10 or further.
Hey guys, sorry for the nooby questions but how do you bleed the lines and clear out all the gunk? Im afraid I might have air in the spetum tank as printhead 0 is in overtemp but Im wanting to completely flush out each line. Any instructions or link on how to do this would be a huuuuuuuuge help
If the machine hasn’t had it done I would just replace all the lines. But to flush all you need to do is draw distilled water through using your purge tool.
It would be really great if one of yours could share an old release like 7.10 or further.
