Boxmaking Machinery GmbH
BM300 printhead repair
Single-pass packaging press built directly around the HP FI-1000, printing bags, boxes, mailers and envelopes at up to 27 m/min.
HP FI-1000 platform · HP
HP FI-1000 printhead repair & nozzle recovery
InkBags repairs the printhead in the HP FI-1000. The 297 mm HP Fixed Imager 1000 printhead itself — the part that fails in every FI-1000 based machine, whatever badge is on the front. Recovery is realistic when the fault is dried ink, blockage, contamination or air-lock; it is not when a die segment is electrically dead or the nozzle plate is damaged. Send a nozzle test print and we tell you which one you have — before quoting.
HP FI-1000 — engine and printhead specification
The engine inside the machine is the first thing to establish: parts and recovery procedures do not transfer between printhead families, even when both are HP thermal inkjet.
- Print width
- 297 mm / 11.7 in
- Resolution
- up to 1200 × 1200 dpi
- Max speed
- 457 mm/s ≈ 27 m/min
- Ink
- HP pigment, CMYK
| Print engine | HP FI-1000 Fixed Imager (HP Thermal Inkjet, page-wide array) |
|---|---|
| Print width | 297 mm / 11.7 in — single fixed printhead, no stitching |
| Resolution | Up to 1200 × 1200 dpi |
| Max print speed | Up to 457 mm/s (≈ 27 m/min) |
| Colours | CMYK, 4 channels |
| Ink type | HP pigment (water, scratch and fade resistant) |
| OEM cartridge codes | 3UB06A cyan · 3UB07A magenta · 3UB08A yellow · 3UB09A black |
- Sources
- HP FI-1000 print width 297 mm / 11.7 in, up to 1200 dpi, up to 457 mm/s — HP OEM print engine datasheet and HP press material (Print 18 launch).
- OEM cartridge part numbers 3UB06A/07A/08A/09A — HP Fixed Imager 1000 specification sheet (already published on inkbags.com).
What printhead failure looks like on a HP FI-1000
- A whole sector of the head stops firing — a solid white band running down the web in the machine direction.
- Individual nozzle rows drop out after a period of idling, and purge/clean cycles only bring part of them back.
- Colour shift on one channel because a die area on that channel is partially blocked.
- Head reports errors or refuses to come ready after an ink starvation event (air pulled into the head).
- Progressive loss of density across the full 297 mm width after long production runs with under-maintained capping.
Photograph the nozzle test print before running any more recovery cycles. Repeated aggressive purging on a head that has already dried out can turn a recoverable fault into a replacement.
Symptom, cause, and whether it recovers
The pattern on the nozzle test print is what separates a cleanable head from a dead one. This is the table we work from — the same one for every HP FI-1000 machine.
| What you see | What it usually means | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| A solid white band down the web, in the same place on every copy | A whole die segment has stopped firing | Sometimes recoverable — recovers if the cause is dried ink or blockage, not if the segment is electrically dead |
| Fine missing lines that partly return after a purge | Nozzles blocked by dried ink after idle time | Recoverable |
| Nozzles recover, then drop out again within a short run | Restriction upstream of the head — filter, line or supply pressure | Recoverable — replacing the head would not have fixed it |
| One colour channel weak or missing | Blocked feed or partially blocked die area on that channel | Recoverable |
| Density falling off across the width after long production | Nozzle plate contamination, worn wiper or failing capping | Recoverable — the capping and wiping station has to be serviced too |
| Head errors or refusal to come ready after running dry | Air drawn into the head during an ink starvation event | Recoverable — controlled purging and re-priming |
| Scratches or visible damage on the nozzle plate | Physical contact damage | Replacement head |
How we approach a HP FI-1000 printhead
Note 01
The FI-1000 is a single 297 mm page-wide array made from multiple die segments. When one segment stops, the printer cannot compensate by moving the head — the defect prints on every copy, which is why a bad sector is production-stopping rather than cosmetic.
Note 02
We diagnose from a nozzle test print first: sector-shaped loss, row-shaped loss and random dropouts each point at a different root cause (die damage, blocked feed, or dried ink) and only some of them are recoverable.
Note 03
Recovery work covers deep flushing of the ink path, restoring blocked nozzle areas, cleaning and re-seating the electrical interface, and checking the capping and wiping station that caused the failure in the first place.
Note 04
Where a die segment is electrically dead, no flushing will bring it back — we say so and quote a replacement head instead of billing for work that cannot succeed.
How a repair job runs
Send a nozzle test print
Photograph or scan the nozzle test and describe what the machine was doing when the fault appeared. Do not keep running recovery cycles first — repeated aggressive purging on a head that has already dried out can turn a recoverable fault into a replacement.
Get a diagnosis
We identify the failure pattern — sector, row or random dropout — and tell you whether recovery is realistic, before anything is dismantled.
Approve scope and price
You get the work scope and the price up front, including whether the ink delivery system needs service as well. No open-ended billing.
Service, or replace
We recover the head where it can be recovered and supply a replacement where it cannot. Either way the machine goes back into production.
Pricing and turnaround are quoted per case, because both depend on the failure mode and on whether the ink delivery system needs work as well. Replacement heads and original or compatible ink are available where recovery is not viable, so a machine that cannot be recovered does not sit idle waiting on a second supplier.
HP FI-1000 printhead repair FAQ
Can an HP FI-1000 printhead be repaired, or does it always have to be replaced?
It depends on the failure mode. Blocked nozzles, dried ink, contaminated ink paths and air-lock after ink starvation are recoverable in a large share of cases. Physical or electrical damage to a die segment is not — that head has to be replaced. We determine which case you have from a nozzle test print before any work is quoted.
What does a failed sector on an FI-1000 nozzle test look like?
A failed sector shows as a continuous band of missing print running along the direction of travel, always in the same position on every copy. Because the FI-1000 is a fixed page-wide head, it cannot print around the fault the way a scanning carriage printer can.
How much does HP FI-1000 printhead repair cost?
Cost depends on the failure mode and on whether the ink system also needs service. Send us a nozzle test print and a short description of what happened before the fault and we will come back with a scope and a price.
Do I have to ship the whole printer?
No. In most cases only the printhead assembly is sent to us. Tell us the machine and we will confirm what has to come out and how to pack it so the head is not damaged in transit.
Which machines use the HP FI-1000 printhead?
The FI-1000 is an OEM print engine that HP supplies to machine builders, so it appears under several brands — including the Boxmaking Machinery BM300, the Printware iJetColor Pro series and other single-pass packaging and envelope presses.
Other machines we service
Printware / iJetColor
iJetColor Pro 1175P printhead repair
High-speed envelope and direct-mail press built on the HP FI-1000, launched by Printware in 2020.
Printware / iJetColor
iJetColor Pro PXG printhead repair
Packaging-oriented member of the iJetColor Pro series using the HP FI-1000 fixed imager, launched at PackExpo 2021.
All machines: printhead repair overview.
Get a diagnosis for your HP FI-1000
Send a nozzle test print and a short note on what the machine was doing when the fault appeared. You get the likely root cause, whether it is recoverable, and what it costs — including when it is not worth the money.