Agfa Drystar 5302: film jams when printing from the upper tray
What happened
Films jam during printing, but only when fed from the upper supply tray.
What was checked
- Blow out the four optical sensors reported in the case: two on the pickup module and two in the guide rail at the entrance to the transport section — dust there alone can cause misfeeds.
- Check the tension of the pickup roller springs: compare pickup pressure between the trays and look for rollers that feel loose or slip on the film.
Cause
The engineers found that the pickup roller springs had lost tension. The module was nominally new, but as reported in the case it had sat in storage for three years, and the weakened springs let the film slip and jam on pickup.
What was done
As reported in the case, the engineers re-tensioned the pickup springs by four turns and blew out the optical sensors, after which the jamming stopped. They also advise wiping the rubber rollers with alcohol periodically as prevention.
Safety
Disconnect the printer from the mains and let the thermal print head cool down before reaching into the film path.
Lesson: 'New' spare parts age on the shelf: when one tray misfeeds, check pickup roller tension and clean the optical sensors before ordering anything.
Covered in the course: Medical Imagers and Film Printers — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.