AGFA Avantra Film-Processor Control-Panel BUTTON FAILURES (Repeating Part Failures)

[DuaneBryant]

Please help. I appreciate ANY suggestion to improve our situation.

We have experienced about 6 part failures in the past 3 years, and 8 in the past 5 years, on two different Avantra 44 OLP (online film processors): Some Buttons just stop working. This is a very expensive membrane switch, and we can not afford to keep giving several hundred dollars to AGFA every few months because one or two critical buttons stop working. I've never had the entire panel go dead, but have had additional buttons continue to fail until nearly every button was unresponsive. I have seen several stop working on the same day.

Once a button stops working, it never works again, or even intermittently. Dead forever. When you push it, it feels normal, makes a little "click" feel and sound BUT no response.

1) Is there any way to repair these?
2) IS THERE ANY WAY to plug the cable that goes to this panel INTO A LAPTOP/DESKTOP COMPUTER, and use some type of command line or rudimentary interface to interact with and control this film processor's controller/computer? BYPASS/ELIMINATE THE MEMBRANE CONTROL PANEL?
3)Anything that can be done before installation or during use to prevent failure, and extend service life?
4)Are there any other suppliers/manufacturers than AGFA who make a more reliable panel?

 

[28-yr-AGFA-SE]

This particular processor is actually manufactured by Glunz & Jensen. You can order the overlay button panel directly from them. Last that I checked (several months ago) it could be had for less than $300 plus shipping. Call them at 267-405-4000 and order part number 2621X001600. I understand that they have moved all parts for this processor to Europe and will take about a week to deliver. So you may want to order a spare for the future. This is not generally a high failure item but it needs to be treated gently. Is there some underlying reason that you find need to use the keys daily. If properly set up the processor should function for months without any need to be pressing any of the keys except the on/off button. Let me know what the situation is and let's see if we can get you to a stable situation.

 

[DuaneBryant]

Thank you "28" for your response. I appreciate your help. Silly me has been paying AGFA a bunch of money for this part when I could have been getting it from G&J. While it is nice to find this keypad for less money, I still am frustrated at the thought of having to buy a new one every 6 months or so. There has to be a better way: some way to prevent or resurrect.

The buttons on the keypad stop working at random. NOT BECAUSE of heavy use.

In fact, there appears to be no correlation whatsoever with the amount of use a button gets, compared to failure. The ON/OFF button gets almost all of the use but fails at the same rate as any other button. Most buttons are rarely if ever pushed. Other than the ON/OFF button, there are only a handful of other buttons that get occasional use, like the manual start, manual replenish, and program selection. All these different buttons fail at random, regardless of their use level. Even the ones that are never-ever pushed, fail just as often, and sometimes go first.

Once I find the first failed button on the key panel, I methodically push each button on the entire panel individually to test. That is when I often discover that other buttons that never otherwise get pushed are already dead.

 

[28-yr-AGFA-SE]

The keypad is laid out in a grid pattern of rows and columns. Quite often if a key is bad then all keys in that row or column will be bad also. In that case there is no choice except to replace the keypad. If a key is bad and other bad keys aren't in the same row or column (as you look at the keypad) you can try this. Cut the top off of the key and short the metal contacts that are exposed with a nail head or some such. Sometimes this works and sometimes not, but it is already not working, so nothing ventured nothing gained. G&J is the only vendor for this keypad. I've checked with other manufacturers of keypads and they can duplicate it with a minimum order of 20 priced at $250 each for a total of $5,000. Not a viable option IMHO.
Consider setting the machine so very little, if any, use of the keys are necessary. The On/Off can be programmed to automatically turn on at a specific time and off at a specific time on specified days. Do you have the manual so you can configure for this? Manual Start I only use if there is an existing problem with jams. Fix the jam problem. Manual Replenish, is there a leak that needs fixing or is there a copy density issue? Correct setup for processing replenishment and standby replenishment will fix density issue but not a leak. Program key is used to select different setups for temp, speed and replenish rates. Unless you have issues with different vendors for film or chemistry, from time to time, this is an unneeded key. That is as long as temp, speed and replenish rates are properly set.
Setup that I would normally recommend is Temp = 35C, Speed = 40 second, Dev replenish = 275 cc, Fix replenish = 350 cc, Dev and Fix Standby = 1500 cc. Let me know if this works out okay or if you need anything further.

 

[Armya Inc]

Hello Duane,
The material used to manufacture the series Matrix on the Touch keypad is the same materials used in Car Back Window defogger. Buy a "Car Back window defogger repair Kit" available at any Automotive shop for under $15 and repair your own keypads.

Hope this will help!

Please help. I appreciate ANY suggestion to improve our situation.

We have experienced about 6 part failures in the past 3 years, and 8 in the past 5 years, on two different Avantra 44 OLP (online film processors): Some Buttons just stop working. This is a very expensive membrane switch, and we can not afford to keep giving several hundred dollars to AGFA every few months because one or two critical buttons stop working. I've never had the entire panel go dead, but have had additional buttons continue to fail until nearly every button was unresponsive. I have seen several stop working on the same day.

Once a button stops working, it never works again, or even intermittently. Dead forever. When you push it, it feels normal, makes a little "click" feel and sound BUT no response.

1) Is there any way to repair these?
2) IS THERE ANY WAY to plug the cable that goes to this panel INTO A LAPTOP/DESKTOP COMPUTER, and use some type of command line or rudimentary interface to interact with and control this film processor's controller/computer? BYPASS/ELIMINATE THE MEMBRANE CONTROL PANEL?
3)Anything that can be done before installation or during use to prevent failure, and extend service life?
4)Are there any other suppliers/manufacturers than AGFA who make a more reliable panel?

 

[DuaneBryant]

Armya, that is excellent advice. Thank you. Now, I need a way to remove a layer of film-lamination to expose the conductive printed-ink. Then I can use a simple Ohm-meter to find out exactly where the break in conductivity exists. Then repair with the material you mention. I will reply back with efforts to access the printed layer of conductive-ink.

Thank you!
Duane

 

[Armya Inc]

Armya, that is excellent advice. Thank you. Now, I need a way to remove a layer of film-lamination to expose the conductive printed-ink. Then I can use a simple Ohm-meter to find out exactly where the break in conductivity exists. Then repair with the material you mention. I will reply back with efforts to access the printed layer of conductive-ink.

Thank you!
Duane

Try to repair a damaged one and learn from it. Not that hard!

Hope this will help!

 

[VladCanada]

Usually problem comes from the blue plug of keyboard.
Silver conductive lines are open very close to the plug and corroded with developer evaporation.
Exposed lines have dark color, under the mylar layer they are still silver metallic.
Do not forget to protect exposed silver with... nail polish (do not tell your wife you took some )

 

[28-yr-AGFA-SE]

Still learning! Thanks Armya for the tip on this product as I hadn't heard of it before. Can't get it locally so ordered online and it is en transit.

 

[Armya Inc]

Still learning! Thanks Armya for the tip on this product as I hadn't heard of it before. Can't get it locally so ordered online and it is en transit.

No problem!

Good Luck!

 

[DuaneBryant]

VladCanada
What has worked so far: When we get new keypad (membrane switches) we put clear nail polish on the exposed printed circuit material on the umbilical just before the black plug. We also do NOT mount the keypad on the side of the processor, but rather leave the keypad tethered with the cable, but lying on top of the Avantra (attempting to limit the exposure to caustic vapors from the developer).