signracer led flatbedinkjet printer operation manual
TRANSCRIPT
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Signracer LED Flatbed Inkjet Printer Operation Manual
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Table of Contents
Foreword .................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Safety Precautions ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
1. Indications of symbols ................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Precautions of operations .............................................................................................................................. 6
Brief introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. Printer Applications .................................................................................................................................... 7 2. Printer Features ............................................................................................................................................. 7 3. Printer Configurations .................................................................................................................................... 8 4. Structure Diagrams ........................................................................................................................................ 9 4.1 Front-‐view of the printer ............................................................................................................................. 9 4.1.1 Operation panel ................................................................................................................................... 10 4.2 The front-‐view of the carriage ................................................................................................................... 11 4.3 Electronic panel ......................................................................................................................................... 12
Printer Installation ................................................................................................................................................... 14 1. Loading and transporting ............................................................................................................................. 14 2. Unpacking the printer .................................................................................................................................. 15 2. Working environment .................................................................................................................................. 16 3. Computer configurations ............................................................................................................................. 16 4. Installation instructions ............................................................................................................................... 17 4.1 Check and acceptance ............................................................................................................................... 17 4.2 Installation of the computer attachments ................................................................................................. 17 4.3 Leveling adjustment ................................................................................................................................... 18 4.4 Power input ................................................................................................................................................ 18 4.5 Software and driver installation ................................................................................................................ 19 Topjet Software installation ............................................................................................................................. 19 4.6 Functional tests .......................................................................................................................................... 27 4.7 Print-‐head installation ............................................................................................................................... 28 4.8 Filling ink ................................................................................................................................................... 31 4.9 Degassing of the printhead ........................................................................................................................ 32 4.10 Printhead calibration and alignment ....................................................................................................... 33 4.10.1 Nozzles state ......................................................................................................................................... 33 4.10.2 Vertical alignment ................................................................................................................................. 33 4.10.3 Horizontal alignment ............................................................................................................................ 35 4.10.4 Left and right heads offset .................................................................................................................... 36 4.10.5 Bi-‐directional calibration ....................................................................................................................... 37 4.10.6 Stepping calibration .............................................................................................................................. 38 4.10.7 Base pointer calibration ........................................................................................................................ 38
Start-‐up and shutdown Instructions ........................................................................................................................ 40
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1. Start-‐up and shutdown operation ....................................................................................................................... 40 1.1 Print start-‐up operation ............................................................................................................................. 40 1.2 Printer shutdown operation ...................................................................................................................... 41
Printer Maintenance ................................................................................................................................................ 42 1. Periodic maintenance for printer parts (based on an 6 hour daily production) ......................................... 42 2. Maintenance of the mechanical parts ......................................................................................................... 42 3. Precision part maintenance ......................................................................................................................... 43 4. Printhead maintenance ............................................................................................................................... 43 4.1 Daily routine maintenance ........................................................................................................................ 43 4.2 Printhead preservation during power failure ............................................................................................ 43 4.3 Printhead preservation during long vacation ............................................................................................ 44 5. Replacement of consumable parts .............................................................................................................. 45 5.1 Replacement of ink pump .......................................................................................................................... 45 5.2 Ink refill ...................................................................................................................................................... 46 5.3 Replacement of ink filter ........................................................................................................................... 46 5.4 Replacement of air pump .......................................................................................................................... 47
Troubleshooting ....................................................................................................................................................... 48 1. Buzz indications and troubleshooting .......................................................................................................... 48 2. Pressure system problems ........................................................................................................................... 49 2.1 Unstable negative pressure ....................................................................................................................... 49 2.2 The pressure indicator reads “0” ............................................................................................................... 49 2.3 Pressure cannot rise when priming (negative pressure is normal) ........................................................... 49 2.4 Single-‐buzz alert ......................................................................................................................................... 49 3. Ink line malfunction ..................................................................................................................................... 50 3.2 Ink leakage of the nozzles .......................................................................................................................... 50 4. Printhead strike ............................................................................................................................................ 51 4.1. How to avoid head strike with the media ................................................................................................. 51 4.2. Dealing with head strike problem ............................................................................................................. 52 5. Carriage moving malfunction ....................................................................................................................... 53 5.1 Carriage moving failure .............................................................................................................................. 53 6. Automatic head height adjustment malfunctions ....................................................................................... 54 7. Printing quality troubleshooting .................................................................................................................. 55
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................................. 56 1. Routine Maintenance Guide ........................................................................................................................ 56 4. Tools and Materials needed: ....................................................................................................................... 58 5. Channel information of Ricoh Gen5 ............................................................................................................ 59 5.1 Single array carriage set ............................................................................................................................. 59 5.2 Double array carriage set ........................................................................................................................... 62
6. Signracer LED timing settings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….72
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Signracer LED hybrid UV inkjet printers are a high quality and cost-‐effective equipment specially designed for commercial and industrial printing enterprises. Assembled with high-‐performance Ricoh Gen. 5 piezo heads that enables an output speed of 23-‐50㎡/h and precision up to 1200X1200 dpi, the printer achieves the perfect balance between speed and quality. The Signracer hybrid models are 1600 LED, 2500 LED and 3200 LED. The models are specially designed for continuous running of 24hours/7days industrial production. Any printed media with the thickness of 0-‐50mm can be firmly fixed on the platform due to the functional vacuum suction. The printer has user-‐friendly operation interface and its optional white-‐color meets diversified printing requirements in the commercial printing business. Foreword
The Signracer LED hybrid is a precision machine equipped with extremely fine mechanisms and
integrated circuits. With a view to use the printer in an optimal condition, we have established this operation manual for your reference.
This manual has been prepared for end users easy understanding and using of this printer safely and efficiently. Please read every content carefully before detail operations. Changing parts can only be done after passing a technical training were these operations are explained. If not received and/or attend this training only experienced trained technicians are allowed to exchange spare parts
Alterations of any contents in this manual are subjected to change without notice for technical updates.
This manual is written with the best care and intentions however mistakes might occur. Signracer and / or its dealers and its employees excludes the liability for damage and losses,
caused by direct or indirect use and/or malfunction of the printer, ink (and it’s applications) even in the case of personal injuries using this equipment. Liability is excluded for losses due to shut down time of the printer.
Signracer LED printers do not exhaust Ozone but UV radiation is emitted. Make sure not to look directly into the UV light and wear UV protection glasses. UVEX have different models with UV protection.
Working with ink needs appropriate clothing as ink might be spilled onto it. Use gloves and protective glasses when cleaning the heads or cleaning the printer.
If you have any question on using this printer, please do not hesitate to contact your local dealer or our technical assistance.
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Safety Precautions
1. Indications of symbols
Note the specific features given with these symbols in order to avoid property damage and personal injury in the operating process.
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2. Precautions of operations
Caution Please supply the printer with rated voltage and frequency, improper power input may cause functional abnormality or damage to the printer.
Any unauthorized alteration is strictly prohibited，or it might cause parts malfunction or damage to the printer. Never use the printer in a non-‐ventilated or stuffy workplace, or it may lead to toxic hazards to operators. A ventilator is always a necessity. Any disassembly or replacement of the parts and cables is strictly prohibited in the state of power-‐on. Avoid any body contact with the moving parts in the process of printer working, or it may lead to equipment breakdown or personal injury. The printer is a precision equipment and should always avoid strong impact or shake in any process of loading, installation and operation, or it may result in equipment damage. Avoid any liquid spilled on the electronic parts or it may result in parts malfunctions.
Keep the chemical consumables away from non-‐qualified individuals and stored according to the specific local instructions. Avoid setting foot or heavy items placed on the printer or it may result in equipment damage.
Verify that the printer is properly ground wired or it might cause some electric shock risks.
The operator must be well-‐properly trained and should operate the machine under the instructions, or it may easily cause equipment damage or personal injury. Always remember to press the scram stop at any emergency, and the printer should not be activated until all the malfunctions are settled. Avoid eye-‐contact with the ultra-‐violets of the lamp. In case that any chemical liquid spilled on human body, flush with adequate purified water immediately and see a doctor afterwards. Verify that there is no individual or item within the printing area. The treatment of the waste chemicals should comply with local environment regulations.
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Brief introduction
1. Printer Applications
The UV digital printer is able to print directly on diversified media. The model can be used in advertising production such as banner, panel led, POP stand, vinyl display, meanwhile make creative innovation to the traditional craft work in the decoration industry, of which fine-‐art glass, wooden products, natural or artificial leather, ceramic tiles and wallpaper, etc, can also be printed on.
2. Printer Features
High performance European LED system, which has an adjustable performance from 2-‐9.5 Watt Professional assembly crafts guarantee the perfect qualities. Adopt excellent quality parts of worldwide famous brands, e.g. towline of IGUS.GERMANY, servo
motor of FUJI.JAPAN, synchronous belt of MEGARDYNE Ironic beam plus dual lead rails assembly on X-‐directional mechanical structure enables the
carriage to run stable. High precision linear encoder strip for the positioning of the carriage. Optical fiber with a maximum transmitting speed of 1.25Gb/S and zero-‐interference ability. Industrial PCI data transmitting interface with excellent proof to electric-‐magnetic interference. Automatic head height adjustment enables the head height adjustable to different media
thickness of 0-‐50mm. Anti-‐crashing attachment can effectively reduce the head-‐strike risks. Self-‐checking on printer running malfunctions. Double-‐class ink-‐heating automatic control guarantees the optimum viscosity of ink for printhead
continuously discharging. Backup storage battery activated automatically for negative pressure system in the state of main
power-‐off. More intuitive and user-‐friendly operating interface. With the ability to 24hoursX7days continuous running of commercial printing production.
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3. Printer Configurations
Models Signracer 1600 LED, 2500 LED, 3200 LED Printhead type RICOH Gen. 5 high-‐performance drop-‐on-‐demand piezo heads Printhead array 2-‐8 Pcs Maximum resolution 1200x1200 dpi Printing speed 1600
4 Pass 6 Pass 8 Pass 4 heads 23 18 14
Printing speed 2500 4 heads 29 21 16 Printing speed 3200 4 heads 31 23 17 Print size 1.6m, 2.5m, 3.2m Media type Hard and soft materials Printed thickness 0-‐50 mm Applications Glass, acrylic, wooden board, ceramic tile, metals, PVC board,
corrugated board, plastic board and many more Ink type Amethyst SR-‐100 (non-‐VOC), SR-‐150, SR-‐200 Color mode C, M, Y, K, Lc, Lm, W, V depending on different models and
configurations Support file Adobe Postscript Level 3, PDF, JPEG, TIFF, EPS, AI Support RIP Onyx, Caldera, Colorgate Computer system Windows2000 / XP, Windows7 NET. weight 950 KG, 1.200 KG, 2650 KG Dimension (H, W, L) 131x310x87, 135x485x103, 145x548x142 Power consumption 4,5-‐6 KW Power input AC, 3PH, 380V (±10%)，50 / 60 Hz Working environment Individual, clean, shadowy and dust-‐free workplace with associated
ventilation temperature：19ºC ～ 28ºC humidity：30% ～ 70% (frost-‐free)
Certificate CE，FCC Remark. All technical configurations are subjected to change without notification.
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4. Structure Diagrams
4.1 Front-‐view of the printer
Parts Illustrated:
1 Left emergency stop button 2 Carriage Assembly 3 Media alignment bar 4 Conveyor Belt 5 Right emergency stop button 6 Operation panel(See 4.1.1 Operation panel)
* Note: The carriage in the picture might looks different depending on type and lamp assembly
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4.1.1 Operation panel
① Media take-‐up direction control ② Media take-‐up tension control ③ Printer start-‐up button ④ UV lamp Switch 1 ⑤ UV lamp Switch 2 ⑥ Vacuum power button ⑦ Computer start-‐up button
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4.2 The front-‐view of the carriage
1 Ink Prime Buttons (left for Color / White at right) 2 Left UV LED 3 Right UV LED 4 Head Crash Sensor 5 Carriage height manually adjust knob
* Note: The carriage in the picture might looks different depending on type and lamp assembly
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4.3 Electronic panel
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① Relays ② Contactor ③ Filter ④ Solid state relay 1 ⑤ Solid state relay 2 ⑥ Solid state relay 3 ⑦ External device board ⑧ Media take-‐up transformer ⑨ Media feeding transformer ⑩ Carriage height motor driver 11 220V to 24V transformer 12 15V Switch power supply 13 24V Switch power supply 14 36V Switch power supply 15 Carriage motor driver 16 Belt motor driver
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Printer Installation
1. Loading and transporting
The net weight of the printers are 950kg for the 1600, 1.200kg for the 2500 and 2650kg for the 3200.
The dimension of the wooden packages are 3300mm(L)*1200mm(W)*1600mm(H)for the 1600 LED, 5.0m(L)×1.5m(W)×1.8m(H) for the 2500 and 6.0m(L)x1.6m(W)x1.8m(H) for the 3200. Be very carefull when lifting the machine, as many electronics can be damaged when not taking care during logistics.
It is recommended that a 3-‐ton forklift to be used in the loading and unloading job for the 1600 and 2500, a 4 or 5-‐ton truck for the larger machines to compensate for the big momentum of these models. Basically the distance between the two arms of the forklift should be 1.3 m at the minimum, and the length of the arm should be 2.0m at the minimum.
The lift of the wooden package should be executed to the front side (with a identification mark of The equipment must be hoisted with the package box by the crane, with a view to avoid printer
damage caused by external force.
Schema Illustration of the loading operation with the forklift truck and below unloading from a truck.
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2. Unpacking the printer
After finishing taking out the printer from the truck, it needs to be taken out from the box. remove the top cover;
remove the side cover ;
Before you finish the side cover removing , you must pay more attention to the beam which support
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the cover plate ,they may drop on the printer and damage the printer. remove the fix screw from four corners
When taking off the plastic be carefull with the media tables. They are wrapped to the machine and could fall down
when tearing the plastic.
2. Working environment
The space of the workshop should be 7.5m in width by 5m in length at the minimum Constant humidity of 40﹪～70﹪RH, temperature：19ºC ～ 28ºC Clean and dust-‐free Sheltered from sunlight In a good ventilating condition Certified power outlet of which maximum consumption of 6.5kw and amperage of 32A is required Rated voltage of 3 phase AC 380V and the grounded voltage should below the value of 3V
3. Computer configurations
Motherboard CPU RAM Hard drive Operating system
PCIE port supported
PENTIUM dual-‐core G3250
or above 4G or more 80G or more Windows 7 64Bit
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4.Installation instructions
4.1 Check and acceptance
Verify that all electronic units and mechanism are in normal state as soon as the printer is placed properly.
Disassemble all the transport fixtures of the printer.
4.2 Installation of the computer attachments
Connect all I/O devices of the computer Install the PCIE card into the computer case
Connect the flatcable to the external device board. There are two versions of boards (see below)
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Connect the cables into the PC
There are three cables that need to be connected:
1) VGA cable for monitor 2) USB connect cable coming from external device
board (use USB3.0 port on PC) 3) Fibre optic cable (blue) 4) Ground cable
4.3 Leveling adjustment
First keep the printer’s castors laid on the ground with the supports not enabled. Use the level to measure the middle of the four edges of the platen and find out the highest point
of the platen. Take the highest point as a reference and adjust the support screws of the other three corners,
and get to make the four edges on the same level. Fasten the nut of the support screws in order to keep the whole frame steady.
4.4 Power input
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The printer is high power consumption equipment of 6.5kw. The input power has to meet with the rated value of AC 3PH 380V and 32A.
Voltage between N and PE should lower than 3V. The specification of the power cable should be the diameter of 4mm2. It is also required that the
printer to be properly ground wired.
4.5 Software and driver installation
Topjet Software installation
1. Double click the corresponding installation package to start
2. Select your own language
3. Select OS bit. x86 for 32 bit windows, x64 for 64 bit windows.
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4. Select the communication port.
5. Select the print head model.
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6. Select the printer model
7. Select DPI
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8. Select UV lamp type. Choose LED
9. Browse a path for TOPJet. It’s recommended to not choose system disk as installation folder. For example “E:\”. Thus the package will generate a folder named “E:\TOPJet” automatically.
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10. Select additional task
11. Confirm and install
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12. Wait for installation
13. Install the initiations
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14. Click finish to continue
15. Install the driver for PCIE card
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16. Accept
17. Continue
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18. Finish. Normally we do not have to reboot computer after installation.
4.6 Functional tests
Double-‐check the input power, and test the following functions of the printer:
Air blowers activated properly LED power settings output activated properly X and Y directional moving properly Head height locating function running properly Print test OK
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4.7 Print-‐head installation
Note. Qualified technicians with a view to avoid damage to print-‐head and integrated circuit, and reduce the risk of unexpected hazard due to improper operations must operate this step.
The connection of print-‐head cables can only be executed in the state of power-‐off. The pins of the cables must avoid to be dipped with any liquid and should never be bent.
Check that the red LED is completely discharged, and that this LED is turned off
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1. Unpack the printheads and mark the voltages of the 4 print rows. A = first left nozzle row, D is last right nozzle row (for example: Bk/Cy head: A=K-‐l, B=K-‐r, C=C-‐l, D=C-‐r)
2. Loose the bracket inside the carriage and take the bracket out
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3. Install the printhead into the bracket. Pay attention to the registration pin on the head! It corresponds to the registration hole inside the bracket
Tighten the printheads with the screws 0,5cm length 4. Connect the ink tubes and the LCF filter onto the heads. Prior connection the ink tube onto the heads, they need to be flushed with UV flush
The LCF filter has an inlet and outlet direction for proper functioning. The text “inlet” , or the product specs, should be faced to the top.
5. Finish installing the printheads one by one The ink inlet (+filter) should be installed at the back of the head. The degassing tube at the front.
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4.8 Filling ink
Note. The ink filling operation can only be executed when the ink lines and the connections of the cables are carefully double-‐checked after the printhead installation.
Shutdown the spray function of the program and adjust the value to -‐1.5kPa, avoid the automatic protection of system when the negative pressure fluctuates in the ink filling operation process.
Verify that all cables of the ink pumps are connected properly and then fill in each main tank with the color of ink accordingly.
The ink pumping function will be interrupted if the subtank is still not filled to its standard ink amount every 15s, and the buzzer will make a three-‐alert with a twinkle light indicating. Normally this alert can be ignored by resetting of the ink filling function, and the ink filling can be accomplished by the repeating the operation a couple of times.
When finishes the ink filling, adjust the pressure to a value of -‐3.5kPa, then turn on the valves of the subtank. The ink drops (see picture below) should be sucked into the heads very slowly.
Adjust the negative pressure therefore the ink will be sucked inside the heads within 20 seconds.
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4.9 Degassing of the printhead
The degassing operation should be done the first time of printhead installation, this operation can help exhaust the air bubbles in the chamber. This operation can also be used to deal with the nozzles missing problem.
Shutdown the spray function Turn off all the ink valves and adjust the pressure to a value of -‐1.1kPa. Loosen the cap of the air exhaust tube of the printhead, open the inkvalve, and press the ink
prime button till you see a constant ink stream comes out of the tube. Close the ink valve and then seal the tube with the cap. Note. The operation must not exceed 3 seconds so as to avoid the generation of bubbles by emptying the subtank. If the system refill alert occurs, click the “reset” and continue the exhausting operation when the alert ceases.
Open the ink valve of the degassed head and perform a short purge of the head Close ink valve again Execute the degassing on each printhead as the operations described above. When finishes degassing operation, open all ink valves, and adjust the pressure to a value where
the ink drops are slowly sucked into the heads. Press the prime button till you see the ink comes out of the nozzles of each printhead.
Use Signracer recommeded lint-‐free towel to wipe up the ink residues on the nozzles surface. Wipe as the picture below, therefore there is not much pressure on the nozzle surface. Print a “nozzle test” and check the status of the nozzles
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4.10 Printhead calibration and alignment
The operations of the printhead calibration and alignment can be specified as physical alignments of both horizontal and vertical directions, ink ejecting calibration of left & right direction, bi-‐directional printing and stepping adjustment.
4.10.1 Nozzles state
Make sure no nozzles missing
4.10.2 Vertical alignment
In Topjet , click “set” to enter the “printer parameters setting” interface. Illustrated as below.
Select heads vertical
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Select the printhead vertical alignment in the drop-‐down-‐list of the alignment checking and run printing. (The printed results are shown as below)
Good Calibration Bad Calibration
Vertical checking print I (V.I) Vertical checking print II (V.II)
Use the magnifier to observe the upper and lower parts of the small iron printed and check
whether the two parts merge into a complete one. If there are still lines that are not overlapping completely, then you might get them aligned by
adjusting the screw of the printhead base. As the shown in the above V.I, the lines of the two pars printed are completely overlapped and
thus there is no need to adjust anymore. But in the above V.II there is one icon in the clockwise side，it shows overlapping completely therefore you need to adjust the screw clockwise to make it output in the middle position with the exclamation mark.
1
2 3
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The steps of vertical alignment: loosen the screw ①; Adjust the screw ② slightly according to the vertical checking result Print the vertical checking again If the lines still not overlapping at the proper position, repeat the two steps above. Fasten the screw ① when the vertical alignment accomplished.
4.10.3 Horizontal alignment
Select the horizontal checking in the drop-‐down-‐list of the alignment checking and run printing. The printing result is shown as below. Note: Since K and C are on the same printhead and M and Y on the other printhead, it is only necessary to perform horizontal alignment with H1 to H3 or H1 to H5.
Horizontal checking print V.I Horizontal checking print V.II
The operation of horizontal alignment takes the first printhead of the black color as reference. View the print result as V.I; if the printing lines of the other colors are not overlapping head to head with the black lines, then an adjustment of the vertical is necessary.
The steps of horizontal alignment:
Loosen the screw ① Adjust the screw ③ slightly according to the horizontal checking result Print the horizontal checking again If the lines of certain colors still can not make a head to head overlapping with the black line, repeat the two steps above accordingly.
Fasten the screw ① when the horizontal alignment accomplished.
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4.10.4 Left and right heads offset
Left-‐dir heads offset means color calibration of left-‐directional print, right-‐dir heads offset means color calibration of right-‐directional print.
Select the “left-‐dir heads offset” in the drop-‐down-‐list of calibration and alignment, print the checking icons as the sample shown below.
Check out the best aligning icon of the print and take it as a variable adding to original value. As the sample illustrated above, the left-‐side nozzles of the printhead (CL) printed line align with the black line more perfectly in the icon with a figure of “-‐2”.
Modify the value with a variable in the corresponding blank of “color module calibration” sector in the test and calibration interface, that is, subtract 2 on the basis of the origin. Illustrated as below.
The offset checking print with modification is shown as below.
The same idea applies to right left directional color calibration.
Subtract “2” on the basis of the origin, and equals to “-1”.
The best aligning is in the icon of “-2 ”.
The best aligning of Cl is“0”，there is no need to modify again.
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4.10.5 Bi-‐directional calibration
The bi-‐directional offset checking print can be specified as “small&middle dots” mode” and “grayscale&large dots mode”.
Select the “bi-‐directional offset” (small&middle mode) in the drop-‐down-‐list of calibration and
alignment and get it output at the speed of 1.0x. the printed results might be various due to different speed setting. The printed result is shown as below.
As the sample shown above, the line overlaps the best at the position of figure +3, then simply
add the variable to the original value 18. Repeat the above operations and calibrate all other printing mode.
The value of the best matching is “3”
Plus “3” on the basis of the origin, and equals to “21”.
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4.10.6 Stepping calibration
Select the stepping checking print in the drop-‐down-‐list of calibration and alignment and get it output. The printed result is shown as below.
Sample 2-‐16 stepping checking print Try and find out a number indicates the best overlapping of the tiny lines, the figure might not be
marked but can be estimated, and then add this figure as a variable to the basis of the original value.
4.10.7 Base pointer calibration
Select the “printing base pointer” in the drop-‐down-‐list of calibration and alignment and get it output.
Measure the distance between the datum checking print and the mechanical base point. The printed result is shown as below.
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Reset the value of the zero position in the layout option. Illustrated as below.
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Start-‐up and shutdown Instructions
1. Start-‐up and shutdown operation
The user has to go through the safety precautions in chapter one before the first-‐time operation. And all operations to be done by beginners must be executed under the instructions of professional technicians.
1.1 Print start-‐up operation
Connect the power cable plugs to the wall socket, after checking the input power on the socket
Note. These four power circuit breakers only have to be turned on in the initial operation. Once
the equipment maintains in constant working phase, there is no need to turn them off anymore. Turn the main power breaker on.
Illustration of power control
Start the computer.
Turn on the four emergency stop buttons on each corner of the printer. Then press the green
“Power/Start” button for activation.
Run the self-‐checking on the initial start of the printing system. If ever encountered with a
alert or a error message, take reference to the “troubleshooting” in chapter six.
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Check if the reading value of the pressure is normal (normally the value of the negative
pressure reads -‐4.0kPa and various slightly in different models or locations). The pressure can
be adjusted by the air regulator or by the TOPJet software from 2017 models.
Activate the air blower and turn on the corresponding suction sector of the platform where
the media is laid. Activate the UV lamp and carry on to the normal printing job.
1.2 Printer shutdown operation
Step one. Print the nozzle check on an A4-‐size paper and compare with the previous one. It any abnormality such as nozzles missing is observed, the priming and exhausting operation should be executed immediately till you can get a printed result as the same as the previous sample, then keep it for reference for history reports
Step two. Turn off the activating button of the air blower. Step three. Verify that the negative pressure reads normally and the automatic spray function is
activated. Put the Topjet software into the “sleep mode”
Clean the baseplate of the carriage and clean printer and the workplace. Check the Signracer shotdown procedure document for different shutdown procedure times.
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Printer Maintenance
1. Periodic maintenance for printer parts (based on an 6 hour daily production)
With a view to keep the printer in good working conditions, operators should do the maintenance job periodically according to the following instructions.
Daily routine maintenance: clean the frame, clear away the waste ink, clean the quartz glass of the UV lamp assembly, clean the bottom of the printhead baseplate and check the negative pressure system, take a nozzles check.
Weekly routine maintenance: check the linear guide for dust, clean the LED fans, clean the waste ink collecting tray. Do the calibration and alignment.
Monthly routine maintenance: lubricate the rolling and moving mechanical parts, check the joints of ink lines and air lines.
Quarterly routine maintenance: reset the pressure indicator for models till 2017. For models from 2017 check if the set negative pressure is still enough to keep the ink in the printheads. Change the LCF head filters
Half year maintenance: exchange the main ink filters, and white circulation / main ink pump, LED fan filters
Yearly routine maintenance: Check the IGUS chain cables for abrasion marks, change the ink tubes from subtanks to printheads, change the x-‐axis timing belt
2. Maintenance of the mechanical parts
Lubricate the moving mechanical parts with lithium grease monthly. Use the lever type grease gun to eject the lubricating grease into the slide block via the lubricating
nipple assembly on the block. Non-‐clean lithium grease must avoid to be used for lubrication job or it will result in slide way and
slide block damage. The moving parts need to be under good maintenance includes X-‐directional slide way,
Y-‐directional slide way, Y-‐directional screw leads, Z-‐directional screw lead.
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3. Precision part maintenance
All precision parts must be strictly cleaned with isopropanol and Signracer recommended lint-‐free cloth according to the maintenance instructions.
The precision parts needs to be under good maintenance includes encoder strip, opt-‐electric sensor, head height finder assembly.
4. Printhead maintenance
4.1 Daily routine maintenance
Every day before or after work, take a nozzle check print and see if there is any blockage. Execute priming or flushing immediately as soon as any blockage is observed.
Tidy and clean the printing platform and the bottom of the printhead baseplate. On the occasion of only one or two color discharging during the printing process, a synchronic
color bar printed with the image is strongly recommended, so that all the other colors can also discharge in the whole process. Therefore avoid constant reflective UV light causes the non-‐discharging nozzles clog.
Execute anti-‐dust and anti-‐electrostatic operation if necessary. Double-‐check the smoothness of the media when placed on the platform so as to avoid head
strike incidents.
4.2 Printhead preservation during power failure
If ever encountered with a power failure, and you have no idea of when there will be supply again, the printhead preservation needs to be done. Follow the instructions below.
Preservation instructions
Take the Signracer capping foam and place it under the carriage. Carefully lay some lint-‐free tissue on the surface and drip some inks from the heads onto the cap. Lower the Z-‐directional screw manually, making the carriage lowing down till the two surface
adhere to each other. ( slightly contact is right, avoid pressing too hard ) Turn off the valves and disconnect the cable terminal of the air pump. Turn off the main circuit breaker.
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4.3 Printhead preservation during long vacation
When the printer is shutting down for 3 or more days (due to holidays, vacation, etc.) the heads should be preserved and in this case the main power will be switched off.
1.The procedure is as follows: Carriage should be in Home Position. From TopJet rise the carriage height to suitable for you position (recommend 25mm). Waste Ink Tray cover should be closed and well cleaned with isopropyl alcohol. Bottom part of the carriage and the area around print heads should be cleaned. On top of the foam (that is coming with the machine) put new set of head
2. Cleaning wipes so they can cover all area with the print heads. Put the prepared foam on top of Waste Ink Tray cover. Check that all wipes will be positioned exactly under the print heads.
Make a long purge so large drops appeared on heads surface. Make sure that there is ink on whole head area of each print head.
Close all sub tank valves! -‐ Close TopJet and shut down the printer. -‐ Wait 10 minutes to cool down print heads -‐ Manually lower the carriage with the screw until lower part of the carriage makes a slightly contact with the foam. You will feel resistance when it is done
Shut down the PC. Shut down the main power fuses.
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5. Replacement of consumable parts
5.1 Replacement of ink pump
When hearing three-‐consecutive buzz, check and see if the ink pump malfunctions. The three consecutive buzz may be caused by other malfunctions. You will have to verify the
cause before parts replacing. Replacement instructions Step on. Disconnect the plug of the ink pump cable and loosen the screws of the fixture. The
illustration is shown below.
Step two. Remove the broken ink pump and remove the tubes connected to the pump. Illustrated
as below.
Step three. Cut the deformed heads of the tubes, and then reconnect them to the new pump.
Carefully connect the tubes to the ink pump proper inlet and outlet with corresponding arrows indicating the flow directions.
Step four. Fasten the screw and reconnect the power cable. Note. The buzzer might probably generate three-‐consecutive buzz in the process of replacing. You
will need to reset the external device board after the replacement.
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5.2 Ink refill
When the hearing six-‐consecutive buzz, check and see if the ink is running out from the main inks tanks Filling instructions
Step one. Get a new bottle of ink and uncap it, put it nearby. Step two. Uncap the main ink tank which needs to be refilled. Carefully shake the ink of the new
bottle prior refilling it into the main tank.
5.3 Replacement of ink filter
The ink filter requires seasonal replacement. Replacement instructions Step one. Disconnect the power cable connection of the ink pump. Step two. Clamp the outlet tube so as to avoid ink leaking or withdrawal. Step three. Disconnect the joints of the tube and the filter. Remove the filter. Step four. Replace with a new one and pay attention to the flow direction indicated by the arrow
mark on the filter.
Step five. Remove the clamp and reconnect the power cable connection of the ink pump.
Note. The buzzer might probably generate three-‐consecutive buzz in the process of replacing. You will need to reset the alarm in the Topjet software after the replacement. With a new filter it could be possible that the pump cannot push the air out of the main ink filter. Take a syringe to extract the air from the outlet of the main ink filter. To do this procedure, clamp the outlet tube and disconnect it from the main ink filter. Add a syringe to the outlet of the filter and make a reset in the Topjet software. The pumps will be activated again, and gently suck the ink inside the syringe. When the syringe is filled, reconnect the main ink filter with the ink tube. Reset the Topjet software to fill the subtanks.
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5.4 Replacement of air pump
When hearing a single buzz during normal working hours, it probably means that the main air pump has broken and the backup air pump is activated. If so, the replacement needs to be executed immediately.
Replacement instructions Step one. Turn off the valves so as to avoid ink leaking from the nozzles.
Step two. Disconnect the plug of the main air pump.
Step three. Loosen the screws of the fixture and remove the main air pump. Step four. Remove the air tube connected on the air pump. Cut the deformed head of the tube
and reconnect them to the new pump. Pay attention to the air flow indicated by the arrow mark on the pump.
Step five. Fasten the fixing screw and reconnect the power cable. Then press the reset key on the external device board.
Note. Verify that the main air pump is broken or not before the replacement, just in case that there
might be alert caused by operation failure. Switch the power cable of the backup air pump to the main one and see if the main pump runs
properly. The air tubes must be connected in correspondence to the arrow mark on the pump.
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Troubleshooting
1. Buzz indications and troubleshooting
There are six kinds of buzz alert programmed in the printer. Below is the list of indications and troubleshooting.
Buzz type Buzz indication Troubleshooting Single buzz The main air pump stops
working and the backup air pump activate.
Check if the main air pump is still in proper use, and check the reading values of the pressure indicator. Click reset to activate the main air pump again.
Double buzz Pressure overload protection Negative pressure limit: -‐4.5kPa Negative pressure limit: 20kPa
Generally the pressure exceeds 20kPa in the priming operation and lower than -‐4.5kPa during long-‐time of non-‐printing. These phenomenon are normal. When the negative pressure exceeds its limit, simply adjust the regulator anticlockwise to reset the pressure to the standard value.
Triple buzz 15s periodic ink pumping protection (when ink shortage in subtank occurs)
Check and see whether the ink in the main tank has run out, or if malfunctions of the ink pump. And refill ink or replace the ink pump accordingly. Click reset in the program after the troubleshooting
Four-‐buzz Data transmitting error Occasional alert might be normal. But if ever encountered with constant buzz, then it is a problem of data transmitting error. This might be caused by the breakdown of the printhead signal board of external device board. Please contact local dealer for technical service.
Five-‐buzz Ink withdrawal problem The phenomenon might be caused by the malfunction of the level sensor assembled in the air tank or improper disconnection of ink tubes. For troubleshooting please refer to the instructions in sector three.
Six-‐buzz Ink of the main tank running out
Refill the main tank with ink or check the level sensor assembled in the main tank.
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2. Pressure system problems
2.1 Unstable negative pressure
Cases ① The negative pressure fluctuates as the carriage moves. ② The pressure declines abruptly during standby hours. ③ Negative pressure exceeds the limit frequently.
Troubleshooting ① Check and see if any part of the air line leaks. ② Check if the used life of the air pump has exceeded, if so, replace it with a new one. ③ Check if the tube has any abrasion or leakage within the towline. ④ Check and see if the air pump exceed its service life. ⑤ Replace the air regulator.
2.2 The pressure indicator reads “0”
Troubleshooting ① There will usually be ink leakage of the printhead on the occasions. The first thing to do is
turn off the valve and then shutdown the printer, check for the malfunction. ② Replace the malfunctioning air pump. ③ This might probably due to the tube fallen off. Simply reconnect it.
2.3 Pressure cannot rise when priming (negative pressure is normal)
Check if priming button is clogged due to ink withdrawal or the improper assembly of the button.
2.4 Single-‐buzz alert
When hearing the single-‐buzz alert, click the “reset” in the ink line options. If this still not works, check and see the following aspects:
Check if the main air pump is normal or not. Verify that the connection of the power cables of the main air pump and check its input voltage of
DC 24V.
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When accomplished troubleshooting the above two malfunctions, check and see if the setting value (Lo-‐2) of the indicator is correct.
Lo-‐1:-‐4.5 —— negative pressure limit protection H1-‐1:20 —— positive pressure limit protection Lo-‐2:-‐0.8 —— lower limit for activating backup air pump H1-‐2:0.5 —— higher limit for activating backup air pump
3. Ink line malfunction
3.1 Ink Overflow (abnormality of ink in the air tube)
Causes ① Malfunctioning level sensor ② Improper operation when disconnecting the ink tube. (Without the valve turned off or the
pressure adjusted to -‐1.0kPa) ③ Ink filter blockage
Troubleshooting ① Shutdown the spray and turn off all the valves, adjust the pressure to -‐1.0kPa, and then turn
off the scram stop. ② Uncap the tube at the bottom of the air tank and drain the tank. ③ Open the cover of the air tank and clean it with some flushing. ④ Replace the contaminated tubes. Be careful with the blade using when disconnecting the
tubes so as not to damage the nipple of the tank. Or this might lead to air leakage which usually causes the pressure fluctuation.
⑤ Activate the printer and turn on the valves of the subtanks that withdraw. Drain the excessive ink of the subtank till the liquid level comes back to the standard. The withdrawal would probably occur once more if without these operations.
⑥ Adjust the pressure to the normal value and then turn on all the valves.
3.2 Ink leakage of the nozzles
Causes ① The pressure is excessively higher than normal value.
Troubleshooting ① Shutdown the spray and turn off the valves and the scram stop. ② Check and see if there is any leakage or fallen off of the tubes. ③ Check and see whether the air pump has exceeded its service life. Replace it if so.
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3.3 Overtime ink supplying (three-‐buzz signal) Causes:
Check and see if the ink of the main tank is running out, refill it if so. Click “reset” in the ink line options; check if the pump works properly by manual contact. Replace
the ink pump if so. Check if there is any blockage of the pump, disconnect the bottom joint of the capsule filter and
click “reset” in the ink line option and see if the ink comes out of the tube, replace the pump if not.
Check if there is blockage of the capsule filter, disconnect the upper joint of the capsule filter and click “reset” in the ink line option and see if the ink comes out of the tube, replace the filter if not.
4. Printhead strike
4.1. How to avoid head strike with the media
The head height should be adjusted additionally after the automatic adjustment when printing on some inflated or unsmooth or even some heat-‐deformative media.
When printing on some heat-‐formative materials, shut the non-‐used suction sectors of the
platform. And cover the tiny holes of air leaking, so as to decline the possibility of deformation by strengthen the corresponding suction.
The automatic head height adjustment must be run whenever changes material. There is a certain distance between the head height detecting position and the datum point. If the
printed is too small to be detected when placed near the datum point, you may try and put the media on the location for head height founder first and then move it to the printing position when head height adjustment accomplishes.
Never try to lift the media positioning lever otherwise it may lead to head strike incident. Besides the servomotor might come to an accidental stop by automatic protection and thus result in
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printing failure.
4.2. Dealing with head strike problem
Troubleshooting ① Wait for the error message to appear on the computer screen before taking any corrective
action. It is not safe to correct the issue until the error message appears on the screen. Please refer to the error message below. Click “Yes” in the error message dialogue.
② The software will lift the carriage to 100mm therefore the media can be taken from the
printer
③ Reset the anti-‐crashing device. Illustration is below.
④ Control the printer back to the standby position. ⑤ Restart printing job.
Note. Once the head strike incident happens, take a nozzle check as soon as all trouble solved and see if there is any damage to the nozzles. And do some troubleshooting accordingly if so.
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5. Carriage moving malfunction
5.1 Carriage moving failure
There are usually error messages displayed in the servo driver, deal with the issue according to the corresponding information. Below is the list of information display on screen of the servo driver and the corresponding indication and troubleshooting. See to next page.
Order Code Indication Troubleshooting 1 oc1 or oc2 Current overload Check and see power connection of the motor 2 oL1 or oL2 Overload Check and see power connection of the motor 3 Hu Voltage overload Verified that the power input is within the
rated values 4 Fb Fuser break Replace the servo driver 5 AH Amplifier overheat
Keep the environment maintain below 40℃
Keep the servo driver away from any heat resource
6 EH Encoder overheat Keep the environment maintain below 40℃
Remove any item baffles the heat dissipating of the servo driver
7 LuP Main circuit voltage defected
Check if there is any power supply interruption Verify the power input stably with rated values
8 ¯ˉPoF Anti-‐crashing & scram stop activated
Check if any anti-‐crashing attachment or scram stop activates, reset correspondingly.
9 ¯ˉPn0 Start guide active Check the start guide and turn it down if ever enabled
10 =Pot Y-‐directional origin indicating
Check the opt-‐electric sensor if the code displays in the Y-‐directional non-‐origin position
11 =PP1 Pulse signal transmitting (the state
of running)
Indicates a normal state during X-‐directional moving Indicates a normal state of non-‐origin position
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5.2 Cache problem (The carriage pause too long at the two ends of the lead rail during the printing process.)
There might be two aspects that cause this problem, below are the causes explanations and solutions.
Excessive image size or excessive file gross result in long data processing, and thus relate to printing data transmitting slowdown. Normally when processing some large image or a great amount of images, adopt the mode of print after RIP.
A virus might have affected the computer. Execute anti-‐virus operation periodically. The windows power settings must be on “High performance”, otherwise within a print pass the PC
could crash
5.3 Printing error (with a message reads “Device is busy, please check the media location plate,
raster reader and motor driver, try again.”), The causes might be: Anti-‐crashing attachment enabled Media positioning attachment enabled Encoder malfunction due to accidental crash with obstacle. Data transmitting error due to abrasion of the optical fiber.
6. Automatic head height adjustment malfunctions
When a problem with the head height adjustment assembly occurs, check and see whether there is non-‐working or retards.
If the carriage can only be operated going up but not going down. Check if there are too many dirts makes the electromagnet clog and not able to effect action, or if the head height finder is broken.
Head carriage goes up, but does not move onto the media? Check the anti crash bar on the lamp house. It might be activated when reloading the media.
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7. Printing quality troubleshooting
Abnormality Troubleshooting
Horizontal banding Check horizontal alignment Check color calibration
Unclear(blurred) printing
Check if the head height is right for the printing job, normally 2mm would be optimum.
Clean the nozzles surface Do the calibration again
Color deviation
Adjust the total ink limit by 10%-‐30%.
The printed image appears dark
Check color calibration Adjust the brightness by 3-‐6 Select all options in the vector image. This method only effects in
vector image printing.
Vertical blank or banding Check vertical calibration and alignment Change the screen type
Blurred printed lines Do the calibration again
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Appendix
1. Routine Maintenance Guide
It is recommended that end users have this sheet printed and placed nearby the operation bracket, carefully execute the maintenance job and make notes
Printer maintenance schedule
Maintenance Items Period
1 Cleaning printer appearance daily 2 Check if there is ink in the air tube daily 3 Clean the platform and the sucking holes daily 4 Check the nozzle state daily 5 Clean the quartz glass and the printhead baseplate daily
6 Cleaning the lineair guide and check if there is any leakage of tubes daily
7 Execute calibration and alignment weekly 8 Clean the waste ink collection weekly 9 Clean the area around the printer weekly 10 Clean the LED cooling fan filters weekly 11 Lubricate the rolling or moving parts weekly 12 Check and see the joints of tubes monthly 13 Change the LCF head filters quarterly 15 Replace the white ink pumps and main ink filters half-‐year 16 Change the LED cooling fan filters half-‐year 17 Change the ink tubes between subtank and head Yearly 18 Change X-‐axis timing belt Yearly
Notes
4. Tools and Materials needed:
① flush ② Signracer lint-‐free tissue ③ Isopropanol ④ Angle key ⑤ Nytril gloves ⑥ grease gun and lithium lubricate ⑦ lubrication oil ⑧ electric torch ⑨ ink line clip ⑩ plastic or glass syringe 11 screw driver PH1, PH2 12 high pressure air gun
5. Channel information of Ricoh Gen5
5.1 Single array carriage set
5.2 Double array carriage set
Depending on the model and color configuration, we try to install the heads in the middle of the carriage. Therefore the distance to the LED lamps are equal minimizing the risk of reflection to printheads close to the LED. By default the single row machines, will have the heads installed in the front row. To have good operations, the software should know where the heads are installed. This can be done in the printer.ini file. This file can be found: Topjet>printermodelINI (for example HT2500R5INI)> printer.ini (setupposition) must be changed according the installation of the heads. Head0 and head1 is the most left installed head. In the below picture (next page) this is installed on position 4/5 (the second slot in the front row)
2 3
0 1
6 7
4 5
10
11
8 9
14
15
12
13
18
19
16
17
Change the head positions for the other heads as well. Below is an example of the installed machine (4 heads in one row, installed in the front row)
6. Signracer LED timing settings
Before installing a new software or driver, please backup the current offset values, start points and print head parameter settings. Make also pictures (or printscreen) from all alignment settings in SET. Install an old backup parameter will give an error in the latest version due to new driver parameter possibilities in v2288. But manually adding the old settings in the new software, will give same alignments (therefore you need to make pictures of the previous settings, before installing the new software). Now we have to set the LED timing. This can be done by opening the “Param” window
The password is: ua13 Click “Verify” and the Fine adjustment will become open to set the LED timing
The principle of the Fine Adjustment is as follows.
If the LED should be open or closed more to the right, the value should be increased. When it is needed to open/close more to left, the value should be decreased.
Below the default settings are shown. The upper part of this adjustment is for “direct curing”. “Go right”, means, when the carriage move to the right. The left lamp will be opened.
The ink is immediatly cured by the lamps “direct curing”. We can set both the timing for activating the Led, and closing the LED at the end of each pass. On the way back, we set the timing for “Go left” adjust right lamp to be opened and closed
The lower part of this Fine adjustment window, is for setting the “delayed curing” method. In this method the left led is activated when the carriage goes to the left. The ink is cured on the second pass, therefore the output will be more glossy. After setting the above values, click “OK”. The new settings will be stored in the printer.ini file. Close the SET window and restart the PC. The new Topjet installation is finished and after restarting it, the machine is ready for printing.