SPT510 Printhead Cleaning and Maintenance Guides

Purpose: Correctly proceed the cleaning procedures of SPT Printhead, and daily maintenance of the printer. This guide will help you to keep the Printhead & printer in good condition.

1. Cleaning requirements.

1) Cleaning procedures of Printhead and tubes during installation

The brand new Printhead does not contain any protective fluid; therefore, cleaning with solvent is not necessary.

a). Clean the whole ink supply system with solvent.

b). Install Printhead on the carriage and then connect the corresponding tubes and data cable.

Notice: Take the black washer out from the white cap on the top of the damper, and then place the washer in the bronze cap. (Below figure) Stabilize the Printhead with screws. Connect the tube, and tighten the bronze cap at the ink incoming part on the top of the damper. Finally, connect the date cable between Printhead and Printhead cards.

c).Connect the tube to the main tank. Turn on the printer on start the ink supply automatically.

Use positive pressure to fill the Printhead with ink.

d). Print Printhead status and observe the condition of Printhead. It is recommended to keep a copy of the test for reference in the future.

2.) Cleaning procedures for Printhead for nozzle deflected and clogging.

a.) Disconnect the tube connector between Printhead and Sub tank; Wait until the ink finishes dropping. Full the injector, clear the head by injector, stop until the solvent becomes clear.

b.) Use tube cap to seal the ink incoming tube for the Printhead, Use fresh wrap to cover the nozzle surface. Leave in for 12 hours.

c.) After 12 hours, take the fresh wrap off. Disconnect the tube cover and wait until the solvent is removed finish. Connect the tube to the sub tank, and fill the Printhead with ink, and then printing.

Note: After the above cleaning procedures, normally the Printhead state can be ameliorated.

3.) Maintenance requirements:

Ink for Seiko SPT head series machine, (we strongly recommend to use SK-4 ink, which already pass the certification of SII PrintTek Inc, the manufacturer of Seiko SPT head. Use the other inks, most possible get lower quality out put, and even damage the Printhead seriously)

Solvent ink has the characteristic of dryness and solidification. Those characteristics will cause the nozzle of Printhead deflected and clogging, so keep the Printhead wet is very important. Take attention of keep the Printhead wet everyday can reduce the probability of blocked nozzle.

Ensure the best printing quality.

a.) After turn on the printer everyday, please print the test band. If the Printhead happen deflected and clogging please use the clean solution clean the Printhead immediately.

b.) After finish printing everyday, please keep the Printhead wet. Method: put the clean solution in the non-woven fabric and make it close the Printhead.(If the weather is dryness, need to add multilayer of non-woven fabric.), then use the preservative film to pack up whole Printhead carriage. Please note that if the bottom of preservative film went down. (The preservative film is made of PE material)

c.) If the Printhead is not used for short-term (3 – 10 days), need to clean out the ink from Printhead. Method: Use the injector to infuse clean solution into the Printhead, clear out the ink of Printhead until the clean solution is colorless. Then unscrew the ink tube connector which connect with the upper of Printhead and sub ink tank, let the clean solution come out automatically, and then operate as the step 2. (Keep in mind not use too much clean solution dip in the Printhead for long period)

d.) If the Printhead have had more deflecting and clogging causing by the Printhead didn’t use for long time, please put the preservative film on the surface nozzle of Printhead, then adjust the function of spray above 2K and jetting 1- 3 hours under the mode of auto standby, so the nozzle can jet well.

e.) If the Printhead is not used more than 1 month, please remove the Printhead, then use the method of infuse clean solution by injector, clean out the ink from Printhead until the clean solution is colorless. Please note after one day, clean the Printhead in same way again. Then let the clean solution come out automatically, screw the ink sac cover of Printhead, and use the preservative film pack up the Printhead, make sure the preservative film close to the nozzle and have wrapped the Printhead. Do up the Printhead as the factory package. This method can place the used Printhead more than 1 month. According to this method to clean the Printhead every month will keep the Printhead in good condition.

f.) Clean the Printhead regular. After the Printhead working a few days, the ink will be fur up inside of Printhead, It should clean the Printhead with flush solution .The period is about 15-20 Days. Clean the head regular, it can improve the quality of printing good (Please note that this cleaning way is not the jam Printhead cleaning)

g.) Choose the right firing frequency when machine working. Our suggestion is 16-64HZ, it depend on theenvironment of temperature, humidity. Because fast speedy of firing can cause the difficulty of scrub the head surface and waste the ink. The nozzles is easily to dry and jam if high temperature and low humidity.

h.) Choose the right voltage of Printhead. The Seiko head is auto adjust voltage Printhead. It can auto adjust the voltage of Printhead according to the environment .The max output voltage of Seiko printer is 26V in theory. The Printhead will have a nominal voltage. But in fact, the using voltage will be lower than nominal voltage. It should set on the environment. The best voltage is the lower the better if it not affects the printing quality. It will ink-break if your need adjust down the voltage of Printhead when your temperature too high

After testing, above 32 degree centigrade, the voltage of Printhead is about 16~17V. and about 28 degree , the voltage is about 17V. And 20 degree is 18~29 V. 16 degree is 19~20. 10 degree is about 21V. And the best working temperate is 18~26 degree. We can’ make sure the machine can print good if your temper pure out of 18~26 degree

4.) Caution when using printer.

Please read the caution carefully when start to use the printer.

a.) Don’t pull out the head and each component connection with power, as if will damage the electronic circuit and the head.

b.) Use special certificated SK4 ink for Seiko head, which was certified by Japanese SPT Group according with Seiko head request. Don’t use any replace ink not certified by SPT Group. Because of there are difference in the component and quality inside the ink. Disqualification ink may make a bad effect in the heads; to make things worse will damage the electronic connection inside the heads.

c.) Don’t use high pressure air pump or super injector to flush print head.

Super pressure on the head can make damage inside the head.

d.) Don’t soak the head full with flush solution, should wipe the flush solution on the surface of the head and electronic circuit in time. Because the heads filled with flush solution will be cankered easily, and damage the electrode inside the head. The phenomenon of electrode broken is: The hole can print flush solution normally when clean the head, but nuzzle can not print the ink outside when printing.

e.) Don’t use flush solution to soak the head repeatedly (over 24 hours). Soak single within 24 hours can be allowed. Long time in the flush solution will have a bad effect on printer.

f.) Doesn’t use the cotton stick which is fall short of to clean the surface of head. Avoid scrapping surface on the head by hard substance, if not will damage the film in the head.

g.) Don’t knock any outside force on the head; it is easy to cause deformation and damage for head.

h.) Don’t use water or other liquid to clean print head or inside system of printer. Otherwise will cause the damage for the heads. Print head should be cleaned by special flush solution consonant Seiko.

i.) Don’t use ultrasonic cleaner to clean Printhead, it has bad effect on print heads.

Tonchuang technology support. www.ptcet.com