Why So Tense? Head Strike Prevention on a Wide Format Printer
Could a Head Strike Really Be Related to Proper Media Tension?
When the words “head strike” come to mind, probably the last thing anyone would think of is media tension but the reality is that it could very well be the cause of those head strikes. Throughout my years in the service department with Mutoh America Inc. www.mutoh.com I have encountered media tension problems time and time again with some of our customers who weren’t even aware that our printers have different media tension settings. Media tension can cause all kinds of unwanted occurrences when you are trying to get your jobs out the door so knowing your specific printer’s tension settings can play a huge part in getting successful and accurate prints out to your customers as well as cut back on that unwanted lost/waste material.
(1638 roll holder – Roll can spin freely with tension bracket disengaged-no tension)
Each roll to roll ValueJet has some sort of media tension adjustment on them but not all of them are adjustable so it is important to reference your user manual for your specific machine so that you understand the different tension settings and how to engage or disengage them. Take the 1638X for example, this model is adjustable and there are 3 different tension settings that you can set on the machine. The first one is no tension at all. With the tension, bracket disengaged the roll will spin freely and have no resistance.
The second and third are with the tension bracket engaged. You can add 1kg or 4kg of tension to your material by setting your damper knob accordingly.
(1638 roll holder – Tension bracket engaged-this will allow the user to set either 1kg or 4kg of tension)
(With damper knob in outer position adds 1kg)
(With damper knob in inner position adds 4kg)
With all of these different settings available you can see that it is easy to possibly set your machine up with incorrect tension and not even know it’s happening.
Side Effects of Incorrect Tension Settings
What are the side effects of having incorrect tension settings?
- Media skewing
- Media buckling
- Head strikes
- Inconsistent job lengths
Keep in mind that almost all of the roll to roll ValueJet’s with adjustable tension have two separate roll holders so it is important to adjust both of them to the same setting and not just set one as that will cause uneven tension.
Uneven tension is one of the more common occurrences and can cause any of the above-listed side effects. So if you are experiencing any of them and your machine has adjustable tension then it might be a good idea to take a look at the back of your printer to see how your roll holders are set. Also, the phrase “more is not always better” applies to media tension as well. Sometimes too much tension can put excess strain on your machine and material which can cause head strikes, media buckling or your jobs to come out different lengths due to grit roller slippage. But this isn’t the case with all materials, some materials like a little tension and run better through the machine with a little drag behind it so you will have to test your machine and material to see what best suits your needs.
If you thought the roll holders were the only place where tension can be added then think again! Our optional HD take-up system has additional weights that can be added to them to either add or reduce the tension so it’s always best to check the user manual if you are unsure about all the different tension settings for your machine.
Load Media The Right Way on a ValueJet
No More Bad Tension – Just Good Tension
Media tension may not sound like it’s on the top of the list of how to make good prints but it is definitely an important subject and can certainly make the difference when trying to get the best output possible. So the next time you get a head strike don’t tense up, relax and check your media tension!
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Digital Printing and Printer Maintenance: What the Traffic Sign Industry Needs to Know
Scott Chapman, Senior Global Marketing Manager, Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions
“Simple, but proper, maintenance will keep your printer at its best, and leave you smiling, knowing you’ve made the right investment in technology.”
In many areas of the country, stepping into a traffic sign shop is something done at your own risk. Shops located in small public agencies are often located in the back of the general maintenance shed. Yes, behind the dump trucks, the snow plows and maintenance benches. I know, I’ve visited my share over the past thirty years and have a stack of oil-stained slacks to prove it. Don’t get me wrong – our industry also has a number of impressively organized – and clean – facilities around the country – private and public agency alike. And done right, all are capable of producing long-lasting, quality traffic signs.
And viewed in today’s eyes, our traffic signs have roots in some pretty unsophisticated production equipment. Remember the “one-arm-bandit” squeegee tables and steel-rule dies for cutting Highway Gothic letters for street name signs? The industry has evolved, but we still look at computer-cut overlay film production with wide-modern eyes in the same way that cro-magnon man viewed fire, or the way Mr. Watson expressed surprise at hearing “Mr. Watson – come here – I want to see you” at the other end of Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone call on March 10, 1876. And all the while forgetting that the commercial graphics industry largely walked away from both forms of production in favor of wide-format digital printing years ago.
In fairness, reflectivity and durability demands of today’s traffic signs coupled with digital ink limitations have largely prevented production methods from evolving sooner. Only recently have advancements in ink and overlay films been achieved that make the production of specification compliant, and durable digitally printed traffic signs a reality. We’re here now, so welcome to the modern era of traffic sign production!
Digital printers, whether our own TrafficJet™ or other dedicated traffic sign printers, differ from common desktop inkjet printers in many respects. While “plug and play” is a hip and appealing phrase, it’s really out of place in the context of our industry. Call it aspirational, but don’t call it reality. Wide-format digital printers are more complex – far more moving parts with more complex ink and delivery systems, as well as substrate varieties, than your office desktop printer pulling from a stack of office supply copy paper.
Unfortunately, some shops getting into digital printing for the first time are often given an incorrect understanding of maintenance needs, hearing descriptions that some are “maintenance-free”. But as airplanes love to be airborne, printers are happiest when they are doing what they are designed to do, print. And the more the better. But downtime, and maintenance, are a reality for all printers. Each printer manufacturer provides instructions for daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance. And in many cases, daily maintenance – as short and simple as 10 minutes a day, is often the most critical to perform.
Many factors go into selecting the right printer for your operation. Remember to make a commitment to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. Maintenance procedures are not difficult to understand or follow, nor should they intimidate or prevent you from adopting this new technology. Simple, but proper, maintenance will keep your printer at its best, and leave you smiling, knowing you’ve made the right investment in technology.
To learn more about Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions, visit us at: reflectives.averydennison.com.
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Want more information on the MUTOH TrsafficJet? Just ask:
[ninja_form id=1]3 Reasons You Should Think About Printer Maintenance
by Mike Springan, Product Manager/Techincal Trainer, MUTOH AMERICA
Why Talk About Printer Maintenance?
The idea of maintaining any product or piece of equipment you purchase to keep it working at its best is not a new concept. There are many articles and blogs dedicated to the best practices to maintain your wide format printer, easily found by simply googling “printer
maintenance”. Most of these articles will compare your printer maintenance to maintenance you regularly perform on your car, and rightfully so. Both are significant purchases that you want to keep working at their best and, probably more important, at their most reliable state. Let’s face facts here, there is not much difference in getting in your car in the morning only to find the battery is dead and the car won’t start and arriving at your shop to find you print head is clogged and the printer won’t print.
Here are a few ideas that you can easily implement into your maintenance routine to help keep your printer in tip-top shape and the profits flowing!
1. A Clean Printer Is a Happy Printer
It is very easy to compare the most basic maintenance routines of your printer to that of your car or truck. Most people will wash their cars from time to time, change the oil and filter, wash windows, vacuum the interior, etc. etc. Your printer will operate at its best and most reliable state when you spend just a minimal amount of time cleaning it. It’s always best to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions for proper cleaning procedures.
Do a Nozzle Check Daily
The best way to make sure that when you arrive at your shop in the morning and print your first nozzle check with all nozzles firing 100 percent is to keep your capping station and print head clean and free of drying ink and debris. I call this daily maintenance. Some manufacturers will specify daily, weekly, monthly, etc. This maintenance routine should be done daily. It takes about 2 minutes at the end of a hard day of printing and will save you a lot of money and downtime in the future. You can never clean too much!
Wipe Down the Printer
Make sure you keep your print bed and platen area clean. Ink and ink overspray gets everywhere and there is really no way of preventing it. All you can do is clean up any ink spills immediately and give the whole printer a good wipe down on a weekly basis.
Run the Printer Cleaning Cycle
Some printers have built-in automatic cleaning cycles to prevent nozzles from clogging and to keep all nozzles primed and ready to go. These cleanings are there to help maintain the reliability of the printer when you are not there. Make sure you set your timers appropriately for the ink type you are using.
2. Environmental (Non)-Disaster
The working space and environment the printer is in is just as important as keeping the printer clean.
What Is Your Room Like?
Most manufacturers will recommend a temperature and humidity range optimal for your printer. For the most part, this boils down to approx. 75˚F and 50% humidity. Keeping your printer in a space that can maintain these optimal ranges will not only ensure the printer functions properly but will also help in making sure your medias are not too saturated (too much humidity) which can cause cockling and head strikes, or too dry (too low humidity) which can cause static that affects accurate dot placement or possible damage to electronic components.
What Other Equipment is Near Your Printer?
One thing that is often overlooked is what other equipment is around your printer. Do you do a lot of woodwork or metal work in the same room or space as your printer? The dust, dirt, and debris created from these other pieces of equipment will easily be attracted to fans, vents, or filters on your printer. It won’t be long before your printer is filthy and may be damaged. (See “A Clean Printer Is a Happy Printer”)
3. Prevent, Prevent, Prevent!!
Once more, this compares directly with maintaining your vehicle.
Plan to Replace
Like a car, printers are mechanical devices with many moving parts that wear out over time. Changing parts on a preventative basis means extended reliability i.e. change your oil, tires, battery etc.
Manufactures will have a list of periodical replacement parts. The idea here is to replace parts before they fail. A printer manufacturer will have guidelines on what parts may need to be greased or lubricated on a periodic basis or replaced after so many hours of operation.
If you follow these three tips you are sure to keep your printer operating consistently day in and day out.
Just like taking care of your car, proper upkeep can prevent a host of problems in the future.
Let the Pros Help
Just remember to save the larger problems and repairs for your friendly neighborhood, certified service technicians. You won’t want to make things worse.
Key Takeaway
- Perform a daily nozzle check.
- Wipe down and clean the printer.
- Periodically run a cleaning cycle.
- Keep your environment stable.
- Plan to replace key components on your printer.
The MUTOH Advantage
Why not take advantage of the features of MUTOH printers? They are loaded with easy to use maintenance options as well as options to keep going even when issues do come up. MUTOH has the best reputation in service, repair, and training with experts on staff with years of industry experience. Visit our website to see all the advantages of a MUTOH. www.mutoh.com
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