Maintenance; Thermal Head - Star Micronics FVP10 series Hardware Manual

Accumulation of paper dust and dirt may cause the printer to not print portions of characters.
To prevent such problems, perform periodic maintenance, such as removing paper dust from the paper transport section and removing
the blackened paper dust from the thermal head surface.
Note: Turn the printer's power switch off before performing maintenance.
Use the following as a guideline for when to periodically clean the printer.
Thermal paper: Every six months or 1,000,000 lines of printing
Label paper: Every month or 200,000 lines of printing
10-1. Thermal Head
To remove the blackened paper dust that has accumulated on the thermal head surface, wipe it clean with a cotton swab (or soft
cloth) dipped in alcohol (ethanol, methanol, or isopropyl).
The thermal head is located where it is hard to look at directly. Use the mirror sheet to clean the head.

Thermal head

1: The thermal head is easily damaged, so clean it with a soft cloth, taking care not to scratch it.
CAUTION
2: Do not clean the thermal head immediately after printing, when it is hot.
3: Be careful of static electricity while cleaning the thermal head. Static electricity can damage the
head.
4: When label paper is used, paste adheres to the head, platen, and paper guides. Wipe off the
paste. If you don't, paper transport problems and improper printing may occur. We recommend
that you wipe off the paste frequently, not just during periodic maintenance.
5: Turn the power on only after the alcohol has dried completely.

10. Maintenance

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Mirror sheet