3 ] Head/Carriage Unit - Brother MFC260C Service Manual

[ 3 ] Head/carriage unit

The head/carriage unit consists of a front end (ink-jet head) and a back end (buffer and air vent unit)
as shown below.
The front end consists of metal plates laminated together and etched to form ink flow channels.
Piezoelectric ceramic actuators generate the spray pressure. The response of individual front ends
to applied voltages and waveforms varies, however, because of the nature of piezoelectric materials,
fluctuation in manufacturing accuracy, and other factors. The front end therefore leaves the
production line with head property labels giving property data. The manufacturer writes this data to
the EEPROM on the main PCB incorporating this unit to insure consistent performance without
fluctuations.
Head driver
Filter
Piezo plate
Metal plates
Nozzle plate
3-11
Back end
(Buffer and
air vent unit)
Front end
(Ink-jet head)
(Head)
Confidential