Detecting Products; Conveyor Speed; Ink Blockage Prevention; Blockages - EC-PACK EC-JET 1000Pro Manual

readable characters) are created by the printer simply not printing a raster as the product continues to
move past the printhead.

Detecting Products

2.2.6
A photocell or product detecting sensor is used to inform the printer when the product has been detected.
After a predefined delay, the first raster of the pattern will be printed, followed by the remaining rasters of
the pattern, as described above.

Conveyor Speed

2.2.7
For production setups using a conveyor, variation in conveyor speed can produce variation in the
appearance of the printed message. If the product is moving very slowly, the rasters could be printed
too close together and the characters formed would be too thin. Conversely, if the product is moving
very fast, the rasters could be printed too far apart, resulting in unprinted gaps between the rasters.
This problem is overcome by either varying the print width (through a user menu option) to match the
production of rasters with the conveyor speed, or by using a shaft encoder to control the rate at which
each raster is printed in relation to the conveyor movement.

Ink Blockage Prevention

2.2.8
It is essential to use the correct solvent for the ink being used, i.e. the solvent used in the ink
base: MEK solvent for MEK based ink, ETHANOL solvent for ETHANOL based ink, etc.
The principle of continuous ink jet printing has proved to be the most effective means
of printing with an ink which is required to dry instantly, within a second, on almost any
surface.

Blockages

2.2.9
If ink is required to dry on the product it will also have a tendency to dry in the printer, with a possibility of
causing a blockage.
The continuous ink jet printer overcomes this problem by continuously producing the print drops in
operation. Although the ink is evaporating quickly during this process, it does not cause a nozzle
blockage, as there is a constant replacement of ink in the nozzle.

Automatic Cleaning at Shutdown

2.2.10
A potential problem arises on shutdown when ink is left in the nozzle; as it is fast drying it will soon dry
and clog up the nozzle. To overcome this, special procedures to clear the nozzle are necessary.
With EC-JET printers the clean-up procedures at shutdown are achieved by an automatic flushing
system.On shutdown, the ink is removed from the ink nozzle assembly by suction through a purge line.
Just prior to shutdown, a solvent flush system introduces solvent into the printhead, and runs solvent
through the nozzle and gutter, thus clearing ink from these vital components. This automatic procedure
makes it unnecessary to clean the printhead for shutdown.
Guangzhou EC-PACK Packaging Equipment Co., Ltd.
EC-JET 1000Pro Continuous Inkjet Printer
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