Encoders - Markem Imaje SmartDate X40 Instruction Booklet

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Encoders

For continuous printers, an encoder is required to monitor the speed of the substrate.
It is essential that the encoder measures the speed of the substrate at the point of
printing.
The encoder should be mounted so that the wheel of the encoder is running against the
print roller.
Markem.Imaje recommend that a Quadrature encoder is used.
This measures the substrate movement in both directions (forwards and backwards) en-
suring that any backward drift when the packaging machine is stopped is accounted for.
The Encoder setup can be configured from the Engineering Mode Settings menu
screen.
SmartDate X40 requires the encoder to provide:
– Between 2.8 - 150 pulses per mm of substrate travel.
– The output connects to an NPN open collector output, operating at 24 V DC.
– The standard SmartDate X40 encoder is 500 pulses per rev. with a 52.5 mm tracking
wheel, giving a resolution of 3.05 pulses/min. (The printer default setting)
A high resolution encoder (5000 pulses/rev) should be used where print speeds lower
than 70mm/s are experienced during the print cycle. This is also the case if the packag-
ing machine exhibits high acceleration from low speeds.
With images that are longer than 50mm the encoder must be re-calibrated.
220 10055363-AB