1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. KGK Manuals
  4. Printer
  5. JET R384
  6. Instruction manual

KGK JET R384 Instruction Manual

Industrial on-demand inkjet printer
Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
Industrial On-Demand Inkjet Printer
Instruction Manual
Printhead Reservoir
Thank you for your purchase of our product.
Please read this instruction manual carefully so that you can use this equipment correctly.
Be sure to keep this instruction manual at hand, and consult it if you have any questions or
run into a problem during use.

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the JET R384 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for KGK JET R384

Summary of Contents for KGK JET R384

  • Page 1 Industrial On-Demand Inkjet Printer Instruction Manual Printhead Reservoir Thank you for your purchase of our product. Please read this instruction manual carefully so that you can use this equipment correctly. Be sure to keep this instruction manual at hand, and consult it if you have any questions or run into a problem during use.

  • Page 3: Introduction

    Introduction About this instruction manual ◼ This instruction manual is intended only for KGKJET R384 printhead reservoir unit. No part of this manual may be reproduced without our prior permission. Every effort has been made to prepare this manual. However, if you have any questions or find any errors, please contact us. This manual is subject to change for improvements or other reasons without prior notice.

  • Page 4: Safety Precautions

    Safety Precautions Before you start using the equipment, read the [Safety Precautions] carefully and handle the equipment correctly so that the equipment can fully deliver its performance. This manual also contains safety precautions as shown below in order to prevent harm to people and damage to property.
  • Page 5 About the Power Supply Danger Handle the power cable with care. Do not scratch, modify, or heat the power cable. Do not put any heavy objects on the power cable. Failure to observe this may damage the power cable, thus leading to fire or electric shock.
  • Page 6 About the Printhead Warning Handle the nozzle face with care. The nozzle face (ink ejection face) is a delicate component. Pay special attention not to allow hands, objects, or target objects to come into contact with the nozzle face. Be aware that the printhead becomes very hot. The area around the printhead becomes hot when the power is on.
  • Page 7 About the Installation Place Do not install this product at the following places, since this product is a precision device. Danger Do not install the equipment at a hot or humid place. Do not use this equipment at a place where the temperature is high (for example, due to direct exposure to sunlight) or at a place where the humidity is high.
  • Page 8 Caution Do not install the equipment at a place where there is not enough clearance around the equipment. Secure enough space around the equipment for maintenance work. Secure enough clearance in front of the printhead so that you can wipe the printhead ⚫...

  • Page 9: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Introduction ................3 Safety Precautions ..............4 About This Equipment ........... 11 Main Features ..................11 Name of Each Part ................... 12 Overall Structure..................12 Printhead Reservoir (Reservoir Portion) ........... 13 Printhead Reservoir (Head Portion) ............14 Standard Accessories ................
  • Page 10 About Draining ..................35 Procedure for Draining................35 Other Precautions..................39 Test Printing ..............40 About Maintenance ............41 Regular Maintenance ................41 Refilling the Ink ..................41 Maintenance of the Nozzle Face (Purging) ..........41 When Not in Use for a Short Period ............41 When Not in Use for a Long Period ............

  • Page 11: About This Equipment

    About This Equipment Main Features KGKJET R384 (hereinafter referred to as “R384”) is a high-performance inkjet printer for industrial use, which enables the printing of high-quality characters (384 dots and 300 dpi) closer to letterpress printing in various manufacturing lines. We have reviewed the basic design in all aspects ranging from the printhead, ink, hardware, software, to the system, and have realized the print quality, printing performance, operating efficiency, reliability, and maintenance friendliness that were unimaginable in conventional industrial inkjet printers.

  • Page 12: Name Of Each Part

    Name of Each Part Overall Structure Printhead reservoir Printhead cable AC adapter (24 V) Item Function Consists of the reservoir portion—which controls ink and the printhead, and Printhead reservoir the head portion—which prints characters on the printing target objects. Printhead cable Connects the controller and printhead reservoir.

  • Page 13: Printhead Reservoir (Reservoir Portion)

    Printhead Reservoir (Reservoir Portion) “Heating up” LED “Refill ink” LED “Ready” LED “In maintenance mode” Ink level indicator Ink refilling port Valve for transportation Print sensor Power supply connector connector Printhead cable connector Reservoir earth Item / Indicator Function Ink refilling port You can refill ink by inserting the ink bottle to this port.

  • Page 14: Printhead Reservoir (Head Portion)

    Printhead Reservoir (Head Portion) Drain cover Printhead cover Print sensor Printhead (Nozzle) Purge switch Maintenance switch Item / Indicator Function Printhead 384 ink ejection ports (nozzle) are arranged at this printhead. This sensor detects a target object to trigger printing. External print sensor Print sensor models are not fitted with this sensor and the sensor hole is plugged instead.

  • Page 15: Standard Accessories

    Standard Accessories This product comes standard with the following components and parts: Item Printhead reservoir AC adapter Appearance Quantity Item Printhead cable Drainage bag bracket Appearance Quantity Instruction Item Ink bottle Dedicated tools AP wiper manual Quantity 1 bottle 1 set 1 bag 1 set TEC3022G...

  • Page 16: About Installation

    About Installation Installation Procedure Steps Refer to: Checking the Installation Page 17 [Checking the Environment Installation Environment] Page 18 [Mounting on a Mounting on a Stand Stand] Page 20 “Installing the Installing the Reservoir Reservoir” Page 22 [Installing the Installing the Printhead Printhead] Page 26 [Connecting to Connecting to the Controller...

  • Page 17: Checking The Installation Environment

    Checking the Installation Environment Warning Since the printhead reservoir is a precision device, avoid installing the equipment at the following places. Place where the ambient temperature is outside the range of 5°C to 35°C (normal ⚫ use). Place exposed to frequent vibration / place where inclination is steep. ⚫...

  • Page 18: Mounting On A Stand

    Mounting on a Stand Mount the printhead reservoir on a stand. (Although the following figure shows a stand of table mounting type, the mounting procedure is the same for other types of stands such as a self-supporting stand.) Setscrews Setscrews Tighten the setscrews at the head portion and reservoir portion using the L-shaped wrench.

  • Page 19: Adjusting The Height Of The Reservoir Portion

    Adjusting the Height of the Reservoir Portion Adjusting the level difference between the head portion and the reservoir portion is important because ink is supplied to the printhead through the balance of the atmospheric pressure and the capillary suction force. As shown in the following figure, adjust the level difference—between the setting level line of the reservoir portion and the center of the printhead mounting shaft—within ±10 mm.

  • Page 20: Installing The Reservoir

    Installing the Reservoir Opening the Valve for Transportation To prevent ink leakage during transportation, you need to close the valve for transportation on the reservoir to shut off the ink flow passage and air flow passage. When installing the reservoir, you need to open the valve for transportation.

  • Page 21: Attaching The Cap For Installation

    Attaching the Cap for Installation Step 1: Remove the cap for transport. For transport Caution You need to use the removed cap for transport again when you transport the equipment next time. Put the cap in a bag to protect against dust or other foreign matter; and keep it carefully. Step 2: Attach the cap for installation.

  • Page 22: Installing The Printhead

    Installing the Printhead Directions in Which the Printhead Can Be Installed There are only two directions in which the printhead can be installed: downward and sideways. You can install it You cannot install it You can install it with its nozzle with its nozzle facing with its nozzle facing downward.

  • Page 23: Installing The Nozzle Guard

    Installing the Nozzle Guard Change the orientation of the nozzle guard depending on the flow direction of the target objects. If the target objects flow in the opposite direction, rotate the nozzle guard 180 degrees and install it again. Rotate 180 degrees and Flow direction of install...
  • Page 24 Loosen the three screws located on the side of the printhead. Loosen the three screws located on the side of the printhead. Loosen 3 screws Adjust the angle Turn the angle adjustment screw to make fine adjustments so that the nozzle face and the target object surface (printing surface) become parallel to each other.

  • Page 25: Adjusting The Printing Distance

    Reassemble to restore the original state Tighten and fix the three loosened screws on the side. Then, re-mount the detached drain cover and fix it with the knurled screw. Close the drain cover Tighten 3 screws Adjusting the Printing Distance Adjust the clearance between the nozzle face (guard face) and the target object to 1–5 mm.

  • Page 26: Connecting To The Controller

    Connecting to the Controller (1) Connect the controller and reservoir with the printhead cable. (2) Connect the AC adapter to the reservoir. Printhead cable AC adapter (3) Turn ON the power of the controller. Caution Ensure that the cable is free of any stress when you install the AC adapter. TEC3022G...

  • Page 27: Refilling The Ink

    Refilling the Ink Refill the ink. Refer to [Refilling the Ink] on page 28 for details. Purging Perform purging. Refer to [Purging] on page 29 for details. Test Printing Print the test pattern. Refer to [Test Printing] on page 40 for details. TEC3022G...

  • Page 28: Refilling The Ink

    Refilling the Ink You need to refill ink when the ink level is low. When the ink runs low, the “Refill ink” LED comes on. If you continue to use the equipment without refilling, the “Ink OUT” alarm goes off and the printer stops running. Refill ink before the “Ink OUT” alarm is issued.

  • Page 29: Purging

    Purging Ink is supplied from the reservoir to R384’s printhead nozzle through the ink tube, without using any mechanical devices (pump or the like). However, because normal ejection of ink may be compromised in the following cases, you need to conduct purging (i.e. discharging ink from the nozzle portion) to restore the original high-quality printing performance of R384 printhead.

  • Page 30: About Pressure Purging

    About Pressure Purging Pressure purging refers to a method of blowing pressurized air into the ink tank using the air pump built in the reservoir to discharge any ink together with dust and air bubbles from the nozzle as well as to clean dirt off the nozzle plate face.
  • Page 31 (4) Flip the purge switch up (ON) and hold it for 2 to 5 seconds to force ink out of the nozzle. At that time, if air bubbles are mixed in the ink or if ink is not ejected uniformly among the channels, turn ON the purge switch again to discharge ink.
  • Page 32 (6) Perform printing on a test piece (a piece of cardboard, dummy target object, etc.), and check the print quality. While moving the test piece (cardboard or the like) sideways in front of the printhead, flip the maintenance switch down to print the test pattern. At that time, pay attention not to allow the cardboard to come into contact with the nozzle face.

  • Page 33: About Tilt Purging

    About Tilt Purging If pressure purging does not eliminate missing dots, you may be able to get better results by purging with the printhead tilted. Procedure for Tilt Purging (1) Tilt the printhead 90 degrees and put the AP wiper under the nozzle to prevent the dripping of ink.
  • Page 34 (4) Tilt the printhead 90 degrees in the opposite direction and perform purging in the same way. (5) Return the printhead to the original position and take Steps (3) to (8) of [Procedure for Pressure Purging] on page 30. TEC3022G...

  • Page 35: Draining

    Draining About Draining If large amounts of air, exceeding the level that can be restored by pressure purging, are trapped into the ink flow passage for reasons such as vibration or printhead replacement, you may be able to remove air through the work called draining. Procedure for Draining (1) Mount the nozzle cap onto the nozzle cover.
  • Page 36 Pierce the claw of the drainage bag bracket into the bag, and hang the bag. (4) Take out the drain tube, and hook the drainage bag bracket onto the tube clip. * If the print quality is poor only on either the ODD side or EVEN side, select the tube of the poor print quality side.
  • Page 37 (7) When you can no longer see air bubbles and you wish to finish draining, quickly attach the cap to the tube and tighten it while allowing a small amount of ink to flow out so that no air will remain in the tube.
  • Page 38 (10) Mount the drain cover and remove the nozzle cap. Put the AP wiper under the cap to prevent the dripping of any ink which may have accumulated inside the cap. (11) Referring to the procedure for pressure purging, perform pressure purging until an appropriate print quality has been achieved.

  • Page 39: Other Precautions

    Other Precautions Caution Refer to the safety data sheet (SDS) for how to handle the ink. ⚫ If the positional relationship between the reservoir tank and printhead is not proper, ⚫ purging may not improve the printing condition. Adjust the height difference—between the setting level line of the reservoir and the center of the printhead mounting shaft—within ±10 mm (refer to [Adjusting the Height of the Reservoir Portion] on page 19 for details).

  • Page 40: Test Printing

    Test Printing Conduct test printing through the following steps: (1) Press the maintenance switch on the printhead. Maintenance switch (2) Put a test piece (copy paper, a piece of cardboard, etc.) on the conveyor, and move the conveyor at a speed of 16 m/min (default). When the test piece moves across the front of the nozzle, flip the purge switch down (to TEST PRINT side).

  • Page 41: About Maintenance

    About Maintenance Regular Maintenance You need to conduct the following two types of maintenance work during normal use. No other special work is required. Refilling the Ink You need to refill ink when the ink level is low. When the ink runs low, the “Refill ink” LED comes on. If you continue to use the equipment without refilling, the “Ink OUT”...

  • Page 42: When Not In Use For A Long Period

    When Not in Use for a Long Period If you do not use the equipment for at least one week, we recommend attaching the nozzle cap onto the printhead to prevent the drying of ink, the adhesion of dust, the influence of moistures, and other undesirable factors.
  • Page 43 (3) Press icon. (4) Press the maintenance switch on the printhead to turn ON the maintenance mode. Then, flip the purge switch up (ON) to discharge ink. Keep the purge switch ON until ink stops flowing out. Maintenance switch Purge switch (5) When ink is completely discharged, press icon to exit.

  • Page 44: About Relocation And Transportation

    About Relocation and Transportation Referring to [About Installation] on page 16 to reverse the steps, put the equipment back to its initial state. Then relocate or transport the equipment. (1) Mount the nozzle cap Lock the cap by pressing the four claws as far as they will go.
  • Page 45 Step 2: Mount the cap for transport. For transport Firmly fit the protrusion of the packing into this groove. (3) Close the valve Caution Ensure to restore the equipment to its initial state through the above steps before relocation or transportation.

  • Page 46: About Consumables

    About Consumables List of Consumables and Service Parts When placing an order for consumables, let us know the model (shown below) and quantity. The expiration date changes depending on the operating conditions. Part Name Model Expiration date The expiration date is indicated on the KP1T Black 500 ml KPT1 Black-500 bottle.

  • Page 47: Replacing The Printhead Reservoir

    In that case, the printhead reservoir needs to be overhauled. You need to replace the printhead reservoir (or the nozzle unit) with a spare unit or with a substitute sent from KGK. Replacing the Printhead Reservoir...

  • Page 48: Replacing The Printhead Unit

    Replacing the Printhead Unit If nozzle trouble is clearly suspected; for example, if you damage the area around the nozzle, you can only replace the whole printhead unit. Because the printhead cannot be repaired in principle, you need to replace it with a new one. Caution This procedure involves somewhat complex work.
  • Page 49 (5) Disconnect the tube. Put the wiper under the parts because a small amount of ink will leak out. Turn the lock ring to disconnect the tube. (6) Unscrew the two fixing screws and remove the printhead. Unscrew these 2 screws. TEC3022G...
  • Page 50 (7) Install the new printhead. Fit the new printhead unit in the specified position, and tighten the two screws that were unscrewed when removing the old printhead. The printhead is positioned properly if the dowel fits in the hole properly. (8) Fix the drain tube, connect the tube, and connect the three connectors.

  • Page 51: Product Warranty

    KGK. However, this warranty does not cover the losses or damages of anything other than the scope of work performed by KGK even if the fault of R384 is valid for free repairs.

  • Page 52: In Case Of Trouble

    In Case of Trouble Q&A If this equipment does not work properly or if you have encountered any problems with the operation, please check the following before contacting us. Printed characters look Check for any specific dots that are not printed. ⚫...

  • Page 53: Examples Of Printing Defects And The Action

    Examples of Printing Defects and the Action Example of printing defects Possible cause and action Overlapped characters that are shifted Check whether the speed of the actual ◼ sideways are printed. target object matches the speed setting of the printing conditions. If not, change the speed setting of the ➢...

  • Page 54: Conveyor Speed Is Unknown

    Conveyor Speed is Unknown The moving speed of the target objects (conveyor speed) needs to be set accurately in the speed setting of the printing conditions (controller side). If the conveyor speed is unknown even to facility operators or if no speed measuring instruments such as a tachometer (revolution counter) are available, calculate the approximate conveyor speed using the following method, and enter the calculated value in the speed setting of the printing conditions.
  • Page 56 Kishu Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd. 466 Nunohiki Wakayama-city Wakayama, Japan 641-0015 http://www.kishugiken.co.jp (November 2023)

Table of Contents