Summary of Contents for Astro Machine AstroJet M1C
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AstroJet™ M1C HIGH SPEED COLOR LABEL AND TAG PRINTER OPERATOR MANUAL ASTRO MACHINE CORP. 630 Lively Blvd. Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 Phone: (847) 364-6363 Fax: (847) 364-9898 www.astromachine.com...
In addition, follow any specific occupational safety and health standards for your workplace or area. This manual is intended solely for the use and information of Astro Machine Corp., its designated agents, customers, and their employees. The information in this guide was obtained from several different sources that are deemed reliable by all industry standards.
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED SECTION 1 – Getting Acquainted Front View Top Cover – Provides access to the Print Engine. Front Cover – Provides access to the Ink Tanks and Service Station. Winder Interface Connection – Winder Interface Cable plugs in here. Service Port –...
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED Rear View ON/OFF LED Button – Use to turn power ON or OFF during idle time and maintenance. Print/Pause LED Button – Press to stop printing, press to restart printing. Press switch to continue printing. Cancel/Cut LED Button – Press this switch to cancel the job being printed. Also activates the cutter to cut labels or roll at the point desired.
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED Print Engine View Printhead Latch – When closed, connects Ink Revolver Couplings with Printhead Cartridge. When opened, retracts Ink Couplings from Printhead Cartridge and provides access to Printhead Cartridge for cleaning and replacement. WARNING! Never attempt to open Printhead Latch manually, severe damage will result.
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED Ink Tank View Cutting Blade Assembly – Cuts the media after each piece or at the end of a job. Ink Tank Latches – Hold Ink Tanks in place. Ink Tank Dock – Holds the 5 Ink Tanks. (Ink Tanks shown installed). Ink Waste Tray –...
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED UW-1C Unwinder/Roll Feeder (Optional) Speed Control – Turn clockwise to speed up, counterclockwise to slow down. AUTO/Manual Mode Switch – Use to set Unwinder in Automatic or Manual Mode. Fuse – Unwinder fuse is located here. Hub Assembly –...
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED RW-1C Winder (Optional) Speed Control – Turn clockwise to speed up, counterclockwise to slow down. ON/OFF Switch – Use to turn Winder power ON or OFF. Fuse – Winder fuse is located here. Hub Assembly/Guide – Fits 3" cores. Spindle Lock/Guide –...
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED Control Panel Button/LED Indicators: 3 Control Panel buttons with LED indicators. POWER (ON/OFF) – Turns Printer power ON and OFF. Turns off power for cleaning and maintenance. PRINT/PAUSE (PAUSE JOB/RESUME) – Temporarily stops Feed or Resumes Printing. ...
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SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED LED Sequence Printer Status Recommended Control Panel Options ⃝ - Inactive Busy Signal: Maintenance Wait for process ⃝ - Inactive running to finish. Job loading ⃝ - Inactive Wait for process to ⃝ - Power Down finish.
SECTION 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED Printer Default Printing Modes Printer has three default Printing Modes “Roll-to-Roll”, “Roll-to-Cut”, and “Fanfold”. What is connected or disconnected from the Printer determines what mode the Printer will operate in and disables or enables the automatic function of the Cutter. NOTE: These defaults will override any presets built into the job being run.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Remove Service Station Transport Tab 1. Open Top Cover. 2. Release two latches (one on either side of Print Engine). Open top half of Clamshell by lifting both levers at the same time. CAUTION HOLD ONTO BOTH LATCHES WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING PRINT ENGINE CLAMSHELL COVER TO PREVENT DAMAGE.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Install Printer/Winder Spacer Plate (Optional Winder): 1. Remove all four Printer feet. NOTE: To prevent ink from spilling or leaking, lift Printer only as high as needed to remove/replace feet. Move Printer to edge of bench or table to remove feet.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Install Printer Driver For Printer software to operate properly check that computer system meets these minimum requirements: Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1. Supports 32 and 64 bit systems. (You must have administrative privileges on the system.) NOTE: Windows 8 and 8.1 will only work in desktop mode.
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER 3. Printer Connections. Click “Configure to print using USB”. Click “Next>”. 4. Installing Printer Software. 5. Connect Device Now. Switch Printer ON and connect USB Don’t click on either button. cable. Software will then finish installing. 6.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Install Ink Tanks Printer uses one Printhead Cartridge and five Ink Tanks (two Black, one Cyan, one Magenta, and one Yellow). Install Ink Tanks as follows: 1. Open Printer Toolbox. Go to Start Menu and open the “Toolbox”. System Status information appears in upper left corner of User Interface window.
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER 5. Insert new Ink Tanks (labels up) into appropriate color slots [B]. Close the three Latches. INSTALLATION TIP: Make sure Ink Tanks seat properly. Insert Ink Tank into appropriate Ink Station, then pull Ink Tank back about an inch and push forward firmly to insure that Ink Nozzles penetrate seals on Ink Tanks.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Install Printhead Cartridge Printhead Cartridge is a delicate precision device. Handle with extreme care to avoid damage and issues that could degrade print quality. CAUTION Use electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection when handling. Hold Printhead Cartridge by handles ONLY. ...
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER 2. [A] Carefully remove the Printhead Cartridge from the foil packaging. Tear at notch or cut end with scissors. [B] Remove the protective plastic cover. Hold the Printhead by the handle and unclip the cover from the Printhead. [C] Remove protective strip from the Printhead Electrical Contacts.
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER 4. Wet Printhead Surface. (Ensures that Printhead will prime correctly.) Open Top Cover. Release and lift two latches at the same time to raise Print Engine Clamshell. Moisten Printhead nozzles using distilled water and a damp, lint-free cloth, wiping end to end.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Removing Media Guide Plastic Media Guide helps prevent smearing by holding down media such as roll-fed, die-cut, matrix- removed and perforated label stock. If necessary, it is easily removable by hand. 1. Open Top Cover 2. Open Print Engine Clamshell. CAUTION HOLD ONTO BOTH LATCHES WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING PRINT ENGINE CLAMSHELL TO PREVENT DAMAGE.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Aligning Printer with UW-1C Unwinder and RW-1C Winder Roll-to-Roll Label Printing Make sure Unwinder and Winder are properly connected to Printer and turned ON, this will disable automatic function of Cutter. (Cutter can still be operated manually by pressing CANCEL button). Proper alignment of Unwinder, Printer and Winder is critical to operation of the Label Printer.
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Position Winder: 1. Align notch on Printer Spacer Plate with corresponding notch on Winder Base (as shown). When aligned, attach Spacer Plate to Winder Base with two screws (included). 2. Test Alignment. Run a job. If extreme web drifting is observed or web runs to one side, readjust Winder alignment.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Roll-to-Cut Label Printing Make sure Unwinder is properly connected to Printer and turned ON. Winder should be turned OFF or disconnected to enable automatic operation of Cutter. Proper alignment of Unwinder and Printer is critical to operation of Label Printer. Position Printer on a sturdy, stable level work surface with enough room to place Unwinder at feed end of Printer.
SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Loading Labels Roll-to-Roll Printing IMPORTANT! Make sure Unwinder and Winder are connected to Printer. This will ensure that the automatic cut function of the Cutter is disabled. (Cutter can still be engaged manually by pressing the Cancel button).
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER [D] Align the side edge of the roll with the two alignment pins on the Printer and feed the roll end into the Print Engine. [E] Slide the Adjustable Side Guide until it just touches the labels. Tighten the locking knob on the Adjustable Side Guide.
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Adjusting Speed on UW-1C Unwinder and RW-1C Winder For proper media feeding and printing, adjust the speed on the Unwinder and Winder depending on the type of media and job you are running. To speed up the Unwinder and Winder, turn the Speed Controls clockwise.
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SECTION 2 INSTALLING PRINTER Roll-to-Cut Labels IMPORTANT! Winder must be turned OFF or disconnected from the Printer and moved out of the way. This ensures that the automatic cut function is enabled. Load the Label Roll on the Unwinder and Printer using Steps 1-2 in “Roll-to-Roll Printing” above. Then press the Print button momentarily so the Printer will align and pull in the labels.
SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER SECTION 3 – Operating Printer Once Printer Driver is installed and Printhead is primed, you are ready to start printing. Set up your job and send it to Printer. Printer will start up and print. Printer Driver installed in Section 2 should be set as the default driver.
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Create and save a Custom Size to suit your needs. Color Selection – Set Printing for Color, Composite Black (uses all colors to print Black), or Black Only (uses only Black ink). Print Speed –...
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Using Layout Tab Printing Adjustments Image Position – Left Adjustment moves the image area away (-3mm left to +200mm right) from the left edge of the media. Top Adjustment moves the image up or down (-5mm up to +200mm down) from the top left corner of the media used.
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Import/Export Tab Import/Export is used to preserve any custom Media Sizes, Watermarks and/or Print Settings you may have developed and saved for various jobs when you update the Printer firmware. Export – Send custom settings to a holding file before downloading new firmware.
SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Using Printer Toolbox Once Printer Driver is installed you can access the Printer Toolbox. Toolbox lets you check printer status, monitor ink usage, perform diagnostic checks, print reports and run maintenance tasks on Printer from your computer. To open Toolbox: Open Start Menu, then click on Toolbox.
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER MAINTENANCE buttons: Circulate Ink – Purges air from the lines and primes the system after replacing the Ink Tanks or Printhead Cartridge. Quick Clean Printhead – Circulates ink, wipes and cleans the Printhead Cartridge. Normal Clean Printhead – Runs cleaning and wiping routine twice for better flushing and cleaning. Full Clean Printhead –...
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Mid Job Servicing – Sets the frequency of automatic maintenance cycles run during a job after a set amount of media is run. Settings are: Default (14m), Level 4 (100m), Level 3 (250m), Level 2 (375m), ...
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER [D] Display Language – Selects the language the EWS (Toolbox) will display. Click “Submit” after selecting language. [E] Firmware Download – Get the latest version of firmware for your Printer. NOTE: This is an alternative method for downloading the firmware.
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Diagnostics From this screen you can see the current status of your Printer. You can also: Print Sample Page – Prints type and color bands to check print quality. Print Configuration Page – Displays current Printer configuration including Firmware Version, Network Connection, Printer Serial Number and more.
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SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Network Configuration Permits you to view, enter or change settings to connect the Printer to your network. Network Connection Set Up: 1. Printer is still connected to the computer via USB cable. To connect the Printer to a network, open the Toolbox. On the User Interface page, click “Network Config.”...
SECTION 3 OPERATING THE PRINTER Service Menu For authorized personnel only. Provides access to more advanced Printer control and maintenance menus. Updating Firmware Get the latest version of firmware for your Printer. NOTE: Use this procedure to update the firmware AFTER you have updated the Printer Driver.
SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE SECTION 4 - Maintenance This section covers how to care for the Ink Tanks, Printhead Cartridge, and Service Station, how to clear paper jams and replace the Sheet Separators. Replacing Ink Tanks Replace Ink Tanks when ink runs out. 1.
SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 6. Click “Continue” on Confirm screen, then “Refresh Ink Levels” on the User Interface screen. Ink colors fill in as Ink Tanks are installed. If ink colors do not fill in after a few seconds, click “Replace Ink Tanks”...
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 2. Open Front Cover, release Ink Tank Latch(es) [A] required and remove Ink Tank(s) [B] with levels that did not refresh. 3. Clean Ink Level Prism [A] and QA Chip contacts [B] with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. NOTE: You can dampen the cloth with distilled water to wipe the Prism, but DO NOT get the QA Chip contacts wet.
SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE Cleaning/Replacing Printhead Cartridge Cleaning Printhead is cleaned automatically each time Printer is turned on or when “Quick Clean Printheads” routine is performed. (Found under Service Tab, “Clean Printheads” button in Printer Driver or Toolbox.) “Normal Clean Printhead” and “Full Clean Printhed” can be used to more thoroughly clean or clear Printhead.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE Replacing Printhead Cartridge 1. Open Printer Toolbox. System Status information is in upper left corner of User Interface screen. 2. Open Top Cover. Open Printhead Latch [1] using Printhead Release button in Printer Toolbox. Printer pumps any ink in the system back into the Ink Tanks.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 4. [A] Carefully remove Printhead Cartridge from foil packaging. Tear at notch or cut end with scissors. [B] Remove protective plastic cover. Hold the Printhead by the handle and unclip the cover from the Printhead. [C] Remove protective strip from Printhead electrical contacts.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 6. Wet Printhead Surface. (Ensures that Printhead will prime correctly.) Open Top Cover. Release and lift the two latches at the same time to raise the Print Engine Clamshell. Moisten Printhead nozzles using distilled water and a damp, lint-free cloth, wiping end to end.
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Printhead may be returned for replacement. Returns for these conditions can be made: Up to 12 months after the shipping date from Astro Machine Corp. and Printhead's “Total pages printed” = 40,000 or fewer pages (at 15% page coverage), whichever comes first.
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5. Reseal Printhead and Cover in a plastic bag (reuse and reseal original packaging if possible). 6. Place Printhead, Printhead Page Count printout and Ink Channels printout in a shipping box. Remember to include your company name, contact information and return address as well. 7. Return to your Astro Machine distributor.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE Replacing Service Station Service Station is designed provide a long service life. However, should it need to be cleaned, repaired or replaced, follow these steps. Service Station is located above Ink Tank Station. 1. Open Front Cover (hinged at bottom). Open Top Cover.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 3. Slide Service Station out of Service Station Dock. NOTE: DO NOT pull Station all the way out until you disconnect the Ribbon Cable. USEFUL TIP: Place an absorbent towel under the Service Station before you remove it to catch any drips or leaks.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 6. Slide Latch open on Service Station Circuit Board. 7. [1] Plug Ribbon Connector (blue side up) into space under the Latch. [2] Close Latch. 8. [1] Slide Service Station into Service Station Dock until it touches the bar. Align with tracks along sides and Guide on Service Station dock floor.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 9. GENTLY push Service Station while turning the large Gear on right side of Print Engine clockwise. Gear should engage gear on Service Station Roller and pull it in. Once the Service Station starts moving, stop turning the gear. 10.
SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE Replacing Ink Waste Tray Ink Waste Tray soaks up any excess ink that may drip from the Print Engine during operation. After a period of time it may become saturated and need replacement. 1. Open Ink Tank Door. 2.
SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE Cleaning WARNING! THE PRINTER IS A PRECISION MACHINE. CLEAN REGULARLY TO INSURE MANY YEARS OF SERVICE. BEFORE PERFORMING ANY MAINTENANCE, DISCONNECT THE MACHINE FROM ITS POWER SOURCE! DO NOT REMOVE SIDE COVERS! HIGH VOLTAGES PRESENT. Clean Printer regularly to remove accumulated paper dust and ink. Depending on types of media that are run, paper dust may accumulate inside Printer and on Transport.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE [A] Grit Rollers: Clean as needed by moistening a small hard-bristled brush or toothbrush with distilled water. DO NOT use anything other than distilled water to clean Rollers. [B] Media Sensors: Paper lint and dust may build up on the Media Sensors.
SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE Shipping or Transporting M1C Printer If you have to ship or transport Printer for any reason, unit will have to be prepared. Once Printer is prepared, carefully package Printer, Printhead Cartridge, Service Station and Ink Tanks in original packaging.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE Remove Service Station 1. Open Ink Tank Cover (hinged at bottom). Open Top Cover. Release two latches and open Print Engine Clamshell. Service Station will not fully eject with Clamshell closed. 2. Open Printer Toolbox. Click “Eject Service Station”. Once Printer pushes Service Station out, turn Printer OFF.
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SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE 3. Slide Service Station out of Service Station port. NOTE: DO NOT pull Service Station all the way out until you disconnect the Ribbon Cable. USEFUL TIP: Place an absorbent towel under the Service Station before you remove it to catch any drips or leaks.
SECTION 5 TROUBLESHOOTING SECTION 5 – Troubleshooting Guide Troubleshooting Guides are provided to assist you in solving any problems that might occur with the M1C Label Printer. We have tried to make them as complete as possible. The best advice we can offer is to make sure that the system is set up properly, plugged in, and that it has an adequate supply of ink before attempting to troubleshoot any problem.
SECTION 5 TROUBLESHOOTING Printer CONDITION PROBLEM SOLUTION Ink Tank installed, no Ink Level Ink Tank contacts dirty, Remove Ink Tank(s). Clean indication in Toolbox preventing Printer/Ink Tank prism and QA Chip contacts, communication. see Maintenance, Cleaning Ink Tank Contacts. Extra lines; losing data Database problem.
UNWINDER/WINDER: 17" L x 9" W x 11" H (43 cm x 22 cm x 27 cm) PRINTER WEIGHT 70 lbs. (31.8 kg) All Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice Appendix B – Supplies and Optional Hardware Available from your Astro Machine Corp. Distributor: SUPPLIES Black Ink Tank 123-2412 Cyan Ink Tank...
APPENDICES Appendix C – Borderless Printing: Overspray vs. Oversize The MC-Series Print Driver (under Printing Preferences) offers two ways for printing to the edge of the media, sometimes called "borderless" or "full-bleed" printing. Each option adjusts the relationship between the target image, the selected media size and the actual media on which is it printed, but in different ways.
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APPENDICES Prerequisites for Overspray Since the scaling can distort the image, do not use Overspray for targets that have barcodes or text because this setting could render them unreadable. If the target image is a photograph or other graphical image, the scaling may not be noticeable or objectionable.
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APPENDICES Page Setup for Oversize When using the Oversize option, Resizing (located in the Layout Tab of the Driver) needs to be set to "Original Size". Page Setup for Oversize Option Impact of Using Oversize Selecting Oversize extends the Custom Sizes dimensions beyond that of the actual media being printed on. Since this size extension is equal in both X- and Y- axes, there is no distortion of the target image.
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APPENDICES ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TIPS Some additional considerations apply to both Overspray and Oversize in certain circumstances. Minimum Label Gap and Maximum Width For both Overspray and Oversize, additional consideration and testing are required when approaching the limitations for minimum label gap and maximum label width. ...
PRINTER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE General, periodic maintenance is needed to keep the Printer in good working order. Many tasks can be performed by operators with basic supplies, no special tools needed. Other tasks should only be performed by trained service personnel. NOTE: High volume usage may require more frequent maintenance. Maintenance Supplies &...
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