PRINTER DESCRIPTION
6--16 27080 Issue 1 September 98
INK SYSTEM
General
CAUTION The Ink system must never be withdrawn from the
cabinet with the printer running.
The ink system supplies the printhead withink at the correctpressure
and viscosity. When the jet is stopped, the system also flushes out the
print head with make--up to provide a clean stop and, when the jet is
next switched on, a clean start.
The printer contains a reservoir of printing ink. As ink is used for
printing,itisreplacedbyfreshinkfromadisposablecartridge. Theink
hasasolventbasewhich(likeallsolvents)issubjecttoevaporation,and
this, in turn, affects ink viscosity. The electronic system, therefore,
checks the viscosity regularly and keeps it within carefully controlled
limits by adding make--up, supplied from a secondreservoir, whichis
also supplied by a disposable cartridge.
Ink Circuit
Theinkcircuitisshownschematicallyinthefollowingdiagram(seepg.
6--17).
Ink supply. The printing ink is held in a replaceable reservoir, on
which is mounted a manifold carrying a replaceable cartridge.
Make--up is also held in a reservoir (non--replaceable) and has a
disposable make--up cartridge mounted on it.
The ink cartridge is sealed onto the manifold except for two dip tubes
of different lengths extending down from the manifold into the
reservoir. As theinklevel falls below the end oftheshortertube, air is
allowed into the cartridge. Fresh ink is then able to drain through the
longer tube into the reservoir until the ink level rises above the end of
the shorter tube. The ink and make--up levels are monitored by level
sensors in each reservoir. Iftheink cartridge is notreplaced beforethe
inkfalls belowasecondlevel,theprinter switchesoff. However, if the
make--up reservoir is empty the machine can still be used, but the
start--stopperformance willbeimpaired. Ifmake--up is not replacedit
willcause theinkviscositytoincrease,andprintqualitytodeteriorate.
Theprinteralso indicateswhentheinkormake--uplevelsaretoohigh.
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