346 Zebra ZXP Series 3 Card Printer Service Manual P1061317-002
L: Printhead Maintenance
General Printhead Information
“Chunked” Printhead Element
Description
The photo below shows a printhead that has a chunk or chip taken out of it.
The chunk can be clearly seen as a thick line leading to the elements. The elements are higher
than the leads and have been torn away showing the white substrate underneath. Chunks will
interrupt the electrical contact to the element as well as destroy the element itself.
Cause
Chunks are caused by foreign particles (dirt, dust, grit, etc.) hitting the element line. Often a
scratch on a printhead will weaken the element to the point where it can be chunked very
easily. These particles can come from the ribbon, media, or environment. The particles that
cause these chunks tend to be extremely hard and very small. The particle that caused the
above damage was approximately 0.1mm in diameter.
Prevention
Chunks can be eliminated by taking some general precautions detailed below:
• Always use good quality supplies.
• Never place media or ribbon on the floor or other dirty surface. Always unwrap cards and
rolls of ribbon, and put them straight in the printer.
• Clean the printhead every 5,000 panels or when print anomalies persist.
• Keep the printer’s door closed, and keep the printer away from areas where there is a
possibility of falling debris; this will help prevent contaminates entering the print
mechanism.
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General
Weight and Dimensions
