Part 4: Technical Reference |
3.3Purge Unit
3.3.1Function of purge unit
The purge unit of the
The cap for the ink optimizer head is designed for use with the ink optimizer only so that the ink optimizer does not get mixed with and react with the ink to block the nozzles. Maintenance jets and wipers for the ink optimizer head only are also provided.
1) Capping function
The capping function presses the caps of the purge unit against the face of the print head to prevent the nozzles drying and the inks leaking.
When the cap is open and the printer is idle (waiting for data), the maintenance jets are operated at 15 second intervals if paper is being fed. If no data is received for 120 seconds, the nozzles are capped. If no paper is being fed, the maintenance jets are operated and the nozzles capped after a set time from the last data received. The actual time depends on the ambient conditions and the number of times ink is ejected, etc.
The nozzles are also capped when the POWER button is used to turn of the power.
2) Cleaning function
The cleaning function cleans the nozzles under the conditions shown below to maintain the print quality.
In cleaning, paper fragments adhering to the face plate of the print head, ink residue, and ink optimizer and ink aggregates, are wiped away and the nozzles are replenished with fresh ink by purging the old ink. In addition, maintenance jets remove any ink with higher viscosity, air bubbles, mixed inks, and other foreign objects from inside the nozzles and prevent printing irregularities from unused nozzles.
