UV flatbed printer is a kind of high-precision, high efficiency, high-speed digital UV flatbed printer, UV flatbed printer adopt UV curable ink and digital printing technology to achieve the modern trends in printing technology innovation of high efficiency, good printing quality, can be color printing on any material surface etc that other printing equipments can not compare with. Here I’d like to talk about the maintenance method for UV flatbed printer printhead.

The printhead clogging problems for UV flatbed printer in using process, mainly to “ prevention”. The best way to keep the printhead in top working condition is that you do some proper and efficient routine maintenance every day. It will greatly reduce the possibility of nozzle clogging, therefore, please read the following carefully and refer to the operation.

1. Printhead maintenance after device installed and early devices enabled

A. In order to make printhead enter into best operation condition, before the equipments officially began to undertake production business, please be sure to take 1 ~ 2 days to print some more pictures as much as possible, pictures will be the best if CMYK 4 colors are all be used, and add C, M, Y, K 4-color stripes on both sides of the screen to make sure that 4 printheads are always in the state of inkjeting.

B. Take the moisturizing sponge out from rightmost cleaning station together with its bracket when inkjeting.

2. How to maintain the printhead after the completion of the work every day

After completion of all of the print job every day, in order to keep the printhead in best operation condition and avoid nozzle clogging due to solvent ink volatilize, please let the equipment for the night after maintain the printhead according to following methods.

A. Turn off the device power.

B. Clean the moisturizing sponge with special wash solution, then pour wash solution on the sponge to make it soaked.

C. Move the machine head back to the rightmost end cleaning station and make the nozzle and moisturizing sponge close-knit.

D. Let the equipment for the night with keeping this state.

3. Processing method for nozzle slight clogging

A. Press the PAUSE button unhesitatingly to pause the print job when find slight nozzle clogging in print process, then use a vacuum cleaner or manual pump to make ink spray out from the nozzle and clean the nozzle, after completed clean, spray some wash solution on nozzle surface with plastic squeeze bottle to wash off the residual ink.

Attention: do not overexert when using manual pump, otherwise the printhead will be damaged due to excessive pressure.

B. Timely decisively and thoroughly handle nozzle slight clogging is very important for keeping nozzle in best working condition during long time process of printing.

C. In addition, it’s necessary to check nozzle condition carefully and find the cause of the nozzle clogging.

4. Processing method for frequent nozzle clogging in print process

A. Press the PAUSE button to pause the print job, then press the PURGE button to move the machine head to the leftmost end cleaning station.

B. Keep the device power in opened state, unplug all the liquid level sensor signal lines that vice ink tank connect to the head control board.

C. Unplug the inkjet pipe (derived from vice ink tank) from printhead, then extract special wash solution with glass syringe to clean the printhead, method: with 40ml wash solution every time, once every 10 minutes, toal 3~4 times.

D. Plug the inkjet pipe and liquid level sensor signal lines again after clean the printhead, and continue to the previously suspended print jobs.

5. Processing method for above processing method not very effective or not effective temporarily

A. Remove and take the printhead out from printhead tray.

B. Pour right amount of wash solution into clean glass container (for example: beaker), the amount of wash solution is appropriate when it submerges the bottom of the nozzle for 2~3mm after put the printhead, then seal the glass container with plastic wrap (dustproof) and standing for more than one day.

Attention: The signal interface at the top of the printhead can not touch wash solution, or the printhead will be damaged.

C. After printhead soaked enough, pour right amount of wash solution into printhead cleaning device, put the bottom of the printhead into wash solution to submerge it about 2~3mm, then start the cleaning device, and choose the special printhead cleaning device, if use general ultrasonic cleaning device you must control the time strictly, in case the printhead be damaged.

Attention: no more than 3 times of continuous use cleaning device to clean.

D. Extract 40ml special wash solution with glass syringe, inject from the inkjet pipe interface that in upper part of the printhead, observe the waterline state that spray out from nozzle, if all the waterline are straight that shows cleaning effective, and this printhead can continue to be used (premise: both circuit and piezoelectric crystal are in good condition), if there are still some waterlines spray crooked, then must operate 2~3 times again according to step 2 and step 3.

6. Processing method for equipment is not expected to be used more than 48 hours

If the equipment is not expected to be used more than 48 hours, the ink in the printhead must be cleaned, or the ink in the printhead will be dry and hard because of the solvent gradually volatilize, even can produce irreversible damage to the nozzle, processing method is as follows:

A. Turn off the power of the UV flatbed printer.

B. Move the machine head to the leftmost end cleaning station, put a corrosion resistant container at the bottom of the printhead used for holding waste liquor.

C. Extract or pour the ink out directly from the vice ink tank, then clean the vice ink tank with special wash solution.

D. Unplug the inkjet pipe (derived from vice ink tank) from printhead, extract 40ml special wash solution with glass syringe to clean the printhead, do 2 times. It is best not to blown clean the residual cleaning fluid in printhead, must leave enough cleaning fluid inside the printhead, because the cleaning fluid has moisturizing effect to printhead.

E. Put the processed printhead into a clean corrosion resistant container and seal it (use plastic wrap) then it can store about one month, if you want to store for a long time must pay attention to the seal, or the printhead will be damaged if cleaning fluid become dry.