Transcript
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Gerber Solara ion UV Ink Jet Printer Owner’s Guide
4/29/10 Rev G
Solara ionV Print Modes User Selectable Print Modes
Print Throughput (4' x 8' sheet)
Approximate Print Time (4' x 8' sheet)
360 x 360 Performance (2 Pass, Bidirectional) Performance (2 Pass, Unidirectional) Production (4 Pass, Bidirectional) Production (4 Pass, Unidirectional) High Quality (8 Pass, Bidirectional) Ultra-High Quality (8 Pass, Unidirectional)
2
181 ft / hr 125 ft2 / hr 107 ft2 / hr 70 ft2 / hr 55 ft2 / hr 33 ft2 / hr
Print Throughput (4' x 8' sheet)
Approximate Print Time (4' x 8' sheet)
720 x 720 11 min 15 min 18 min 27 min 35 min 58 min
36 ft2 / hr 18 ft2 /hr 9.5 ft2 / hr
53 min 107 min 202 min
Warranty Please see Product Specifications for required operating environment and consult your Owner’s Guide for required preventative maintenance procedures. Additional Documentation Further documents, and updates to current documentation, will be available with each new firmware release. For the most up-to-date literature, contact your Gerber Service representative or check the eService Document Library which can be accessed from the Support section of the Gerber web site: www.gspinc.com.
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Copyright Notice COPYRIGHT 2010 Gerber Scientific International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This document may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without written permission of the copyright owner. V
This document is furnished to support the Gerber Solara ion Ink Jet Printer. In consideration of the furnishing of the information contained in this document, the party to whom it is given assumes its custody and control and agrees to the following: The information herein contained is given in confidence, and any part thereof shall not be copied or reproduced without written consent of Gerber Scientific International, Inc. This document or the contents herein under no circumstances shall be used in the manufacture or reproduction of the article shown and the delivery of this document shall not constitute any right or license to do so. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Printed in USA Gerber Solara ion, GerberCAT, Cold Fire Cure Technology, FastFacts, ImageRIP, OMEGA, Support First, and Matched Technology System are trademarks and GSP is a registered trademark of Gerber Scientific Products. Onyx and PosterShop are registered trademarks and ProductionHouse is a trademark of Onyx Graphics. X-ACTO is a registered trademark of Hunt Corporation. Anticon is a registered trademark of Milliken & Company. Firefox is a registered trademark of Mozilla. Microsoft, Internet Explorer, Windows, and Windows XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft in the USA and other countries. Wasatch SoftRIP is a registered trademark of Wasatch Computer Technology. SignLab is a trademark of CADlink Technology Corporation. Flexi and PhotoPrint are trademarks of SA International, Inc.
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FCC Compliance Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at their own expense. This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
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Contents Quick Print Checklist................................................................................................................ 10 Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................... 11 In this manual.........................................................................................................................................12 Conventions used in this booklet ........................................................................................................12 Safety information .................................................................................................................................13 Electrical...............................................................................................................................................13 Ink handling and disposal .................................................................................................................13 Printer ventilation...............................................................................................................................14 Personal precautions ..........................................................................................................................14 UV lamp precautions .........................................................................................................................14 Technical support ..................................................................................................................................14 Additional sources of information ...................................................................................................14
Chapter 2: Product Overview ................................................................................................. 15 General requirements............................................................................................................................15 Size and weight ...................................................................................................................................15 Ambient conditions ............................................................................................................................16 Power requirements ...........................................................................................................................16 Printer orientation...............................................................................................................................17 Locating the serial number................................................................................................................17 Computer and software requirements.............................................................................................18 UV bulb technology...............................................................................................................................18 UV ink technology .................................................................................................................................19 Storing inks and materials ....................................................................................................................19 UV ink storage.....................................................................................................................................19 Material storage ..................................................................................................................................20 Gerber Solara ion control panel ...........................................................................................................20 Main control panel..............................................................................................................................21 Auxiliary keypad ................................................................................................................................21 Control Panel keys..............................................................................................................................22 Power-up functions ............................................................................................................................24 Exploring the printer's menu system ..................................................................................................24 Status..........................................................................................................................................25 Setup..........................................................................................................................................25 Calibration ................................................................................................................................25 Maintenance..............................................................................................................................26 The Gerber Solara ion web pages ........................................................................................................27 Starting and stopping the printer ........................................................................................................27 Firmware startup and internal diagnostics .....................................................................................28 Automatic ink level check .................................................................................................................28 Automatic printhead cleaning check ...............................................................................................28 Sleep/Idle mode .................................................................................................................................28 Emergency Stop ..................................................................................................................................29 4/29/10 Rev G
Chapter 3: Setting up the Gerber Solara ion...................................................................... 31 Networking your Gerber Solara ion printer ......................................................................................31 Setting fixed (static) network addresses ..........................................................................................31 Setting the IP Address and Subnet Mask of your computer.........................................................33 Checking network connections............................................................................................................37 Viewing the current network settings.................................................................................................37
Chapter 4: Loading Inks and Materials ............................................................................... 39 Loading the inks.....................................................................................................................................39 Checking the ink level........................................................................................................................40 Replacing ink pouches when ink remains in the reservoir ...........................................................40 Replacing an ink pouch when the reservoir is empty ...................................................................42 Loading the material .............................................................................................................................42 Printer/graphic orientation...............................................................................................................44 Choosing a material type...................................................................................................................45 Normalizing material .........................................................................................................................46 Cleaning material................................................................................................................................46 Using material hold-down devices for roll material......................................................................48 Loading roll material in the Roll-to-Roll configuration....................................................................49 Using the material roller ....................................................................................................................50 Loading roll material into the printer ..............................................................................................51 Using the winding unit ......................................................................................................................52 Removing material from the winding unit and printer ................................................................54 Loading rigid material ..........................................................................................................................55 Uniform Print Gap & Elimination of Gap Between Prints............................................................56 Understanding printing margins.........................................................................................................59
Chapter 5: Printing Jobs on the Gerber Solara ion ........................................................... 61 Using RIP software and profiles ..........................................................................................................61 Print mode options ................................................................................................................................61 Printer operations ..................................................................................................................................62 UV lamp automatic shut-off or Continuous mode ........................................................................62 Lamp Delay mode ..............................................................................................................................62 Lamp Spec mode.................................................................................................................................63 Large Field mode ................................................................................................................................64 Step Blending mode ...........................................................................................................................64 X Gantry Adjustment .........................................................................................................................65 UV lamp warm-up..............................................................................................................................66 Sleep/Idle mode .................................................................................................................................66 Automatic spitting to clear the nozzles ...........................................................................................66 Cleaning the printheads.....................................................................................................................67 Pausing a job due to data starvation ................................................................................................67 Choosing a print mode for Roll-to-Roll printing...............................................................................67 Single mode .........................................................................................................................................67 Continuous mode ...............................................................................................................................67 Viewing job information at the printer ...............................................................................................68 Printing a single Roll-to-Roll or Flat Bed job......................................................................................69 Media feed adjustment on a Roll-to-Roll job ..................................................................................71 Printing a full bleed Flat Bed job .........................................................................................................72 Printing double-sided, full-bleed......................................................................................................73 Printing multiple Roll-to-Roll jobs in Continuous mode .................................................................75 Canceling a job .......................................................................................................................................77 4/29/10 Rev G
Chapter 6: Routine Printer Maintenance ............................................................................ 78 Required routine maintenance supplies .............................................................................................78 Gerber Solara ionV Regular Preventive Maintenance........................................................................79 Daily maintenance .................................................................................................................................82 Tips for Clean Heads procedure.......................................................................................................82 1) What is the purpose of the Clean Heads procedure? ................................................................82 2) How hard do I press the Anticon-covered swab against the surface of the printhead nozzle plate? ...............................................................................................................................................................82 3) How can I be sure my clean was effective?.................................................................................82 4) Why do I lose nozzles? ..................................................................................................................82 Clean Heads Procedure......................................................................................................................84 End of Day Clean ................................................................................................................................86 Cleaning the sliding UV shield and side plates..............................................................................88 Cleaning individual color printheads ..............................................................................................91 Emptying and cleaning the waste ink tray......................................................................................93 40 Hour Maintenance ............................................................................................................................95 Periodic Maintenance Process to correct angled nozzles on the Gerber Solara ion......................95 Materials needed.................................................................................................................................95 Process overview ................................................................................................................................95 Cleaning the flat bed ..........................................................................................................................97 Cleaning the roll-to-roll platen..........................................................................................................97 Cleaning the head access door ..........................................................................................................97 Cleaning the ink drawers...................................................................................................................98 Cleaning the Maintenance Shelf Mat ...............................................................................................98 Cleaning the outside of the Gerber Solara ion ................................................................................98 Monthly maintenance ...........................................................................................................................99 Six month maintenance.......................................................................................................................100 Cleaning the table rails.....................................................................................................................100 Cleaning the Roll-to-Roll grit wheels.............................................................................................100 Cleaning the Roll-to-Roll rubber drive wheels .............................................................................101 Yearly maintenance .............................................................................................................................101 Replacing the light shields (flaps) ..................................................................................................101 Purging ink lines to remove air..........................................................................................................102 Clearing the ink lines...........................................................................................................................106 Filling the ink lines ..............................................................................................................................109 Preparing a printer that will not be used for up to two weeks......................................................113 Steps for preparing the Solara ion for two weeks of idle time ...................................................113 Steps for restarting the Solara ion after two weeks of idle time.................................................113 Shutting down the printer for more than two weeks .....................................................................114 Steps for shutting down the Solara ion..........................................................................................114 Steps for restarting the Solara ion...................................................................................................114 Steps for shutting down your Solara ion.......................................................................................114 Steps for restarting your Solara ion................................................................................................123
Chapter 7: Gerber Solara ion Web Pages.......................................................................... 124 Accessing the Gerber Solara ion web pages.....................................................................................124 Home page............................................................................................................................................125 System Status page ..............................................................................................................................125 System Status page ..............................................................................................................................126 System Settings page ...........................................................................................................................127 Changing the printer name .............................................................................................................127 Changing the System Log Level .....................................................................................................127 4/29/10 Rev G
Choosing the numeric units ............................................................................................................128 Choosing the language.....................................................................................................................128 Setting the Lamp Delay mode.........................................................................................................128 Setting the Lamp Spec Mode...........................................................................................................128 Setting Large Field mode.................................................................................................................128 Setting Step Blending mode ............................................................................................................128 Network Settings .................................................................................................................................129 Using Static Settings .........................................................................................................................129 Other settings ....................................................................................................................................130 Job Status page .....................................................................................................................................130 Diagnostics page ..................................................................................................................................131 Restoring Factory Default Settings.................................................................................................132 Version Information .........................................................................................................................133 View System Log ..............................................................................................................................134 View Satellite Log .............................................................................................................................135 Sensors................................................................................................................................................136 Configuration Info page...................................................................................................................138 USB Test page....................................................................................................................................138 Statistics..............................................................................................................................................140 Error History page............................................................................................................................141 Calibration web page ..........................................................................................................................142 X Gantry Adjustment .......................................................................................................................143 Y Carriage Steps/Inch—Y Encoder Calibration...........................................................................144 Calibrating the location of a printed image (Print Pos Offset Front and Side) ........................146 Calibrating the printhead park position ........................................................................................147 Calibrating Image Quality ...............................................................................................................149 Update page..........................................................................................................................................156 Loading firmware upgrades............................................................................................................156 Starting the printer in Bootloader mode........................................................................................160 Downloading new color profiles ....................................................................................................161 Contacts web page...............................................................................................................................161
Chapter 8: Troubleshooting.................................................................................................. 163 RIP software issues ..............................................................................................................................163 Determining the category of problems .............................................................................................163 Printer issues ........................................................................................................................................164 Printer will not turn on ....................................................................................................................164 Printer is stuck on “Gerber” screen at power-up .........................................................................164 Printer is stuck on “Check the Shelf” screen.................................................................................164 Printer is stuck on “Warming” screen ...........................................................................................164 Job will not print ...............................................................................................................................164 Winder does not roll up the material .............................................................................................165 Material jams when printing ...........................................................................................................165 Quality of printed output ...................................................................................................................167 Missing nozzles.................................................................................................................................167 Banding in the flat bed prints..........................................................................................................167 Banding in roll-to-roll prints ...........................................................................................................167 Missing or angled nozzles ...............................................................................................................168 The print is blurred...........................................................................................................................169 Smearing or fading in the print.......................................................................................................169 Objects are printing in the wrong place.........................................................................................170 Color balance is different between software and print ...............................................................170 Overlap on a roll-to-roll job.............................................................................................................170 4/29/10 Rev G
Small text quality is poor .................................................................................................................170 Ink not curing ....................................................................................................................................171 The ink forms small puddles on the print .....................................................................................171 Ink mist at front left corner of material..........................................................................................171 Image easily scratches off the material ..........................................................................................171 Entire print smudges when touched..............................................................................................171 First few inches (50-100cm) of the job is not curing .....................................................................172 One side of the print is not curing well .........................................................................................172 Job data errors ......................................................................................................................................173 Data errors and interruptions during printing .............................................................................173 Incorrect data is printing .................................................................................................................173 Objects are printing in the wrong place.........................................................................................173 Prints are not the correct size ..........................................................................................................174 Left edge of job is inconsistently located .......................................................................................174 Printer does not always start in same location .............................................................................174 The printer pauses between passes ................................................................................................174 Messages ...............................................................................................................................................174 Error Messages .....................................................................................................................................178 Running the control panel screen test...............................................................................................180
Printer Menu Tree – Rev G Version .................................................................................... 182 Index .......................................................................................................................................... 184
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Quick Print Checklist After you have setup your Gerber Solara ion for the first time, use this checklist to help guide you through the steps required for getting the machine ready for printing. Refer to the page numbers provided next to each step for more information. 1 Check the Ink Level by pressing the Ink Level button on the control panel. (Replace ink pouches if necessary)
p. 40
2 Clean the heads. (Repeat every 4 hours of printing and after 2 hours of idle
p. 84
time, and at start and end of each day.)
3 Prep the material. (Normalize and clean for best results)
p. 46
4 Select material type if equipped with the Roll-to-Roll option. (Roll-to-
p. 45
Roll (Single or Continuous) or Flat)
5 Load the material. (Roll-to-Roll or Flat)
p. 42
6 Adjust the UV shield for flat material or adjust the material holddowns for roll-to-roll material.
p. 49 or 55
Using your selected RIP software 7 Open, adjust, and arrange your image(s).
p. 61
8 Select the appropriate material profile and page size.
p. 61
9 Select the print quality. (2 pass, 4 pass, or 8 pass)
p. 61
10 Send the job to the printer.
p. 69
11 View job information to confirm that the correct material is loaded.
p. 68
12 Press Run Job to begin printing your job.
p. 69
13 UV Lamp warm-up. (If lamps are not to proper temperature.)
p. 18
14 Job will begin printing.
p. 69
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Chapter 1: Introduction
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Thank you for purchasing the Gerber Solara ion ™, an outdoor-durable, UV-cured ink jet printer. The Gerber Solara ion’s versatile printing methods allow shops to meet diverse customer needs. The printer has a generous flatbed which accommodates large jobs with ease. It can print on rigid materials such as foam board, corrugated plastic, polycarbonate, expanded PVC, aluminum, or MDO, as well as flexible materials such as banner, vinyl, and backlit. In addition, you have the option of printing full-bleed. If you have chosen to add a roll-to-roll option, the printer can accommodate flexible materials such as banner, vinyl, and backlit. In addition the roll-to-roll option expands the length of the flatbed to 120" (3m/304.8cm). The Gerber Solara ion produces all kinds of durable, outdoor or indoor graphics on a wide variety of materials which meet the following standards: Maximum rigid or roll material width is 64" (1.6m/162.6cm). Maximum rigid material thickness is 1" (25.4mm). Maximum rigid material length for the roll-to-roll configuration is 120" (3m/304.8cm). Maximum rigid material length for the flatbed-only configuration is 100" (2.5m/254cm). Maximum rolled material thickness is 0.030" (0.76mm). Minimum rolled material width is 24" (61cm). Minimum sheet size is 12" x 12" (30.5cm x 30.5cm). The Gerber Solara ion printheads use multiple-drop technology to provide vivid colors and an expanded color gamut. The printer has several print modes to maximize throughput or quality. The printing rate varies based on the selected print mode and the chosen material profile (as determined by the RIP software). Gerber’s exclusive GerberCAT™ ultraviolet ink set includes four colors - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, which achieve an outstanding color gamut and brilliant hues. The cationic inks are cured using Gerber's proprietary Cold Fire Cure™ technology. This low energy, low temperature cure creates a mechanical bond between the ink and the substrate, providing better abrasion resistance and eliminating adhesion loss which can occur with vinyl graphics. The low-temperature cure also greatly expands the range of materials that can be printed by the Gerber Solara ion. Heat sensitive plastic, vinyl, fabric, and paper-based materials can be printed using Gerber's Cold Fire Cure and GerberCAT inks without concern over ink adhesion or material damage. The Gerber Solara ion inkjet printer is part of Gerber’s Matched Technology System™ which provides users with a complete, integrated solution from start-to-finish.
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Introduction
In this manual The following chapters introduce you to the Gerber Solara ion, describe the printing process, and show you how to maintain your printer for maximum quality output. Chapter 1: Introduction provides details on how to use this manual and important customer service and safety information. Chapter 2: Product Overview provides details of the general product features and requirements and describes the control panel and menu structure as well as the startup sequence. Chapter 3: Setting up the Gerber Solara ion directs you in setting up the Gerber Solara ion to run on a network and other user-controlled options. Chapter 4: Loading Inks and Materials directs you in loading the Gerber Solara ion ink and installing materials. Chapter 5: Printing Jobs on the Gerber Solara ion describes how to print on either flexible or rigid material with RIP software. Chapter 6: Routine Printer Maintenance details cleaning and purging of printheads as well as the daily, weekly and monthly maintenance routines. Chapter 7: Gerber Solara ion Web Pages describes the onboard web interface program that can be used to check on the printer's current status and ink status, to view or change system and network settings, view message logs, assist in diagnostics, and to install new firmware. Chapter 8: Troubleshooting highlights potential printing problems and provides possible solutions. The Messages section list common messages that may display on your control panel screen and their meaning. Menu Tree provides a visual layout of the Gerber Solara ion printer's menu. Preventive Maintenance chart is a handy reference for the routine preventive maintenance tasks and scheduled service procedures.
Conventions used in this booklet The following conventions are used in this booklet: WARNING: A warning statement contains information which, if not followed, could result in electrical shock hazard. CAUTION: A caution statement contains information which, if not followed, could result in personal injury or equipment damage. NOTE: A note contains important information that affects the successful completion of a task. TIP: A tip contains a suggestion to make your task easier or to remind you of something that may appear elsewhere in the booklet.
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Introduction
Safety information Electrical WARNING: Observe these safety precautions to avoid possible electrical shock hazard when using the Gerber Solara ion. Use the correct power cord; do not use a damaged power cord. Use an outlet with a ground terminal or electric shock can occur. Turn printer off and unplug it from the power source before servicing. Unplug any communications cables before servicing. Never open covers affixed by screws unless directed by Gerber service personnel. Doing so may result in electric shock or damage to the printer. Remove any electrostatic charge from your clothing or body by touching a metal part of the printer before servicing. Electronic components (such as memory) may malfunction if exposed to electrostatic charge. Industrial rubber mats are required under and around the printer if it is installed on carpeting.
Ink handling and disposal CAUTION: Observe these general safety precautions when operating the Gerber Solara ion Ink Jet Printer. CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used swabs, wipes, and gloves according to local laws and regulations. Do not use inks other than GerberCAT inks. Using other inks will void the warranty and will damage the printer. Consult the Gerber CAT ink MSDS for proper handling, disposal, and safety recommendations. Also consult local laws and regulations. Do not open ink pouches. Ink could get on your skin or in your eyes. When handling ink pouches and waste ink, be careful that the ink does not get on your skin by wearing impervious nitrile gloves. If it does, wash your skin with mild soap and water for 15 minutes. Seek medical attention if symptoms occur. If your clothing comes in contact with uncured ink, remove any contaminated clothing and wash them separately with soap and water. If ink gets in your eyes, immediately rinse your eyes with copious amounts of water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention immediately. Dispose empty ink pouches, waste ink, wipes, used swabs and gloves according to local laws and regulations. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Introduction
Printer ventilation CAUTION: Observe these general safety precautions when operating the Gerber Solara ion Ink Jet Printer. Do not obstruct printer exhaust fans.
Personal precautions CAUTION: Observe these general safety precautions when operating the Gerber Solara ion Ink Jet Printer. There are two emergency stop switches located on either end of the gantry. Press either switch to immediately shut down the UV lamps and abort printing. Be careful when reaching into the printer to open the maintenance shelf, or swab the printhead. The UV lamp assemblies and interior surfaces of the printer may be hot. Be careful not to pinch fingers in drawers, pinch wheels, and material feed system. Use caution when lifting heavy rolls or pieces of material.
UV lamp precautions
UV WARNING Exposure to UV light can be dangerous to eyes and skin and should be avoided. Never operate the Gerber Solara ion with any of the covers removed. Never operate the printer with the rubber light shields (flaps) missing or damaged. Contact Gerber if any of the rubber light shields (flaps) need to be replaced.
Technical support If you have questions regarding using, maintaining, or troubleshooting the Gerber Solara ion please contact your Gerber distributor or Gerber Service.
phone: 800-828-5406 / 860-643-1515, ext. 8602 fax: 860-871-3862
e-mail:
[email protected] www.gspinc.com
Additional sources of information Gerber FastFacts provides answers to technical and service questions. FastFacts are available on the Gerber web site: www.gspinc.com under “Support.” Electronic versions of this manual and other documentation are available from the eService Document Library which can be accessed from the Gerber web site: www.gspinc.com under “Support.” You must sign up for a free customer account to access the eService location. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Chapter 2: Product Overview
General requirements The following sections provide an overview of Gerber Solara ion size, weight, and recommended operating conditions.
Size and weight You must have enough room to maneuver the packed Gerber Solara ion to its final location where you can unpack and assemble it. CAUTION: The Gerber Solara ion is packaged in several crate assemblies that vary based on the printer’s configuration. The customer is responsible for providing appropriate equipment (fork lift or palette jack with extended forks) for unloading and moving the system into place. If a loading dock is not available, you must have a forklift capable of unloading the system from the back of the delivery truck. The fork lift must be able to lift 1,100 lbs. (499kg) and needs extended forks which are at least 8 feet (2.5m). If this equipment is not available or the system requires movement to an upper floor, riggers or special equipment will be required. This is the responsibility of the customer. Crate #
Flatbed-only Configuration Crated Size
Crated Weight
1
140" long x 35.25" wide x 78" high (356cm cm x 89cm x 198cm)
1,043 lbs. (473kg)
2
119" long x 35.25" wide x 52" high (302cm x 89cm x 132cm )
850 lbs. (386kg)
Flatbed-only Configuration Uncrated Size
Uncrated Weight
147" long x 104" wide x 52" high (373cm x 264cm x 132cm)
~1,000 lbs. (454kg)
Crate #
Roll-to-Roll Configuration Crated Size
Crated Weight
1
140" long x 35.25" wide x 78" high (356cm cm x 89cm x 198cm)
1,100 lbs. (499kg)
2
119" long x 35.25" wide x 52" high (302cm x 89cm x 132cm )
850 lbs. (386kg)
3
75.5" long x 35.25" wide x 32" high (192cm x 89cm x 81cm)
280 lbs. (127kg)
Roll-to-Roll Configuration Uncrated Size
Uncrated Weight
148" long x 104" wide x 52" high (376cm x 264cm x 132cm)
~1,000 lbs. (454kg)
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Product Overview
Ambient conditions The Gerber Solara ion 12 month product warranty requires the printer to be maintained in a specific environment. If the system is operating outside of the environmental specifications, it may result in system errors and/or shutdown. During the colder months of the year, especially in dryer climates, be cognizant of the required environmental conditions (40% humidity minimum/65F (18.5C) minimum). The operating environment must meet the following conditions: Temperature: 65F to 75F (18.5C to 24C) Humidity: 40% - 60%, non-condensing Ventilation: no special ventilation required Avoid using printer near open windows, outside doors, or heating/cooling systems Protect printer and ink pouches from moisture, dust, drafts, and direct sunlight Noise level when operating vacuum table: ~77-78 Db Note: Installations in which the Gerber Solara ion will be placed on carpeting require the use of commercial or industrial rubber mats under and around the printer. This is to guard against excessive static electricity potentially interrupting system operation. Note: If you turn down the heat at night to a lower temperature than the specified operating temperature, allow time for the printer and its internal components to warm to the proper temperature before printing. Depending on the environment it may take several hours for the dense metal components and ink in the system to warm to the specified operating temperature.
Power requirements Gerber recommends that you leave the Gerber Solara ion powered on at all times. Do not turn the printer off, even for extended periods of down time. If the printer will not be in use for longer than two weeks, you must follow the special procedures described in “Shutting down the printer to more than two weeks” on page 114.
Domestic: Dedicated 230/240 VAC circuit at 50-60Hz, single phase, 20 Amps continuous. Measured at the Solara ion: 230 VAC +/- 10%.
The Gerber Solara ion power cord comes with a NEMA 6-20P plug and requires the matching NEMA 6-20R receptacle. International: Dedicated 230/240 VAC circuit at 50-60Hz, single phase, 15 Amps continuous. Measured at the Solara ion: 230 VAC +/- 10%.
The Gerber Solara ion comes with a European CEE 7/7 plug and requires the matching CEE 7 receptacle. These connectors can be changed to meet local standards.
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Product Overview
CAUTION: 208V lines, while seemingly within the specification range, are not as robust as 230 V lines and are also subject to +/- 10% current fluctuations. These below specification fluctuations of 208V lines do not to provide the Gerber Solara ion with adequate power to consistently cure ink. You must provide a 230 V line. WARNING: Make sure to connect the power cable only after all of the steps of the installation procedure have been completed.
Printer orientation Make note of the orientation of the printer. The end with the maintenance shelf is considered the front of the printer and the control panel end of the gantry is the left side. Also note that the right and left sides of the graphic file sent from the RIP software are reversed. Maintenance shelf Orientation of graphic sent from RIP software
Control panel
Ethernet connections under table Power switch
Roll-to-Roll (if so equipped)
Locating the serial number The printer serial number is located on the gantry. Slew the gantry all the way to the front (maintenance shelf end) of the printer and look underneath and through the gantry track.
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Product Overview
Computer and software requirements The customer’s computer must have compatible RIP software installed to send print jobs to the Gerber Solara ion. If the computer is not configured properly, if it does not have a network card, or if the proper data cable is not used, you can run a test print on the Gerber Solara ion but you cannot send jobs from the computer. Gerber-authorized RIP software has been approved to work with the Gerber Solara ion and GerberCAT inks and qualified materials. Following is a list of approved software at the time of this document’s printing. Consult the GSP web site www.gspinc.com for an up-to-date listing. Onyx® ProductionHouse™ Gerber Edition, Onyx® PosterShop™ Gerber Edition, ImageRIP™ Plus by Onyx, or Gerber Solara ion Onyx Driver (necessary for existing Onyx RIP owners version 6.5 or higher to ensure compatibility with the printer) ErgoSoft SAi Flexi™ or PhotoPrint™ CADlink SignLab™ Wasatch SoftRIP®
UV bulb technology UV WARNING Exposure to UV light can be dangerous to eyes and skin and should be avoided. Never operate the Gerber Solara ion with any of the covers removed. Never operate the printer with the rubber light shields (flaps) missing or damaged. Contact Gerber if any of the rubber light shields (flaps) need to be replaced. The Gerber Solara ion uses Cold Fire Cure UV technology to instantly and safely cure inks using low energy and low heat. The UV lamps run the full length of the gantry (approximately 65"/165cm) and provide a very specific wavelength of UV light which cures the GerberCAT inks. The lamps are enclosed to ensure that the user is protected from exposure to UV radiation. The UV bulbs require a short warm-up cycle before printing if they are not at operating temperature. When the lamps reach their operating temperature, the cooling fans automatically turn on to maintain the proper temperature. Gerber Solara ion UV lamps do not require a cool down cycle before re-striking.
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Product Overview
UV ink technology CAUTION: Use only GerberCAT inks. Substituting any other inks will void the warranty. Each color ink pouch must be installed into the corresponding colorcoded pull-out ink drawer. CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used swabs, wipes, and gloves according to local laws and regulations. GerberCAT cationic ultraviolet inks have very little odor and require no special ventilation. Gerber's patent-pending, Cold Fire Cure technology dries the ink immediately and the printed material may be handled or cut directly after printing. Although printhead capping is not required on the Gerber Solara ion, there is a parking station which is used when it is not printing for extended periods. The parking station travels with the gantry and blocks stray light from the printhead nozzle plates. Graphics created by the Gerber Solara ion are outdoor-durable for up to three years. However, environment and application will determine the ultimate outdoor life span and may result in outdoor durability of greater or less than three years. Laminating graphics increases durability. GerberCAT inks are specifically designed for use with the Gerber Solara ion printer. The inks come in four colors: Yellow (Y), Magenta (M), Cyan (C), and Black (K). The eight printhead system dedicates two printheads per ink color. The ink is supplied in one liter pouches that are used to refill the Gerber Solara ion ink reservoirs. Four color-coded ink drawers contain receptacles to accept the ink pouches.
Storing inks and materials Store GerberCAT inks and qualified materials as instructed for the best quality output when printing. Improper storage of inks or materials will negatively effect overall print quality.
UV ink storage GerberCAT inks have a shelf life of approximately 12 months from date of manufacture when stored as recommended. Note the “Use by” date printed on the pouch and discard any ink beyond that date. The operating temperature and humidity range of the Gerber Solara ion is smaller than the storage range for the ink pouches. If ink is stored outside of the operating temperature range, wait for the ink to normalize before using it. Temperature: 41° F to 86° F (5° C to 30° C) Humidity: 30% - 70% non-condensing Note: The guaranteed term of ink is 12 months from date of manufacture when it is kept or used without exposing air at 77°F (25°C).
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Material storage See material-specific documentation for recommended handling and storage requirements. General material storage and handling suggestions follow: Do not discard the original packaging. Use the box or plastic bag for material storage. Store material in a dry environment avoiding high temperature, high humidity, and direct sunlight. The size of the material can change according to the temperature and/or humidity of the working environment. Before using the material, “normalize” it in the working environment for at least 24 hours. Printing before the material is normalized may cause jams due to material distortion and may affect output quality. Do not use creased, damaged, torn, curled, bowed, or warped material. Material may have a printable side and a non-printable side. If you print on the wrong side, blurring may occur. Do not touch the printable side of material before printing. Moisture or oil from hands can affect the printing quality. Wear cotton gloves when handling materials. Do not leave material loaded in the roll-to-roll unit of the printer for an extended period of time. The pinch wheels may damage it, or the material may curl resulting in misalignment, jams, or decreased printing quality. Tip: Gerber recommends cleaning rigid material with IP Surface Cleaner or 99% Isopropyl Alcohol and wiping it away evenly with a lint-free cloth. This cleans the surface and improves the output quality of the print.
Gerber Solara ion control panel The Gerber Solara ion has two control panels for ease of use: the main control panel and the auxiliary keypad. The main control panel is located on the printhead gantry, rotates 180 and has an adjustable viewing angle for ease of use. Most controls needed to load material, print jobs, and clean the printheads are located on keys on the main control panel. The printer's menu system which contains printer status, calibration, and maintenance tasks is also accessed from the main control panel by pressing the MENU key. The printer's Menu system is not necessary for day-to-day operation of the Gerber Solara ion.
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Main control panel
Printer Ready
BACK
ENTER
Screen interface for status messages, printer progress, and setup controls.
Navigational keys for screen interface. If the printer's Menu is activated, these controls also navigate through the sub-menus for printer setup, calibration, status, and maintenance.
PAUSE
RUN JOB
CANCEL
CLEAN HEADS
SLEW
LOAD UNLOAD
ROLL TO ROLL
FLAT BED
MENU
Operational keypad used to load material, move the gantry, print jobs, control the vacuums, and to clean the printheads.
INK LEVEL
Single Cont.
Flat
Auxiliary keypad The auxiliary keypad is located near the origin of the flat bed and provides basic controls for loading jobs and cleaning the printheads.
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Control Panel keys
The Screen shows menus, instructions, system and job status, and messages. An icon in the lower right corner indicates the type of message or sub-menu.
The PAUSE key as an individually functioning key is reserved for future use; however, it is serving as a “shift” key, being used in conjunction with other keys as a shortcut to initiate desired events. See table at the end of this section.
To move through menus:
BACK moves up through the menu tree
ENTER moves down through the menu tree.
Directional navigation keys move side to side when text is displayed.
RUN JOB begins printing the job at the printer or the next job to arrive if in Roll-to-Roll Continuous mode. The RUN JOB key also can be used in conjunction with the PAUSE key start the NOZZLE OUT built-in test job.
The CANCEL key aborts a job after the carriage completes the current right to left swipe. If the carriage is moving left to right, the system will complete the next right to left pass. If the gantry is moving it completes its current step. If the gantry is performing large moves at the beginning or end of the job, it will stop at the current location. The carriage moves to the park position. Prior to actual cancelation the system pauses and displays the confirmation message. Once the Cancel is confirmed the control panel beeps and screen shows the Job Canceled message.
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The CLEAN HEADS yellow LED blinks to indicate that it has been four hours since the last Clean Heads procedure when the printer is active or after two hours when the printer is idle. Press the CLEAN HEADS key to begin the cleaning sequence. The gantry moves to the front of the table and the carriage moves to the maintenance shelf location. Follow the instructions on the screen. The Clean Heads procedure timer automatically resets and the LED goes out when the cleaning sequence is completed. In addition, this key can be used in conjunction with the PAUSE key as a shortcut to initiate the End of Day Clean procedure.
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Use the SLEW key to move the gantry along the table on the X axis (front to back).
Press the LOAD/UNLOAD key to prepare the printer for loading or unloading material. When Rigid is selected the table vacuum is enabled or disabled when pressing LOAD/UNLOAD depending on its current state. The LOAD/UNLOAD key also can be used in conjunction with the PAUSE key to turn on the table vacuum whenever desired, without the gantry returning to the home position. For printers equipped with the Roll-to-Roll option: When Roll-toRoll is selected, the roll-to-roll vacuum is enabled or disabled depending on its current state. When in Roll-to-Roll mode the user is given the option of turning the vacuum on after the job is received (if it is currently disabled.)
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Product Overview The ROLL TO ROLL key is not active for printers without the rollto-roll option. Press the ROLL TO ROLL key to begin the loading sequence for rolled material. Press again to toggle the selection between Single and Continuous printing. The LED lights indicating the choice. The gantry moves into position near the roll-toroll assembly. The operator loads and aligns the material and adjusts the hold-down devices. The material is ready for printing.
Press the FLAT BED key to begin the loading sequence for rigid material. The Flat LED lights. Operator loads and aligns the material and adjusts the sliding UV shield. The operator turns on the flat bed vacuum using the LOAD/UNLOAD key. The material is ready for printing.
Press the MENU key to enter the menu system of the printer. This is not normally required for printing but provides access to printer Status, Setup, Calibration, and Maintenance menus.
Press the INK LEVEL key to display the Ink Level screen which graphically shows the estimated amount of ink remaining in each pouch.
The Ink Level LED is solidly lit when the ink level of any pouch is low. The LED blinks when a pouch is empty.
Pressing the FLAT BED key a second time enables full-bleed printing. Flat is the default mode at printer start-up and the only mode available for flatbed-only printers.
Front Panel Key Short Cuts
Key Short Cut CLEAN HEADS and PAUSE LOAD/UNLOAD and PAUSE RUN JOB and PAUSE RUN JOB, LEFT, and PAUSE
Purpose Start END OF DAY CLEAN procedure Toggle table vacuum on/off Start NOZZLE OUT built-in test job Start ANGLED NOZZLE built-in test job
Power-up functions There are several keyboard shortcuts that can be used at printer power-up. See the following pages for detail instructions on their use. Reset the system to factory defaults (see page 132). Force the system into bootloader mode (see page 160). Run a control panel screen test (see page 180).
Exploring the printer's menu system The printer's menu system displays on the control panel screen and is used for printer status, setup, calibration and maintenance. This menu system is not necessary for day-to-day operation of the Gerber Solara ion. When navigating through the sub-menus, an icon displays on the bottom right corner of the screen to indicate your location within the menu structure. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Status Major sub-menus from the menu system are briefly described below. Tip: For a graphical representation of the printer's menu structure, refer to the appendix at the end of this manual.
Status The Status section of the printer's menu displays the printer's Firmware Version.
Setup The Setup section of the printer's menu provides access to UV lamp controls as well as displaying the Network Configuration settings. To change the network settings, you must use the Gerber Solara ion web pages. See the “Network Settings” on page 129 for detailed instructions. Lamp Delay mode allows the user to set the UV lamps to remain on for 10 minutes after completing a job when printing in Flat Bed or single Roll-to-Roll mode. Lamp Spec mode is a special UV lamp setting that may be helpful for certain materials that need extra heat to cure ink. Lamp Spec mode activates the UV lamps at a higher temperature than normal and warms the material prior to the start of the job. Large Field mode improves the print quality of large solid areas of color, especially light blue or green. Once Large Field is enabled it remains active until disabled by the operator. Large Field can also be controlled from the System Settings web page. See page 64 for more information. IP Address Subnet Mask DHCP (not currently active, for future use) MAC Address
Calibration The Calibration section of the printer's menu provides access to Park Position Cal as well as a number of Test Jobs. Test Jobs Nozzle Out Job Angled Nozzle Job 360 Horizontal Align Job 720 Horizontal Align Job Mechanical Align Job 4/29/10 Rev G
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Print Position Job Park Position Cal to calibrate the park position of the printhead carriage.
Maintenance The Maintenance section of the printer's menu allows access to printhead maintenance functions including: Clean Heads to clear the printheads by pushing a small quantity of ink through the nozzles. At the beginning and end of each day, after every four hours of printing and after two hours or more of idle time you must clean the printheads. See page 84. End of Day Clean procedure must be done at the end of each print day. See page 86. Purge to remove air from the ink lines by pushing a large quantity of ink through the nozzles. See page 102. Inspect Nozzles to view and clean the area around the printheads. See page 88. Clear Ink Lines used by a Gerber technician to remove all ink from the printer. See page 106. Fill Ink Lines to initially load ink when the system is new or after ink has been removed from the system. See page 109.
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The Gerber Solara ion web pages The Gerber Solara ion has an onboard interface program that can be accessed directly from any connected computer via an internet browser (such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 or higher or Mozilla Firefox® 2.0 or higher). This program can be used to check on the printer's current status, ink status, view or change system and network settings, view message logs, assist in diagnostics, and to install new firmware. To access the web pages you will need the following: A user computer with an internet browser either directly connected to the machine or connected to a network which is connected to the machine. (See the section “Networking the Solara ion” for more information). The computer does not have to be connected to the internet to access the printer web pages. The printer’s IP Address which can be viewed in the Setup section of the printer menu. Enter the IP Address as the web address in the internet browser. For detailed information on using the Gerber Solara ion web pages, see “Using the Gerber Solara ion web pages” beginning on page 78.
Starting and stopping the printer The power switch is located on the left side of the printer. Ethernet connections are located under the printer near the power switch. When the power switch is turned on the Gerber Solara ion will automatically initiate the following procedures during the initial startup: Firmware startup and internal diagnostics. (The working icon displays.) Check ink levels and fill as needed. Printhead moves to the home position within the gantry. Gantry moves to the home position at the far front of the printer. The firmware version displays. The Printer Ready message displays. The Clean Heads LED blinks as a reminder to run the clean heads procedure. Gerber recommends that you leave the Gerber Solara ion powered on at all times. Do not turn the printer off, even for extended periods of down time. If the printer will not be in use for longer than two weeks, you must follow the special procedures described in “Shutting down the printer to more than two weeks” on page 114.
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Firmware startup and internal diagnostics When the Gerber Solara ion is powered on the internal firmware starts up just like a computer. The control panel screen displays the name of the printer and the firmware version that is currently installed. The printer then proceeds with a series of internal diagnostics to test the operation of various components including sensors, fans, ink system, lamps and network connections. If there are any internal issues, a message displays after the startup sequence is complete. See “Messages” on page 174.
Automatic ink level check The printer checks the ink levels in each of the four ink reservoirs. If any of the reservoirs is low, the printer will automatically fill them upon startup. If an ink pouch is less than 25% full the Ink Level LED lights to indicate that a pouch needs to be replaced soon. See “Loading the Inks” on page 39.
Automatic printhead cleaning check The printer blinks the Clean Heads LED indicating that you should run the clean heads sequence which pushes a small quantity of ink through the nozzles to clear them. At the beginning and end of each day, after every four hours of printing and after two hours or more of idle time you must clean the printheads. See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
Sleep/Idle mode After 10 minutes of idle time When the Solara ion is idle for 10 minutes it will automatically go into idle mode. When in idle mode, the UV lamps, vacuum blowers, and roll-to-roll fans turn off and the gantry rises to its home position. During the first two hours of idle mode, the printer will maintain proper printhead temperature and spit ink every 10 minutes to ensure that the printer is prepared to print. After two hours of idle time When the printer has been idle for two hours, the printer enters sleep mode and the printhead heaters automatically turn off and the printer ceases to spit ink. The Clean Head LED blinks to indicate that you should perform the Clean Heads sequence before printing. Press any key to reactivate the printer. The Printer Ready screen (or the last screen active when the unit entered sleep mode) displays. The Clean Heads LED should be blinking indicating that the head cleaning sequence is recommended. Every thirty minutes when the printer is in sleep mode the Gerber Solara ion automatically reestablishes vacuum pressure to ensure that no excess ink drips from the printheads.
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Emergency Stop There are two emergency stop button located on either end of the gantry. Press either button to immediately shut down the UV lamps and abort printing.
The screen flashes the following Emergency Stop message: Emergency Stop
! Maintenance shelf and head access door emergency stop Opening the maintenance shelf or the head access door will also cancel a job which is printing. Use care when accessing either of these areas. When any of these actions causes an emergency stop, a message displays asking the operator to Check the Shelf, Access Door or E-Stops. Check the Shelf, Access Door or Press ENTER when done
Once the operator has corrected the condition and pressed ENTER, the motors of the printer perform a homing sequence. Note: If the power is restored or the condition corrected before the Check Shelf, Access Door, or EStop message displays, the printer displays a Motor Power Cycled! message. CAUTION: During maintenance procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning.
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Chapter 3: Setting up the Gerber Solara ion
This chapter describes general information on setting up your Gerber Solara ion including how to connect the printer to the network and how to configure your computer and printer to communicate with each other.
Networking your Gerber Solara ion printer The Gerber Solara ion is a network device and your computer must have a 100/1000 Mbps auto-switch network interface board installed to communicate with the printer. Gerber supplies a CAT 5E Ethernet cables to connect the printer to the network or for direct connection to a computer. (The Gerber Solara ion is also compatible with a CAT 6 Ethernet cable.) Tip: If your computer is not on a network you can create your own network with a separately purchased network switch and connect one or more devices to your computer. Your computer must have a 100/1000 Mbps auto-switch network interface board and you will need to obtain a 100/1000 Mbps Ethernet switch with several ports. Use straight-through Category 5E or Category 6 Ethernet cables with RJ45 connectors: one to connect the Gerber Solara ion to the switch, and one to connect the computer to the switch. The Ethernet switch, network interface board, and additional cables are readily available at local computer stores. Tip: When a live network cable is plugged into the computer, the RJ45 jack LED will light.
Setting fixed (static) network addresses When the Gerber Solara ion arrives from the factory, it is set to use fixed (static) network addresses. You will need to obtain and assign the correct addresses in order for the computer to be able to communicate with the printer. The static network addresses are set in the Network Settings web page. If necessary, you will also configure your computer's IP Address and Subnet Mask as described in “Setting the IP Address and Subnet Mask of your Computer” on page 33. The IP Address of the computer and Gerber Solara ion should be unique. The Subnet Mask should be identical for the computer and the printer. In a single LAN environment leave the Gateway address as the default setting (000.000.000.000) CAUTION: Use care when entering addresses for the equipment. Entering incorrect addresses could damage the network. In a large existing network, obtain the correct addresses for the computer and the Gerber Solara ion from the network administrator or IT professional.
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CAUTION: The device ID number (last octet or last two octets depending on the type of network) of each device's IP Address must be unique. It can not be the same address as any other computer or equipment in the network or it will cause problems for the network. Note: You must power-cycle the system after changing the settings in the NETWORK SETTINGS web page in order for them to take effect. Tip: The default settings of the Gerber Solara ion are: IP Address: 192.168.000.050, Gateway: 000.000.000.000, and Subnet: 255.255.255.000.
To set the network addresses of the Gerber Solara ion 1 Open a web browser on a computer connected to the Gerber Solara ion. (The internet connection does NOT have to be active.) 2 Enter the IP address for the specific Gerber Solara ion that you wish to access as a web address in the web browser. (Do not use any slashes or colons.) 3 Press Enter and the Home page should appear on your web browser. There are links on the Home page that connect you to other Gerber Solara ion web pages. 4 Click the Network Settings link to open the Network Settings page.
5 Enter an IP Address of the Gerber Solara ion in the field.
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6 Enter a Subnet Mask address in the field. The default Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.000 is normally acceptable for most networks. The Subnet Mask should be the same for the computer and the printer. 7 Enter a Gateway address in the field. The Gateway address can be left at the default setting of 000.000.000.000 in a single LAN environment. If you are connected across multiple LANs, contact your network administrator for the correct address. 8 Click the Change Settings button to accept the new values. 9 The printer prompts you power-cycle the system in order for it to update and utilize the newly entered values.
Setting the IP Address and Subnet Mask of your computer When using Fixed network settings, the default IP address of the Gerber Solara ion is 192.168.000.050 and the default Subnet mask is 255.255.255.000. The following procedure uses 192.168.000.001 for the computer's IP address and 255.255.255.000 for the Subnet mask. Use the procedure that matches your configuration: Windows® Vista or Windows XP. CAUTION: Use care when entering addresses for the equipment. Entering incorrect addresses could damage the network. In a large existing network, obtain the correct addresses for the computer and the Gerber Solara ion from the network administrator or IT Professional.
To set the IP Address and Subnet Mask for Windows Vista or Windows 7 Note: You must be logged on as an Administrator to configure network settings in Windows Vista or Windows 7. 1 Click Start > Control Panel to open the Control Panel dialog box. Your display might look different if you are in Classic View. You can switch between Classic and Category View under Control Panel Home on the left side of the window.
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3 Click Network and Sharing Center.
4 Click the Manage network connections task on the left side of the screen to open the Network Connections screen.
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5 Right click the Local Area Connection and choose Properties to display the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box.
6 Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click Properties. The following dialog box displays.
7 Choose Use the following IP address to activate the address fields. 8 Enter 192.168.0.1 for the IP address of your computer. 9 Press Tab to automatically enter the correct Subnet Mask (255.255.255.0). 10 Do not enter a Default Gateway if using direct connection, or unless instructed by your network administrator. 11 Click OK to save the settings and exit the Properties dialog box.
To set the IP Address and Subnet Mask for Windows XP 1 Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. 2 Double-click the Network Connections icon. 3 Double-click the Local Area Connections icon to open the Local Area Connections Properties dialog box. 4/29/10 Rev G
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4 Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in the list. 5 Click Properties to open the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box.
6 Click Use the following IP address: 7 Enter 192.168.0.1 for IP Address. 8 Press Tab to automatically enter the correct Subnet Mask (255.255.255.0). 9 Do not enter a Default Gateway if using direct connection, or unless instructed by your network administrator. 10 Click OK to save the settings and exit the Properties dialog box.
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Checking network connections You can check the network connections to be sure that the computer and Gerber Solara ion can communicate. If you experience any difficulty with network communications, disconnect and reconnect the network cables to ensure that they are seated properly before continuing. Tip: When a live network cable is plugged into the computer, the RJ45 jack LED will light.
To check network connections 1 In Windows XP click Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to open the Command Prompt window. The display shows C:\WINDOWS where C is the letter of your hard drive. In Windows Vista and 7 click the Start button , and then click All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to open the Command Prompt window. The display shows C:\WINDOWS where C is the letter of your hard drive. 2 Type ping followed by the IP address of the Gerber Solara ion and press enter. Do not type any leading zeros that may be in the address. For example, to test a Gerber Solara ion connected directly to a computer you would type: ping 192.168.0.50
3 If the network connection is working you will see a reply from the Gerber Solara ion network address Reply from 192.168.0.50 bytes=32 Time<1Oms TTL=225. (Your IP address and time may vary.) If there is a problem with the network connection you will see the message Destination host unreachable. Check that the network cables are properly attached and that you have entered the correct IP Address, Network Mask and Gateway.
Viewing the current network settings You can view the current network settings (IP Address and Subnet Mask) and the factory assigned MAC (media access control) address for the Gerber Solara ion on through the printer’s Menu system. You can only view the network settings in the printer’s Menu system. To change settings, use the Gerber Solara ion web pages. See “Network Settings” on page Error! Bookmark not defined..
To view the current network settings in the Menu system Note: The following screens are examples only; your settings may be different. 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
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2 Press the or key until the Setup screen displays. Press ENTER to display Lamp Delay screen. Setup
3 Press ENTER to display the IP Address screen. IP Address 192.168.0.50 4 Press the or key to display the rest of the network settings including Subnet Mask, DHCP, and MAC Address. Note: DHCP is currently disabled and is reserved for future use.
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.000
DHCP Disabled MAC Address 00-50-C2-2D-34-58
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Chapter 4: Loading Inks and Materials
This chapter describes how to load the four GerberCAT ink colors and install both flexible and rigid material into the Gerber Solara ion.
Loading the inks CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear goggles to protect your eyes. CAUTION: Do not disassemble the ink pouches. When handling ink pouches and waste ink, be careful that the ink does not get on your skin. If ink gets on your skin, wash your skin with mild soap and water for 15 minutes. Seek medical attention if symptoms occur. CAUTION: If your clothing comes in contact with uncured ink, remove any contaminated clothing and wash them separately with soap and water. CAUTION: If ink gets in your eyes, immediately rinse your eyes with copious amounts of water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention immediately. CAUTION: Waste ink, empty pouches, used swabs, wipes and gloves must be disposed according to local laws and regulations. Consult the MSDS sheets and local codes for proper disposal. Gerber Solara ion uses four GerberCAT ink colors: Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K), supplied in one liter pouches. The ink pouches are installed in color-coded ink drawers that fill the four internal reservoirs. Gerber Solara ion monitors ink usage and tracks the level in the ink pouches and ink reservoirs. Pouches can be removed and replaced during printing and do not have to be empty when removed and can be reinstalled later. Inks should be replaced when they are past the “Use by” date noted on the pouch whether or not they are installed in the Gerber Solara ion.
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CAUTION: You should not open the ink drawer more than 10 times per pouch as excessive opening and closing can damage the pouch and cause ink leakage in the drawer. Use care when closing ink drawers; they have sensitive sensors which can cause errors when handled roughly.
Checking the ink level Press the INK LEVEL key on the control panel to display the graphical Ink Level screen to view the status of the ink pouches. In the following example the Cyan (C) is 75% full; Magenta (M) is full; Yellow (Y) is 25% full; and the Black (K) pouch is empty and needs to be replaced. Press CANCEL to return to the Printer Ready screen. Ink Level Note: All ink levels are approximate. C
M
Y
K
Replacing ink pouches when ink remains in the reservoir When a pouch level is low, the Ink Level LED is solidly lit on the Gerber Solara ion control panel indicating that you will need to replace the pouch soon. The Ink Level LED blinks when a pouch is empty. Pouches can be replaced while a job is printing. The printer will continue to print as long as the ink in the reservoir remains above the low level. You may wish to replace a partially empty pouch with a full pouch before printing a large job. Partial pouches can be reinstalled for use later. Receiving an “INK Empty – Replace Pouch” message Occasionally you may get an “INK Empty – Replace Pouch” after replacing an empty pouch. Check to ensure that you installed the pouch correctly, and then you may update the amount without opening and closing the drawer again. For example you can now select “No Change” without having to open and close drawer. If the “INK Empty – Replace Pouch” message continues to display after several attempts to update the pouch amount, seek technical assistance. Always print a Nozzle Out test print after getting the “INK Empty – Replace Pouch” message. If you were printing a job prior to receiving the message you can continue printing as long as the Nozzle Out test print looks good. If you were performing a maintenance procedure such as a head clean or purge, assume that the procedure did not complete correctly. Repeat the maintenance procedure after replacing the pouch and then print a Nozzle Out test print to ensure that the printheads are functioning well. If necessary repeat the maintenance procedure until the test print is acceptable.
To replace an ink pouch CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used swabs, wipes, and gloves according to local laws and regulations. 4/29/10 Rev G
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1 Open the color-coded ink pouch drawer located on the side of the Gerber Solara ion. You should not open the ink drawer more than 10 times per pouch as excessive opening and closing can damage the pouch and cause ink leakage in the drawer CAUTION: Do not attempt to open the ink pouch door when the printer is actively printing and the gantry is moving towards the drawer. If the gantry is within 4" (10.16cm) of the drawer, the printer will stop and abort the job to avoid the gantry contacting the open drawer when printing.
2 Unsnap the spout from the drawer clip and remove the pouch. (The pouch does not have to be completely empty and can be reinstalled later.) 3 Wipe up any dripped or spilled ink from the bottom of the ink drawer with an allpurpose wipe and dispose of wipe according to local laws and regulations. It is normal to have drips of ink from the ink pouch located in the drawer above. CAUTION: Always match the color of the ink pouch to the color-coded ink drawer. 4 Place a new ink pouch in the ink drawer and snap the spout onto the receptacle drawer clip.
CAUTION: Dispose of empty pouches and used wipes according to local laws and regulations. Consult the MSDS and local codes for proper disposal. 5 Close the ink drawer and the control panel screen prompts the user to estimate the amount of ink in the pouch which was just inserted. The choices are No Change, 100% Full, 75% Full, 50% Full, 25% Full, and Low. The default selection is No Change. Note: The screen to choose the amount of ink in the pouch will only display when the printer is in the Printer Ready mode. It will not display while actively printing. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Cyan Ink Pouch Contents: No Change 6 Use the keys to select the appropriate amount and press ENTER to accept. The printer resets the counter that tracks ink usage (unless No Change was selected). The Printer Ready screen displays.
Replacing an ink pouch when the reservoir is empty If the low pouch is not replaced when the Ink Level LED is solidly lit, the reservoir level will eventually fall below the low ink level. When this happens, the Ink Level LED will begin to blink indicating that an ink pouch is near empty. If the pouch is allowed to run completely dry the following screen displays during a job or when an operator attempts to start a new job.
BLACK empty
!
You must replace the empty pouch to continue. The system will begin filling the reservoir as soon as the ink drawer is closed. Printing can commence when the reservoir level exceeds the low sensor. Tip: In the event of an ink reservoir failing to fill, the amount of ink remaining in the pouch is no longer set to zero. The ink pouch status will remain as it was prior to the fill failure.
Loading the material The Gerber Solara ion is a flat bed printer with an optional roll-to-roll configuration. When printing on rigid or flat material you will use the printer's flat bed and vacuum system. The gantry containing the printheads travels along the length (X-axis) of the printer. The printheads move left and right within the gantry along the width (Y-axis). When printing on roll material such as vinyl you can use the roll-to-roll configuration (if so
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equipped), which makes use of both the roll material loader bar and the automatic winder unit. The roll-to-roll configuration uses eight pinch and grit wheels to grip and pull the material through the printer's roll-to-roll assembly. When printing, fans under the material create a vacuum to hold the material firmly against the printer's flat bed or roll-to-roll platen to maintain its position during printing. By choosing either the FLAT BED or ROLL-TO-ROLL key on the control panel, the correct vacuums are enabled when pressing the LOAD/UNLOAD key.
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Printer/graphic orientation It is important to understand the position of the graphic sent from the RIP software and its orientation on the flatbed table. The flatbed portion of the table with the maintenance shelf is considered the front of the printer. Note that the left and right sides of the printer and the graphic are reversed.
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Choosing a material type The Gerber Solara ion is a true flat bed ink jet printer with optional roll-to-roll capabilities which can print on a variety of uncoated materials up to 64" (162.6 cm) wide and 1" (25.4mm) thick. It is versatile enough to meet your graphic needs including outdoor signage, indoor signage, Point of Purchase displays, banners, backlit displays, and reflective signage. Compatible materials are divided into two categories: Roll (which refers to vinyl, banner, textiles, or flag in rolled or sheet versions) Rigid (which refers to a flat substrates including PVC, styrene, corrugated plastic, aluminum, acrylic, glass, MDO, plywood, and sign foam) The material must meet the following standards: Maximum rigid or roll material width is 64" (1.6m/162.6cm). Maximum rigid material thickness is 1" (25.4mm). Maximum rigid material length for the roll-to-roll configuration is 120" (3m/304.8cm). Maximum rigid material length for the flatbed-only configuration is 100" (2.5m/254cm). Maximum rolled material thickness is 0.030" (0.76mm). Minimum rolled material width is 24" (61cm). Minimum sheet size is 12" x 12" (30.5cm x 30.5cm). CAUTION: The Gerber Solara ion does not detect material size (length or width). Material size must be set in the RIP and the user must be careful to load the correct size material to accommodate the job. When printing on roll stock using a printer that is equipped with the roll-to-roll option, there must be a ½" (13mm) border on either side of the job to accommodate the material hold down devices. Take this border into consideration when planning your prints. See “Understanding printing margins” on page 59. Rigid sign blank material must be flat within 0.03" (0.76mm). Warped material may jam in the printer. Material that is bowed downward will scrape the platen. Material that is bowed upward will contact the print carriage. When printing on rigid substrates you have the option of full bleed printing which allows the Gerber Solara ion to print a job larger than the sign blank, resulting in the printed area extending beyond the edges of the material. CAUTION: Incorrect arrangement of boards on the table, or setting the print gap to be greater than 0.110” can result in UV light being reflected into the print heads causing nozzle blockages. These failures are not covered under warranty. In order to ensure print and printer-favorable conditions are met for each print, adhere to the related requirements starting on page 56. Note: It is recommended that you use only Gerber-recommended materials for the Gerber Solara ion. Printer problems that may occur due to use of materials other than those 4/29/10 Rev G
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recommended by Gerber are not covered by the Gerber Solara ion warranty. See the Gerber web site, www.gspinc.com, for a complete list of recommended materials.
Normalizing material The size of material can change depending on the temperature and/or humidity of the working environment. For the best color-to-color and print-to-cut registration, “normalize” the material in the working environment for at least 24 hours before printing. If the substrate has been stored in a location with temperature and humidity that is far beyond the recommended range for the Gerber Solara ion, or for the substrates themselves, be aware that substrates deep within a stack of material may take longer to normalize than the surface pieces.
Cleaning material Substrate manufacturers provide important information on usage, storage, cleaning, and disposal, as well as application tips for their materials. Review these documents and follow the instructions before printing. Note: It is possible to turn on the table vacuum to hold material for cleaning purposes without the gantry moving to the table origin. To do so, depress and hold down the PAUSE key while additionally depressing the LOAD/UNLOAD key. Cleaning rigid substrates Some substrates such as corrugated plastic, polycarbonate, expanded PVC, and painted aluminum require cleaning prior to printing to remove dust or debris which is often attracted by static electricity.
To clean rigid material 1 Liberally spray a lint-free cloth with IP surface cleaner or 99% isopropyl alcohol until the cloth is saturated. Note: Gerber does NOT recommend using 60% rubbing alcohol, 70% isopropyl alcohol, or other common cleaners because they may leave a residual film on the substrate. 2 Wipe the substrate in a fluid motion in one direction, pushing the dirt off the edge of the substrate. The alcohol should be apparent on the surface. 3
Do not wipe the substrate using a circular motion which can result moving the dirt around into swirled patterns which may be visible after printing.
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4 Wait until the cleaning solution fully evaporates before loading or printing on the substrate. Complete evaporation of the solution may take several minutes to several hours. Refer to the substrate’s product bulletin for specific instructions.
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Cleaning rolled material Flexible substrates are both rolled and sheet materials of many types including vinyl, banner, paper and textiles. Due to the variety of flexible substrates, Gerber recommends following the manufacturer’s specifications for storage and cleaning. Following are instructions for preparing vinyl for printing. Note: Only use blank un-printed material or slew the used roll material beyond the printed area before beginning the job.
To clean vinyl CAUTION: Never clean vinyl material with alcohol, only clean vinyl with distilled water. 1 Wipe the vinyl material with a clean, lint-free cloth moistened with distilled water. Allow the material to dry completely before printing. 2 Prior to loading material into the printer, wipe the ends of the roll with a tack cloth to remove any dirt or dust.
Using material hold-down devices for roll material When equipped with the roll-to-roll option, the Gerber Solara ion comes with two material hold-down devices for vinyl and other non-rigid materials. Position the hold-down devices over the edges of the roll material for optimum printer performance and to keep your roll material from curling and jamming. Slide the hold-down devices along the grooves in the platen to move them. First, locate the right hold-down at the right edge of the printer. Slide the material under the hold-down so that it covers ¼” (6mm) of the material. Position the left hold-down until it covers ¼” (6mm) of the left edge of the material. Right hold down device
Left hold down device
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Adjusting the UV shield for rigid material The Gerber Solara ion comes with a sliding UV shield that protects the printer from overexposure to UV light. Material hold-down devices are not required for rigid material. Once the rigid material is loaded on the flat bed, grasp the sliding UV shield by the handle and position it so that the right edge of the handle aligns with the right edge of the rigid material. The shield is not used to help hold down the material when printing, but to protect the printer against over-exposure to UV light. The UV shield can move up and down the entire length of the carriage gantry to adjust to varying material widths.
Line up this edge of sliding UV shield handle with right edge of material.
Loading roll material in the Roll-to-Roll configuration Roll material refers to rolled or flexible sheet material. The rolled or sheet material can be made of many different materials as long as it is qualified for use with the Gerber Solara ion. When printing on roll material it is recommended that you use the optional roll-to-roll configuration which includes a winder. Using rolled material effectively involves the following steps: Loading roll material onto a material roller Loading roll material into the printer Loading and removing material from the winding unit Note: The Gerber Solara ion does not detect material size (length or width). Material size must be set in the RIP and the user must be careful to load the correct size material to accommodate the job. The smallest acceptable roll material width is 24"(61cm).
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Using the material roller When loading roll material onto a material roller, place the roll on a flat surface. Never load a roll of material onto a roller standing on end as it can damage the material and the roller. CAUTION: Material rolls can be heavy. Maximum roll weight is 100 lbs./45.36 Kg. Take care when lifting and loading the material rolls. CAUTION: Be careful not to pinch your fingers in the roll feed system when loading the material.
To load roll material onto the material roller 1 Remove the material supply axle from the assembly and then remove the left core flange from the axle.
Core flange
Thumbscrew
2 Lay the roll of material on a flat horizontal surface and insert the material supply axle into the roll. Insert the axle until the material tube fits firmly against the fixed right core flange. Note: Make sure that the material is properly oriented when inserting the roller so that the material enters the printer print side up. From the back of the printer, the adjustable flange will be at the left end of the roll. 3 Insert the left core flange onto the axle until it fits firmly against the material tube. 4 Tighten the white thumbscrew to hold the flange in place. Do not over-tighten the thumbscrew. 5 Standing at the roll-to-roll end of the printer, hold the material roll loaded on the roller with the adjustable flange to the left and place it on the printer. Note: The material on the supply roll must not be slack to insure proper media feed. Re-roll around the supply roll if necessary. Also check the tension on the feed roll brake.
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Loading roll material into the printer When loading the roll material the hold-down devices keep the edges of the material from curling or interfering with carriage motion. The following procedure applies to both sheet and roll-fed material. Note: The Gerber Solara ion does not detect material size (length or width). Material size must be set in the RIP and the user must be careful to load the correct size material to accommodate the job. The smallest acceptable roll material width is 24"(61cm). Note: You cannot slew the material in the reverse direction (down) when roll-to-roll printing.
To load roll material into the printer 1 The sliding UV shield is not required for roll-to-roll printing. Grasp the handle and slide the shield all the way to the right to its home position. 2 Press the ROLL-TO-ROLL key on the control panel. The Roll-to-Roll Single LED lights, the system beeps three times, and the gantry moves into the loading position approximately 12" (30.5cm) from the roll-to-roll assembly. The Printer Ready screen displays when the movement is complete. 3 Open the pinch wheels by pushing down on the material load lever to open the pinch wheels. 4 For rolled material, feed the material around the dancer bar and over the roll-to-roll platen. Feed the leading edge of the material between the pinch wheels and the grit wheels.
Dancer Bar
5 Align the material to the material guidelines on the roll-to-roll platen. 6 Close the pinch wheels by pulling up on the material load lever. 7 Press the LOAD/UNLOAD key on the control panel to prepare the printer for printing. The vacuums are turned on or off depending on their current state. If the rollto-roll vacuum is turned off, you can enable it after the job is received at the printer. See "Printing a single Roll-to-Roll or Flat Bed job” on page 69. 4/29/10 Rev G
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8 The right edge of the material should be approximately ¼" (6mm) underneath the right hold-down which is located at the far right edge of the platen.
Right material hold-down device
Slide the left hold-down so that it is ¼" (6mm) over the material to ensure that the material does note curl or bend during printing.
Left material hold-down device
9 If you are using the winding unit for roll stock, continue with the procedure “Using the winding unit.”
Using the winding unit Some printers are equipped with the optional roll feed/take-up roll system which maintains proper positioning of the material during printing. Due to the UV-curable technology there are no pre- or post-heaters required to dry inks. Printed material may be immediately wound onto a take-up roll making unattended operation possible. Once material is loaded, the winding unit operates automatically during printing. A material sensor monitors the length of printed material and activates the winding unit as required. When
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the printed material loop passes in front of the sensor, the winding unit turns on and winds the excess material onto the take-up roll.
To load material on the winding unit 1 If the winder has been previously activated it may attempt to wind the material while you are trying to tape it onto the roller. Press and hold the winder switch for two seconds in either direction (Wind or Unwind) to disable the automatic winding mechanism.
Winder switch
2 Press the slew key on the control panel to move the roll material until it is near the take up roll. Note: You can not slew the material backward/down through the roll-to-roll mechanism. 3 Secure the material to the take-up roll with tape, attaching the material to the roll in the center first, and then at either end. 4 Press the winder switch in either direction to activate the winder. 5 Continue printing as normal. The material will form a loose loop when printing. The winding unit automatically activates when the loop of material passes in front of the sensors. When the slack material is wound around the take-up roll, the winding unit automatically stops.
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Removing material from the winding unit and printer The optional Roll-to-Roll system is equipped with a cut-off blade groove along the width of the platen for easy removal of printed material from the supply roll.
Cut-off blade groove
To unload roll material from the winder and printer 1 Using a hand-held cut-off blade in the blade groove (or a pair of scissors), carefully cut the printed material off of the supply roll. You can cut off the material using a handheld XACTO® knife in the cut-off groove which is located along the width of the rollto-roll platen. 2 Use the forward/up slew key to move the printed material through the printer. Note: You can not slew the material backward/down through the roll-to-roll mechanism. 3 Press the LOAD/UNLOAD key on the control panel to turn off the Roll-to-Roll vacuum fans. 4 To remove the print from the take-up roll, press and hold the winder switch in the unwind direction until the taped edge of the print is visible. (Pressing and holding the switch disarms the automatic winding control.) 5 Un-tape the printed material from the take-up roll. 6 Manually wind up the remaining rolled media onto the supply roll core. 7 To remove the unprinted material from the supply axle, remove it from the printer and set it on a flat surface. 8 Loosen the thumbscrew and remove the left core flange from the material supply axle. 9 Remove the rolled media from the right core flange and off of the material supply axle. 10 Reinstall the left core flange onto the supply axle and return the axle to its position on the printer.
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Loading rigid material When printing on rigid or flat material you will use the printer's flat bed. Gerber recommends that you properly prepare the material by making sure it contains no rough edges and that the surface to be printed on has been wiped clean of any dust and debris. See “Cleaning material” on page 46. Rigid sign blank material must be flat within 0.03" (0.76mm). Warped material may jam in the printer. Material that is bowed downward will scrape the platen. Material that is bowed upward will contact the print carriage. If the material has curled edges that are not pulled against the table with the vacuum, use a light adhesive tape to secure the material to the table and prevent head strikes or damage to the gantry. When the printer is equipped with the optional roll-to-roll unit you can print jobs up to 10' (304.8cm) long. However, when printing materials in excess of 9' (274.3cm), in which a portion of the media comes to rest on the roll-to-roll platen, we highly recommend that you reinforce the platen vacuum by taping down the last foot of rigid material. This will keep materials from bowing at the roll-to-roll end and prevent the possibility of head strikes that could ruin the job or the printheads. For jobs shorter than 9' (274.3cm) with a printer equipped with a roll-to-roll unit, or shorter than 100" (2.5m/254cm) when using a flatbed-only printer, the material will rest fully on the table, therefore no tape is necessary unless there are curled material edges. You may use a light adhesive tape to secure the edges of material to the table and prevent head strikes or damage to the gantry. There are no extra precautions necessary when printing long jobs using the roll-toroll configuration. Note: The Gerber Solara ion does not detect material size (width or length). Material size must be set in the RIP. When loading material, you must verify that there is sufficient material for the completion of the job.
To load material into the printer 1 Use the LOAD/UNLOAD key to ensure that the vacuum is off before attempting to load rigid media. Use the slew keys to move the gantry into a position for easy material loading. 2 Press the FLAT BED key on the control panel. The Flat LED lights to indicate the choice. The FLAT BED key on the control panel in on by default when using a flatbedonly printer and the Flat LED is lit to indicate that it is active. Tip: The FLAT BED key toggles between normal Flat Bed mode and full-bleed printing. When the LED blinks, full-bleed is enabled. See page 71 for more information on printing in full-bleed mode. 3 Place the rigid material onto the table and align it to the table origin alignment guidelines which are a series of closely spaced holes along the edges of the table.
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Alignment guidelines
4 Press the LOAD/UNLOAD key to turn on the table vacuums. You can use the auxiliary keypad or the main control panel. If the vacuum does not completely pull down the material, tape the edges of the material to the table using a light adhesive tape. 5 The gantry moves to the front of the system, near the table origin 6 The printer checks the location of the sliding UV shield and prompts you to Slide the UV shield to its parked position if it is not there. Grasp the UV shield handle and slide it all the way to the left. Press ENTER on the keypad when the shield is in the correct position. Slide UV shield to its park
7 The printer automatically measures the material thickness and sets the print gap between the printheads and the material to the proper height. 8 Press ENTER on the control panel to return to the Printer Ready message.
Uniform Print Gap & Elimination of Gap Between Prints CAUTION: Incorrect arrangement of boards on the table, or setting the print gap to be greater than 0.110” can result in UV light being reflected into the print heads causing nozzle blockages. These failures are not covered under warranty. In order to ensure print and printer-favorable conditions are met for each print, adhere to the guidelines outlined in this section. If the material is thicker than 0.035" (0.9mm) it will ask the user to position the sliding UV shield adjacent to the right hand side of the board to prevent UV light reflecting off the table back into the heads. The diagram below shows both the correct and the incorrect use of the shield.
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Carriage Print heads
CORRECT
UV lamps
Carriage motion Reflected UV
UV shield Board
Carriage Print heads
INCORRECT UV lamps Carriage motion Reflected UV UV shield Board
Similarly, avoid arranging boards on the table with gaps. Leaving gaps between boards will result in UV light reflecting back into the print head and causing nozzle blockages. Sacrificial material (waste material) should be used to fill any gaps. Note: Sacrificial material should be the same thickness as the board to be printed. Thicker material might strike the carriage whereas thinner material will allow UV light to reflect back into the print heads. Carriage
INCORRECT
Print heads
UV lamps Carriage motion
UV shield Reflected UV
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CORRECT Carriage Print heads
Reflected UV
Carriage motion
UV lamps
UV shield Board
Sacrificial material Board to be printed
Arrange the boards on the table in order to avoid gaps and prevent reflected UV light by using sacrificial material or butting the boards next to each other. Irregular shapes will need to be used within fitted templates. Any sacrificial material must be the same thickness as the board to be printed. Please see diagram below showing the table as viewed from above: Sacrificial material Board to be printed
INCORRECT
CORRECT Table Front – Viewed from above
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Understanding printing margins Note: The Gerber Solara ion does not detect material size (length or width). Material size must be set in the RIP and the user must be careful to load the correct size material to accommodate the job. The smallest acceptable roll material width is 24"(61cm). CAUTION: Incorrect arrangement of boards on the table, or setting the print gap to be greater than 0.110” can result in UV light being reflected into the print heads causing nozzle blockages. These failures are not covered under warranty. In order to ensure print and printer-favorable conditions are met for each print, adhere to the related requirements starting on page 56. The Gerber Solara ion is able to print on a wide variety of materials at widths ranging from 12" (30.5cm) to 64" (162.6cm). The printing margins vary depending on the type of material used. When using a printer equipped with a roll-to-roll option, the material hold-down devices are installed ¼" (6mm) over the roll (vinyl) material edges to keep the edges from curling during printing. A printing margin of ¼" (6mm) is added from the edge of the shield, making the total margin ½" (12mm) on each side of the material, resulting in a maximum printing width of 63" (160cm) for rolled material. See the detailed illustration that follows. For rigid material, the material hold-down devices are not used and it is possible to print to the edges of rigid material for a maximum print width of 64" (162.6cm).
Rolled material
Left Material Hold-down Device
ROLLED MATERIAL
Total material used in printing margins: 1 inch (25mm)
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½” (12mm) Total Margin
AUTOMATIC PRINTING MARGIN
¼” + ¼” 6mm + 6mm
= =
½” 12mm
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Chapter 5: Printing Jobs on the Gerber Solara ion
This chapter describes how to print jobs on the Gerber Solara ion including choosing the print mode, viewing job information, starting and stopping jobs.
Using RIP software and profiles The quality of the RIP (raster image processing) software can be very important when printing photo-realistic images. Gerber-authorized software has been approved to work with the Gerber Solara ion and Gerber inks and materials. Following is a list of approved software at the time of this manual’s printing. Consult the GSP web site www.gspinc.com for an up-to-date listing. Onyx® ProductionHouse™ Gerber Edition, Onyx PosterShop™ Gerber Edition, ImageRIP™ Plus by Onyx, or Gerber Solara ion Onyx Driver (necessary for existing Onyx RIP owners version 6.5 or higher to ensure compatibility with the printer) ErgoSoft SAi Flexi™ or PhotoPrint™ CADlink SignLab™ Wasatch SoftRIP® Gerber-authorized RIP software employs carefully engineered color profiles to produce crisp images and smooth tonal transitions. Be sure to choose the correct device profile for the material and print quality that you have chosen. Using the wrong device profile can result in shifting colors and unsatisfactory results. If you are using a material that does not have a profile available, use a profile for a similar material. It is recommended that you print a small “test” job to verify the expected results before printing large jobs.
Print mode options The Gerber Solara ion can set to print in several print modes. Refer to the following chart for estimated print speeds and printing direction. Values shown are derived from printing on vinyl material.
Solara ionV Print Modes User Selectable Print Modes
Print Throughput (4' x 8' sheet)
Approximate Print Time (4' x 8' sheet)
360 x 360 Performance (2 Pass, Bidirectional) Performance (2 Pass, Unidirectional) Production (4 Pass, Bidirectional) Production (4 Pass, Unidirectional) High Quality (8 Pass, Bidirectional) Ultra-High Quality (8 Pass, Unidirectional)
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181 ft / hr 125 ft2 / hr 107 ft2 / hr 70 ft2 / hr 55 ft2 / hr 33 ft2 / hr
Print Throughput (4' x 8' sheet)
Approximate Print Time (4' x 8' sheet)
720 x 720 11 min 15 min 18 min 27 min 35 min 58 min
36 ft2 / hr 18 ft2 /hr 9.5 ft2 / hr
53 min 107 min 202 min
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When choosing the print quality, you make a choice of speed vs. quality. The highest quality printing uses the slowest speed. Choosing the correct print quality for the job is dependent on the type of results that you require and the intended viewing distance.
Printer operations There are some behavioral characteristics of the Gerber Solara ion that you should be aware of before printing a job.
UV lamp automatic shut-off or Continuous mode The UV lamps are designed to automatically turn off upon completion of a job. When a printer equipped with the optional Roll-to-Roll unit it can be set to run Roll-to-Roll jobs in Continuous mode. In Continuous mode the lamps remain lit so that the next job can run immediately after it is received. If there is no job in the queue, the lamps and fans will shut down after a delay of 10 minutes. See “Choosing a print mode” on page 67.
Lamp Delay mode Lamp Delay mode allows the user to set the UV lamps to remain on for 10 minutes after completing a job. Lamp Delay mode is set in the Setup section of the printer’s Menu or on the System Settings web page. The default setting is off. Once Lamp Delay mode is activated, pressing the Cancel key will not turn off the lamps. When a user performs a maintenance function the lamps are turned off, but Lamp Delay remains enabled. Lamp Delay can be disabled (and the lamps turned off) in the Setup menu or from the System Settings web page. When Lamp Delay is activated in Flat Bed mode, the gantry parks over the roll-to-roll platen between jobs. When printing in roll-to-roll mode, the gantry will park at the end of the flat bed table. This is to ensure that the UV lamps do not damage any loaded material. Note that when the gantry moves to its park position it may unexpectedly knock off items that may be located there. Do not use the printer as a table to store items. Immediately before printing a job, the lamps will turn off temporarily while the printer is sensing the material height. The lamps will automatically turn back on and there may be a short warm-up cycle. When Lamp Delay mode is activated in Flat Bed or Roll-to-Roll single mode, you must still press the Run Job key in order to start the next job.
To activate Lamp Delay Mode from the printer’s menu 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
2 Press the or key until the Setup screen displays.
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Setup
3 Press ENTER to display the Lamp Delay screen. Lamp Delay ON
OFF
4 Use the arrow keys to select ON and then press ENTER. To disable Lamp Delay, select OFF and then press ENTER.
Lamp Spec mode Lamp Spec mode is a special UV lamp setting that may be helpful for certain materials that need extra heat to cure ink. Lamp Spec mode activates the UV lamps at a higher temperature than normal and warms the material for 45-60 seconds prior to the start of the job. The lamp warm-up cycle is longer when the printer is set to Lamp Spec mode. Lamp Spec mode is set in the Setup section of the printer Menu or on the System Settings web page. The default setting for Lamp Spec Mode is Normal. Note: Lamp Spec mode may or may not increase the curing success of some materials. Gerber suggests using Gerber-qualified materials for the best results.
To activate Lamp Spec mode from the printer’s menu 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
2 Press the or key until the Setup screen displays. Setup
3 Press ENTER to display the Lamp Delay screen. 4 Press the or key until the Lamp Spec Mode screen displays, and then press ENTER. Lamp Spec Mode Normal
High
5 Use the arrow keys to select High and then press ENTER. To disable Lamp Spec Mode, select Normal and then press ENTER. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Large Field mode Large Field located in the Setup menu improves the print quality of large solid areas of color, especially light blue or green. By default, Large Field is disabled and the printer is set to normal mode which enhances details and small text in a print. Once Large Field is enabled it remains active until disabled by the operator. Large Field mode can also be set on the System Setting web page.
To activate Large Field mode from the printer’s menu 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
2 Press the or key until the Setup screen displays. Setup
3 Press ENTER to display the Lamp Delay screen. 4 Press the arrow keys until the Large Field screen displays and then press ENTER. Large Field: On
Off
5 Use the arrow keys to select On and then press ENTER. To disable Large Field mode, select Off and then press ENTER.
Step Blending mode Step Blending located in the Setup menu improves the print quality of images and text by hiding excess banding in the x-axis. By default, Step Blending is disabled. Once step Blending is enabled it remains active until disabled by the operator. Step Blending can also be set on the System Setting web page.
To activate Step Blending mode from the printer’s menu 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
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Setup
3 Press ENTER to display the Lamp Delay screen. 4 Press the arrow keys until the Step Blending screen displays and then press ENTER. Step Blending: On
Off
5 Use the arrow keys to select On and then press ENTER. To disable Step Blending mode, select Off and then press ENTER.
X Gantry Adjustment X Gantry Adjustment is located on the Calibration web page and improves the print quality of images and text for a specific mode (2Pass, 4Pass, 8Pass) when values are adjusted accordingly. A drop-down box for each mode contains factors ranging from -10 to +10. Each whole number represents ¼ pixel adjustment.
To utilize X Gantry Adjustment from the Calibration web page 1 From printer’s main web page, click on “Calibration.” 2 Locate the X Gantry Adjustment ¼ pixel dropdown boxes for 2-Pass, 4-Pass, and 8Pass modes. Click on the dropdown box arrow for the desired print mode and click on the value required to properly adjust the X axis print output.
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Tip: If print gaps (notable white space between passes) are occurring in the print, choose negative values. If over-printing is occurring (notable dark passes) are occurring in the print, choose positive value.
UV lamp warm-up The lamps are turned on only before starting a job. The UV bulbs require a short warm-up cycle if they are not at the proper operating temperature. When the lamps are in the warm-up phase the progress bar will appear on the screen estimating the amount of time required to warm the lamps to the proper operating temperature. Warm Up -
70%
When they have reached their operating temperature, the cooling fans automatically turn on to maintain the proper temperature. Note: The UV lamps do not require a cool down phase before re-striking.
Sleep/Idle mode After 10 minutes of idle time When the Solara ion is idle for 10 minutes it will automatically go into idle mode. When in idle mode, the UV lamps, vacuum blowers, and roll-to-roll fans turn off and the gantry rises to its home position. During the first two hours of idle mode, the printer will maintain proper printhead temperature and spit ink every 10 minutes to ensure that the printer is prepared to print. After two hours of idle time When the printer has been idle for two hours it goes into sleep mode and the printhead heaters automatically turn off and the printer ceases to spit ink. The Clean Head LED blinks to indicate that you should perform the Clean Heads sequence before printing. Every thirty minutes when the printer is in sleep mode the Gerber Solara ion automatically reestablishes vacuum pressure to ensure that no excess ink drips from the printheads. Press any key to reactivate the printer. The Printer Ready screen (or the last screen active when the unit entered sleep mode) displays. The Clean Head LED should be blinking indicating that the head cleaning sequence is recommended.
Automatic spitting to clear the nozzles Every ten minutes while the printer is active, the Gerber Solara ion clears the printhead nozzles by spitting a small amount of ink in the waste ink tray. If the printer is printing when spitting is scheduled, it pauses at the end of a swipe and moves the carriage to the spitting location and clears the printheads. After spitting, printing resumes.
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When the printer has entered idle mode, it continues to spit for the first two hours. After two hours it ceases to spit ink and you must run the Clean Heads routine upon resuming printing operations.
Cleaning the printheads At the beginning and end of each day, after every four hours of printing, and after two hours of idle time you must clean the printheads. The cleaning routine pushes a small quantity of ink through the printhead nozzle plates to clear them. After the heads are cleaned you must also wipe each printhead using swabs moistened with Daily Maintenance Solution. The Clean All Printheads command is easily accessed using the CLEAN HEADS key on the control panel. See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84 for complete instructions.
Pausing a job due to data starvation If job data is slow to arrive at the printer from the computer, the printer will move the carriage to the home position temporarily while it waits for data. When sufficient data is received, printing will automatically resume. When a job pauses due to slow data reception, the Printing – job name screen displays. Printing - 70% Start 10:22
Duration 20 Min
End 10:42
Some causes of data starvation include: slow computer processing of data, busy network traffic, slow network connection, and excessive processing on the computer during data transmission.
Choosing a print mode for Roll-to-Roll printing There are two modes for printing roll-to-roll jobs: Single and Continuous (Cont.). Print mode selection is controlled by the ROLL-TO-ROLL key on the control panel and is not active on flatbed-only printers. Press the ROLL-TO-ROLL key repeatedly to toggle between Single and Continuous mode.
Single mode Use Single mode to run one job at a time. Single mode allows you to: Change material between jobs Advance the material before the next job After a job prints, the Gerber Solara ion waits for you to begin the next job when it is received at the printer (see “Printing a single job” on page 67). Tip: You can print a job in Single mode to verify printed output, and then switch to Continuous mode to continue printing multiple jobs that you plan to print on the same rolled material.
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without operator initiation when they are received at the printer as long as the printer is in Printer Ready mode. When one job finishes, the next job begins immediately on the same material loaded in the printer. When all jobs that have been sent are completed, the printer waits for another job and begins printing as soon as it is received. (See “Printing multiple Rollto-Roll jobs” on page 71). In continuous mode the operator is not prompted to turn on the platen hold-down vacuum at the start of a job. The operator must turn the vacuum on or off as appropriate using the LOAD/UNLOAD key. At the end of the first job printed in Continuous mode the lamps and vacuum (if it is active) will remain on for 10 minutes to enable the next job to start quickly. If the next job arrives after the 10 minute period the lamps will initiate the warm-up sequence prior to printing. The vacuum does not automatically resume and must be manually turned on using the LOAD/UNLOAD key. Exiting Continuous mode (by either choosing Single or Flat Bed) automatically turns off the lamps and vacuum if they are currently on. If a job does not start when running in Continuous mode When the Gerber Solara ion is printing in Continuous mode, the next job will not begin if one of the following conditions occurs: The CANCEL key is pressed The printer has been removed from Printer Ready mode, for instance the INK LEVEL key has been pressed An ink pouch needs to be replaced A system error occurs The printer mode is switched from Single to Continuous mode after the job has completed. (The printer checks the mode immediately after a job completes.) If any of the above conditions occur, correct the situation and begin the job manually. The Gerber Solara ion will begin printing when it receives the job as long as there is material loaded and the ink pouches are not empty.
Viewing job information at the printer When a job has been received at the printer and shows the Ready, Warm up, or Printing screen, you can view detailed job information including job size, material type, and material size.
To view job information at the printer 1 Send a job from the RIP software to the printer. When the job is received the printer displays the Ready: job name screen. (Job information is also available when the printer is Ready, Warming, or Printing.) Matl Size: 36" x 48"
0.5" Signfoam
0% Duration 20 Min
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2 Press the key to scroll the job information above the progress bar. When the job information ends the printer returns to the previous screen.
Printing a single Roll-to-Roll or Flat Bed job When printing on rigid or roll-to-roll substrates job setup is quick and easy. The Gerber Solara ion automatically sets the proper lamp height and print gap for the loaded material without user intervention. The distance between the substrate and the printhead is very small and slight variations in material thickness or even wrinkles in masking tape can cause head strikes or damage to the job. When printing on material that has severely curled edges, the vacuum table may not completely pull down the material. Tape the material using a light adhesive tape to the table to prevent head strikes or other damage to the gantry from contact with the material. Ensure that the tape is wrinkle-free. When using the flat bed feature of a printer equipped with the roll-to-roll option, you can print jobs up to 10' (304.8cm) long. However, when printing materials in excess of 9' (274.3cm), in which a portion of the media comes to rest on the roll-to-roll platen, we highly recommend that you reinforce the platen vacuum by taping down the last foot of rigid material. This will keep materials from bowing at the roll-to-roll end and prevent the possibility of head strikes that could ruin the job or the printheads. For jobs shorter than 9' (274.3cm) when using a printer equipped with a roll-to-roll unit, or shorter than 100" (254cm) when using a flatbed-only printer, the material will rest fully on the table, and therefore no tape is necessary unless the material has curled edges. If so, use a light adhesive tape to secure the edges to the table. There are no extra precautions necessary when printing long jobs using the roll-to-roll configuration of the printer. CAUTION: Incorrect arrangement of boards on the table, or setting the print gap to be greater than 0.110” can result in UV light being reflected into the print heads causing nozzle blockages. These failures are not covered under warranty. In order to ensure print and printer-favorable conditions are met for each print, adhere to the related requirements starting on page 56. Note: Rigid sign blank material must be flat within 0.03" (0.76mm). Warped material may jam in the printer. Material that is bowed downward will scrape the platen. Material that is bowed upward will contact the print carriage.
To run a single Roll-to-Roll or Flat Bed job 1 Press the ROLL-TO-ROLL key on the control panel until the Single LED lights, (the ROLL-TO-ROLL key toggles between Single and Cont. mode), or press the FLAT BED key. The ROLL-TO-ROLL key is not active for flatbed-only printers. 2 Load the material in the printer. See the appropriate “Loading the material” sections in Chapter 4. 3 Send the job from your RIP software to the printer. When the job is received at the printer, the screen displays the Ready: job name message and the estimated duration of printing. Press the key to display additional information about the job including 4/29/10 Rev G
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requested material and size. Job information is only available after the job is received and when printing or warming.
Ready - 0% Duration 20 Min
4 When printing in roll-to-roll mode, if the vacuum is currently off, the following message displays giving you the option to turn the vacuum on before printing. Press ENTER to turn on the vacuum and CANCEL to leave the vacuum off. (CANCEL will not abort the job from this screen.) Roll to Roll Vacuum Fans ENTER = Vacuum CANCEL = No
5 Verify that the correct material is loaded in the printer and press the RUN JOB key on the control panel. 6 The screen prompts you to Slide UV shield next to the material if the material is thicker than 0.040". Grasp the UV shield handle and slide the shield until the right edge of the handle is aligned with the right edge of the material. This will properly position the shield in relation to the material so the thickness can be measured. Slide UV shield next to th
Line up right edge or sliding UV shield handle with edge of material.
Tip: If the lamps are not at proper operating temperature the Warm Up screen with progress bar displays. See “UV lamp warm-up” on page 64. 7 The printheads spit to clear the nozzles, and then begins printing the job. The Printing job name screen displays. Printing - 70% Start 10:22
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8 As the job prints, the job status line scrolls to display additional job information and the progress bar updates. Every 10 minutes while the printer is on, the Gerber Solara ion clears the printhead nozzles by spitting ink in the waste ink tray. If the printer is actively printing, it pauses at the end of a swipe, moves carriage to the spitting location and clears the nozzles. After spitting, printing resumes. 9 After completing the job, the Job Complete message displays, the printheads return to the park position, the lamps turn off, and the printer beeps. Job Complete
The screen then displays the Printer Ready message. When the next job is received, you will need to press the RUN JOB key to begin printing.
Media feed adjustment on a Roll-to-Roll job Note: Onyx (or other RIP software) is the only place you should adjust the media feed for Rollto-Roll. This procedure explains the adjustment using Onyx; your RIP software procedure may vary and may use a default overlap value of 10000 rather than 240. If you experience an overlap when printing in Roll-to-Roll mode, you must decrease the number in the media feed adjustment box in Onyx RIP software (or other RIP software). For a gap in Roll-to-Roll, increase the number. It may also be helpful to add a 1" (25.4mm) top offset to the job in Onyx RIP software. The 1" leader makes the overlap more consistent. Adjust the top offset in the Onyx’s Change Media and Placement dialog box under Setup.
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To change the number in the media feed adjustment box 1 In Onyx, go to Media feed > open Media Manager > View Media Library. 2 Pick the profile you want by right clicking on the profile. Click Edit. 3 Click Next > Media Options. Choose the Modify Device Settings check box. 4 The Modify Device Settings box opens.
5 Choose your number in the Media Feed Adjust box: For an existing overlap, decrease the number. For an existing gap, increase the number.
Printing a full bleed Flat Bed job When in FLAT BED mode the Gerber Solara ion has the ability to print full bleed which prints a job which is larger than the sign blank, resulting in the printed area extending beyond the edges of the material. To activate full bleed mode press the FLAT BED key a second time until the LED blinks. Pressing the FLAT BED key toggles between normal rigid printing (steady LED), and full bleed printing (blinking LED). Since printing in full bleed mode extends the job beyond the perimeter of the substrate, protect the printer’s flat bed with tape or other masking material around all four edges of the material to prevent the job from being printed directly on the table. The material used to protect the table should be approximately the same height as the substrate on which you are printing. Thicker material will cause carriage strikes. Thinner masking material is acceptable as long it is within 1/16" (1.6mm) of the substrate thickness. CAUTION: It is imperative that sacrificial material of the same thickness be used around print job to absorb excess ink to avoid damage to the printheads from ink spray and/or reflected UV causing ink cure on printheads. CAUTION: Incorrect arrangement of boards on the table, or setting the print gap to be greater than 0.110” can result in UV light being reflected into the print heads causing nozzle blockages. These failures are not covered under warranty. In order to ensure print and printer-favorable conditions are met for each print, adhere to the related requirements starting on page 56. IMPORTANT: Make sure that thicker materials used to protect the flat bed are firmly secured in place. If the vacuum alone is not enough to hold down the protective materials, then use tape to secure their placement. This will prevent the protective material from shifting during printing. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Tip: If ink does contact the table when printing in full bleed mode, carefully remove the ink with a straight edge razor blade. It should lift off easily if you remove it promptly. The longer the ink remains on the table, the stronger it adheres, and the more difficult it can be to remove. After removing ink, spray the area with isopropyl alcohol and wipe it clean.
Printing double-sided, full-bleed To print double-sided, full bleed jobs 1 Measure the sign blank to make sure that you know the exact height and width of the substrate. In this example the sign blank is exactly 18" (457.2mm) wide and exactly 24" (609.6mm) high.
2 In Onyx RIP-Queue, click Configure Printer. On the Page Sizes tab, click Add to create a new, Custom page size. Enter a width and height that is 0.75" (19.05mm) larger than the exact width and height of sign blank that you measured. In this example the width to enter is 18.75" (476.25mm) and the page height to enter is 24.75" (628.65mm).
3 Either in Onyx (or in your design program), resize the job by 0.75" (19.05mm) in each direction. So an 18" x 24" (457.2mm x 609.6mm) job would be resized to 18.75" x 24.75" (476.25mm x 628.65mm) to allow the printing to go 0.375” (9.52mm) beyond the sign blank on all sides.
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4 Load the sign blank by aligning it to the table alignment marks/holes. Press the Load/Unload button on the printer when finished. 5 In order to protect the job from printing directly on the table, you need to protect the printer’s flat bed with tape and scrap material that is at least 1/2" (12.7mm) wide. Standing in front of the printer, apply masking tape on the front and left side of the printer around the edges of the sign blank. Use scrap material on the right and back sides. Note that the graphic orientation sent from the RIP is opposite the printer orientation. See the illustration on the following page. The scrap material must cover the full width and length of the sign blank so that there are no gaps between the sign blank and the masking tape or scrap material. The scrap material used to protect the table on the sides of sign blank should be approximately the same height as the substrate on which you are printing in order to properly protect the print heads. Thicker scrap material will cause carriage strikes. Thinner scrap material is acceptable as long as it is within 1/16" (1.6mm) of the substrate thickness.
Scrap material Left side of Printer
Masking tape Front of Printer
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6 Using the new page size, send the job to the printer and start printing by pressing the Run Job button in the Solara ion. When the Solara ion asks you to move the UV shield, move the UV shield so that it is aligned with the scrap material, not the substrate’s edge. Note: It is important to align the UV shield with the scrap material so that the printer does not inadvertently print on the shield and result in ink build-up that can cause head strikes.
7 When the first side is complete, flip the sign blank over left to right (if the top of the job is located at the front of the printer as shown in the previous illustration). Place the sign blank in the same location as the first side, completely inside the masking tape and scrap material. Repeat printing on this side. 8 Remove all masking tape and scrap material so that the ink does not build up too high and scratch the heads. Note: The scrap material on the back and right sides of the sign blank should be removed after every job; the masking tape at the edges of the table can be used a few times since it is thinner than the sign blank. Just be sure to remove and replace the tape whenever the ink build up starts to approach the height of (or is higher than) the sign blank on which you are printing.
Printing multiple Roll-to-Roll jobs in Continuous mode Continuous mode lets you run several jobs in Roll-to-Roll mode without having to press Run Job between each one. When one job finishes, the next job begins immediately on the same material loaded in the printer. When all jobs that have been sent are completed, the printer waits for another job and begins printing as soon as it is received. Continuous mode is designed for printing multiple jobs on the same rolled material. In continuous mode the operator is not prompted to turn on the platen hold-down vacuum at the start of a job. The operator must turn the vacuum on or off as appropriate using the LOAD/UNLOAD key. 4/29/10 Rev G
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For complete details on Continuous mode, see “Continuous mode” on page 67.
To print multiple Roll-to-Roll jobs 1 Press the ROLL-TO-ROLL key on the control panel until the Cont. LED lights. The ROLL-TO-ROLL key toggles between Single and Cont. mode. (The ROLL-TO-ROLL key is not active for flatbed-only printers.) 2 Load the material in the printer. See “Loading the material” on page 42. 3 Send the job from your RIP software to the printer. When the job is received at the printer, the screen displays the Ready: job name message and the estimated duration of printing. Press the key to display additional information about the job including requested material and size. Job information is only available after the job is received and while Printing or Warming. Ready - 0% Duration 20 Min
4 Turn on (or off) the vacuum as required for the material being printed using the LOAD/UNLOAD key. 5 Verify that the correct material for all the jobs you wish to print is loaded in the printer and press the RUN JOB key on the control panel. The first job begins printing and the Printing - screen displays. Printing - 70% Start 10:22
Duration 20 Min
1
6 When the job begins to print, the job status line scrolls to display additional job information and the progress bar updates. Every ten minutes while the printer is on it clears the printhead nozzles by spitting ink in the waste ink tray. If the printer is actively printing, it pauses at the end of a swipe and moves carriage to the spitting location and clears the printheads. After spitting, printing resumes. 7 After completing the job, the screen returns to Printer Ready. When the next job is received it will begin printing automatically. If you send another job to the printer while it is actively printing, it will begin as soon as the current job is done. The UV lamps and vacuum (if it is active) remain on for 10 minutes after a job is completed and then will automatically shut off. If the next job arrives after the 10minute period the lamps will initiate the warm-up sequence prior to printing. The vacuum does not automatically resume and must be manually activated using the LOAD/UNLOAD key.
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Canceling a job Cancel a job by pressing the CANCEL key on the control panel. After confirming the cancel the printer stops and the job is cleared from the queue. You can clear other jobs in the queue by pressing the CANCEL key as the jobs are received.
To cancel a job 1 To abort a job, press the CANCEL key while the job is running. The Confirm Cancel Job screen displays. Confirm Cancel Job No
Cancel
2 Press ENTER when Cancel is selected and the Canceled by user screen displays. (If you do not wish to cancel the job, press ENTER when No is selected.) 3 Multiple jobs sent to the printer are cleared one at a time by repeating this procedure as the jobs are received.
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Chapter 6: Routine Printer Maintenance
Regularly performing recommended maintenance tasks will help keep the Gerber Solara ion running at peak performance. This chapter describes required daily, weekly, and monthly printer maintenance. Following is a chart of maintenance terms, their definition and intended usage. See the Regular Preventive Maintenance Chart on page 79 for an overview of all necessary maintenance procedures.
Required routine maintenance supplies Clean Heads procedure supplies Fisher Scientific foam-tipped swabs Anticon® Gold heavy-weight, clean room wipes All-purpose wipes Impervious nitrile gloves at least 8 mils thick Safety glasses
Term
Definition
Intended Usage
Clean Heads Procedure
A small amount of ink is pumped from the pouch through the nozzles. May be referred to as a “prime”.
Routine maintenance. If there are a few missing and/or misfiring nozzles in each head.
Purge
A larger amount of ink is pumped from the pouch through the nozzles and the purge valve.
To remove trapped air in a printhead or if there are many missing nozzles in a specific head. Also used if you are filling an ink line (embedded in the “fill ink line” procedure), or replacing a head or reservoir assembly.
End of Day Clean
Daily Maintenance Solution is swabbed on all heads at the end of the day after all printing is complete.
Printheads are cleaned using Daily Maintenance Solution to remove debris and ensure printhead health overnight.
Periodic Maintenance Process
Daily Maintenance Solution and Gerber Clean Solution are applied followed by a Clean Heads Procedure whenever angled nozzles
As needed in order to maintain healthy nozzles.
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are occurring in order to recover angled nozzles. Daily Maintenance Solution
250ml bottle
Use with Anticon-covered swabs to clean the printheads at the start and end of each day, after two hours of idle time and after four hours of printing time.
Gerber Clean Solution
125ml bottle
Use with foam-tipped swab as part of the Periodic Maintenance Process on an asneeded basis (whenever angled nozzles are prevalent).
All Purpose wipes
56 count package
Use in the ink waste tray to absorb excess ink.
Anticon® Gold heavyweight, clean room wipes
300 count package
Use with Daily Maintenance Solution to wipe the printheads during Clean Heads Procedure and End of Day procedures. Anticon wipes are the only wipes that should ever touch the printheads.
Fisher Scientific foam-tipped swabs
50, 250 or 500 count package
Use for cleaning the printheads. These non-scratching, lint free swabs are the only swabs recommended for the Solara ion printhead.
CAUTION: It is very important to use only Gerber-recommended wipes and swabs when cleaning the printheads. Use of wipes and swabs other than what is recommended could damage the printheads. Be aware that damage caused by use of unapproved swabs or wipes will not be covered under the standard 12 month warranty for the Solara ion or a Gerber Service Contract. Always use new, clean wipes and swabs on different colored printheads. Never reuse wipes and swabs. Never substitute paper towels for wipes. Dispose of used swabs and wipes according to local laws and regulations. CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. V
Gerber Solara ion Regular Preventive Maintenance Following is a chart of recommended regular maintenance to be performed by the owner to ensure continued print quality and trouble-free operation. Refer to specific instructions on recommended routine maintenance procedures in this manual. ] 4/29/10 Rev G
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Action
Daily
Perform a Clean Heads procedure whenever the Clean Heads LED is flashing before printing. Check and clean the ink waste tray as needed.
X
Perform an End of Day Clean procedure at the end of the print day.
X
Clean ink from the top of the sliding UV shield.
Weekly
Monthly
6 Months
12 Months
At every Clean Heads Procedure
Clean ink from the right side plate and the side plate between the ink waste tray and the table.
X
Perform a Periodic Maintenance Process.
As needed (roughly every 40 hours of print time
Clean Roll-to-Roll platen (if so equipped) and Flatbed table.
X
Clean the Head Access Door.
X X
Perform Purge procedure on all inks
At ink change
Clean ink drips from the ink drawers when you replace ink bags. Clean the table rails.
X
Clean the Roll-to-Roll grit wheels (if so equipped).
X
Clean Roll-to-Roll rubber drive wheels with alcohol (if so equipped).
X
Replace rubber light shields as needed.
X
Replace Maintenance Shelf Mat as needed.
X
Consumables items
Daily Maintenance Solution
GerberCAT Ink Cyan 1 Liter Pouch
Gerber Clean Solution
GerberCAT Ink Yellow 1 Liter Pouch
Impervious nitrile gloves at least 8 mils thick
GerberCAT Ink Black 1 Liter Pouch
Fisher Scientific foam-tipped swabs
GerberCAT Ink Magenta 1 Liter Pouch
Anticon Gold heavy-weight, clean room wipes
GerberCAT Flush 1 Liter Pouch
All-purpose wipes
IP Surface Cleaner
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Maintenance procedures that must be performed by an authorized Gerber technician every 12 months Replace the two vacuum table motors (at 1000 hours instead of 12 months). X-axis - clean and lubricate the rails, check the steel belts and drive belts. Y-axis – check and lubricate the rails and bearings, and check the tension and tracking of the steel belt and drive belt. Z-axis – clean and lubricate worm gears and rails, and check the coupler screws for the Z motor. Roll-to-roll – check rubber clutch drive and rollers. Clean the encoder strips (one Y and two Z- axes) and check alignment. Run Y-axis encoder test and recalibrate. Check for ink leaks at all ink connections. Replace ink pouch fittings, purge block set screws, and vacuum filter. Lubricate ink drawer runners. Inspect the UV lamps. Clean and check the operation of all fans. Check all the electrical/electronic connectors. Check the operation of the interlock circuit. Check the operation of the maintenance shelf gas struts Inspect the sliding UV Shield for correct operation
Note: As with all parts, replace on an as-needed basis in the case of breakage or failure. Other Customer Activities to optimize output quality In general these settings are included in the material profile of the RIP software, but a customer can adjust them as needed.
Media Feed for Roll-to-Roll – 240mm line test
Unidirectional alignments and bidirectional alignment
Large Field Mode
Step Blending mode
X Gantry Adjustment
The Gerber Solara ion should be left powered on for 24/7 in order to maintain ink vacuum The printer has a sleep mode in which heaters are turned off after two hours of idle time. Shut down for more than two weeks If you need to shut down the printer for more than two weeks you must follow the procedure “Shutting the printer down for more than two weeks” on page 114.
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Daily maintenance Note: The Clean Heads Procedure and End of Day Clean only need to be performed when the printer is being utilized.
Tips for Clean Heads procedure 1) What is the purpose of the Clean Heads procedure? To maintain consistent nozzle performance. To introduce a small amount of Daily Maintenance Solution to the nozzle plate to prevent ink from curing or adhering to the nozzle surface.
2) How hard do I press the Anticon-covered swab against the surface of the printhead nozzle plate? As light as possible while still making contact.
o Effectively, you are trying to wick the excess ink off the surface of the nozzle plate. You ARE NOT trying to scrub the nozzle surface. The printhead nozzle plate is a very sensitive coated surface. Excessive pressure can result in scratches to the printhead surface or removal of the protective coating, which can result in lost or angled nozzles that will negatively affect print quality. The most effective way to hold the Anticon-covered swab is with 2 fingers. Holding the swab with more fingers makes it more likely you will apply excessive pressure to the nozzle plate.
3) How can I be sure my clean was effective? You should print a nozzle out test print after every 4 hour clean. o
You should check for any new missing nozzles based on your previous nozzle out pattern. There are 2,048 nozzles in your printer, each with a distinct line on your nozzle print pattern. You want to make sure that you have as many nozzles as possible firing.
4) Why do I lose nozzles? Reasons for temporary loss of nozzles include: Wiping too hard with the Anticon-covered swab Using too much Daily Maintenance Solution on the surface of the Anticon-covered swab Printing too long between cleans Not performing an End of Day Clean
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Ingesting air into the heads through nozzles that have dropped out for the reasons listed above These temporary losses of nozzles can normally be recovered by repeating a routine clean. For losses of large number of nozzles, especially adjacent nozzles, it may be necessary to perform a purge. For example, a normal clean pushes ink through the heads for a few seconds, while a purge pushes ink through the heads for several more seconds. This should only be necessary to dislodge large amounts of air. Reasons for permanent loss of nozzles include: Wiping debris from the underside of the carriage into the nozzles.
o You must be careful when wiping the printhead during normal maintenance.
Any dust, lint, or debris around the nozzle surface can plug a nozzle if it is drawn into the nozzle while you are wiping. You need to keep the area around the nozzles clean using a new Fisher Brand foam tip swab and Daily Maintenance Solution. You should never re-use a swab or drag a swab through debris on the underside of the carriage and then allow that swab to touch the nozzle surface. Scratching the anti-wet coating on the nozzle plate using excessive wiping pressure. Think of the nozzle plate as a very sensitive surface and be sure to wipe very gently. The point is to make contact with the printhead surface to wick away ink, not to scrub debris off the surface. Use only two fingers on the swab and concentrate on making contact to wick ink away, not scrub the surface. Allowing too much UV exposure to the underside of the carriage. This can happen when... o
o
Failing to use your sliding shield correctly
o
Not placing your rigid material in the ‘home’ position
o
Printing on non-rectangular material
o
Leaving gaps between material blanks on the printer surface
o
Using mismatched thickness of sacrificial material. It should be the same thickness as the board to be printed (see page 56).
o
Printing on mirrored surfaces
o Forcing print gap height higher than actual target substrate height. Reusing swabs and wipes Allowing missing nozzles to go un-recovered for several days of printing. Skipping Clean Heads Procedure and End of Day Clean. Using the wrong swabs and/or wipes (use ONLY Gerber approved Fisher Brand foam tip swabs and Anticon® Gold heavy-weight, clean room wipes). Ensure they are covered with an Anticon wipe when the procedure calls for it. WARNING: Permanent nozzle loss due to any of the above mentioned userinduced failure modes is not covered under warranty.
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CAUTION: It is imperative that the End of Day Clean is performed to prevent ink buildup. A Clean Heads procedure must be performed whenever the Clean Heads LED is blinking. Perform this simple maintenance procedure to maximize printhead life and ensure high quality prints.
Clean Heads Procedure Perform a Clean Heads procedure whenever the Clean Heads LED is lit before printing in order to clear
the nozzles by pushing a small quantity of ink through the printhead nozzle plates. The UV bulbs will turn off and the printheads will move to the maintenance location before cleaning begins. The Clean Heads command is located in the Maintenance section of the printer's menu but can be easily accessed using the CLEAN HEADS key on the control panel. After cleaning the printheads, wipe the nozzle plates with an Anticon-covered swab moistened with Daily Maintenance Solution as described in the following procedure. It is critical that you follow the instructions exactly, using only the amount of Daily Maintenance Solution that is recommended, or you could cause printhead problems. When wiping is complete, print a Nozzle Out Job to verify that all of the nozzles are functioning. If there are missing (clogged) nozzles you can clean all of the printheads again, or clean only the color printheads that have missing nozzles. The UV shield and the side plates should be checked and cleaned during every Clean Heads procedure. This procedure should be done after you have completed the Clean Heads procedure and before you lift the Maintenance Shelf. The Clean Heads procedure timer automatically resets after cleaning all of the printheads. Required routine Clean Heads procedure cleaning supplies Daily Maintenance Solution Fisher Scientific foam-tipped swabs Anticon Gold heavy-weight, clean room wipes All-purpose wipes Impervious nitrile gloves at least 8 mils thick Safety glasses CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear goggles to protect you eyes. Dispose of used swabs, wipes, and gloves according to local laws and regulations. CAUTION: During maintenance procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning.
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Note: Both job length and material thickness affect the frequency of Clean Heads procedures required to maintain healthy printheads: shorter length jobs and/or thicker materials will increase the frequency of need for Clean Heads procedures due to greater UV exposure to the printheads under these conditions. Be sure to monitor the Clean Heads LED and perform a Clean Heads procedure whenever the LED is flashing in order to maintain healthy printheads. 1 From the main or auxiliary control panel press the CLEAN HEADS key to begin the cleaning sequence. This procedure pushes a small quantity of ink through all of the printheads to clear the nozzles. 2 The printhead carriage moves to the maintenance location and the screen prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on an allpurpose wipe. 3 The printer prompts you to Check Ink Waste Tray. Remove the waste ink tray and replace the two all-purpose wipes if they are saturated. 4 Slide the waste tray back in place to automatically begin the cleaning sequence. The working icon displays during the cleaning sequence. Ink will drip from all of the printheads into the waste ink tray. The Clean Heads procedure takes approximately three minutes and a series of three progress bars display sequentially as follows: Please wait…, Head Cleaning, Please wait….
Head Cleaning 70%
5 When the Clean Heads procedure is complete, the system prompts you to Replace Head Access Door.
6 After the head access door is installed the screen prompts you to Lower shelf and swab printheads. 7 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist.
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9 Wipe the left-most printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same Anticon-covered swab on two different color printheads. 10 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining heads, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for each color printhead. The printer prompts you to Raise shelf when done. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete the previous steps for all printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions on page 88 prior to proceeding. 11 Dispose of swabs and wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 12 Raise the Maintenance Shelf and the printer returns to the home position and automatically resets the Clean Heads procedure timer. The Printer Ready screen displays. Tip: After a Clean Heads procedure, you can print a Nozzle Out test print to verify that all printhead nozzles are firing properly. The Nozzle Out job is available from the Calibration section of the printer’s Menu. Note: A Nozzle Out recommended message may appear which suggests that the ink reservoir might have been exhausted during the recent procedure(s). Print a Nozzle Out job to determine if nozzle health is OK or not. If it is OK, proceed as normal. If NOT, check ink levels via front panel (see page 40). Replace any empty pouches and repeat the Clean Heads procedure. If none are empty and print quality of Nozzle Out job is poor, contact Gerber Service.
End of Day Clean CAUTION: All 4 heads MUST be cleaned at the end of every print day. CAUTION: During maintenance procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Note: A shortcut for Steps 1-4 below can be performed be depressing the PAUSE key and holding it while depressing the CLEAN HEADS key simultaneously. 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
2 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Maintenance
3 Press ENTER to display the End of Day Clean screen display End of Day Clean
4 Press ENTER and the gantry will move over the maintenance shelf and will prompt you to lower the Maintenance Shelf. 5 Lower the maintenance shelf. The screen now displays Raise shelf when done.
Note: Do not raise shelf until all heads have been swabbed with Daily Maintenance Solution. 6 Put impervious nitrile gloves on both hands and put on safety glasses. 7 Place 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution onto a new Anticon-covered swab. See photo above. 8 Wipe the left-most printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
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CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same swab on two different color printheads. 9 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining heads, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for color printhead. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete all steps for all printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions starting on page 88 prior to proceeding. 10 Dispose of used swabs and wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 11 Raise Maintenance Shelf when complete.
Cleaning the sliding UV shield and side plates The UV shield and the side plates should be checked and cleaned during every Clean Heads procedure. This procedure should be done after you have completed the Clean Heads process and before you lift the Maintenance Shelf. Inspect the small, flat side plate between the waste ink tray and the table, and the opposite side plate for cured ink. Occasionally ink may drip in these areas and will be cured by the UV lamps, creating small mounds of cured ink. As the carriage travels over this area it can contact the cured ink and damage the printheads. Use an all-purpose wipe to remove uncured ink; use a flat edge razor blade to remove the cured ink. Note: At any time, if you notice ink drips on the table or print, inspect the left and right side plates to see if ink has dripped in these locations, and remove any drips or cured ink immediately. Slide the UV shield all the way to the right and use the Inspect Nozzle function to gain access to the shield and the side plates.
To clean the sliding UV shield and side plates CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be 4/29/10 Rev G
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disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
2 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Maintenance
3 Press ENTER to display the End of Day Clean screen. End of Day Clean
4 Press the or key until the Inspect Nozzles screen displays. Inspect Nozzles
5 Press ENTER to begin the Inspect Nozzles procedure. The gantry moves to the front of the printer and the carriage moves into the inspection position. The screen prompts you to Lower shelf. Lower shelf. Sliding UV Shield
6 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist. 7 Using your hand move the sliding UV shield toward the center of the printer. Wipe any uncured ink off the UV shield with an all-purpose wipe. Clean any cured ink off the UV shield using a straight edge razor blade. 8 Wipe any uncured ink off the left and right side plates with an all-purpose wipe. Clean any cured ink off the side plates using a straight edge razor blade. The screen prompts you to Raise shelf when done. Be sure to complete steps 9 and 10 below before raising shelf.
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Left side plate between waste tray and table
Right side plate
9 Dispose of ink and wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 10 Wipe down the side plates and sliding UV shield with an all-purpose wipe that has been dampened with water. Dry them with a new wipe. 11 After closing the maintenance shelf, the printer returns to the home position and the Printer Ready screen displays.
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Cleaning individual color printheads You can choose to clean one or more color printheads by selecting Clean Heads from the Maintenance section of the Printer menu. When cleaning printheads by color, both printheads using that color ink will be cleaned. The Clean Heads procedure timer does not get reset unless all of the printheads are cleaned. Required routine Clean Heads procedure cleaning supplies Daily Maintenance Solution Fisher Scientific foam-tipped swabs Anticon Gold heavy-weight, clean room wipes All-purpose wipes
To clean individual color printheads CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. CAUTION: During maintenance procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning. Tip: You can access the All Color choice when choosing which printheads to clean, and clean all printheads at the same time. 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
2 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Maintenance
3 Press ENTER to display the screen. End of Day Clean
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4 Press the or key until the Clean Heads screen displays. Clean Heads
5 Press ENTER to display the Choose color screen. Use the or key until the correct color displays. Choose color: Magenta
6 Press ENTER to select that color. From here follow the normal Clean Heads Procedure (see procedure starting on page 84). 7 When the Clean Heads procedure is complete, the system prompts you to Replace Head Access Door.
8 After the head access door is installed the gantry moves to the Maintenance Shelf position and the screen prompts you to Lower shelf and swab printheads. 9 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist.
10 Place 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution onto a new Anticon-covered swab. See photo above. 11 Wipe the cleaned printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
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CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same Anticon-covered swab on two different color printheads.. 12 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining heads, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for color printhead. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete the previous steps for all required printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions on page 88 before proceeding. 13 Dispose of used swabs and wipes according to local laws and regulations. 14 Raise the Maintenance Shelf. When the Maintenance Shelf is raised, the printer returns to the home position. The Printer Ready screen displays. Tip: After a Clean Heads procedure, you can print a Nozzle Out test print to verify that all printhead nozzles are firing properly. The Nozzle Out job is available from the Calibration section of the printer’s Menu. Note: A Nozzle Out recommended message may appear which suggests that the ink reservoir might have been exhausted during the recent procedure(s). Print a Nozzle Out job to determine if nozzle health is OK or not. If it is OK, proceed as normal. If NOT, check ink levels via front panel (see page 40). Replace any empty pouches and repeat the Clean Heads procedure. If none are empty and print quality of Nozzle Out job is poor, contact Gerber Service.
Emptying and cleaning the waste ink tray Every ten minutes while the printer is on, the Gerber Solara ion clears the printhead nozzles by spitting ink in the waste ink tray. Depending on the printer's usage, you will occasionally need to empty the tray, remove the saturated wipes, clean the waste ink tray, and install two new, folded all-purpose wipes.
To empty and clean the waste ink tray CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. 4/29/10 Rev G
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1 When the printer is idle, remove the head access and set it aside on an all-purpose wipe. Note: Removing the head access door when a job is printing will cancel the job. 2 The printer displays Check Shelf, Access Door, and Estops. Press ENTER when done.
3 Remove the waste ink tray by sliding it out. Removing the waste ink tray temporarily suspends printhead spitting.
Waste ink tray Rearmost surface
Topmost surface
4 Empty the tray of any liquid ink into an appropriate disposal container. 5 Remove the saturated wipes and dispose of them according to state and local regulations. 6 Wipe out the tray with a clean all-purpose wipe. If cured ink is present, a putty knife and/or razor blade can be used to carefully scrape it loose and then it can be discarded with the all-purpose wipes according to local, state, and federal regulations. 7 Thoroughly clean the exterior of the waste tray, paying special attention to the topmost and rearmost surfaces of the tray, ensuring NO liquid ink is present. CAUTION: Ensure NO liquids are present on the rearmost surface/fin. Liquid ink on the rearmost surface WILL destroy waste tray sensor. 8 Dispose of ink-soaked wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 9 Carefully fold and install two new, all-purpose wipes in the bottom of the waste ink tray. 10 Reinstall the waste ink tray. 11 Reinstall the head access door. 12 Press ENTER. The gantry homes itself and the Printer Ready screen displays.
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40 Hour Maintenance This section describes the recommended 40 hour maintenance.
Periodic Maintenance Process to correct angled nozzles on the Gerber Solara ion This purpose of this process is to improve poor print quality by reducing angled nozzles. This process should only be performed as needed on print heads that exhibit angled nozzles. It is NOT intended to recover missing nozzles. Note: The Angled Nozzle Job should be printed and observed to determine if angled nozzles exist every 40 print hours. If angled nozzles are observed in M, C, or K colors, this process can be used to clean and help straighten these nozzles. CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear goggles to protect you eyes. Dispose of used swabs, wipes, and gloves according to local laws and regulations.
Materials needed Gerber Daily Maintenance Solution (DMS) Gerber Clean Solution (GCS) Gerber Foam-tip swab Gerber Anticon wipes 99% Isopropyl alcohol Protective gloves Safety glasses CAUTION: Cleanliness of the foam tip swab surface is very important. Avoid pressing solid contaminates or cured ink that may be present around the nozzle plate into the nozzle holes.
Process overview Print Angled Nozzle job Identify print head(s) with Angled Nozzle Apply Gerber Daily Maintenance Solution (DMS) – 3 cycles Apply Gerber Clean Solution (GCS) – 5 cycles Perform routine Clean Heads Procedure Print Angled Nozzle Job and evaluate results
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CAUTION: This procedure is for Cyan (C), Magenta (M), and Black (K) heads only.
To determine print heads with angled nozzles 1 Go to Calibration > Test jobs > Angled Nozzle job. 2 Print the Angled Nozzle job and evaluate the nozzles. Only treat the print heads that show angled nozzles. Note: The purpose of this procedure is to inhale the solutions into the print head nozzles to dissolve contaminants inside the print head. The solutions will be inhaled only while the saturated swab is touching the nozzle plate. Be sure to reapply solution on the swab before each touch to ensure it remains saturated. 3 Go to Maintenance > End of Day Clean and lower the shelf when directed.
To apply Daily Maintenance Solution (DMS) Use isopropyl alcohol in the event you spill DMS or ink on the shelf while cleaning. 1 Apply a minimum of 10 drops of DMS to a new foam-tipped swab. Note: Use one swab for each print head, provided it does not have particles on the swab. 2 Touch one side of the foam-tipped swab to the front section of the nozzle area (see photo below). Apply light pressure and hold for 2 to 3 seconds. 3 Add an additional 3-5 drops of DMS to re-saturate the foam-tipped swab. Touch the foam-tipped swab to the middle section of the print head. Apply light pressure and hold for 2-3 seconds. 4 Add an additional 3-5 drops of DMS to re-saturate the foam-tipped swab. Touch the foam-tipped swab to the remaining section of the print head. Apply light pressure and hold for 2-3 seconds.
5 Repeat steps 1-4 for a total of three cycles for each print head requiring treatment.
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To apply Gerber Clean Solution (GCS) 1 Apply a minimum of 10 drops of GCS to a new foam-tipped swab. Note: Use one swab for each print head, provided it does not have particles on the swab. 2 Touch one side of the foam-tipped swab to the front section of the nozzle area (see photo above). Apply light pressure and hold for 2 to 3 seconds. 3 Add an additional 3-5 drops of GCS to re-saturate the foam-tipped swab. Touch the foam-tipped swab to the middle section of the print head. Apply light pressure and hold for 2-3 seconds. 4 Add an additional 3-5 drops of GCS to re-saturate the foam-tipped swab. Touch the foam-tipped swab to the remaining section of the print head. Apply light pressure and hold for 2-3 seconds. 5 Repeat steps 1-4 for a total of five cycles for each print head requiring treatment.
To complete the process 1 After finishing the Gerber Clean Solution steps above, wait 5 minutes with the shelf down before continuing. 2 Raise the shelf after 5 minutes. 3 Perform the routine Clean Heads procedure (see page 84). 4 Print an Angled Nozzle job. If new missing nozzles are created, perform a second Clean Heads procedure. 5 If you see an improvement, but some angled nozzles remain, you may repeat this process.
Cleaning the flat bed Each week you should carefully clean off any ink residue on the flat bed using a straight edge razor blade. Use care that you do not scratch the anodized surface of the flat bed. Use the slew keys to move the gantry out of the way to enable you to reach all areas.
Cleaning the roll-to-roll platen Occasionally examine the roll-to-roll platen (if the printer is equipped with one) for a build-up of cured ink. Carefully remove the ink build-up with a straight-edge razor blade.
Cleaning the head access door CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations.
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The head access door is designed to trap tiny ink droplets that occur when the printhead spits to clear the nozzles. The head access door is located above the waste ink tray and is connected to the emergency stop circuit. To remove the head access door, reach under the door and pull forward firmly. Whenever the head access door is removed the printer automatically cancels the current job, and turns off the motors and UV lamps. You should only remove the head access door when prompted or when the system is idle. Inspect the head access door weekly. Wipe away any uncured ink with an all-purpose wipe. Cured ink can be scraped off with a razor blade.
Cleaning the ink drawers CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. When ever you replace ink pouches wipe up any dripped or spilled ink from the bottom of the ink drawer with an all-purpose wipe and dispose of wipe according to local laws and regulations. It is normal to have drips of ink from the ink pouch located in the drawer above.
Cleaning the Maintenance Shelf Mat As needed, the rubber Maintenance Shelf Mat can be sprayed lightly with isopropyl alcohol and then blotted dry with an all-purpose wipe. Note: A color shift may be noticeable over time.
Cleaning the outside of the Gerber Solara ion As needed, the covers of the Gerber Solara ion can be wiped down with a soft lint-free cloth to remove dust and fingerprints.
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Monthly maintenance This section describes the recommended monthly maintenance. CAUTION: A Purge must be performed on all printheads once a month to ensure ink line and nozzle health. Follow the Purge procedure which starts on page 102.
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Six month maintenance This section describes the recommended six month maintenance.
Cleaning the table rails Every six months clean the two table rails from end to end with an all-purpose wipe moistened with isopropyl alcohol.
Cleaning the Roll-to-Roll grit wheels Every six months, if the printer is equipped with a Roll-to-Roll unit, clean the Roll-to-Roll grit wheels with a stiff brush and adhesive remover to remove any vinyl adhesive or other residue that can be left behind by some materials.
To clean the Roll-to-Roll grit wheels 1 Press an emergency stop button to turn off power to the printer. 2 Clean the grit wheels from underneath the Roll-to-Roll platen using a stiff brush dipped in the adhesive remover. 3 Access all surfaces of the grit wheels by rotating the grit wheel drive belt by hand.
Grit wheels
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Cleaning the Roll-to-Roll rubber drive wheels Every six months, if the printer is equipped with a Roll-to-Roll unit, clean the Roll-to-Roll rubber drive wheels with an all-purpose wipe moistened with isopropyl alcohol. Clean both the upper and lower drive wheels on both sides of the printer.
Lower drive wheels with rubber inserts
Upper drive wheels with rubber inserts
Yearly maintenance Most yearly maintenance procedures are performed by an authorized Gerber service engineer. The yearly maintenance requirements are listed on the chart located on page 101.
Replacing the light shields (flaps) Each year or whenever a rubber light shield (flap) is damaged you should replace them. Loosen the screws that attach the light shields to the gantry (both sides) and remove the shields. Insert new rubber light shields and tighten the screws to hold the shields securely in place.
Rubber light shields
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Purging ink lines to remove air Occasionally you may have air induced in the system that must be removed. If you notice ink dripping or pooling during printing, this is an indication that you should purge the ink lines. When purging a specific ink color, both heads connected to that color reservoir are purged. You can also choose to purge all ink colors. When the All Colors option is chosen, the printer cycles through the purging sequence, one ink color at a time. The Purge command is located in the Maintenance section of the printer's menu. CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. CAUTION: It is very important to use only Gerber-recommended wipes and swabs when purging the printheads. Use of wipes and swabs other than what is recommended could damage the printheads. Always use new, clean wipes and swabs. Never reuse wipes and swabs. Never substitute paper towels for wipes. Note: You must perform a Purge Procedure on all heads every 160 hours of print time.
Required purge supplies Daily Maintenance Solution Fisher Scientific foam-tipped swabs Anticon Gold heavy-weight, clean room wipes All-purpose wipes 2mm, long handled, Allen wrench (supplied) Flashlight is recommended to assist in locating the valves and viewing the ink flow
To purge ink lines to remove air CAUTION: During maintenance procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning. 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
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Maintenance
3 Press ENTER to display the End of Day Clean screen. End of Day Clean
4 Press the or key until the Purge screen displays. Purge
5 Press ENTER to display the Choose Color screen. Use the keys to select the printhead color that you wish to purge. You may also select All Colors to purge all of the printheads during one procedure. When purging all colors, the messages differ slightly from those shown in this procedure. Choose Color: Cyan
6 Press ENTER to begin purging that color printhead. This procedure will push a large quantity of ink through the printhead to clear air from the nozzles. The printhead carriage moves to the maintenance location and the screen prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on a disposable wipe and press ENTER. 7 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Remove the waste ink tray, empty it if necessary, and replace the two all-purpose wipes if they are saturated (see page 93). 8 Slide the waste ink tray back in place. A Please wait… message and progress bar displays for approximately 1 minute. The printer then prompts you to Open “INK COLOR” Purge Valve 1. Press ENTER when done.
Open CYAN Purge Valve 1 Press ENTER when done
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move during this procedure. The bottom of the carriage has a shield, hold the shield in place with your fingers while turning the purge valve set screw. This will keep the carriage from moving. If it does move, pull it back with your fingers (see photo). Note: If the carriage is not correctly parked above the waste ink tray, the printer prompts you to Move the Carriage to PARK position before Purge. Press ENTER when done. To move to PARK position, you must grab the carriage by the shield with your fingers and pull until it stops. 9 Open the first purge valve for the color you wish to purge using the 2mm Allen wrench. Turn the wrench ¾ to one full turn counterclockwise to open the valve. You may find a flashlight helpful when locating the valves. Press ENTER when done.
10 The printer displays Purging… Verify ink flow and a progress bar displays. Observe the flow of ink coming from the purge ports underside the purge block. It should be a consistent, rapid flow of drips to a steady stream. If NOT, there may be air in the line and/or blockage(s) in the purge block. Close the purge valve fully and re-open ¾ to 1 full turn using the Allen wrench. Check the ink flow again. If ink still does not flow in a steady stream, contact Gerber Service. 11 The printer then prompts you to Close all purge valves. Press ENTER when done. Close all purge valves Press ENTER when done
Note: The Front Panel may display Depressurizing, please wait... depending upon how quickly valves are closed/opened and ENTER is pressed. 12 Using the 2mm Allen wrench, close all purge valves and press ENTER when done. 13 The screen prompts you to select another ink color to purge. If you wish to purge another ink color, use the arrow keys to select Yes. The Choose Color screen displays and you can begin the purge sequence again with a different color. If you are done, select No to continue. Another Color? Yes
No
14 When all purging is complete the system prompts you to Clean the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done. Moisten a swab by applying 1 drop per side of Daily Maintenance Solution to clean the purge block, which is located directly under the purge valves. Be sure to swab the entire underside, not just the outer edge. Do this to remove any 4/29/10 Rev G
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remaining ink and prevent it from dripping during printing and/or curing on the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done.
After purging, use a Daily Maintenance Solution-moistened swab to wipe the Purge Block
15 Dispose of swab according to state and local laws and regulations. 16 The printer now begins to calibrate the ink level and reestablishes ink pressure. This process may take a few minutes and a progress bar displays during calibration with a Please wait . . . message. 17 When finished, the system prompts you to Replace Head Access Door. 18 After the head access door is installed the screen prompts you to Lower shelf and swab printheads. 19 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist.
20 Place 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution onto a new Anticon-covered swab. See photo above. 21 Wipe the left-most printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
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CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same Anticon-covered swab on two different color printheads. 22 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining heads as required, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for each color printhead. The printer prompts you to Raise shelf when done. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete all steps for all printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions starting on page 88 prior to proceeding. 23 Dispose of wipes and swabs according to state and local laws and regulations. 24 Raise Maintenance Shelf when complete. After raising the maintenance shelf, the printer returns to the home position. The Printer Ready screen displays. Tip: After a Purge, you can print a Nozzle Out test print to verify that all printhead nozzles are firing properly. The Nozzle Out job is available from the Calibration section of the printer’s Menu Note: A Nozzle Out recommended message may appear which suggests that the ink reservoir might have been exhausted during the recent procedure(s). Print a Nozzle Out job to determine if nozzle health is OK or not. If it is OK, proceed as normal. If NOT, check ink levels via front panel (see page 40). Replace any empty pouches and repeat the Clean Heads procedure. If none are empty and print quality of Nozzle Out job is poor, contact Gerber Service.
Clearing the ink lines In the event that you must remove the ink from the printer, use the Clear Ink Line command in the Maintenance menu.
To clear ink from the ink lines CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations.
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CAUTION: During maintenance procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning. 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
2 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Maintenance
3 Press ENTER to display the End of Day Clean screen. End of Day Clesn
4 Press the or key until the Clear Ink Line screen displays. Clear Ink Line
5 Press ENTER to display the Choose Color screen. Use the keys to display the color ink line to clear. You may also select All Colors to clear all of the ink lines during one procedure. When clearing all ink lines, the messages differ slightly from those shown in this procedure. Choose Color: Cyan
6 Press ENTER to select the ink color and the Remove “INK COLOR” Ink Pouch screen displays. Remove the pouch, shut the ink drawer, and then press ENTER. Remove CYAN Ink Pouch Press ENTER when done.
7 The printer prompts you to Close Any Open Ink Drawers. 8 After closing any open ink drawers, the printer prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on a disposable wipe and press ENTER. 4/29/10 Rev G
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9 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Remove the waste ink tray, empty it if necessary, replace the two all-purpose wipes if they are saturated, and reinstall tray (see page 93). 10 The screen prompts you to Open “INK COLOR” Purge Valve 1. Press ENTER when done. Open CYAN Purge Valve 1 Press ENTER when done
WARNING: Use care when opening the ink valves as it is easy to push the printhead carriage away from the waste ink tray causing ink to drip on the printer electronics and cause damage. The carriage should not move during this procedure. The bottom of the carriage has a shield, hold the shield in place with your fingers while turning the purge valve set screw. This will keep the carriage from moving. If it does move, pull it back with your fingers (see photo). Note: If the carriage is not correctly parked above the waste ink tray, the printer prompts you to move the Carriage to the PARK position before the ink is pumped during the purge. To do so you must grab the carriage by the shield with your fingers and pull until it stops. 11 Open the purge valve for the color you wish to purge using the 2mm Allen wrench. Turn the wrench ¾ to one full turn counterclockwise to open the valve. You may find a flashlight helpful when locating the valve. Press ENTER when done.
12 The working icon displays while the ink drips from the valves into the waste ink tray. Approximately 50 ml of ink will be cleared from the ink line. The process takes two to three minutes. 13 When the ink clearing is complete the screen prompts you to Close all purge valves. Press ENTER when done. Use the 2mm Allen wrench to close the valves. Press ENTER when done. Close all purge valves Press ENTER when done
14 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Empty tray if necessary, replace all-purpose wipes, and reinstall the tray (see page 93). 4/29/10 Rev G
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15 The screen prompts you to select another ink color line to clear. If you wish to clear another ink line, use the arrow keys to select Yes. The Choose Color screen displays and you can begin the Clear Ink Line sequence again with a different color. If you are done, select No to continue. Another Color? Yes
No
16 When all line clearing is complete, the system prompts you to Clean the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done. Moisten a swab by applying 1 drop per side of Daily Maintenance Solution to clean the purge block, which is located directly under the purge valves. Be sure to swab the entire underside, not just the outer edge. Do this to remove any remaining ink and prevent it from dripping during printing and/or curing on the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done.
After purging, use a Daily Maintenance Solution-moistened swab to wipe the Purge Block
17 Dispose of swab according to state and local laws and regulations.
Filling the ink lines Fill Ink Line command in the Maintenance section of the printer’s menu is used when ink is initially loaded into the printer and any time ink needs to be reloaded after the ink lines have been cleared. Fill Ink Line is not used when routinely loading new ink pouches as the reservoirs will fill automatically during normal operation.
To fill the ink lines CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. CAUTION: During maintenance procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning. 1 Ensure that there are ink pouches loaded in the ink drawers for the lines that will be filled. 2 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Status
3 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Maintenance
4 Press ENTER to display the End of Day Clean screen. End of Day Clean
5 Press the or key until the Fill Ink Line screen displays. Fill Ink Line
6 Press ENTER to display the Choose Color screen. Use the keys to display the color ink line to fill. If you choose All Colors, all ink lines will be filled sequentially. Choose Color: Cyan
7 Press ENTER to select the ink color and the working icon displays while the fill line sequence is initiated. 8 The printer prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on a disposable wipe. Press ENTER. 9 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Remove the waste ink tray, empty it if necessary, and replace the two all-purpose wipes if they are saturated (see page 93). 10 Reinstall the waste ink tray and the working icon displays for approximately four minutes while the ink lines fill. 11 The printer prompts you to Open “INK COLOR” Purge Valve 1. Press ENTER when done. Open CYAN Purge Valve 1 Press ENTER when done
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WARNING: Use care when opening the ink valves as it is easy to push the printhead carriage away from the waste ink tray causing ink to drip on the printer electronics and cause damage. The carriage should not move during this procedure. The bottom of the carriage has a shield, hold the shield in place with your fingers while turning the purge valve set screw. This will keep the carriage from moving. If it does move, pull it back with your fingers (see photo). Note: If the carriage is not correctly parked above the waste ink tray, the printer prompts you to move the Carriage to the PARK position before the ink is pumped during the purge. To do so you must grab the carriage by the shield with your fingers and pull until it stops. 12 Open the purge valve for the color ink line that has been filled using the 2mm Allen wrench. Turn the wrench ¾ to one full turn counterclockwise to open the valve. You may find a flashlight helpful when locating the valve. Press ENTER when done. 13 The working icon displays while the ink drips from the valve into the waste ink tray. The process takes two to three minutes. 14 When the purge is complete the screen prompts you to Close all purge valves. Press ENTER when done. Use the 2mm Allen wrench to close the valve and press ENTER when done. Close all purge valves Press ENTER when done
Note: The Front Panel may display Depressurizing, please wait... depending upon how quickly valves are closed/opened and ENTER is pressed. 15 After closing all valves with Allen wrench and pressing ENTER, the screen prompts you to select another color ink line to fill and purge. If you wish to fill another ink line, use the arrow keys to select Yes. The Choose Color screen displays and you can begin the Fill Ink Line sequence again with a different ink color. If you are done, select No to continue. Another Color? Yes
No
16 When all filling and purging is complete the system prompts you to Clean the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done. Moisten a swab by applying 1 drop per side of Daily Maintenance Solution to clean the purge block, which is located directly under the purge valves. Be sure to swab the entire underside, not just the outer edge. Do this to remove any remaining ink and prevent it from dripping during printing and/or curing on the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done.
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After purging, use a Daily Maintenance Solution-moistened swab to wipe the Purge Block
17 Dispose of swab according to state and local laws and regulations. 18 The printer now begins to calibrate the ink level and reestablishes ink pressure. This process may take two to three minutes and a progress bar displays. 19 When finished, the system prompts you to Replace Head Access Door. 20 After the head access door is installed the screen prompts you to Lower shelf and swab printheads. 21 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist.
22 Place 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution onto a new Anticon-covered swab. See photo above. 23 Wipe the left-most printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same Anticon-covered swab on two different color printheads. 4/29/10 Rev G
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24 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining required heads, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for each color printhead. The printer prompts you to Raise shelf when done. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete all steps for all printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions starting on page 88 prior to proceeding. 25 Dispose of swabs and wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 26 Raise Maintenance Shelf when complete. After raising the maintenance shelf, the printer returns to the home position. The Printer Ready screen displays. Tip: After a Purge, you can print a Nozzle Out test print to verify that all printhead nozzles are firing properly. The Nozzle Out job is available from the Calibration section of the printer’s Menu. Note: A Nozzle Out recommended message may appear which suggests that the ink reservoir might have been exhausted during the recent procedure(s). Print a Nozzle Out job to determine if nozzle health is OK or not. If it is OK, proceed as normal. If NOT, check ink levels via front panel (see page 40). Replace any empty pouches and repeat the Clean Heads procedure. If none are empty and print quality of Nozzle Out job is poor, contact Gerber Service.
Preparing a printer that will not be used for up to two weeks Gerber strongly recommends that this procedure be performed if you will not use the Gerber Solara ion for up to two weeks.
Steps for preparing the Solara ion for two weeks of idle time 1 Complete a Clean Heads Procedure to make sure the heads are free of debris and remain healthy when printer remains in idle state for a significant duration (see page 84). 2 Keep the printer powered on. Do not turn the printer off during the two weeks of idle time. This will help keep the ink lines filled and the vacuum pressure strong.
Steps for restarting the Solara ion after two weeks of idle time 1 Perform Clean Heads Procedure. This is all you should need to make sure dust has not settled on the heads while the printer sat idle. 2 Print a standard Nozzle Out test job to identify any printhead issues that may need to be addressed. Print an Angled Nozzle test job for more detailed results. 3 Based on the Nozzle Out test job, purge only those individual heads that need to be cleared. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Shutting down the printer for more than two weeks Gerber strongly recommends that the Solara ion remain powered on even for short periods when it is not in use. This procedure should be performed if you need to shut down the Gerber Solara ion for more than two weeks. The procedure is divided into two parts:
Steps for shutting down the Solara ion Clearing ink from the ink lines Filling with GerberCAT Flush Clearing GerberCAT Flush
Steps for restarting the Solara ion Filling with GerberCAT ink Purging each color Cleaning the heads Printing the Nozzle Out job CAUTION: During these procedures, always wait for printer prompts before lowering the maintenance shelf or opening the head access door. Performing either of these actions prior to the prompts will cause an emergency stop and require you to redo maintenance procedures from the beginning. CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. WARNING: During these procedures use care when opening the ink valves as it is easy to push the printhead carriage away from the waste ink tray causing ink to drip on the printer electronics and cause damage. The carriage should not move during this procedure. The bottom of the carriage has a shield, hold the shield in place with your fingers while turning the purge valve set screw. This will keep the carriage from moving. If it does move, pull it back with your fingers (see photo).
Steps for shutting down your Solara ion Clearing ink from the ink lines
To clear ink from the ink lines 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. 2 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Press ENTER. 4/29/10 Rev G
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3 The End of Day Clean screen displays. 4 Press the or key until the Clear Ink LIne screen displays. Press ENTER. 5 Use the or keys to select a color. Press ENTER. 6 The printer prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on a disposable wipe. 7 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Remove the waste ink tray, empty it if necessary, and replace the two all-purpose wipes if they are saturated (see page 93). Reinstall the tray. 8 The printer prompts you to Remove ‘‘color’’ ink pouch. Close the drawer and press ENTER when done. 9 The screen prompts you to Open both ‘‘INK COLOR’’ Purge Valves. Press ENTER when done. st
10 Open the 1 purge valve for the color you wish to purge using the 2mm Allen wrench. Turn the wrench ¾ to one full turn counterclockwise to open each valve. You may find a flashlight helpful when locating the valves. Press ENTER when done. WARNING: Use care when opening the ink valves as it is easy to push the printhead carriage away from the waste ink tray causing ink to drip on the printer electronics and cause damage. The carriage should not move during this procedure. The bottom of the carriage has a shield, hold the shield in place with your fingers while turning the purge valve set screw. This will keep the carriage from moving. If it does move, pull it back with your fingers (see photo). Note: If the carriage is not correctly parked above the waste ink tray, the printer prompts you to move the Carriage to the PARK position before the ink is pumped during the purge. To do so you must grab the carriage by the shield with your fingers and pull until it stops. 11 The printer displays Purging… Verify ink flow and a progress bar displays. Observe the flow of ink coming from the purge ports underside the purge block. It should be a consistent, rapid flow of drips to a steady stream. If NOT, there may be air in the line and/or blockage(s) in the purge block. Close the purge valve fully and re-open ¾ to 1 full turn using the Allen wrench. Check the ink flow again. If ink still does not flow in a steady stream, contact Gerber Service.
12 When the ink clearing is complete the screen prompts you to Close all purge valves. Press ENTER when done. Use the 2mm Allen wrench to close the valves. Press ENTER when done. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Note: The Front Panel may display Depressurizing, please wait... depending upon how quickly valves are closed/opened and ENTER is pressed. 13 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Empty tray as necessary, replace two all-purpose wipes, and reinstall tray (see page 93). 14 The printer displays Another Color? Yes No. You must choose Yes and repeat steps #8-13 until all of the colors have been chosen and cleared. When you choose Yes, use the or keys to select the next color. When all colors are cleared, choose No, and continue with the next step below. 15 When all line clearing is complete, the system prompts you to Clean the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done. Moisten a swab by applying 1 drop per side of Daily Maintenance Solution to clean the purge block, which is located directly under the purge valves. Be sure to swab the entire underside, not just the outer edge. Do this to remove any remaining ink and prevent it from dripping during printing and/or curing on the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done.
After purging, use a Daily Maintenance Solution-moistened swab to wipe the Purge Block
16 Dispose of swab according to state and local laws and regulations. 17 The printer begins automatic maintenance of the ink delivery system. This process takes two to three minutes and a progress bar displays. 18 When finished, the system prompts you to Replace Head Access Door. 19 After the head access door is installed the screen prompts you to Lower shelf and swab printheads. 20 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist.
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21 Place 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution onto a new Anticon-covered swab. See photo above. 22 Wipe the left-most printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same Anticon-covered swab on two different color printheads. 23 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining heads, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for each color printhead. The printer prompts you to Raise shelf when done. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete all steps for all printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions starting on page 88 prior to proceeding. 24 Dispose of swabs and wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 25 Raise the Maintenance Shelf when complete. After raising the maintenance shelf, the printer returns to the home position. The Printer Ready screen displays. Note: A Nozzle Out recommended message may appear which suggests that the ink reservoir might have been exhausted during the recent procedure(s). This should be ignored as it is only occurring because it resides in firmware and serves as a precautionary function under normal operating conditions. Filling with GerberCAT Flush Use the Fill Ink Line command in the Maintenance section of the printer’s menu to load GerberCAT Flush into the printer.
To fill with GerberCAT Flush 1 Insert a GerberCAT Flush pouch in all the ink drawers. Close the drawers. 2 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. 3 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Press ENTER. 4 The End of Day Clean screen displays. 4/29/10 Rev G
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5 Press the or key until the Fill Ink Line screen displays. 6 Press ENTER to display the Choose Color screen. Use the or keys to display All Colors, (all lines will be filled sequentially with GerberCAT Flush). Press ENTER to select All Colors, and the working icon displays. 7 The printer prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on a disposable wipe. 8 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Remove the waste ink tray, empty it if necessary, and replace the two all-purpose wipes if they are saturated (see page 93). 9 Reinstall the waste ink tray and the working icon displays for approximately four minutes while the ink lines fill with GerberCAT Flush. 10 The printer prompts you to Open ‘‘INK COLOR’’ Purge Valve 1. Press ENTER when done. 11 Open the purge valve for the color ink line that has been filled using the 2mm Allen wrench. Turn the wrench ¾ to one full turn counterclockwise to open the valve. You may find a flashlight helpful when locating the valves. Press ENTER when done. WARNING: Use care when opening the ink valves as it is easy to push the printhead carriage away from the waste ink tray causing ink to drip on the printer electronics and cause damage. The carriage should not move during this procedure. The bottom of the carriage has a shield, hold the shield in place with your fingers while turning the purge valve set screw. This will keep the carriage from moving. If it does move, pull it back with your fingers (see photo). Note: If the carriage is not correctly parked above the waste ink tray, the printer prompts you to move the Carriage to the PARK position before the Flush is pumped during the purge. To do so you must grab the carriage by the shield with your fingers and pull until it stops. 12 The printer displays Purging… Verify ink flow and a progress bar displays. Observe the purge ports underside the purge block for a steady flow of Flush. It should be a consistent, rapid flow of drips to a steady stream. It may take a few minutes before flow begins since there may be some air in the lines.
Note: The Front Panel may display Depressurizing, please wait... depending upon how quickly valves are closed/opened and ENTER is pressed.
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13 When the purge is complete the screen prompts you to Close all purge valves. Press ENTER when done. Use the 2mm Allen wrench to close valve and press ENTER. 14 Repeat the previous steps for all colors. 15 When all line clearing is complete, the system prompts you to Clean the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done. Moisten a swab by applying 1 drop per side of Daily Maintenance Solution to clean the purge block, which is located directly under the purge valves. Be sure to swab the entire underside, not just the outer edge. Do this to remove any remaining ink and prevent it from dripping during printing and/or curing on the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done.
After purging, use a Daily Maintenance Solution-moistened swab to wipe the Purge Block
16 The printer begins automatic maintenance of the ink delivery system. This process takes two to three minutes and a progress bar displays. 17 When finished, the system prompts you to Replace Head Access Door. 18 Dispose of used swabs according to local laws and regulations. 19 After the head access door is installed the screen prompts you to Lower shelf and swab printheads. 20 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist.
21 Place 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution onto a new Anticon-covered swab. See photo above. 22 Wipe the left-most printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
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CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same Anticon-covered swab on two different color printheads. 23 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining heads, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for each color printhead. The printer prompts you to Raise shelf when done. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete all steps for all printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions starting on page 88 prior to proceeding. 24 Dispose of swabs and wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 25 Raise the Maintenance Shelf when complete. After raising the maintenance shelf, the printer returns to the home position. The Printer Ready screen displays.
Clearing GerberCAT Flush
To clear GerberCAT Flush from the ink lines 1 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. 2 Press the or key until the Maintenance screen displays. Press ENTER. 3 The End of Day Clean screen displays. 4 Press the or key until the Clear Ink Line screen displays. 5 Use the or keys to select a color. Press ENTER. 6 The printer prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on a disposable wipe. 7 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Remove the waste ink tray, empty it if necessary, and replace the two all-purpose wipes if they are saturated (see page 93). Reinstall the waste ink tray. 8 The printer prompts you to Remove ‘‘color’’ ink pouch. Press ENTER when done.
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9 After pressing ENTER, the screen prompts you to Open both ‘‘INK COLOR’’ Purge Valves. Press ENTER when done. st
10 Open the 1 purge valve for the color you wish to purge using the 2mm Allen wrench. Turn the wrench ¾ to one full turn counterclockwise to open each valve. You may find a flashlight helpful when locating the valve. Press ENTER when done. WARNING: Use care when opening the ink valves as it is easy to push the printhead carriage away from the waste ink tray causing ink to drip on the printer electronics and cause damage. The carriage should not move during this procedure. The bottom of the carriage has a shield, hold the shield in place with your fingers while turning the purge valve set screw (see photo below). This will keep the carriage from moving. If it does move, pull it back with your fingers (see photo). Note: If the carriage is not correctly parked above the waste ink tray, the printer prompts you to move the Carriage to the PARK position before the Flush is pumped during the purge. To do so you must grab the carriage by the shield with your fingers and pull until it stops. 11 The printer displays Purging… Verify ink flow and a progress bar displays. Observe the purge ports underside the purge block for a steady flow of Flush. It should be a consistent, rapid flow of drips to a steady stream. 12 When the flush clearing is complete the screen prompts you to Close all purge valves. Press ENTER when done. Use the 2mm Allen wrench to close the valves. Press ENTER when done. 13 The printer prompts you to Check the Ink Waste Tray. Empty tray if necessary, replace the two all-purpose wipes, reinstall the tray, and press ENTER (see page 93). 14 The printer displays Another Color? Yes No. You must choose Yes and repeat steps #8-13 until all of the colors have been chosen and cleared. When you choose Yes, use the or keys to select the next color. When all colors are cleared, choose No, continue with step #15. 15 When all line clearing is complete, the system prompts you to Clean the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done. Moisten a swab by applying 1 drop per side of Daily Maintenance Solution to clean the purge block, which is located directly under the purge valves. Be sure to swab the entire underside, not just the outer edge. Do this to remove any remaining ink and prevent it from dripping during printing and/or curing on the Purge Block. Press ENTER when done.
After purging, use a Daily Maintenance Solution-moistened swab to wipe the Purge Block
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16 Dispose of used swab according to local laws and regulations. 17 The printer begins automatic maintenance of the ink delivery system. This process takes two to three minutes and a progress bar displays. 18 When finished, the system prompts you to Replace Head Access Door. 19 After the head access door is installed the screen prompts you to Lower shelf and swab printheads. 20 Lower the Maintenance Shelf by pushing down in the middle of the shelf. Do not push on either end of the shelf as it causes the shelf to twist. See photo below.
21 Place 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution onto a new Anticon-covered swab. See photo above. 22 Wipe the left-most printhead from back to front 2 times at a 45 angle, using light pressure, by holding the swab in the middle of the stick, between the thumb and index finger as pictured below.
CAUTION: Never reuse old swabs to clean the printhead. Never use the same Anticon-covered swab on two different color printheads. 23 Repeat the previous steps for the remaining heads, moving from left to right, and using a new Anticon-covered swab for each color printhead. The printer prompts you to Raise shelf when done. Note: Prior to raising the Maintenance Shelf, be sure to complete all steps for all printheads and check the UV shield and side plates for presence of wet and/or cured ink. If PRESENT in 4/29/10 Rev G
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either form, see “Cleaning the sliding UV Shield and side plates” instructions starting on page 88 prior to proceeding. 24 Dispose of swabs and wipes according to state and local laws and regulations. 25 Raise Maintenance Shelf when complete. After raising the maintenance shelf, the printer returns to the home position. The Printer Ready screen displays. Tip: After a Purge, you can print a Nozzle Out test print to verify that all printhead nozzles are firing properly. The Nozzle Out job is available from the Calibration section of the printer’s Menu. Note: A Nozzle Out recommended message may appear which suggests that the ink reservoir might have been exhausted during the recent procedure(s). Print a Nozzle Out job to determine if nozzle health is OK or not. If it is OK, proceed as normal. If NOT, check ink levels via front panel (see page 40). Replace any empty pouches and repeat the Clean Heads procedure. If none are empty and print quality of Nozzle Out job is poor, contact Gerber Service.
Steps for restarting your Solara ion Use the Fill Ink Line command in the Maintenance section of the printer’s menu to load GerberCAT ink into the printer. After filling the ink lines run the purge procedure on all of the ink lines. Complete the steps by printing a Nozzle Out test job. Filling ink lines– see page 109. Purging ink lines to remove air – see page 102. Printing the Nozzle Out test job – see page 25.
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Chapter 7: Gerber Solara ion Web Pages
The Gerber Solara ion has an onboard interface program that can be accessed directly from any computer on the network via an internet browser (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher or Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or higher). This program can be used to check on the printer's current status, enter network settings, view message logs, and to install new firmware. To access the web pages you will need the following: A computer with an internet browser either directly connected to the machine or connected to a network which is connected to the machine. (See section “Networking the Gerber Solara ion” for more information). The computer does not have to be connected to the internet to access the printer web pages. The printer’s IP address. See “Viewing the current network settings” on page 37.
Accessing the Gerber Solara ion web pages You can access the Gerber Solara ion web pages using a computer with an internet browser (no internet connection required) and that is connected to the printer either directly or via a network.
To access the Gerber Solara ion web pages 1 Open a web browser menu on the connected computer. (The internet connection does not have to be active.) 2 Enter the IP Address for the specific Gerber Solara ion you wish to access as the web address in the web browser. (Do not use any slashes or colons.) Note: The following illustration is an example of a typical IP address for the printer. Your IP address will vary.
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3 If done correctly the Home page should appear on your web browser. There is a list of links in the middle of the screen to the other web pages in the program which are described in the following sections. 4 Click a link to open the corresponding web page.
Home page This page displays the printer name, the status, and contains links to other Gerber Solara ion web pages. Example IP address
Links to other Solara ion web pages
Links to other Solara ion web pages
Job Status field displays the current state of the printer: Idle, Printing, Job Status field displays Updating, or Error. the current state of the printer: Idle, Printing, Updating, or Error.
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System Status page The System Status page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Home web page.
The Printheads section of System Status page displays the status of each printhead including its current temperature.
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System Settings page The System Setting page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Home web page. Click the link to open the System Settings page where you can modify: Printer Name System Log Level Numeric units Language used on the display Lamp Delay mode Lamp Spec Mode Large Field mode Step Blending mode After editing the printer name or selecting new values, the Change Settings button activates the new settings. Note: You cannot modify the System Settings while a job is printing.
Changing the printer name You can assign a unique name for your Gerber Solara ion printer to help you distinguish it from other Gerber Solara ion printers on your network. The default name of the printer is Gerber Solara ion Printer.
Changing the System Log Level The System Log is an application running on the network that records messages sent from the Gerber Solara ion printer. You can view the System Log messages through a link on the Diagnostics web page. See “Viewing the System Log” on page 134 for details on viewing the log. 4/29/10 Rev G
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You can modify the System Log Level from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest). The lowest setting records only the major errors, and the highest records all messages sent from the Gerber Solara ion. Alternately, you can turn off the System Log completely. The default System Log Level setting is 1 (lowest) and should be adequate for normal operation. Higher settings may be requested by Gerber Service for diagnostic purposes.
Choosing the numeric units The units used on the Gerber Solara ion and on the web pages can be chosen via the System Settings page. The choices are: Inches, Feet, and Yards. The default numeric unit is Inches.
Choosing the language The language displayed on the Gerber Solara ion (and on all web pages except Diagnostics) can be changed via the System Setting page of the web interface. The choices are English, French, Spanish and German. The default language is English. Note: Currently English is the only language available.
Setting the Lamp Delay mode The Lamp Delay mode sets the UV lamps to remain on for 10 minutes after completing a job when printing in Flat Bed or single Roll-to-Roll mode. See “Lamp Delay mode” on page 62 for details.
Setting the Lamp Spec Mode Lamp Spec mode is a special UV lamp setting that may be helpful for certain materials that need extra heat to cure ink. Setting Lamp Spec Mode to High activates the UV lamps at a higher temperature than normal and pre-warms the material prior to the start of the job. See “Lamp Spec Mode” on page 63 for details.
Setting Large Field mode Large Field mode improves the print quality of large solid areas of color, especially light blue or green. Once Large Field is enable it remains active until disabled by the operator. See “Large Field mode” on page 64.
Setting Step Blending mode Step Blending mode hides excess banding in the x-axis. Once Step Blending is enabled it remains active until disabled by the operator. See “Step Blending mode” on page 64.
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Network Settings The Network Settings page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Home web page. Click the link to open the Network Settings page.
The network settings of the Gerber Solara ion allow you to send jobs to the printer or communicate with the printer using the web interface. To enter or modify the network settings via the Network Settings web page you must have already established a network connection with the Gerber Solara ion.
Using Static Settings By default the Gerber Solara ion is setup to use Static (fixed) network settings. When entering static addresses for the Gerber Solara ion on a network, you must obtain the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway from the network administrator or IT department. A Gateway address is only used if you are communicating in a multiple local area network (LAN) environment. A single network environment should leave the Gateway address at the factory default setting. Do not attempt to assign your own addresses. Factory default settings for the network address fields are as follows: Network Address
Default Value
IP address
192.168.000.050.
Subnet Mask
255.255.255.000.
Gateway Address
000.000.000.000.
SysLog Server Address
0.0.0.0.
After entering new addresses, click the Change Settings button and then you must cycle the power on the Gerber Solara ion.
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Other settings The SysLog Address is the IP address of the network syslog server. If this is not 0.0.0.0, all messages logged in the printer's syslog buffer are also sent to the network syslog server at the entered IP address. If the syslog server has a hard drive, the message capacity is limited to the available hard drive space. The MAC (media access control) Address uniquely identifies the printer and is not editable. CAUTION: Use care when entering addresses for the Gerber Solara ion. Entering incorrect addresses could damage the network. CAUTION: The device ID number (last octet or last two octets depending on the network) of the Gerber Solara ion IP Address should not be the same address as any other computer or system on the network or it will cause problems for the network.
Job Status page The Job Status page is available from the Job Status link on the Gerber Solara Home page.
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The Job Status page displays the name of the current job and the pertinent information about it including the size of the job in pixels, print mode, and the resolution. When actively printing, it also includes the percentage of completion.
Diagnostics page The Diagnostics page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Home web page. Click the link to open the Diagnostics page where there are links to: Restore Factory Default Settings View the printer Model and Version identification View the Message Log and the Satellite Log Open the Sensors page Open the Configuration Info page Open the USB Test page Open the Board diagnostic page Open the Statistics page Open the Recent Errors page
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Restoring Factory Default Settings Click the Restore Settings button to return all settings of the Gerber Solara ion to the original settings that existed when the printer shipped from the factory. Alternately, you can restore factory settings via the printer’s control panel as described in the following procedure. Following is a chart of the default factory settings. Item
Default Setting
IP Address
0.168.0.50
Subnet Mask
255.255.255.0
Gateway Address
0.0.0.0
SysLog Server Address
0.0.0.0
Use DHCP
FALSE
Log Level
1
Machine Name
Gerber Solara ion Printer
Language
English
Numeric Units
Inches
To reset to factory defaults via the control panel 1 Cycle the power on the printer. Turn the printer off, wait 10 seconds and then turn the printer back on. 2 Immediately press the PAUSE and MENU keys while the control panel LEDs are lit and hold them down until the word Gerber appears on the display. This takes approximately 20 seconds. Release the keys. 3 When the Reset to Factory Default? screen appears, press ENTER to reset the printer to factory default settings. Press CANCEL on the control panel keypad to cancel the reset mode. Reset to Factory Default? Press ENTER to Reset.
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Version Information The Version Information page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Diagnostics web page. This page displays the printer’s name and version, as well as detailed data about individual boards that comprise the system. This information is helpful when evaluating the need to update the printer to the latest firmware revision, or when troubleshooting the printer along with a service engineer.
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View System Log The View Log link displays the system Message Log. The Message Log records information and error messages sent from the Gerber Solara ion. You can modify the System Log Level from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest) using the System Settings web page. The default setting is 1 (lowest) which records only the major errors and should be adequate for most users. The highest setting records all messages sent to the printer and is used by Gerber Service for diagnostics. When the System Log is turned off (set to 0 (OFF)), no messages are recorded. The numbers in the brackets to the left of the message indicate the time the message was logged since the printer was powered on. The time is displayed in [hours : minutes : seconds : milliseconds]. The System Log can contain up to 32 kb of text messages. When the log becomes full, the newest message replaces the oldest message in the log.
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View Satellite Log The View Satellite Log link displays the Satellite Message Log which records information and error messages sent from the following components: Ballast board Carriage board Front panel board Gantry board Table board Tip: The Master board messages are displayed in the Message Log. See page Error! Bookmark not defined. for more information. The numbers in the brackets to the left of the message indicate the time the message was logged since the printer was powered on. The time is displayed in [hours : minutes : seconds : milliseconds]. The Satellite Log can contain up to 500 bytes of text messages. When the log becomes full, the newest message replaces the oldest message in the log.
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Sensors The Sensors page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Diagnostics web page. The Sensors web page provides the status of many sensors used throughout the printer and is used in conjunction with Gerber Service to determine if the sensors are working properly.
The MOTORS section includes the following sensors:
X Axis Home Sensors (Left and Right) are located at the front of the printer. The status can be IN or OUT of range of the sensor. X Axis Limit Sensors (Left and Right) are located at the Roll-to-Roll assembly. The status can be IN or OUT of range of the sensor. Y Axis Home Sensor is located on the gantry near the control panel. The status can be IN or OUT of range of the sensor. Y Axis Limit Sensor is located on the gantry at the opposite end of the control panel. The status can be IN or OUT of range of the sensor. Z Axis Home Sensors (Left and Right) are located at either end of the gantry. The status can be IN or OUT of range of the sensor. Winder Sensor is located on the right side of the take-up mechanism on the Roll-toRoll assembly. The status can be IN or OUT of range of the sensor.
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Interlock is the emergency stop circuit which includes the E-Stop buttons, Head Access Door, and the Maintenance Shelf. The sensor can be Engaged indicating that the printer is functioning or Disengaged indicating that an E-Stop has been pressed, or the Head Access Door or Maintenance Shelf has been opened and the printer is in emergency stop mode. The INK section includes the following sensors for each ink color (CYAN, MAG, YEL, and BLK):
Ink Drawer status indicates that the drawer is Open or Shut.
Ink Level is the level of the reservoir, (not the ink pouch). The Ink Level is read by a float sensor in the reservoir and can either be High or Low. Ink Solenoid is the status of the solenoids used to maintain the pressure in the printheads. The status can be Closed indicating that the vacuum is off, or Open indicating that the vacuum is on. Ink Pump is the pump located at the back of each ink drawer which pumps the ink to the reservoir. The status can be On or Off. Vacuum Pump is the pump used to suction the ink back into the printhead. The pump can be On or Off. Vacuum Pressure is not currently in use. Waste Ink Tray indicates the status of the tray which is either In or Out. Ink Overflow is the status of the overflow reservoir which is designed to collect any excess ink in the event of an ink system failure. The status is OK or Overflow. In the event of an overflow, contact Gerber Service for assistance. The bottom section includes the following sensors:
Sliding UV Shield indicates the status of the shield which is either Parked or Out. Gap Sensor measures the thickness of the material. When the sensor is in the highest position and not in use, the status is Retracted. When the Gap sensor is in use the status is Extended. Keypad Key reflects the key that is currently being pressed on the control panel.
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Configuration Info page The Printer Configuration page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Diagnostics web page. The Printer Configuration web page displays information on the current printer and its settings. This information is for viewing only and can not be changed.
USB Test page The USB Test page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Diagnostics web page. The USB Test web page allows the operator to test the USB communication with the printer’s circuit boards. USB testing should only be done at the direction of Gerber Service to troubleshoot problems. Press START TEST to begin automatic USB testing. If there are no errors “Test Complete” displays when the test if finished. If there are errors they display in the Test Details field.
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Statistics The Statistics page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Diagnostics web page. It provides links to detailed statistics pages for many of the printer components. These statistics are to be used in conjunction with Gerber Service.
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Error History page The Error History page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Diagnostics web page. It provides a list of the 124 most recent errors. The list includes the error number, time of the error relative to when the printer was powered on, and the number of power cycles when the error occurred. When the error list reaches 124 in number, the oldest error is dropped from the list as the most recent error is added. The Error History list is helpful when troubleshooting a problem.
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Calibration web page The Calibration web page is available from a link on the Gerber Solara ion Home web page and includes settings and calibrations that can be updated by the operator and/or service engineer.
The AXIS CALIBRATION section includes the following displayed settings and calibrations: X Gantry Home Offset (L/R) is a setting that can not be updated by the operator. Z Beam Home Offset (L/R) is a setting that can not be updated by the operator. X Gantry Adjustment ¼ pixel is a calibration that can be performed by the operator. Y Carriage Steps/Inch is a calibration that can be performed by the operator. Grit Wheel Color is set by a service engineer when grit wheels are installed. The POSITION section includes the following settings and calibrations: Table Surface Cal is a calibration performed by a service engineer via Z Home Calibration. Print Gap Offset is a setting performed by a service engineer via Z Home Calibration. Table Z Mapping is a calibration performed by a service engineer via the Table Z Map page. 4/29/10 Rev G
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Roll-to-Roll Z Offset is a setting performed by a service engineer via Table Z Map page. Y Carriage Park Offset is an alignment performed by a service engineer via the printer’s front panel. Print Position Offset Front (in) is a calibration that can be performed by the operator. Print Position Offset Side (in) is a calibration that can be performed by the operator. The PRINTHEADS section includes: Link to the Print-head Calibration page which provides access to a number of printhead alignments.
X Gantry Adjustment The X Gantry Adjustment alters the gantry steps in the X axis of the printer (front to back) for each of the 3 print pass modes (2-Pass, 4-Pass, and 8-Pass). This alteration is used to increase or decrease print gaps in order to remove unwanted white spaces between print passes or keep passes from over-printing and creating darker bands. The X Gantry Adjustment is set on the Calibration web page. The X Gantry Adjustment factors of the printer may need to be altered if printed jobs are longer or shorter than they are expected to be.
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To set the X Gantry Adjustment factors of the printer 1 Determine whether there are white spaces or darker bands on a print. 2 Click on arrow of dropdown box for the corresponding pass mode. Choose negative factors to close the gap and eliminate white spaces. Choose positive factors to increase the gap and eliminate dark bands of over-printing. 3 Each single unit represents ¼ pixel shift. The range is +/- 2.5 pixels. 4 Run a test print to ensure desired change is present. If not increase factor accordingly and repeat until desired effect is established. Note: The setting default is “0.” The change made will remain in effect unless altered again by the operator. The change will NOT take effect unless the SET X CAL box is clicked on.
Y Carriage Steps/Inch—Y Encoder Calibration The Encoder calibration measures the Y carriage steps per inch in the left to right direction of the printer. The resulting Y Carriage Steps/Inch value displays on the Calibration web page. The Y Encoder may need to be calibrated if jobs being produced are too wide or too narrow, or if there are encoder error messages.
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To calibrate the Y Encoder 1 When the printer is turned on and idle, click the Y Encoder Test button on the Calibration web page. The carriage movement is measured in the Y axis (left to right) direction. The web page displays the Encoder Test window and the results of the test.
2 If the results say OK you do not have to calibrate the Y Encoder although you can update the scale factor by clicking the Set Y Scale Factor button if you wish. If Carriage Y Scale is UNCALIBRATED displays, you must click the Set Y Scale Factor button to calibrate the encoder. The web page updates and displays the blue message at the top of the window: Y Scale Factor has been set to 2880.91. (Your actual Y Scale Factor may vary from this example.) Note: If the Encoder Test encounters errors the Set Y Scale Factor button does not display. The encoder strip may need to be cleaned. Contact Gerber Service.
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3 The Calibration web page updates to display the new Y Carriage Steps/Inch value.
Calibrating the location of a printed image (Print Pos Offset Front and Side) This procedure describes how to calibrate the location of a printed image relative to the material alignment marks that will be printed on a piece of scrap material. Calibration ensures that jobs will print in the correct location. After printing and measuring the calibration job, the values are added to the Print Pos Offset Front and Side fields on the Calibration web page.
To calibrate the location of a printed image 1 Load a piece of rigid material that is at least 12" ” 12" ”30.5cm x 30.5cm) so that the edges are flush with the front edge and left edge of the table. 2 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. 3 Press the or key until the Calibration screen displays. 4 Press ENTER to display the Test Jobs screen. Press ENTER to access the test jobs. 5 Press the or key to select Print Position Cal job. Press ENTER to send the job to the printer. The job will print an “L” shape in the front left corner of the material. 6 Measure the distance from the left edge of the material to the outside edge of the Lshaped image and make note of the value which you will need later in this procedure. 7 Measure the distance from the front edge of the material to outside edge of the Lshaped image and make note of the value which you will need later in this procedure. 8 On the Gerber Solara ion’s Calibration web page enter the measurements (in inches) in the fields labeled Dist to Table Front (in) and Dist to Table Side (in).
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9 Click the Set Print Pos button to accept the entered values. Note that the resulting calibration values are computed from the entered measurements and will differ from the values that were entered. 10 Rotate the material so that an unprinted corner of the material is at the front, left corner of the table. Send Print Position Cal test job to the printer again. 11 Measure the distance from the left and front edge to the printed L-shaped image to verify the correct positioning. When properly calibrated the left edge distance should be 0.75" ”19mm) and the front edge distance should be 0.5" ”12.7mm). If the measurements are not correct, re-enter the measured values as described in the above steps and rerun the Print Position Cal job. Recheck measurements for proper calibration.
Calibrating the printhead park position Park Position calibration aligns the printheads with the slots in the head access door. If the printhead is not spitting accurately through the slots, run the Park Position Calibration routine which can be found in the Maintenance section of the printer Menu.
To calibrate the printhead park position CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations. 1 Remove the two left hand gantry covers. 2 From the main control panel press the MENU key. The Status screen displays. Status
3 Press the or key until the Calibration screen displays.
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Calibration
4 Press ENTER to display the Test Jobs screen. Test Jobs
5 Press the or key until the Park Position Cal screen displays. Park Position Cal
6 Press ENTER to begin the calibration sequence. The printhead carriage moves to the maintenance location and the screen prompts you to Remove the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. Set the door aside on an allpurpose wipe. 7 The printer prompts you to Remove the waste ink tray. Remove the waste ink tray, empty it, and set it aside on an all-purpose wipe (see page 93). 8 The printer prompts you to Replace the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. 9 The printer displays instructions to adjust the printhead carriage location in the Y axis using the slew keys. Use slew keys to adj. Pos. Press ENTER when done
10 Use the slew keys to adjust the printheads until they are aligned directly above the slots in the head access door. View the printheads and head access door from underneath. You may find it easier to use the slew keys on the auxiliary keypad located on the maintenance shelf.
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11 Press ENTER to save the offset value from the Y encoder edge. The screen displays Calibration is set! The offset value displays on the Calibration web page as the Y Carriage Park Offset. This calibration can only be completed using the printer. It is not possible to enter the offset value manually on the web page. 12 The screen prompts you to Replace the ink tray and to Replace the Head Access Door. Press ENTER when done. The screen then displays the Printer Ready message. 13 Replace the gantry covers.
Calibrating Image Quality The 360 Uni, Bi, and 720 Uni directional calibrations align the printheads’ ink output for crisp images and text. If the printhead is not spitting accurately, run the 360 and 720 Horizontal Alignment Jobs which can be found in the Test Jobs submenu of the Calibration section of the printer Menu and make adjustments as directed in this section. NOTE: Be sure to check the uni directional alignments on the “360 Horizontal Alignment Job” and make any required adjustments prior to adjusting the bidirectional mode, as unidirectional changes directly affect bidirectional alignment. Note: Always perform 360 mode alignments prior to 720. CAUTION: Use impervious gloves to protect your hands. Nitrile gloves of no less than 8 mils have proven impervious for one hour of exposure. Gloves should be disposed of after one hour of exposure time. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Dispose of used gloves according to local laws and regulations.
To calibrate 360 unidirectional printing The image below is used for the unidirectional and bidirectional calibration. For this particular calibration procedure please use the bottom row labeled UNIDIRECTIONAL.
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1 Select the alignment job 360 Horiz Align job file from the printer. 2 Examine the print. For each set of colors, select the line (-10 through 10) that is best aligned to the black line underneath it. 3 Open the web browser on the computer connected to the printer and enter the IP address of the Gerber Solara ion printer to open the Gerber Solara ion Home web page. 4 Click the Calibration link on the Home page to open the Calibration web page.
5 Click the Print head CAL PAGE button to open the Head Calibration web page.
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Note: * The UNI-DIR Black 1 Right should always be set at Zero. 6 Enter the corresponding number into the field in the UNI-DIR section on the left side of the web page. For example, if CL aligns best at –5, that number should be added to the current values in the Cyan Left field. For instance if the current value in the field is -2, add the new value (-5) to it, and enter -7 in Cyan Left field. Continue to enter the new alignment values for all of the color print heads, Left and Right in the UNI-DIR columns. 7 Click the Save Settings button to accept the values. 8 Reprint the job and make adjustments to values on Head Calibration page until all the unidirectional box prints show best alignment position to be at zero position (center of box), +/- 1.
To calibrate 360 bidirectional printing The image below is used for the bidirectional and unidirectional calibration. For this particular calibration procedure please use the top row labeled BIDIRECTIONAL.
1 Evaluate the bidirectional section of the job only if the unidirectional job is within specifications. If not, reprint the job after unidirectional calibration.
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2 Examine the print. For each color, select the line (-10 through 10) that are best aligned to the black line underneath it. 3 Open the web browser on the computer connected to the printer and enter the IP address of the Gerber Solara ion printer to open the Gerber Solara ion Home web page. 4 Click the Calibration link on the Home page to open the Calibration web page.
5 Click the Print head CAL PAGE button to open the Head Calibration web page.
6 Enter the corresponding number into the field in the BI-DIR section on the right side of the web page. For example, if CL aligns best at –7, that number should be added to the current values in the Cyan Left field. For instance if the current value in the field is -2,
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add the new value (-5) to it, and enter -7 in Cyan Left field. Continue to enter the new alignment values for all the color print heads, Left and Right in the BI-DIR columns. 7 Click the Save Settings button to accept the values. 8 Reprint the job and make adjustments to values on Head Calibration page until all the bidirectional box prints show best alignment position to be at zero position (center of box), +/- 1.
9 By looking at the thickness in the vertical lines of these boxes, you can verify your electrical alignments (360 Uni and 360 Bi) were done correctly. 10 The thickness of the line should be less than .020" (0.508mm).
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To calibrate 720 unidirectional printing Note: Always perform 360 mode alignments prior to 720.
1 Select the 720 Horiz Align job on the printer. 2 Examine the print. For each color, select the line (-10 through 10) that are best aligned to the black line underneath it. 3 Open the web browser on the computer connected to the printer and enter the IP address of the Gerber Solara ion printer to open the Gerber Solara ion Home web page. 4 Click the Calibration web page, click the Print head CAL PAGE button to open the Head Calibration web page.
5 Enter the corresponding number into the field in the UNI-DIR section on the left side of the web page. For example, if CL aligns best at –5, that number should be added to the current values in the Cyan Left field. For instance if the current value in the field is -2, add the new value (-5) to it, and enter -7 in Cyan Left field. Continue to enter the new alignment values for each color print head, both Left and Right, in the UNI-DIR columns. 6 Click the Save Settings button to accept the values. Note:
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6 Reprint the job and make adjustments to values on Head Calibration page until all the unidirectional box prints show best alignment position to be at zero position (center of box), +/- 1.
7 By looking at the thickness in the vertical lines of these boxes, you can verify your electrical alignments (720 Uni) were done correctly. 8 The thickness of the line should be less than 0.020" (0.508mm).
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Update page The Gerber Solara ion Update page is available from the Update link on the Home page. Click the link to enter the Gerber Solara ion Update program which installs internal firmware upgrades to the printer. When you are updating the printer’s firmware you can not print a job or use the printer’s control panel. CAUTION: Do NOT access this page while the Gerber Solara ion is printing as it may disrupt the print job.
Loading firmware upgrades The Gerber Solara ion operating system software (firmware) is upgradeable. New versions of firmware may be released periodically to fix problems that occur during normal operation or to add new features. If there is an internal operating system error, it may be necessary to either reload the current version of firmware or to update it. Before you can upgrade the Gerber Solara ion firmware you must have a compatible download file with a GSP filename (for example: Solara_ion_A0_Build_XX.gsp). This file can either be on a CD (if one is provided), on a computer connected to the printer directly or via a network, or can be downloaded from the GERBERnet website. 4/29/10 Rev G
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The download process consists of several phases: File selection and downloading Restarting of the printer Programming each board as required CAUTION: Cycle the power to the printer only when instructed to do so by the printer’s control panel. Do NOT turn off the machine or disconnect the network cable at any other time during the update process. This will interrupt the download, corrupt the firmware, and damage the control system.
To update the printer firmware 1 Open the Gerber Solara ion web pages by opening a web browser and entering the printer’s IP address in the address bar. 2 On the Home page, click the Update link and wait for the system to enter the Gerber Solara ion Firmware Update page. (This may take one to two minutes.) 3 You can download the update file from either the GERBERnet library or the upgrade CD. 4 To download from the upgrade CD, click the Browse button and browse the CD to locate the file with a GSP filename extension (for example: Solara_ion_A0_Build_XX.gsp), and then click Update. 5 To download from the GERBERnet library go to: http://www.gerberscientific.net/GSP/eService/SoftwareDownloads/ SoftwareLibrary.aspx. Locate the latest Solara ion Firmware Update and click the Click Here to Download File button.
6 Follow the file download instructions and save the firmware upgrade file to a known location such as the desktop. The firmware upgrade file has a GSP filename extension (for example: Solara_ion_A0_Build_XX.gsp) and may be in a zipped file. After downloading, unzip the file to allow access to the GSP file. Once that is completed, browse for the file using the Browse button on the Solara ion Update web page, and then click Update.
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7 The update process may take three to five minutes to complete as the new firmware is loaded onto the printer’s master board. The following screen appears on your computer while the firmware is updating.
8 The Updating System Firmware. Please wait… message appears on the control panel. Updating System Firmware Please wait…
9 While the firmware is downloading the control panel might go blank, and then return to the Updating System Firmware screen.
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10 The printer will automatically restart and the Solara ion Home web page displays with the printer Status of “Updating.” This portion of the update process could take 30 minutes or more as each board is checked and updated. The front panel of the printer also displays a progress bar, which reflects the status as each board is updated. There are several boards that need to be updated, the front panel will display them as they update. A warning message displays to leave the printer’s power on during this process. Loading Ballast F/W
1 of 5
70%
Leave Power ON 11 Before the firmware is completely installed the system displays a message to cycle the power off, wait 10 seconds and turn the power back on. Turn power switch off. Turn back on after 10 seconds.
Tip: During the update process the printer’s Message Log reflects the update status and displays which components are currently being updated. 12 When the firmware update is complete the printer displays the Printer Ready message. The Solara ion may do an encoder check after updating. 13 If after updating the firmware you receive an Encoder test fail message perform the Y Encoder Test as described on page Error! Bookmark not defined.. If the Encoder Ticks value is between 357 and 360, just click the button at the end of the test called “Set Y Scale Factor.” 14 Call Gerber Service at 800-828-5406 if the value is not between 357 and 360. Update error message If you receive an error message during the update process, cycle the printer’s power and try again. If the error persists, contact Gerber Service for assistance. Canceling an update If you decide not to update the firmware and return to the Home page without beginning the update process, you will notice a new button on the Home page that says Cancel Update Mode. Click this button to ensure that the system is no longer in update mode.
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Starting the printer in Bootloader mode Bootloader mode is used when the firmware of a printer can not be updated because the current firmware is not operating properly. When in Bootloader mode you can view the System Log or update the Gerber Solara ion firmware.
To start the printer in Bootloader mode Note: Two people are required to start the printer in Bootloader mode. 1 Turn off the power to the printer and wait 10 seconds. 2 One person should turn on the power to the printer while another person holds down the LOAD/UNLOAD and CLEAN HEADS keys on the auxiliary keypad on the maintenance shelf. 3 The screen on the control panel remains blank when in Bootloader mode. Access the Bootloader via the Gerber Solara web page that will display.
4 From the Bootloader web page you can view the System Log to obtain additional system information or update the printer’s firmware.
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Downloading new color profiles New color profiles are available by downloading the Solara ION PrnInst and Profiles ONYX 7.3 update. Go to Gerber’s website, http://www.gspinc.com. Click Support/Downloads and search for the SolaraION_PrnInst_V72_092008.zip file. Choose Click Here to Download File.
Contacts web page The Gerber Solara ion Contacts page is available from the Contacts link on the Home page. The Contacts page contains important Gerber contact information including Customer Service and Gerber Service. If you are connected to the Internet you can click the hyperlinks to contact Gerber or visit the GSP web site (www.gspinc.com).
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Chapter 8: Troubleshooting
This chapter contains information to assist you in solving many common printer problems. Troubleshooting printer issues Troubleshooting quality of printed output Troubleshooting job data errors Status messages Printer messages Error messages Running the control panel screen test
RIP software issues A variety of RIP software programs work with the Gerber Solara ion, GerberCAT inks, and qualified materials. Refer to the software documentation provided with the RIP program you have chosen regarding its operation.
Determining the category of problems The following procedure can help you to determine the nature of several issues. If the printer fails after determining the category of the problem and attempting resolution, call your distributor or Gerber Service at: 800-828-5406.
To test the printer operation 1 Turn the printer off and then on. 2 Load material. 3 Print a test print. 4 If the printer fails, investigate the following possible problems before contacting Gerber Service.
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Printer issues Printer will not turn on Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the power cord securely attached to the printer and plugged into an active outlet?
Plug in the power cord.
See “Power requirements” on page 15.
Is the Gerber Solara ion power switch turned on?
Turn on the power switch.
See “Starting and stopping the printer” on page 27.
Printer is stuck on “Gerber” screen at power-up Problem
Solution
Notes
Were you in the process of upgrading the firmware?
Cycle the power and try again.
See “Loading firmware upgrades” on page 156. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Printer is stuck on “Check the Shelf” screen Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the Emergency Stop interlock open?
Ensure that the maintenance shelf is raised, the head access door is inserted and that both E-stop buttons are in the up position. Press ENTER.
See “Emergency Stop” on page 29. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Printer is stuck on “Warming” screen Problem
Solution
Notes
Has the printer recently been upgraded to revision E or higher?
There may be a printhead voltage problem.
Seek technical assistance.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the maintenance shelf open?
Close the maintenance shelf.
See “Emergency Stop” on page 29.
Are all of the ink reservoirs filled with ink?
Check the Ink Levels and replace the empty pouches.
See “Checking the ink level” on page 39.
Have the emergency stops been activated?
Check the e-stops. Press ENTER at the check message to continue.
See “Emergency Stop” on page 29.
Has the head access door been removed?
Check and replace the head access door. Press ENTER at the check message to continue.
See “Emergency Stop” on page 29.
Job will not print
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Winder does not roll up the material Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the winder set to automatically wind the material?
Briefly press the winder switch in either direction to activate automatic winding.
See “Using the winding unit” on page 52.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Did you use Gerber-approved material?
If not, replace with new, Gerber-approved material
See “” on page 44.
Is the material folded, bent or curled?
Replace with new Gerberapproved material. Store material in correct environmental conditions.
See “Material storage” on page 20 or “Loading rigid material” on page 55.
Did you load the material correctly (straight) into the left side of the printer?
Reload the material.
See “Loading the material” on page 42.
Is the Gerber Solara ion being used in adverse environmental conditions?
Use the printer within the strict environmental specifications.
See ”Ambient conditions” on page 15.
Is there foreign material in the Roll-toRoll grit wheels?
Clean the grit wheels.
See “Cleaning the Roll-to-Roll grit wheels” on page 100.
Is the rigid material warped?
Use material that is flat within 0.03 in. (0.76mm).
See “Choosing a material type” on page 44.
Did you use material hold-downs devices when printing Roll-to-Roll?
Properly locate the material hold-down devices on both sides of the material.
See “Using hold-down devices for roll material” on page 48.
Is the vacuum in the correct state for roll material?
For most roll materials the vacuum should be set to ON. Some heavier material may work better with the roll vacuum OFF.
See “Loading roll material” on page 49.
Material jams when printing
Carriage is striking 10 foot (3m) rigid material over the roll-to-roll platen Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the edge of the rigid material raised up?
Tape down the material over the roll-to-roll platen to compensate for less vacuum pressure.
See “Loading rigid material” on page 49.
Are the roll-to-roll platen mounting screws are loose causing the platen to be higher than the flat bed table?
Tighten the screws.
If problem persists seek technical assistance
Are the roll-to-roll platen and flat bed table at different heights?
Seek technical assistance.
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Ink is leaking near the ink supply box Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the ink pouch installed correctly?
Ensure that the pouch spout is inserted properly in the drawer.
See “Loading the inks” on page 39. If the problem persists seek technical assistance.
Does ink leak from the pouch when it is removed from the printer?
Ink valve is broken; replace the pouch.
See “Loading the inks” on page 39.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Did you use more than three drops of Daily Maintenance Solution when swabbing the printheads?
Use only 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution per swab.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84. If the problem persists seek technical assistance.
Ink is dripping out of the heads
Cannot print more than one job at a time Problem
Solution
Notes
Are you unable to print more than one job at a time?
Syslog address may be invalid. Go to the Network Settings web page and enter 0.0.0.0 as the Syslog address (if not using Kiwi Syslog).
See “Network Settings” on page 129.
Are you using an old version of ONYX Rip and/or driver?
Update to the latest version of ONYX and the latest drivers.
System log may display errors 800 or 801.
Is your Gateway address correct?
Go to the Network Settings web page and enter 0.0.0.0 as the Gateway address.
Contact your network administrator for your correct Gateway address.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Did the Y Carriage Steps/Inch—Y Encoder Calibration test fail?
Seek technical assistance.
Encoder test fails
Table fans turn off Problem
Solution
Did the table fan turn off immediately after turning on?
Seek technical assistance.
Notes
One side of gantry not moving Problem
Solution
Is one side of the gantry not moving up or down?
Seek technical assistance.
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Quality of printed output Missing nozzles Problem
Solution
Notes
Are there a few missing nozzles on a couple of heads after the printer has idled for three hours?
Perform a Clean Heads Procedure.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Did you choose the correct device profile for the material, printer, and chosen print quality?
Choose the correct device profile.
See “Using RIP software and profiles” on page 61, or see your RIP software documentation.
Are printhead nozzles misfiring?
Print a test job to check printhead performance. Perform a Clean Heads Procedure.
“Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
Are you printing in a Performance mode?
Switch to Quality mode which has more passes and can minimize the appearance of banding.
See “Print mode options” on page 61.
Are there missing or angled nozzles on one or more colors?
Print a test job to determine which colors have missing nozzles. Print Angled Nozzle Job on vinyl and send to Gerber Service for evaluation.
See additional information on missing or angled nozzles in the Missing or angled nozzle section. If problem persists, seek technical assistance.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Did you choose the correct device profile for the material, printer, and chosen print quality?
Choose the correct device profile.
See “Using RIP software and profiles” on page 61, or see your RIP software documentation.
Is there a slight overlap in the print passes?
Adjust the media feed in the RIP software.
See “Media feed adjustment on a Roll-to-Roll job” on page 71.
Does the supply roll have trouble rotating freely?
The table legs may need to be squared.
Seek technical assistance.
Are the roller and/or idler right side pulley worn?
Replace the roller or idler right side pulley.
Seek technical assistance.
Banding in the flat bed prints
Banding in roll-to-roll prints
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Missing or angled nozzles Problem
Solution
Notes
Are you performing the daily maintenance procedures?
Perform a Clean Heads procedure at the start and end of each day and after every four hours of printing and after two hours of idle time.
See “Daily Maintenance” on page 78.
Have you performed a Periodic Maintenance Process?
Perform a Periodic Maintenance Process whenever angled nozzle are observed.
See “Periodic Maintenance Process to correct angled nozzles on the Gerber Solara ion” on page 95.
Is there air trapped in the ink lines?
Perform a purge on the problem ink line. If you are purging more than once a week, there maybe another problem.
See “Purging ink lines to remove air” on page 102. If problem persists, seek technical assistance.
Is there a buildup of ink on the printhead resulting from not using the sliding shield correctly?
Clean the printheads and area surrounding them with Anticon wipes and Daily Maintenance Solution. Always position the sliding shield next to the material.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84 and “Loading rigid material” on page 49.
Are you using sacrificial material to fill gaps between prints and is it the same thickness as print substrate?
Clean the printheads and area surrounding them with Anticon wipes and Daily Maintenance Solution. Perform a purge to clean nozzles of cured ink and debris if necessary. Always position the sliding shield next to the material. Always use sacrificial material to fill gaps between prints and ensure that it is the same thickness as the print substrate.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84, “Loading rigid material” on page 49, and “Uniform Print Gap & Elimination of Gap Between Prints” on page 56.
Are you using Fisher Scientific foam swabs?
Always use Fisher Scientific swabs from Gerber. Never use other swabs which can cause printhead damage. ALWAYS cover swabs with Anticon cloths when called to do so.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
Was the printer cold/idle when the initial Clean Heads procedure was preformed?
Perform another Clean Heads procedure after the printhead heaters have turned on.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
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Has dirty material contaminated the printheads?
Follow manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures and allow material to thoroughly dry before printing.
See “Cleaning material” on page 46. Most rigid material can be cleaned with 99% isopropyl alcohol or IP Surface Cleaner. Clean vinyl with distilled water.
Is there static electricity on the material surface?
Follow manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures and allow material to thoroughly dry before printing.
See “Cleaning material” on page 46. Most rigid material can be cleaned with 99% isopropyl alcohol or IP Surface Cleaner. Clean vinyl with distilled water.
Are the printheads scratched or damaged?
Replace the printheads.
Seek technical assistance.
Is every third nozzle missing?
There may be a printhead connection problem.
Seek technical assistance.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the material damp?
Replace with dry, Gerberapproved material. Store material in correct environmental conditions.
See “Material storage” on page 20 and ”Ambient conditions” on page 15.
Is the material folded, bent or curled?
Replace with new Gerberapproved material. Store material in correct environmental conditions.
See “Material storage” on page 20.
Is the printable side of the material loaded correctly?
Reload the material with the printable side of the material facing up.
See “Loading the material” on page 42.
Is the material clean?
Clean the material with IP Surface Cleaner or 99% isopropyl alcohol. Follow manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures and allow material to thoroughly dry before printing.
See “Cleaning material” on page 46. Clean rigid material with IP Surface Cleaner or 99% isopropyl alcohol. Clean vinyl with distilled water.
Have you removed the protective film from rigid material?
Remove protective film. Follow manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures and allow material to thoroughly dry.
See “Cleaning material” on page 46. Clean rigid material with IP Surface Cleaner or 99% isopropyl alcohol.
Solution
Notes
The print is blurred
Smearing or fading in the print Problem
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A job begins to print well and then fades part way through printing. A color may completely disappear by the end of the job.
There may be air trapped in the line. Perform up to three purges to push the air out of the line. If you must purge more than once a week, there may be an additional problem.
See “Purging ink lines to remove air” on page 102. Seek technical assistance if problem persists.
Does color appear faded at the start of a print but gradually improves as it prints?
Too much Daily Maintenance Solution has been used when cleaning. Use only 2-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution per Anticon-covered swab.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
Are printhead nozzles misfiring?
Print a test job to check printhead performance. Clean and swab the printheads.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84..
Is the printhead beyond its recommend service life?
Replace the printhead.
Call Gerber Service.
Objects are printing in the wrong place Problem
Solution
Notes
Are you using the correct communications cable?
Use the correct communications cable.
See “Networking your Gerber Solara ion printer” on page 31.
Color balance is different between software and print Problem
Solution
Notes
Did you use Gerber-approved material?
If not, replace with new, Gerber-approved material. Store material in correct conditions.
See “Choosing a material type” on page 44 and “Material storage” on page 20.
Are you using the correct Gerber color profiles for the material?
Verify or change the current profile.
See “Using RIP software and profiles” on page 61.
Overlap on a roll-to-roll job Problem
Solution
Notes
Is there a slight overlap on the first two passes of a roll-to-roll job?
Adjust the Media Feed in Onyx or other RIP software. Add a 1" (25.4mm) top offset in Onyx.
See “Media feed adjustment on a Roll-to-Roll job” on page 71 or see your RIP software documentation.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Is Large Field mode enabled?
Turn off Large Field mode in the printer’s Setup menu or on the Systems Settings
See “Large Spec mode” on page 63. If problem persists, the printer may need
Small text quality is poor
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web page.
alignment. Seek technical assistance.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Are the UV bulbs beyond their recommended life?
Replace the UV lamps.
Contact Gerber Service.
Ink not curing
The ink forms small puddles on the print Problem
Solution
Notes
Is there air in the lines?
Perform a purge to remove air from ink lines.
See “Purging ink lines to remove air” on page 102.
Are printhead nozzles misfiring?
Print a test job to check printhead performance. Perform a Clean Heads procedure.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
Is there is a large drop of one color ink on the print here and there?
There may be air trapped in the line. Perform up to three purges to push the air out of the line.
See “Purging ink lines to remove air” on page 102. If you must purge more than once a week, there may be an additional problem.
Ink mist at front left corner of material Problem
Solution
Notes
Is there stray ink that has misted on the front left corner of the material?
Upgrade the firmware to revision F or higher.
See “Update page” on page 156.
Image easily scratches off the material Problem
Solution
Notes
Was the material cleaned prior to printing?
Follow manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures and allow material to thoroughly dry before printing.
See “Cleaning material” on page 46. Most rigid material can be cleaned with 99% isopropyl alcohol or IP Surface Cleaner. Clean vinyl with distilled water.
Is the material a Gerber-approved material?
Use Gerber-approved material or try High Lamp Spec mode.
See “Lamp Spec Mode” on page 63.
Entire print smudges when touched Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the voltage from the wall out of specification?
Measure the voltage at the wall and ensure that it is
Contact a licensed electrician for assistance.
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230V AC+/- 10%. Is the environment within the strict specifications?
Ensure that the environment is within the strict guidelines for temperature and humidity.
See “Ambient conditions” on page 16.
Is the environment marginally within the specifications?
Try running in High Lamp Spec mode.
See “Lamp Spec mode” on page 63.
Are you using Gerber-approved material?
Use Gerber-approved material or try running in High Lamp Spec mode.
See “Choosing a material type” on page 44 and See “Lamp Spec mode” on page 63.
Is the print oversaturated with ink, especially on heavy black areas?
Redesign the job to substitute single color black for 4-color (CMYK) black.
See design program documentation.
Is the lamp aged or damaged?
Lower the maintenance shelf and look up in the gantry to examine the lamp for black discoloration. Replace lamp if necessary.
Seek technical assistance if the lamp appears to need replacement.
Is something blocking the UV light?
Lower the maintenance shelf and look up in the gantry to see if jammed material or tape is stuck to the lamp or reflector.
Remove any jammed material or tape.
Is there a lamp temperature issue.
Lower the maintenance shelf and look up in the gantry to see if the thermistors are at the bottom and facing down.
Seek technical assistance.
First few inches (50-100cm) of the job is not curing Problem
Solution
Notes
Did you use more than one drop of Daily Maintenance Solution when swabbing the printheads?
Use only 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution per swab.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
Is the ambient environment marginally within the specifications?
Try running in High Lamp Spec mode.
See “Lamp Spec mode” on page 63.
Are you using Gerber-approved material?
Use Gerber-approved material or try running in High Lamp Spec mode.
See “” on page 44 and “Lamp Spec mode” on page 63.
One side of the print is not curing well Problem
Solution
Notes
Did you use more than one drop of Daily Maintenance Solution when swabbing the printheads?
Use only 3-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution per swab.
See “Clean Heads Procedure” on page 84.
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Is something blocking the UV light?
Lower the maintenance shelf and look up in the gantry to see if jammed material or tape is stuck to the lamp or reflector.
Remove any jammed material or tape. If problem persists, seek technical assistance.
Is the lamp aged or damaged?
Lower the maintenance shelf and look up in the gantry to examine the lamp for black discoloration.
Seek technical assistance if the lamp appears to need replacement.
Does the material have residue on it?
Follow manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures and allow material to thoroughly dry before printing.
See “Cleaning material” on page 46. Most rigid material can be cleaned with 99% isopropyl alcohol or IP Surface Cleaner. Clean vinyl with distilled water.
Are the lamp fans or thermistors working properly?
Check that the fans are operating. Lower the maintenance shelf and look up in the gantry to see if the thermistors are at the bottom and facing down.
Seek technical assistance.
Job data errors Data errors and interruptions during printing Problem
Solution
Notes
Are all communications cables connected properly?
Check and reconnect communication cables as necessary.
See “Checking network connections” on page 37.
Is the computer which is sending the job performing other tasks?
Close out of all other unnecessary tasks.
See “Pausing a job due to data starvation” on page 67.
Problem
Solution
Notes
Is incorrect data printing?
Perform the encoder test and if it fails seek technical assistance.
See “Y Encoder Calibration” on page 144.
Incorrect data is printing
Objects are printing in the wrong place Problem
Solution
Notes
Are you using the correct communications cable?
Use the correct communications cable.
See “Networking your Gerber Solara ion printer” on page 31.
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Prints are not the correct size Problem
Solution
Notes
Are the flat bed jobs incorrectly sized in the X-axis direction?
Adjust the gantry step size until there is no banding and then redesign the job to increase the size based on the printed output.
See “X Gantry Adjustment” on page 65.
Are the roll-to-roll jobs incorrectly sized in the X-axis direction?
Adjust the Media Feed setting in the RIP software based on the material.
See “Media feed adjustment on a Roll-to-Roll job” on page 71.
Are jobs incorrectly sized in the Y-axis direction?
Seek technical assistance.
Left edge of job is inconsistently located Problem
Solution
Does the location of the left edge of the job vary?
Seek technical assistance.
Notes
Printer does not always start in same location Problem
Solution
Notes
Do jobs start in different locations?
Upgrade to revision F or higher firmware.
See ”Update page” on page 156. Seek technical assistance.
The printer pauses between passes Problem
Solution
Notes
Is the computer from which you are sending the job performing other tasks?
Close out of all other unnecessary tasks.
See “Pausing a job due to data starvation” on page 67.
Are all communications cables connected properly?
Check and reconnect communication cables as necessary.
See “Checking Network Connections” on page 37.
Messages The following messages may appear on the Gerber Solara ion display. The first group of messages is Job Status Messages. The second group of messages is Common Printer Messages. Job Status Messages
Printer Ready Warm-Up – job name Ready – job name 4/29/10 Rev G
Description The system is ready to print a job. Lamps are turned on and warming up. A progress bar displays. Wait for warm-up to complete. Job has been received and is ready to print. Press RUN JOB to continue.
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Printing – job name Material Size/Material Type Canceled By User Canceling job. Please wait… Ink Level LED Is lit Ink Level LED is blinking.
Common Printer Messages
Job is printing. A progress bar displays. This job information displays after pressing the key at the Job Ready, Warm-up, or Printing screen. Job has been canceled by pressing the CANCEL key. Job has been canceled and is being cleared from the queue. One of the ink pouches is low. The printer will continue to print as long as the ink remains in the reservoir. One of the ink pouches is empty. Replace the empty pouch immediately. Description
“INK COLOR” Empty
An ink pouch is empty. The printer pauses until a new ink pouch is installed and the reservoir fills. A suspended job may continue after refilling.
Material must be LOADED
Material has not been loaded before printing a job. Load the material and press the LOAD/UNLOAD key.
Lower shelf and swab printheads
Displays during ink maintenance procedures. Open maintenance shelf and swab printheads with swabs moistened with 2-5 drops of Daily Maintenance Solution.
Raise shelf when done
Displays during ink maintenance procedures. Close maintenance shelf after inspecting or swabbing the printheads.
Waste Ink Tray must be installed
Displays during ink maintenance procedures. Replace waste ink drip tray if it has been removed for cleaning.
Slide UV Shield to its parked position Slide UV Shield next to the material Close all Ink Drawers Check Shelf, Access Door, and E-Stops Common Printer Messages
UV shield is not required for roll-to-roll printing. Grasp handle and slide all the way to the right into the park/home position. UV Shield is required for material thicker than 0.040". Grasp the UV shield handle and slide the shield until the right edge of the handle is aligned with the right edge of the material. Close any open ink drawers. Maintenance shelf is open, head access door has been removed, or emergency stop button has been pressed and the printer can not proceed. Correct condition to continue. Description
Roll Vacuum is ON/OFF
Displays briefly after pressing the LOAD/UNLOAD key when printing a roll-to-roll job.
ENTER=Vacuum On CANCEL=Vacuum Off
Permits operator to activate or deactivate the roll-to-roll platen vacuum before printing.
Remove “INK COLOR” Ink Pouch
Displays during Ink Clear Line procedure. Remove the appropriate ink pouch.
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Cannot fill ink
Ink filling can not occur due to a problem with the system which could include failure to set ink vacuum pressure, waste ink tray not installed, an empty ink line or a problem with another ink component. Check Message Log and fix condition.
Lower Shelf
Displays during ink maintenance procedures. Lower the maintenance shelf to gain access to the heads.
Remove Head Access Door
Displayed during ink maintenance procedures. Remove the head access door to locate the ink purge valves.
Replace Head Access Door
Displayed during ink maintenance procedures. Replace the head access door after purging ink valves.
Open “INK COLOR” Purge Valve 1
Displays during ink purge procedure. Use the 2mm Allen wrench to open the indicated purge valve.
Open both “INK COLOR” Purge Valves
Displays during the clear ink line procedure. Use the 2 mm Allen wrench to open both purge valves for the same color printheads.
Close all purge valves
Displays during ink purge procedure. Use the 2mm Allen wrench to close the purge valves for the ink color(s) that were purged.
Clean the Purge Block
Displays during the clear ink line procedure. Wipe the bottom of the purge block with a dry swab to absorb any ink drips.
Check Ink Waste Tray
Displayed during ink maintenance procedures. Check the waste ink tray and empty if necessary. Ensure tray surfaces are clean and dry and replace the all purpose wipe(s).
Remove All Ink Pouches
Displayed during the Clear Ink Line procedure.
Updating Front Panel Firmware
Displays at start-up when the front panel board is being updated. Printer power must remain on or errors will occur. Wait until update is complete.
Loading “component” F/W or FPGA. Leave power switch on.
Displays when individual component firmware is in the process of being updated. A progress bar displays. Printer power must remain on or errors will occur. Wait until update is complete.
Checking “component” F/W or FPGA Common Printer Messages
Motor Power Cycled! Calibration is set! Lamp Delay is ON/OFF
Displays during the check phase after a component is updated. A progress bar displays. Printer power must remain on or errors will occur. Wait until update is complete. Description The X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, and roll-to-roll motors are turned on after an Emergency Stop. Displays when calibration values are saved. Displays to indicate the status of Lamp Delay mode.
Lamp Spec mode is NORMAL/HIGH
Displays to indicate the status of Lamp Spec mode. NORMAL is the default; HIGH operates the lamps at a higher temperature.
Large Field is ON/OFF
Displays to indicate the status of Large Field mode. Large Field ON improves the appearance of large areas of solid color, especially light blue or green. Large Field is OFF by default.
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Error Messages The following error messages may appear on the Gerber Solara ion display indicating a problem. Follow the recommended action to correct the error. If the error persists, seek technical assistance from an authorized dealer or Gerber Service. Error Message
Description
Recommended Action
Internal Error – Cycle Power
Displays when an abnormal condition occurs within the system which can not be handled by a standard error message.
Cycle power. Seek technical assistance if problem persists. See Message Log for more details. Copy of Message Log may be sent to Gerber Service for analysis.
USB Error
USB communication has failed.
Cycle power. See Message Log for more details. Check system ground connections. Check all USB cable connections. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Multiple Inks Empty
Multiple ink pouches are empty or not installed correctly.
Check ink pouch installation. Replace empty pouches. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
CYAN Empty
Cyan ink pouch is empty.
Replace Cyan ink pouch.
MAGENTA Empty
Magenta ink pouch is empty.
Replace Magenta ink pouch.
YELLOW Empty
Yellow ink pouch is empty.
Replace Yellow ink pouch.
BLACK Empty
Black ink pouch is empty.
Replace Black ink pouch.
Ink Drawer Error
Ink drawer is open or switch is damaged.
Close ink drawer. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Print Gap Error
Material size is too thick or there is a problem with the print gap sensor.
Material must be 1" (25.4mm) or less. If problem persists when using material within the thickness limit, seek technical assistance.
Data Link Error
Data cable connection is bad, encoder strip is damaged, carriage is not moving, a board is damaged, or there is a Y-axis or static electricity issue.
Cycle power. Ensure that the ambient humidity is within specifications and the printer is properly grounded. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Vacuum Pressure Error
There is a problem with the ink vacuum system.
Cycle power. Ensure that all purge valve set screws are closed including the overflow valve. Ensure that the ink reservoirs are full. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Waste Tray Error
There is a problem with the waste ink tray sensor or cable due to ink contact.
Clean ink from tray and area surrounding sensor. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
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Troubleshooting
Error Message
Description
Recommended Action
Ink Pump Error
An ink supply pump is not working properly or connected properly.
Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Ink Solenoid Error
An ink solenoid is not working properly or connected properly.
Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Ink Overflow Error
Ink has overflowed the vacuum chamber or sensor is not working.
Check printer for leaking ink. Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Lamp Error
UV lamp or ballast is not working properly.
Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Lamp Fan Error
UV lamp fan is not working properly.
Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Cover Fan Error
Top cover fan(s) is not working properly.
Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Hold Down Vacuum Error
Table or roll-to-roll vacuum is not working properly.
Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Job Size Error
Job not within valid size range.
Check job at RIP. Adjust size to within valid range and resend job.
RIP Error
There is a problem with the RIP file.
Check job at RIP, re-RIP and resend job.
Printhead Connect Error
There is a problem with the printhead connection.
Cycle power. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
Canceled By User
Operation has been canceled by user.
If message persists, cycle power and/or seek technical assistance.
Multiple Boards Not Found
Multiple Satellite Boards not found at power-up.
Cycle power. If problem persists, see Message Log for more details. Seek technical assistance.
Ballast Board Not Found
Ballast Board not found at power-up.
Cycle power. If problem persists, see Message Log for more details. Seek technical assistance.
Carriage Board Not Found
Carriage Board not found at powerup.
Cycle power. If problem persists, see Message Log for more details. Seek technical assistance.
Gantry Board Not Found
Gantry Board not found at power-up.
Cycle power. If problem persists, see Message Log for more details. Seek technical assistance.
Table Board Not Found
Table Board not found at power-up.
Cycle power. If problem persists, see Message Log for more details. Seek technical assistance.
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Troubleshooting
Error Message
Description
Recommended Action
Cannot fill ink
Ink filling cannot be done due to a problem in the ink system.
This message occurs for various reasons including: failure to set ink vacuum pressure, ink waste tray not installed, an empty ink line, or a problem in another ink component. Check the Message Log and correct the condition. If problem persists seek technical assistance.
ERROR getting choice – Set to 50%
An illegal choice for pouch setting was detected.
This indicates a Firmware problem. Cycle power. If problem persist, reload the system firmware.
ERROR: Cannot save Pouch Contents
Unable to save new pouch contents.
Attempt to set the pouch contents again by opening and closing the ink drawer. Cycle power and try again. If problem persists, seek technical assistance.
Carriage Jam Error
Occurs when the Carriage motion is interrupted unexpectedly. This can happen when the Carriage hits the material.
Move Gantry and inspect material for visual evidence of contact. Ensure material is adequately secured to table, perform a Clean Heads procedure, and repeat print.
Ink failed to drop reservoir level. Press ENTER to continue
The ink level of the reservoir did not drop when performing an ink maintenance procedure such as clean heads or a purge.
Press ENTER to continue. If message displays repeatedly there is a problem with the ink delivery system. Seek technical assistance.
Running the control panel screen test If there is a problem with the printer’s control panel you can run a screen test to check operation. Run this test under the direction of a Gerber-authorized service engineer. During the test, the screen displays all of the possible screens and messages, one after the other, in a continuous loop.
To run the control panel screen test 1 Cycle the power to the printer. Turn off the power to the printer and wait 10 seconds. 2 Turn on the power to the printer. 3 Immediately hold down the LEFT, RIGHT and BACK keys while the control panel LEDs are lit. When you see the word Gerber on the screen you can release the keys. The screen test begins and every possible screen and message will display in a continuous loop.
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Printer Menu Tree – Rev G Version “Printer Ready” (Main Screen)
Status
Firmware Version
Setup
Lamp Delay
Lamp Spec Mode
Test Jobs
Nozzle Out Job
Park Position Cal
Maintenance
End of Day Clean
Clean Heads
Step Blending
Angled Nozzle Job
Purge
Large Field
360 Horiz. Align Job
Inspect Nozzles
IP Address
720 Horiz. Align Job
Subnet Mask
Mechanical Align Job
DHCP
Print Position Job
MAC Address
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Calibration
Clear Ink Line
Fill Ink Line
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Index
Ambient conditions .........................16 Auxiliary keypad .............................21 Bidirectional printing ......................61 Bootloader mode ............................160 Calibration menu .............................25 Calibration web page Calibration...................................142 Print position offset....................146 printhead park position.....147, 149 Set X scale ....................................143 Y encoder.....................................144 Cancel key ...................................22, 77 Cancel update mode ......................159 Canceling a job .................................77 Chapter summaries..........................12 Clean all heads..................................67 Clean Heads key...................23, 83, 86 Cleaning flat bed ...........................................97 grit wheels ...................................100 head access door...........................97 ink drawers ...................................98 material..........................................46 platen .............................................97 print heads ..............................83, 86 printer ............................................98 printheads .....................................28 recommended supplies ...............84 rubber drive wheels ...................101 side plates......................................88 table rails .....................................100 UV shield.......................................88 waste ink tray................................93 Cleaning print heads .................83, 86 individual ......................................91 Cleaning printheads ........................67 Clear ink lines .................................106 Computer requirements..................18 Configuration web page................138 Contacts web page .........................161 Continuous mode.......................67, 75
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Control panel.................................... 20 Control panel screen test .............. 180 Conventions...................................... 12 Data starvation ................................. 67 Default settings .............................. 132 Diagnostics web page.................... 131 Draft mode........................................ 61 Electrical safety ................................ 13 E-mail address, GSP ........................ 14 Emergency stop................................ 29 Error messages ............................... 178 Factory defaults.............................. 132 FastFacts ............................................ 14 Fax number ....................................... 14 Fill ink lines .................................... 109 Firmware upgrades ....................... 156 bootloader mode ........................ 160 canceling an update................... 159 Flaps............................................. 14, 18 replacing...................................... 101 Flat Bed cleaning ......................................... 97 key.................................................. 24 printing a job ................................ 69 size ................................................. 42 Flat material, loading ...................... 55 Function keys ................................... 22 Grit wheels cleaning ....................................... 100 Head access door cleaning ......................................... 97 emergency stop ............................ 29 purging ........................................ 102 Head cleaning............................. 83, 86 High Quality mode.......................... 61 Hold-down devices ................... 48, 52 Home web page ............................. 125 Humidity, recommended ............... 16 Idle time preparations ................... 113 Idle/Sleep mode ........................ 28, 66 Information about the job ............... 68
185
Ink drawers, cleaning ......................98 Ink Level key ..................................................24 screen .............................................40 Installation requirements ................15 Introduction ......................................11 Job canceling........................................77 information ...................................68 Job data errors.................................173 Job Status web page .......................130 Keyboard shortcuts..........................24 Keypad, auxiliary.............................21 Lamp Delay mode....................62, 128 Lamp Spec Mode......................63, 128 Language .........................................128 Large Field mode ...............64, 65, 128 Light shields................................14, 18 replacing ......................................101 Load/Unload key ............................23 Loading material..........................................49 winding unit .................................53 Maintenance daily..............................78, 80, 83, 86 monthly........................................100 preventive......................................79 web pages......................................27 weekly......................................95, 99 yearly ...........................................101 Maintenance menu...............26, 83, 86 Maintenance shelf emergency stop.............................29 Margins, printing .............................59 Material choosing a type.............................45 cleaning....................................46, 48 handling and storage ...................20 hold-down devices.................48, 52 loading ...........................................42 loading rigid..................................55 loading roll ....................................49 maximum weight .........................50 normalizing .............................20, 46 removing roll ................................54 rigid ................................................42 roll ..................................................43 roller ...............................................50 4/29/10 Rev G
standards....................................... 45 troubleshooting .......................... 165 Menu key .......................................... 24 Menu system .................................... 24 Calibration .................................... 25 Maintenance ................................. 26 Setup ........................................ 25, 37 Status ............................................. 25 Menu tree ........................................ 182 Message display............................... 22 Message Log ................................... 134 Messages ......................................... 174 error ............................................. 178 INK Empty.................................... 40 Mode continuous .............................. 67, 75 single.............................................. 67 Monthly maintenance ................... 100 Network settings static ............................................. 129 web page ..................................... 129 Networking cables ............................................. 31 checking connection .................... 37 fixed address................................. 31 setting IP of computer ................. 33 setting printer address ................ 32 setting subnet mask of computer33 view current settings ................... 37 Normalizing material ...................... 46 Nozzles spitting........................................... 66 Numeric units................................. 128 Onyx software .................................. 61 Operating environment .................. 16 Operations ........................................ 62 Orientation of printer ...................... 17 Pausing due to data starvation ...... 67 Pausing, troubleshooting.............. 174 Personal safety ................................. 14 Phone numbers ................................ 14 Ping command ................................. 37 Platen, cleaning ................................ 97 Pouches, replacing ink .................... 40 Power requirements ........................ 16 Power switch .................................... 27 Power-up functions ......................... 24 Preventive maintenance.................. 79
186
Print heads cleaning all ..............................83, 86 cleaning individual ......................91 purging ........................................102 Print mode.........................................61 bidirectional ..................................61 choosing.........................................67 continuous.....................................75 single ..............................................67 uni-directional ..............................61 Print position offset........................146 Printer cleaning..........................................98 control panels................................20 idle time .......................................113 maintenance ................78, 80, 83, 86 operational issues.......................164 orientation ...............................17, 44 power .............................................27 shut down....................................114 Start-up ..........................................27 Printer name ...................................127 Printhead park position ........147, 149 Printheads swabbing . 86, 93, 106, 113, 117, 123 Printing continuous.....................................75 flat bed job.....................................69 margins ..........................................59 roll-to-roll job ................................69 troubleshooting ..........................164 Printing mode continuous.....................................67 lamp delay.....................................62 lamp spec.......................................63 large field.................................64, 65 single ..............................................67 Printing operations ..........................62 Production mode..............................61 Profiles .......................................61, 161 Purging ink line ..............................102 Quality large field mode......................64, 65 printing ..........................................61 troubleshooting ..........................167 Recent Errors web page.................141 Reservoir, empty of ink ...................42 Restore factory defaults.................132 4/29/10 Rev G
Rigid material cleaning ......................................... 46 loading........................................... 55 normalizing................................... 46 RIP software ..................................... 61 downloading profiles ................ 161 graphic orientation ................ 17, 44 troubleshooting .......................... 163 Roll material cleaning ......................................... 48 normalizing................................... 46 Roll-to-Roll key ................................ 24 Roll-to-Roll printing continuous jobs ............................ 75 modes ............................................ 67 overlap adjustment ...................... 71 single job ....................................... 69 Rubber drive wheels, cleaning..... 101 Run Job key....................................... 22 Running multiple jobs ................................. 75 single job ....................................... 67 Safety electrical......................................... 13 ink disposal................................... 13 ink handling.................................. 13 personal ......................................... 14 ventilation ..................................... 14 Screen test ....................................... 180 Sensors web page........................... 136 Serial number location .................... 17 Setup menu....................................... 25 Shield, UV ................................... 49, 70 Shortcuts, keyboard......................... 24 Shut down printer shut down ................................... 114 Side plates, cleaning ........................ 88 Single mode ...................................... 67 Size, printer....................................... 15 Sleep mode.................................. 28, 66 Slew keys........................................... 23 Software profiles................................... 61, 161 requirements........................... 18, 61 RIP software.................................. 61 troubleshooting .......................... 163 Speed ................................................. 61 Spitting .............................................. 66
187
Starting a job .....................................67 Start-up diagnostics.....................................28 ink check........................................28 Static network settings ..................129 Statistics web page .........................140 Status menu.......................................25 Status web page..............................126 Storage materials ........................................20 UV ink............................................19 Swabbing the printheads86, 93, 106, 113, 117, 123 Symbols .............................................12 System Log level ............................127 System Settings language ......................................128 numeric units ..............................128 printer name................................127 restore default.............................132 system log level ..........................127 web page......................................127 Table rails, cleaning .......................100 Technical support.............................14 Telephone numbers .........................14 Temperature, recommended ..........16 Troubleshooting categories of problems...............163 color..............................................170 data transfer ................................173 ink issues .....................................171 output quality .............................167 printer issues...............................164 printer pause...............................174 software .......................................163 Ultra-high quality mode .................61 Uni-directional printing ..................61 Update web page ...........................156 Upgrades .........................................156 bootloader mode ........................160 canceling an update ...................159 USB Test web page.........................138 UV ink clearing ink lines ........................106 colors ..............................................19 curing .............................................63 fill ink lines..................................109 handling and safety .....................13 4/29/10 Rev G
ink level ......................................... 40 purging ........................................ 102 replacing........................................ 40 reservoir empty ............................ 42 storage ........................................... 19 technology..................................... 19 troubleshooting .......................... 171 UV lamp automatic shut off ........................ 62 modes ...................................... 62, 63 technology..................................... 18 warm up ........................................ 66 warning ......................................... 18 UV shield .................................... 49, 70 cleaning ......................................... 88 Vacuum key....See Load/Unload key Ventilation ........................................ 14 Version information web page .... 133 View Satellite page ........................ 135 View System Log web page ......... 134 Vinyl cleaning ......................................... 48 loading........................................... 49 removing ....................................... 54 Waste ink tray, cleaning.................. 93 Web interface numeric units.............................. 128 printer name ............................... 127 system log level .......................... 127 Web pages accessing................................ 27, 124 Calibration .................................. 142 Configuration ............................. 138 Contacts....................................... 161 Diagnostics.................................. 131 firmware upgrades .................... 156 Home ........................................... 125 Job Status..................................... 130 Message Log ............................... 134 Network Settings ....................... 129 overview...................................... 124 Recent Errors .............................. 141 Satellite Log ................................ 135 Sensors......................................... 136 Statistics....................................... 140 Status ........................................... 126 System Settings........................... 127 Update ......................................... 156
188
USB test........................................138 version information ...................133 Web site address...............................14 Weekly maintenance..................95, 99 Weight printer ............................................15 roll material...................................50 Winder
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removing material ....................... 54 troubleshooting .......................... 165 Winding unit .................................... 52 X gantry steps calibration ............. 143 X scale calibration .......................... 143 Y carriage steps calibration .......... 144 Y encoder calibration..................... 144
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P82595A Rev G
4/29/10 Rev G
83 Gerber Road South Windsor, CT 06074-9864 USA www.gspinc.com
