Quick Setup. November 30, 2006 Ver1.3

Transcription

1 Quick Setup November 30, 2006 Ver E. 5th Street, Tempe, Arizona USA Support Line: Web: copyright 2006

2 Industrial Bulk Ink System

3 Maximum Production and Performance Table of Contents Introduction.5 Safety Instructions.6 Section 1 - Unpacking Your T-Jet.7 Main Box Contents. 7 Lifting the T-Jet unit from the box. 8 Preparations. 8 Section 2 Connect to a Computer Section 3 Installing Software Packages..9 Section 4 - Installing Ink System..10 Ink System Holder 10 Fill Ink Bottles.10 Variable Height Shims.11 Connecting Ink Lines to Bottles.12 Connecting Ink Lines to Cartridges.12 Priming Ink Cartridges.13 Ink Line Guide.14 Section 5 - Installing the Waste Ink Bottle.15 Attaching the Waste Ink Bottle.15 Waste Botle Valve.16 Siphoning Conditions.17 What Causes Siphoning 18 To Prevent a Siphoning Condition 19 Section 6 Installing High Profile Plastic Cover. 20 Section 7 - Exhaust Fan Power Cord 21 Section 8 Head Clean/Nozzle Check. 22 Section 9 Load a Shirt. 23 Section 10 Printing from a File 24 Section 11 Drying (Curing). 25 Section 12 T-Jet Cleaning System. 26 Installing the T-Jet Cleaning System.27

4 Industrial Bulk Ink System

5 Maximum Production and Performance Introduction Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for purchasing a T-Jet2, the revolutionary direct to garment printer. Before you can begin printing there are a few simple items that need to be installed first. Please be sure to read this entire manual as it contains important information that will make your T-Jet setup as quick as possible. Installation Issues If need help during installation, simply call our Technical Support department at (480) between the hours of 7AM 8PM Monday through Friday, 9AM 3PM Saturday MST. support at support@usscreen.com 5

6 Industrial Bulk Ink System Read the Safety Instructions Before starting upgrade Power off and unplug the printer. Do not let the power cord be damaged. Keep electromagnetic devices and other potential sources with magnetic fields away from your printer. Do not set or lean printer on its side. When finished, clean with a damp cloth. Do not spill any liquid on the printer. Caution: Do not unplug the printer to shut it off. Use the power button instead. Do not unplug the printer until the green power light is off. Keep the machine level. Safety Instructions for Ink Cartridges Always keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children. While handling ink be careful not to spill it on your skin. If ink does get on your skin wash it thoroughly with soap and water. If it gets on your eyes flush them out immediately with water. Do not put your hand in the printer or touch the cartridges once printing. Do not move the printer head by hand; doing so may damage the printer. Do not dismantle the ink cartridge. This could damage the print head. Do not touch the IC chip on the ink cartridges. This will effect the normal printing operations. If you remove the ink cartridges make sure to place them in a bag individually to keep them away from dust, dirt, and debris. 6

7 7 Maximum Production and Performance Section 1 Unpacking Your T-Jet If the instructions on the outside of the box were followed, you have already checked the outside of the box for any shipping damage. Along with this guide, you will find separate instructions for proper methods in unpacking as well as a separate box with accessories for your T-JET. Remove side protector panels and accessories. NOTE: Save all packing materials and bags as well as the box for future shipping needs. Main Box Contents Software/Training T-Jet Manuals Wast Ink Pads Power Cable USB Cable Heigth Jig Maintenance Kit Ink System Holder High Profile Plastic Cover Box 2 FastARTIST Package Shirt Boards and Hoop Industrial Bulk Ink System Cleaning System Inks Pretreatment Sprayer Parchment Paper Industrial Bulk Ink System Parts 5 - Easy-fill bottles. Four 8oz.bottles for CMYK and one large bottle for white ink. 7 Ink Cartridges / 7 Elbow Fittings 7 Ink Cartridge Caps (for cartridge storage) 28 Ink Line Caps 1 Syringe 1 - set of cartridge chips 1 - Latex gloves Allen wrench for set-screw on Clip-on Cable Chain Attachment bracket Waste Bottle Waste Ink Bottle w/valve Secure Nut and Ink Line Fitting Zip tie

8 Industrial Bulk Ink System Exhaust Fan 1 - Split power cord Lift the T-Jet unit from the box With an assistant, lift the T-JET out of the box and place it on a firm, level surface. Lift from CHROME SIDES ONLY DO NOT lift alone. Lift with your legs, not your back! Preparations 1. Remove Hold Down Clamps With a Phillips-head screwdriver, loosen the four bed holder brackets located towards the bottom of each side of the bed. Push them out of the way of the bed and tighten. Move the Print Bed back and forth to ensure smooth movement. Return the Print Bed back to its' eject position. 2. Remove all Packing Materials a) Remove all packaging tape from the printer and Print Head. b) Remove "Pull" tabs from the Cleaning Cartridges and place them back in the printer. 3. Check the Print Bed Height Using the Print Bed Adjustment knob located on the front of the eject side of the Print Bed, lower the bed enough so that the Print Head does not hit anything while traveling back and forth. Turn counter-clockwise until it is low enough. Make sure the Print Head does not hit anything before continuing to the next step. 8

9 Maximum Production and Performance Section 2 Connect to a Computer 1. Shut down your computer Click START and select your SHUTDOWN or TURN OFF option. Leave your computer off until Step Connect the USB Cable (Option 1 recommended) Plug the larger end of the USB Cable into the T-JETs' USB Port. Plug the other end into an available USB Port on your computer. Connect the Fire Wire Cable (Option 2) Plug one end of the cable into the T-JET 's IEEE1394 port. Plug the other end into the computer's IEEE-1394 Port. USB Connecting the Parallel Cable PC users only (Option 3) Fire Wire Plug the end of the cable with the slotted connector into your T-JET 's Paralel Port, then secure it with the wire clips. Next, plug the end with the screw on the side, into your computer's Parallel Port and secure it. Parallel Section 3 Installing Software Packages 1. Install printer driver Insert the CD-ROM into the drive and follow the on-screen prompts. 2. Install RIP TM driver Insert the CD-ROM into the drive and follow the on-screen prompts. 3. Install FastARTIST TM Insert the CD-ROM into the drive and follow the on-screen prompts. 9

10 Industrial Bulk Ink System Section 4 Installing Ink System Ink System Holder The Ink System Holder sits just behind the T-Jet on the control panel side as shown below. Make sure that the Ink System Holder is sitting on the same level/stable surface as the T-Jet. Fill Ink Bottles When initially setting up your T-Jet, we recommend filling the color ink bottles ¾ of the way up to the full line and the white ink bottle ½ of the way up to the full line. This is due to the different effects that elevation has on ink flow. At certain elevations it may be necessary that the level of ink stays below the bottles full line to correct ink flow issues. That is why we suggest a general starting point at which to find the best ink level for your elevation. Color Ink Bottles - ¾ of the way up to the full line White Ink Bottle - ½ of the way up to the full line Note: As you perform initial test prints, ink can be added as needed to correct for ink starvation. DO NOT OVER FILL - Once the ink has reached the full line STOP. Do not fill ink past this mark. If ink starvation continues, add shims as needed. 10

11 Maximum Production and Performance Variable Height Shims All T-Jet s utilize the efects of gravity to pul ink through the print head. The level at which the bulk system sits has a direct correlation to how well the ink flows or in some cases causes the ink to flow back into the bulk system. It is important to understand that as you increase elevation there is a decrease in gravity. That is why if you are living at a higher elevation than within a couple thousand feet of sea level, Variable Height Shims may be necessary to raise up the ink bottles to help gravity do its job. There are 4 Variable Height Shims included with your T-Jet (2 red and 2 blue). Simply place shims under ink bottles to correct for the following conditions: Condition Print heads are not receiving enough ink (Ink Starvation). Solution - Insert 1 or 2 shims and make sure the ink is not dripping out of the head. Proceed printing, starvation should go away. Condition - Ink migrates completely back into the bottles. Solution Add shims to the system until the ink levels stabilize and the ink is not dripping out of the head. Condition - If the ink level drops below 1/4 of the bottle and print quality is starting to diminish. Solution - Add a shim. Continue to add shims as the ink level drops from use. You can raise the ink as far as possible by adding shims, as long as the ink doesn't start dripping out of the print head. Note: Different geographical elevations have dramatic effects on ink flow as discussed above. We are currently working on an adjustable shelf that not only allows for raising the shelf height but lowering as well. 11

12 Industrial Bulk Ink System Connecting Ink Lines to Bottles Each Ink Line has a colored connector representing the corresponding ink bottle it attaches to. Connect ink lines to ink bottles simply by twisting on the connector. Please note that the white ink bottle uses three connectors. Note: Excess tubing hanging off the bulk system may be removed if desired. Simply remove the ink line from the connector, trim and replace. Connecting Ink Lines to Cartridges Locate the 7 Ink Cartridges and 7 Elbow Fittings. 1. Start by separating the ink cartridges from the support bar holding them together on top. 2. Screw the Elbow Fitting onto the ink cartridge then screw the ink line onto the Elbow Fitting. The ink cartridges are now ready to be primed for printing. Elbow Fitting Ink Line Ink cartridge 3. Insert each ink cartridge into the appropriate print carriage slot. When finished, manually move print carriage to the far left of the machine then back over to the capping station to ensure free movement of the chain system and ink lines with new elbow fittings. 12

13 Maximum Production and Performance Priming Ink Cartridges To prime the ink cartridges - Insert the supplied syringe into the bottom of the new cartridge and draw the ink from the bottle through the tube into the cartridge. During priming, it is recommended to unscrew the top of the ink bottle just enough to release any built up pressure created during this process. IMPORTANT NOTE: As soon as the ink enters into the syringe from the cartridge, STOP. The cartridge is now primed. 13

14 Industrial Bulk Ink System Remove the cleaning cartridges that are currently installed in the print carriage simply by pushing cartridge tabs inward as shown in this example. This will then release the cartridge from the print carriage. As each new cartridge is primed, install into the appropriate color slot in the print carriage. After all cartridges are properly seated, tighten the top of each ink bottle back up. Ink Line Guide Insert each of the ink lines into a slot in the Ink Line Guide in order to keep ink lines out of the way of the control panel. 14

15 Section 5 Installing the Waste Ink Bottle Attaching the Waste Ink Bottle 1. Run the Ink Line through the hole in the Ink System Holder. Maximum Production and Performance 2. Push Ink Line Tube onto the white Ink Line Fitting and connect to Waste Ink Bottle Valve as shown on the right. Twist white Ink Line Fitting clockwise onto the Valve 3. Make sure all fittings are snug and the valve is in the open position and double check Ink System Holder to make sure that it is level and sturdy. 15

16 Industrial Bulk Ink System Waste Bottle Valve Your new external Waste Bottle comes with a valve to protect against the possibility of siphoning. This valve must remain in an OPEN position whenever the machine is POWERED ON. This also includes when the T-Jet is in a standby mode awaiting a new print job or if you have activated the Auto Head Cleaning function. When the T-Jet is POWERED OFF (using the POWER button located on the control panel), the waste bottle valve must be CLOSED. As the T-Jet is powering down the print head will dock on the capping station and run a partial head cleaning to remove excess ink before completing the power down sequence. Wait until the T-Jet has turned itself off completely before closing the valve. The following pictures identify the valves open and closed position. Do not forget to open the valve before T-Jet operation. Failure to OPEN Waste Bottle Valve during T-Jet operation may cause serious damage to your T-Jet. If Waste Bottle Valve remains closed during a head cleaning, pressure in the capping station will force the waste ink line tube to disconnect sending ink throughout the inside of your machine. U.S. Screen Print is not liable for any property damage caused by ink and or ink siphoning. Please be sure to read and understand operating/maintenance procedures before T-Jet use. 16

17 Maximum Production and Performance Caution Siphoning Conditions: A Siphoning Condition will start a flow of ink from the Industrial Bulk Ink System to the Waste Bottle by way of the capping station. This may cause the Waste Bottle to overflow potentially spilling ink on the floor/carpet. As a T-Jet owner, it is imperative that daily maintenance is performed to insure proper operation. Siphoning is directly related to capping station maintenance. Please refer to Section 9 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving pg.76 in your T-Jet2 Users Manual. If siphoning starts to occur on your T-Jet2, immediately remove your bulk system ink cartridges and replace with the T-Jet Cleaning System as this will discontinue the flow of ink into the capping station (please refer to the T-Jet Cleaning System section of this manual for a step-by-step procedure). Clean the capping station, wiper, and print head by following the instructions in the T-Jet2 Users Manual. After cleaning the components listed above, run 3-4 head cleanings with the cleaning cartridges. Reinstall bulk system ink cartridges and again run 3-4 head cleanings. You may also want to do a nozzle check at this time as well. This should resolve your siphoning condition, but if you are still experiencing the same siphoning conditions after resuming normal operation, you will need to replace your Capping Station and Pump Assembly. Contact U.S. Screen Print Sales Department Monday Friday 8am 5pm MST. Toll Free: (800) Tel: (480) What Causes Siphoning The cause of siphoning is directly related to the condition of your capping station. If you have allowed your capping station to fill up with excess ink by not performing enough head cleanings, or allowed ink to dry on the rubber gasket of the capping station not allowing for an airtight seal, or put an excessive amount of cleaning solution on the capping station; all three of these examples can potentially create a siphoning condition. 17

18 Industrial Bulk Ink System The capping station seats up against the print head as shown in the picture below. Print Head Print Head Rubber Gasket Capping Station Waste Ink Line Tube Pump Assembly The rubber gasket creates an airtight seal against the print head so that the pump assembly can pull ink through the print heads when performing a head cleaning as well as remove excess ink from the capping station. Excess ink left in a capping station over a period of time will start to dry and if not maintained on a regular basis can create a siphoning issue. The Capping Station consists of a small waste Rubber Seal tank that raises up to make an airtight seal Trapped Air with the print head. Within the capping station is a small sponge that absorbs the ink pulled Sponge from the print head, this ink is then pulled out of the capping station through the pump assembly via the Ink Waste Line Tube. Waste Line Ink Tube The Trapped Air between the sponge and the print head is there for a reason. This simulates pressure that one, keeps ink from dripping or siphoning out of the print head, or two, keeps the ink that is trapped in the capping station from drying up. When there is an excess amount of ink in the capping station and the print head docks without performing a heading cleaning first, the print head will sit directly on the excess ink not allowing for the trapped air. As soon as the ink touches the bottom of the print head the siphoning condition will begin. The same condition will occur if you add more than a couple of small drop of Print Head Windex/cleaning solution to the capping station at the end of the day. It is very important that the capping station remains as clean as possible as this is achieved by Excess Ink Level regular head cleanings and daily maintenance. 18

19 Maximum Production and Performance Another cause of siphoning is a pour rubber gasket seal. If ink has been allowed to dry on the rubber gasket, this will compromise the airtight seal between the capping station and the print head. Without an airtight seal ink from the print head can allow to flow freely onto the capping station. Eventually the ink will fill up the entire capping station forcing out all air creating a rapid ink flow condition. This can be the most devastating siphoning condition because ink does not just flow through the waste ink lone tube but rather over the sides of the capping station and throughout your T-Jet. Print Head Rubber Gasket Airtight Seal broken To Prevent a Siphoning Condition: Clean capping station on a daily basis or as often as the T-Jet is used (Please refer to Section 9 Preventative Maintenance and Problem Solving pg.76 in your T-Jet2 Users Manual). Close the Waste Bottle Valve when machine is Powered Off as this will prevent ink siphoning into the Waste Bottle. If you use the Auto Head Cleaning function available with FastRIP 9.0 and have experience a siphoning condition. Discontinue use of the Auto Head Cleaning function immediately until the siphoning condition is resolved. U.S. Screen Print is not liable for any property damage caused by ink and or ink siphoning. Please be sure to read and understand operating/maintenance procedures before T-Jet use. 19

20 Industrial Bulk Ink System Section 6 Installing High Profile Plastic Cover 1. Remove package of 2 screws and 2 nuts taped to the cover. Place cover on T-Jet and line up the two hinges with the holes in the plastic cover. 2. Insert the screw through back of hinge and cover. Open the cover slightly and put nut on screw. Hand tighten. Repeat the same for the other hinge. 3. Using a Phillips head screw driver and plyers, tighten srews snug with hinge. Back of Cover Inside Cover 20

21 Section 7 Exhaust Fan Power Cord Maximum Production and Performance The exhaust fan system is designed to remove excess ink mist and lint from the printing area. This will help maintain the working parts such as the print head, encoder strip, drive belt etc. The exhaust fan system will make your normal maintenance activities easier. Connecting Power Cords - Plug the power cord connected to the fan into the split cord included with the fan kit. Press together firmly. Plug the remaining end of the split cord into the T-Jet scord connection. When finished, move the cord out of the way of where the print bed will travel. Please Note: Only run the fan when the T-JET is in use - Turn off when T-JET is not printing. 21

22 Industrial Bulk Ink System Section 8 Head Clean/Nozzle Check 1. Power on the T-Jet Connect the power cable and plug it into a power strip or surge protector. Power on the T-JET. EJECT LOAD INK ERROR EJECT POWER 2. Perform Head Cleanings After powering on the T-JET, it wil run through a warm up cycle. Once it is done, hold down the INK button for three seconds to initiate a Head Cleaning. Repeat this four times. EJECT LOAD INK ERROR EJECT POWER 3. Perform Nozzle Check Place a piece of paper on the bed where the Ruler Guides read zero. Open a print dialog box and select the UTILITY tab. Select NOZZLE CHECK. The T- JET wil perform a Nozzle Check on the paper placed on the Print Bed. Continue this step if the Nozzle Check does not appear like the figure below. NOTE: If using white ink, a transparency film has been included for this, making the white ink visible. See the manual for information on performing a Head Alignment. 22

23 Maximum Production and Performance Section 9 Load a Shirt 1. Position your shirt Center your shirt (or garment) on the Shirt Board and fold in all the sides to the opening underneath (pretreat the garment if printing white ink). Smooth out the surface of the garment, then, put the Board Hoop over to hold in place. Board Hoop Shirt Shirt Board 2. Place Shirt Board inside Print Bed Make sure there are no parts of the garment at the bottom, keeping the Shirt Board from laying flat. Use the Height Jig to make sure the top of the Board Hoop is not sitting too high, being a hazard for the Print Head. Move the Jig from front to back and watch underneath for contact. Adjust Print Bed height if needed. See Section Load the Print Bed To move the Print Bed into position, press the Load button. The Print Bed will move into the unit. You are now ready to create your print settings. EJECT LOAD INK ERROR EJECT POWER 23

24 Industrial Bulk Ink System Section 10 Printing from a File See your FastARTIST manual for details on underbasing for dark shirts. 1. Open a file Open the file you want to print. This can be almost any graphic format. 2. Set Page and Mode settings Create custom page sizes and print mode settings for Cartoon or Photo images, under the File>Print Menu. (See manual for details) 3. Perform necessary file adjustments Make sure that the size of your file will fit on the print space (standard print space is 12" x 18"). Plus, the brighter and sharper your file is, the better it will print. Check with your particular graphics program on setting the image size or page size. In a photo-based (raster) graphics program, do a basic tone curve adjustment (if needed). In a cartoon-based (vector) graphics program, adjust your colors to be the brightest and vibrant as possible (if needed). 24

25 Maximum Production and Performance 4. Print to the garment Now that your file is adjusted for printing, click Print (File>Print) and the FastRIP cue window will open. You can spool it then print separately, or you can have it spool and print in one command. Since you already loaded the garment in Section 9, the T-JET will automatically print the shirt from here. If you haven't loaded the shirt yet, do so then press the load button. EJECT LOAD INK ERROR EJECT POWER Section 11 Drying (Curing) 1. Using a Heat Press (Option 1) Cure Times: seconds at 330 F (166 C) - light to dark color shirts seconds at 330 F (166 C) - light to dark color shirts using white ink. Imortant Note: Using a piece of parchment paper will prevent image shadowing from ink deposits on the heat press pad. 2. Using a Conveyor Dryer (Option 2) Cure Times: seconds at 330 F (166 C) - light to dark color shirts seconds at 330 F (166 C) - light to dark color shirts using white ink. NOTE: Deposits of ink or fabrics with high polyester content may require longer cure time. When printing in high humidity, dry the garment first. Always do test washings. For best results, turn garment inside out and dry at low or delicate dryer setting. 25

26 Industrial Bulk Ink System Section 12 T-Jet Cleaning System There will be times when it is necessary to replace the bulk systems ink cartridges with the T-Jet Cleaning System. For some this may be after each use and others just over the weekend. We strongly recommend that if the T-Jet is going to sit for more than a couple of day without use to install the cleaning system. There are three main conditions that require the T-Jet Cleaning System to be installed. Intermittent Use If the T-Jet is going to sit for a couple of days without printing, install the T-Jet Cleaning System as this will prevent the possibility of ink drying (clogging the print head) as well as eliminating any ink siphoning condition. Transporting the T-Jet When transporting the T-Jet, you must install the cleaning system to prevent the possibility of ink spilling out onto the internal components. Siphoning Condition In the event of a siphoning condition, removing the ink cartridges and installing the cleaning system will discontinue the flow of ink to the print head. Each T-Jet2 comes standard with a set of refillable cleaning cartridges. Refillable Cartridges 26

27 Maximum Production and Performance Installing the T-Jet Cleaning System Every T-Jet is shipped with 28 Ink Line Caps. All 28 Ink Line Caps may be used to complete this process so when they are not being used be sure to store the Ink Line Caps in a safe place. You should have 14 Red Ink Line Caps and 14 White Ink Line Caps. 1. Remove ink line from cartridges and cap the end of each ink line with a red ink line cap. Be sure to remove and cap each line individually to avoid ink siphoning out onto the cartridges. 2. With the white ink line caps, now cap each bulk system ink cartridge. 3. At this time you can remove the ink cartridges simply by pushing cartridge tabs inward as shown in this example. This will then release the cartridge from the print carriage. 27

28 Industrial Bulk Ink System Important note about storage of ink cartridges: When the ink cartridges are removed make sure to place them upside down as this will prevent ink from leaking out. We also recommend that the bottom of the ink cartridge be taped and placed in an individual plastic zip lock bag to keep from drying out. 4. If you are planning to transport the T-Jet, the ink lines must be capped as well as the ink bottles. Use the Red Ink Caps for the end of the ink lines, then cap the top of each ink bottle with a White Ink Cap. Note: If you are not planning to transport the T-Jet there is no need to cap and remove the ink bottles. Ink lines can remain attached to the bottles as well as the bottles sitting on the Ink System Holder. Skip ahead to step After capping the ink bottles they can be removed from the ink system holder. 28

29 Maximum Production and Performance 6. Tie loose ink lines to cable chain with zip tie. This will keep the ink lines from moving around and possibly damaging the encoder strip. Make sure to allow for a natural bend in the ink line; DO NOT kink the ink lines. 1 2 Important Note: There is no need to remove the Cable Chain when using the T-Jet Cleaning System Install the refillable cleaning cartridges at this time. Slide cleaning cartridge into printer carriage slot, pressing down lightly will lock the cartridge into place. This can be identified by a small click sound. 29

30 Industrial Bulk Ink System This now completes the installation of the T-Jet Cleaning System. Run 3-4 head cleanings at this time to remove excess ink from print head and capping station. Make absolutely sure that the waste bottle valve is in the open position while performing head cleanings. Closing the valve at any time while the T-Jet is powered on could result in serious damage. Power down your T-Jet by pressing the power button located on the control panel and wait for the machine to completely turn off. Close the Waste Bottle Valve and cover the machine. 30