C-Series printer with multi-head base
DOMINO Printing Sciences has launched a multi-head base solution for its high-resolution C-Series printer range.
The multi-head base is an ink base that can run up to four C-Series high-resolution piezo print heads from the C1000 to C6000i and is compatible with Domino's full range of ink colours.
Using an industry-leading, high-capacity ink system, the multi-head base offers new 2L ink bottles.
The larger ink capacity reduces the number of bottle changes, thus making it ideally suited to production lines with high throughput.
The base conveniently incorporates an internal ink reservoir that increases efficiency by reducing ink bottle changeover times and avoiding the need for printer shutdown. As a result, longer print runs can be achieved with less user intervention.
Customers can also run different types of heads from the same base, thus increasing efficiency.
The ability to mount the base remotely from the print heads offers far greater safety measures for workers as ink bottles can be changed without entering the guarded area. This reduces the risk of injury and prevents line stoppages.
The choice of base cable length of either 1.5m or 3m allows the print head to be mounted remotely from the base, both above and on opposite sides of the conveyor.
For print heads mounted on elevated conveyors, it allows the base unit to be positioned at a convenient height for operators. At the same time, it avoids the need to access the far side of the conveyor during ink bottle replacement.
With fewer ancillaries required for multiple head applications, the C-Series multi-head base provides a more compact installation.
Without the need for individual accessory connection boxes, beacons, serial inputs, shaft encoder signal splitters and multiple photocells, the installation is easy to manage and both time and cost effective.
It also results in a much tidier installation, improving the appearance of the system.
A single cable communications port allows a single serial device, such as a check-weigher to send data to more than one print head. Both of these features help to reduce the cost and complexity of multiple head installation.
Print heads of different types can run from the same base, giving full flexibility with carton coding requirements where coding on the side of a case may involve using more than one type of print head.
For example, a company logo may be required as large as possible while the size requirement for batch numbers, sell-by-dates or box count is less important.
Thanks to its versatility, customers are able to run a C6000 and C1000 from the same multi-head base.
An integrated distribution panel allows the multi-head base to take a single input from a shaft encoder or photocell to send signals to each attached print head, thus reducing the number of cables between the printers, and reducing the space required between print heads.
Domino's C-Series high-resolution large character ink jet printers use piezo technology to print bar codes, text and graphics onto porous substrates such as corrugated outer cases, trays and sacks.
14-Feb-2006