TECHNICAL INFORMATION BULLETIN

Release date : May 11th, 2004 Bulletin N 2004/085 FOR: FROM: MUTOH AUTHORIZED RESELLERS ONLY MUTOH service & support department.

Rockhopper II and Falcon II: Head Adjustment

Dear Customer,

This technical information bulletin explains how to perform a head adjustment correctly. In previous Technical Information Bulletin number TIB 078, we have explained that since firmware version 1.14 of the Falcon II and 2.06 of the Rockhopper II, the reference of the front/back adjustment of an 8 head printer has been changed. This to improve the head alignment procedure. In this Technical Information Bulletin, to avoid every misunderstanding, we not only make a distinction between a 4 head and 8 head machine, but also between the different colour combinations (1x6 and 2x4). The head adjustment consists out of 3 checks. F1 F3 * HeadSlant * Slant Check F2 F4

F&B End

Perform these adjustments in the following order: 1) Head slant adjustment 2) Front and back adjustment 3) Check

1. HEAD PRECISION ADJUSTMENT (SLANT)

This section explains the procedure for adjusting the head angle. When replacing the head assembly, use the following procedure to adjust the head angle and head forward/rear position.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 1

1.1. Head slant adjustment

1.1.1 For a 4 head printer
Step 1 :
Start the self-diagnostic function. Notes : Refer to Self-Diagnosis Function

Step 2 : Step 3 :

Select "Adj: HeadSlant". Print "Slant" pattern. If the dotted lines on pattern CW and CCW are not a straight line, which you can check with a magnifying glass (enlargement factor of at least 10), please go to step 4. Notes : When the printing pattern is printed, you will only see lines, and no notifications of ink channels. The head sequence shown below. 4 head model: 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B

Step 4 :

Loosen the screw (with one turn) fixing the head stationary plate.

1 = Screw (M2.5x5) fixing the head stationary plate 3 = Front and back adjustment screw

2 = Angle adjustment screw

Step 5 :

Make adjustments until the values of CW and CCW offset are identical. Notes : In theory, the alignment of CW and CCW should be identical. But in practice, it is almost impossible to obtain a perfect alignment. When there is a slight difference between CW and CCW, be sure the heads are well seated. In case you only print uni directional, adjust the CW till it is aligned perfectly. In case you print bi-directional and CW and CCW cannot be aligned more perfectly, divide the slant error equally.
Pag. 2

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Notes : When printing the pattern, the head identifications 1A, 1B etc, are not printed. Analyse the pattern as shown below. Be sure to have five lines for each color.

Before adjustment

Adjusted head slant

No. 1

Part Angle adjustment screw Tighten the screw fixing the head stationary plate. Repeat step 1 to 6 until the adjustment is correct for all heads.

Step 6 :

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 3

1.1.2 For an 8 head printer

Step 1 :
Start the self-diagnostic function. Notes : Refer to Self-Diagnosis Function

Step 2 : Step 3 :

Select "Adj: HeadSlant". Print "Slant" pattern. If the dotted lines on pattern CW and CCW are not a straight line, which you can check with a magnifying glass (enlargement factor of at least 10), please go to step 4. Notes : When the printing pattern is printed, you will only see lines, and no notifications of ink channels. The head sequence is as shown below. 8 head model: 3A, 3B, 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B

Step 4 :

Loosen the screw (with one turn) fixing the head stationary plate.

1 = Screw (M2.5x5) fixing the head stationary plate 3 = Front and back adjustment screw

2 = Angle adjustment screw

Step 5 :

Make adjustments until amount of CW and CCW offset are identical. Notes : In theory, the alignment of CW and CCW should be identical. But in practice, it is almost impossible to obtain a perfect alignment. When there is a slight difference between CW and CCW, be sure the heads are well seated. In case you only print uni directional, adjust the CW till it is perfect aligned. In case you print bi-directional and CW and CCW cannot be aligned more perfectly, divide the slant error equally.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 4

Notes : When printing the pattern, the head identifications 1A, 1B etc, are not printed. Analyse the pattern as shown below. Be sure to have five lines for each color.

8B

8A

7B

7A

6B

6A

5B

5A

4B

4A

2B

2A

1B

1A

3B

3A

Before adjustment

Adjusted head slant

No. 1

Part Angle adjustment screw Tighten the screw fixing the head stationary plate. Repeat step 1 to 6 until the adjustment is correct for all heads.

Step 6 :

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 5

1.2. Front and back of head adjustment

1.2.1 For a 4 head printer 1.2.1.1 With a 2x4 configuration.
To perform a Head Front/Back Adjustment, please follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1 : Step 2 :

In diagnostic mode, go to [Adjust : Head Slant]. Press the [F2] key for F&B (front and back) adjustment. F1 F3 * HeadSlant * Slant Check F2 F4

F&B End

Step 3 :

Print out [Front/Back] pattern. First, pattern A with 1A as reference is printed, then pattern B with 4B as reference and finally A+B.

A+B

B 4B is the reference head

A 1A is the reference head

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 6

Notes : To help you identify the print heads on the test pattern please refer to the diagram below.

Now you will see, 1A is Black, 1B is Yellow, etc

Step 4 :

Check if all nozzles are in 1 row by using a magnifying glass with an enlargement factor of at least 10. If this is not the case, please proceed to step 5. Loosen the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate with 1 turn

Step 5 :

1=

Head Fixing plate securing screw

2 Front/Back

Adjustment Screw

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 7

Step 6 :

When the nozzles are not in one row, adjust the head front/back position by moving the Head Front/Back Adjustment Screw as shown below. First adjust nozzle row A (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A). When adjusted perfectly, nozzle row B should automatically be adjusted. But in practice this isnt always a fact. When your determine a small misalignment after adjusting A well, readjust again until all nozzles of row A and B are perfectly aligned.

Step 7 : Step 8 :

Tighten the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate. Repeat step 1 to 7 until the adjustment is correct.

1.2.1.2 With a 1x6 configuration

To perform a Head Front/Back Adjustment, please follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1 : Step 2 :

In diagnostic mode, go to [Adjust : Head Slant]. Press the [F2] key for F&B (front and back) adjustment. F1 F3 * HeadSlant * Slant Check F2 F4

F&B End

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 8

Step 3 :

Print out [Front/Back] pattern. First, pattern A with 1A as reference is printed, then pattern B with 4B as reference and finally A+B.

A+B

B 4B is the referenc e head

A 1A is the referenc e head

Notes : To help you identify the print heads on the test pattern please refer to the diagram below.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 9

Now you will see, 1A is Black, 1B is Cyan, etc

Step 4 :

Check if all nozzles are in 1 row by using a magnifying glass with an enlargement factor of at least 10. If this is not the case, please proceed to step 5. Loosen the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate with 1 turn

Step 5 :

1=

Head Fixing plate securing screw

2 Front/Back

Adjustment Screw

Step 6 :

When the nozzles are not in one row, adjust the head front/back position by moving the Head Front/Back Adjustment Screw as shown below. First adjust nozzle row A (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A). When adjusted perfectly, nozzle row B should automatically be adjusted. But in practice this isnt always a fact. When your determine a small misalignment after adjusting A well, readjust again until all nozzles of row A and B are perfectly aligned.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 10

Step 7 : Step 8 :

Tighten the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate. Repeat step 1 to 7 until the adjustment is correct.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 11

1.2.2. For an 8 head printer 1.2.2.1 With a 2x4 configuration

To perform a Head Front/Back Adjustment, please follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1 : Step 2 :

In diagnostic mode, go to [Adjust : Head Slant]. Press the [F2] key for F&B (front and back) adjustment. F1 F3 * HeadSlant * Slant Check F2 F4

F&B End

Step 3 :

Print out [Front/Back] pattern.

A+B

B 6B is the referenc e

A 3A is the referenc e

Notes : To help you identify the print heads on the test pattern please refer to the diagram below.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 12

Now you can see, 1A is black. 1B is Y (follow the line till you reach the junction. Then go up to Yellow

Step 4 :

Check if all nozzles are in 1 row by using a magnifying glass with an enlargement factor of at least 10. If not, please proceed to step 5. Loosen the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate with 1 turn.

Step 5 :

1 = Head

Fixing plate securing screw

2 Front/Back

Adjustment Screw

Step 6 :

When the nozzles are not in one row, adjust the head front/back position by moving the Head Front/Back Adjustment Screw as shown below. First adjust nozzle row A (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A). When adjusted perfectly, nozzle row B should automatically be adjusted. But in practice this isnt always a fact. When your determine a small misalignment after adjusting A well, readjust again until all nozzles of row A and B are perfectly aligned.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 13

Step 7 : Step 8 :

Tighten the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate. Repeat step 1 to 7 until the adjustment is correct. Notes : Please note that you also have a third menu in head slant, namely the check menu. With this pattern, it is possible to compare every front and back position of every head to each other

1.2.2.2 With a 1x6 configuration

To perform a Head Front/Back Adjustment, please follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1 : Step 2 :

In diagnostic mode, go to [Adjust : Head Slant]. Press the [F2] key for F&B (front and back) adjustment. F1 F3 * HeadSlant * Slant Check F2 F4

F&B End

Step 3 :

Print out [Front/Back] pattern.

A+B

B 3B is the referenc e

A 6A is the referenc e

Notes : To help you identify the print heads on the test pattern please refer to the diagram below.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 14

Now you can see, 1A is black. 1B is LM (follow the line till you reach the junction. Then go up to Light Magenta Notes : Note that since firmware version 1.14 of the Falcon II and firmware version 2.06 of the Rockhopper II, the references has been changed and became 3B and 6A (line in red in the box above). This to optimise the head alignment procedure.

Step 4 :

Check if all nozzles are in 1 row by using a magnifying glass with an enlargement factor of at least 10. If not, please proceed to step 5. Loosen the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate with 1 turn.

Step 5 :

1 = Head

Fixing plate securing screw

2 = Front/Back

Adjustment Screw

Step 6 :

When the nozzles are not in one row, adjust the head front/back position by moving the Head Front/Back Adjustment Screw as shown below. First adjust nozzle row A (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A). When adjusted perfectly, nozzle row B should automatically be adjusted. But in practice this isnt always a fact. When your determine a small misalignment after adjusting A well, readjust again until all nozzles of row A and B are perfectly aligned.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 15

Step 7 : Step 8 :

Tighten the screw which secures the Head Fixing Plate. Repeat step 1 to 7 until the adjustment is correct. Notes : Please note that you also have a third menu in head slant, namely the check menu. With this pattern, it is possible to compare every front and back position of every head to each other

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 16

1.3 Repeatability Adjustment (Bi-Directional)

To perform a Repeatability Adjustment, please follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1 :

Start the self-diagnostic function. Notes : Refer to Self-Diagnosis Function".

Step 2 : Step 3 : Step 4 :

Select "Adj:Bi-D". Print a repeatability pattern. The odd rows (with each 5 dots) are the references. So the even rows should be adjusted (use a magnifying with an enlargement factor of at least 10) When you want to move the even rows (with dots) to the right, you have to increase (+) the value. For example: The value is 20, adjust it to 30 for example The value is -20, adjust it to -10 for example When you want to move the even rows (with dots) to the left, you have to decrease (-) the value. For example: The value is 20, adjust it to 10 for example The value is -20, adjust it to -30 for example

4B Notes :

4A

3B

3A

2B

2A

1B

1A

For 87-inch specifications, the head 5-A, 5-B, 6-A, 6-B, 7-A, 7-B, 8-A, 8-B are added.

Step 5 :

Adjust reciprocation per head height. #1: Head height LOW #2: Head height MIDDLE #3: Head height HIGH

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 17

Notes : In case not all nozzles are in one row, make adjustments until all nozzles in the area around the reference, lines up in a straight line.

1.4 CW adjustments (Uni-Directional)

To perform CW adjustments, please follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1 :

Start the self-diagnostic function. Notes : Refer to Self-Diagnosis Function".

Step 2 : Step 3 : Step 4 :

Select "Adj:Uni-D". Print a CW adjustment pattern. The odd rows (alternately 1A and 1B) are the references. So the even rows (2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4 A and 4B) should be adjusted (use a magnifying with an enlargement factor of at least 10) When you want to move the even rows (with dots) to the right, you have to increase (+) the value. For example: The value is 20, adjust it to 30 for example The value is -20, adjust it to -10 for example When you want to move the even rows (with dots) to the left, you have to decrease (-) the value. For example: The value is 20, adjust it to 10 for example The value is -20, adjust it to -30 for example 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A

4B

4A

3B

3A

2B

2A

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 18

Notes : For 87-inch specifications, the head 5-A, 5-B, 6-A, 6-B, 7-A, 7-B, 8-A, 8-B are added.

Notes : In case not all nozzles are in one row, make adjustments until all nozzles in the area around the reference, lines up in a straight line.

TIB085 RHII&FII Head Adjustments.doc

Pag. 19