How To Choose High Quality UV printer
UV printer is a widely used digital printer, although it has been around for a long time, but still has a bright market prospects.
Choose UV printer, mainly look at the following three aspects, UV printer mainstream nozzle, each structure and hardware and software collocation and software operating system.
What are the mainstream spray heads of UV printers
The main core hardware of UV printer is the nozzle, and the nozzle manufacturing technology is completely in the hands of the Japanese, limited by the nozzle, all the factories manufacturing printers in China (note: Not only UV printers, but also printers of all different forms and properties) are developed around the nozzle as the center, and it is impossible to have a factory that cannot use Japan’s printing nozzle for production and manufacturing.
Price and type of sprinkler
Epson F1080 Model
The price is between 1200-1500 RMB, the life span is between 6-10 months, 1080 spray holes, 6 channels.
Mostly used in small and medium-sized UV printers, DTF equipment, UV DTF crystal label machines.
Because the F1080 nozzle belongs to the basic level of the nozzle, the price is cheap, and the durability is general.
The drip ink amount is above 4PL, the drip ink hole is relatively small and the precision is relatively high, but the corresponding is also relatively easy to block the nozzle printing speed is relatively slow.
Generally, the whole machine is equipped with two nozzles, one nozzle is responsible for printing white, one nozzle is responsible for printing color, or one nozzle is responsible for printing white and photooil, and one nozzle is responsible for printing color.
Because there are 6 channels, it is also possible to print white and color with a single nozzle.
Entry-level UV printers will choose this printhead.
Epson i1600-U1 Model
The price of a sprinkler is about 5000-5500 RMB.
There are 1600 spray holes, 4 channels, which belongs to Epson’s most cost-effective sprinkler. Life between 1.5-2 years, inkjet hole 5PL high precision class.
The advantage is that the nozzle price is moderate, but also can print a small high spray, the product drop within 10mm can be printed, second only to the 15mm printing drop of G5i. Mostly used in medium and large UV printers, high-speed round bottle machines.
Generally, the whole machine is equipped with three nozzles, one white, one color, and one light oil, if you do not use two nozzles, it is relatively simple to match.
If there are requirements for quality and product drop, you can choose this nozzle.
Epson i3200-U1 Model
A nozzle between 7500-8000, 3200 spray holes, 4 channels, 5PL ink drop, life between 1.5-2 years.
Belongs to Epson more mainstream use of the nozzle, cost-effective, compared to the number of spray holes and ink holes are obviously better than the same level of the nozzle, i3200 nozzle target is Kyocera KA4A-RH model, so many manufacturers are gradually replacing the i3200 model, not only printing speed, but also to maintain high precision printing.
It is widely used in large UV flat panel printers, one pass equipment, unmanned self-service printers and so on.
Generally, the whole machine is equipped with three nozzles, one white, one color, one light oil, if you do not use two nozzles, the same way as i1600.
If you have requirements for quality and printing speed, you can choose this nozzle.
When looking for relevant information, there are Epson S3200-U models and Epson 3TZ-U models.
There is no data on the feedback and use of these two nozzles in the market, the use is too little, and the manufacturer is in the research stage.
And it is really high prices, research and development costs are too high, for small and medium-sized enterprises, it will mean high research and development costs.
UV printer structure, hardware and software collocation
The structure of UV printer is also divided into several plates:
1.X axis Y axis Z axis three-axis structure design.
2. Circuit layout.
3. Ink route design (referred to as: ink road system).
4. Overall structure design and weight of the fuselage.
5. Functional assistance.
- Design of X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis three-axis structure:
This is the most basic mechanical structure, but also the most critical, the normal X axis is responsible for horizontal movement (left and right), Y axis is responsible for longitudinal movement (front and back), Z axis is responsible for lifting movement (up and down) composition.
X-axis should pay attention to the length of the beam, straight parallel, bearing the three parts of the beam.
The length of the beam ensures that there is an effective printing platform; Straight parallel is a key point to ensure the printing accuracy; The bearing beam needs finishing, depending on the finishing thickness and levelness, once the thickness is not enough, it will not be able to withstand the vibration brought by the beam in the movement, resulting in the imbalance of the whole machine.
The position of the Y-axis assembly guide rail needs to be milled through the gantry to ensure parallel accuracy, and the screw configuration should be selected as far as possible. Make sure the Y-axis is parallel and the step is smooth.
The Z-axis mainly looks at the height of the rise and fall. The height of lifting is not the higher the better, the Z-axis will be too high will have precision offset, if it is the beam or the head lifting, it is recommended that the height of lifting within 25CM is the best.
- Circuit layout
The layout of the circuit is generally 220V and the motherboard is best separated from the direction, from the plug 220V to the power box converted into 24V and 42V, and these three high-voltage appliances are best together.
24V and 42V to the motherboard and the drive is best on the other side, do not be too close to the power box.
It is easy to cause static electricity to burn the motherboard, the current disturbs the drive pulse, and more seriously, the leakage will cause all the circuits to be scrapped.
- Ink route design (referred to as: ink path system)
The ink road system is currently divided into two kinds on the market, one is the siphon system, the other is the negative pressure system.
Siphon is relatively simple, as long as the ink cartridge is higher than the nozzle position, the ink will continue to output, all Epson printers are currently using siphon mode, siphon advantages are not afraid of temperature effects, as long as the ink cartridge to the nozzle smooth, basically no problem.
The negative pressure system is through air compression, the use of air bottle to control the secondary cartridge pressure, continuous ink to the nozzle, the compression value needs to be controlled by the panel, the negative pressure system is more sensitive to temperature, once the temperature float too much will drop ink or break ink, so many manufacturers will set the negative pressure value on the panel adjustment.
- Overall structure design and weight of the fuselage
The overall quality of the UV printer needs to look at the structure of the main body, the best is the gantry structure, the horizontal and vertical structure is strong.
The heavier the UV printer, the better, and even some manufacturers will steel cement, maintain the weight of the machine, the heavier the machine, the less shaking when printing, the more stable when the beam head swings.
(5) Functional assistance: lack of ink alarm, collision prevention, automatic lifting
Lack of ink alarm: when the amount of ink is less than 1/3, it will start the lack of ink alarm to remind you to add ink in time.
Anti-collision system: When your material is uneven or will be exposed to high temperature UV lamp will bulge, anti-collision will be emergency stop, so that you avoid the convex material caused by the nozzle scratch.
Automatic lifting: plays a key role in the printing process, when your printing head is moving at high speed, suddenly the material is convex, the automatic lifting will respond to drop at any time to avoid scratching the nozzle.
Hardware option
Guide rail: Japan THK guide rail, Taiwan Silver, South Korea WON and domestic. At present, these four guides are the most used.
Lead screw/belt: More for the Y axis direction, the lead screw is the best, the belt time will be easy to wear affect the Y axis accuracy, the lead screw spacing is also very important, it is best to import silent lead screw.
Platform: Marble platform is of course the best, but the cost performance is not as good as aluminum. Vacuum adsorption aluminum platform is currently the best, do not consider the glass platform, very pit.
Magnetic levitation: magnetic levitation is mostly used for X axis, of course, there are conditions on the magnetic levitation, generally used for high-precision with industrial nozzle (Ricoh G6 or Epson i3200), magnetic levitation normally needs to be equipped with metal grating bars, the whole down than the belt configuration will be about 10,000 expensive.
UV printer software operating system
Operating software
The operating software of UV Printer is divided into two parts: RIP (color software) and Printer (printing software).
RIP (Color Software)
MainTop has the highest market share in professional inkjet machines and applications such as small and medium-sized, automation, digital printing, one pass, DTF, textile direct injection, flag machine, etc., especially the early UV printers and RIP software used by large inkjet machines are using MainTop.
Therefore, at present, there is a large part of the group in the purchase of printers are designated to MainTop, after all, without training and without running-in can be directly operated.
Photoprint, ONYX, and PrintFactory software are still widely used by manufacturers and terminals, and are more in line with domestic usage in terms of operation and stability.
Wasatch and ColorMaster can only be used in niche markets or professional markets.
Printer (Printing software and motherboard)
Printing software and motherboard are matched with one, selling motherboard will be matched with printing software.
At present, several mainstream companies producing motherboards in China are ranked in no particular order: Hansen, North India, Jingfeng, Power India, Huixing, Senyang and so on.
Motherboard (board) companies have professional subdivisions and advantages, the motherboard only supports the printer to move up, select the printer needs to see the print fineness and fluency on the spot.
Motherboard supporting waveform and professional curve
The waveform refers to the curve and voltage band corresponding to the motherboard and the spray frequency of the nozzle, the better the waveform matching, the better the fluency, and the longer the life of the nozzle.
The curve refers to the color lines linked between the ink and the nozzle, which is related to the color gamut and color reproduction degree of the print.
No matter what kind of motherboard you use and what kind of RIP software, under the premise of no curve, there will be ambiguity, flying ink, color is not bright, color unsaturated, color mismatch results, these are the curve is not done before the problem.
Therefore, if you want to choose a UV printer with superior performance, you must pay attention to carefully ask the supplier, what type of nozzle is, the structure of the machine, the combination of software and hardware, and the operating software. Hope I can help you!
