varioPRINT iX-series

Well maintained printheads are important for keeping the image quality high and keeping the printer productive. Moreover, printheads are expensive to replace. The print module keeps the printheads in optimal condition before, during and after printing.

The printhead unit moves to the rear of the print module when a maintenance procedure begins or when the printer is idle.

Location of the printhead unit when maintenance occurs (top view)

	Description
1	Printhead unit in print position.
2	Printhead unit in maintenance position.

Automatic printhead maintenance processes

There are four automatic processes that clean the nozzles.

Wet tissue wipe: ink residuals that stick on the nozzle plate are removed by a piece of moistened tissue.

Wet tissue wipe
Purge: liquid is purged through every nozzle to remove air, dirt, and dried up ink residuals.
Tissue wipe
- Dry tissue wipe: the dirt and dried up ink residuals that stick on the nozzle plate are removed by a piece of dry tissue. This is applicable to tissue ribbons D3.
- Moist tissue wipe: the dirt and dried up ink residuals that stick on the nozzle plate are removed by a piece of moist tissue. This is applicable to tissue ribbons D4.
Purging of a nozzle (A) and wiping the drops with a tissue (B)
Printing of refresh dots or refresh lines: small ink drops or lines are jetted on the sheets.

Tissue ribbons

A role of tissue ribbon is enclosed in a cassette. For each ink, two cassettes are available to clean the nozzle plate. When the tissue ribbons in the cassettes are used up, the cassettes must be replaced.

Tissue cassettes with tissue ribbons

Printhead maintenance to repair extensive nozzle non-performance

In case the number of non-performing nozzles exceeds a certain threshold value, the nozzle activity compensation alone is not sufficient to safeguard the print quality. In this situation, the printer can perform printhead maintenance to correct the non-performing nozzles.

Purging with tissue wipe before printing wider media

When the printer has printed more than 40 seconds on media and then switches to sheets that are larger in Z-direction (cross-feed direction), a purge and a tissue wipe is needed.

Extra printhead maintenance before printing wider media

The following scheme shows for which switches in media size the printer schedules a purge with a tissue wipe.

Summary: printhead maintenance

Procedure	When performed
Purge	Before every run Switching to wider media after printing for more than 40 seconds on smaller media
Long purge	More than 8 hours and less than 19 hours passed since the last long purge Typically every morning
Several long purges	The printer is idle for longer than 8 hours: 2 long purges The printer is idle for longer than 19 hours: 8 long purges
"Monday morning" purge	The printer is in the shutdown mode for more than 19 hours Typically after the weekend
Wet tissue wipe	Awakening from sleep mode when the last tissue wipe was more than 8 hours ago The sleep mode is activated by a user or the sleep mode timer Printing for more than 3.5 hours since the last wet tissue wipe
Nozzle reconditioning job	An optional nozzle reconditioning job can be printed daily to prevent blinking nozzles.

More information

Learn about print quality control mechanisms