Your Océ Arizona printer uses Océ IJC156 ink, which is easy to maintain. It requires daily maintenance with a vacuum suction device and a weekly physical cleaning (swabbing) of the printheads. It also requires small jetting actions (“spitting”) between printing times to keep the printheads in a ready-to-print state. This spitting action amounts to very little ink usage but does require that the user clean the maintenance tray covers more frequently. Due to the UV curing technology, the ink dries immediately, but can take up to 24 hours to cure fully. In most cases, the printed material may be handled or cut directly after printing.
These inks have very little odor, but for optimal safety some ventilation is needed. The printer should operate in an area where a good standard of general ventilation is available at 5 to 10 air changes per hour. Mechanical ventilation must be added where the air changes are under 5 per hour. Refer to the Site Preparation Guide for minimum space/working room volume for the printer.
NOTE
Read the section on ink safety called "Safety Guidelines for Ink Material" before you handle the ink.
The printer is optimized for the specific UV-curable ink supplied by Océ. The ink is supplied to the printer in - collapsible bags that are loaded into the printer by means of quick-change connectors that are bonded into the top corner. To install on the printer, the bags are inverted and the quick connect couplers are pushed into their corresponding female coupling. This opens up the flow path for the ink. The bags contain tags that identifies them to the printer when they are loaded. This allows the printer to ensure that the correct ink is loaded.
This method of ink delivery has several benefits over bottles or cartridges:
The self-collapsing bags make it easy to see how much ink remains in each bag.
Virtually all the ink is successfully extracted from the bag by the printer, reducing the otherwise costly waste of usable ink.
Ink changes are performed without mess or spills, keeping the environment around the printer clean.
Ink changes can be performed during printing - this prevents wasted prints and lost time.
Only qualified inks can be used. If a bag of ink with an invalid serial number, expired use-by date, incorrect color placement in the ink bay, or if an expired tag is connected to the printer, then the operator is alerted and an error message is displayed.
The ink delivery system provides the printheads with ink at the appropriate temperature and pressure. Each printhead has a corresponding ink reservoir on the carriage. Pumps supply ink to the reservoirs on demand. Sensors in the reservoirs control the level of ink and initiate demand when required. Ink temperature control is achieved by pumping a coolant fluid through the printheads. An internal thermostat on each printhead provides temperature feedback.
The condition of the printheads is maintained by periodic cleaning at the maintenance station on the gantry. During this procedure the operator suctions the printhead nozzle plates, removing ink and possible contaminates in the process (details of this procedure are available in the Maintenance section).
CAUTION
Uncured ink is a serious health and safety risk! Avoid skin contact with ink and wear safety glasses with side shields and Nitrile rubber gloves when handling ink.
IMPORTANT
Do not install inks that are not certified by Océ for use in this printer, as this may result in poor quality prints, uncured ink in the finished prints and permanent damage to the ink pumps, filters, ink lines or printheads.
NOTE
The UV lamp power settings can be lowered to reduce warping of some media. However, set the lamp power as high as possible for each media to ensure that the ink cures properly. This will minimize the risk of skin irritation and sensitization from exposure to uncured ink. Wear nitrile gloves when you handle printed media if you suspect the ink is not properly cured.
Ink Bags in the Ink BayThe UV ink in your printer is protected from contaminants in the ink by means of ink filters. These are easily accessed and can be replaced by the operator when they become blocked with debris (see the Maintenance section "How to Change Ink Filters"). The expected average lifetime for a filter is approximately 12 months or 11 bags of ink (22 liters). However, some filters can last longer and some will require more frequent replacements due to the ink color (pigment) and varying rates of use. A loss of pigment indicates that a filter is clogged and must be replaced.
To ensure good quality images and to extend the life of printheads in your printer, it is important to have good ink management. UV inks must be properly handled and stored correctly.
Inks must be stored within a temperature range of 5 - 30°C (41 - 86°F). Exposure to extreme temperatures will reduce the expected life of the ink.
Do not use ink that is past the expiry date displayed in the Ink System Status menu (click the Ink icon in the Print Job Control module to view the ink menu).
Store in cool, dry place and keep away from heat and direct sunlight.
Perform Printhead Maintenance every day before printing.
Swab the printheads with UV Flush at least once a week (and as needed) to dislodge any potential buildup of particles or ink.