The Static Suppression System (sometimes referred to as an Anti-static or Ionizer Bar) is located on the gantry of your Arizona 61x0 with High Flow Vacuum printer. If you are experiencing static-related imaging problems this anti-static bar provides a solution to reduce static. Some rigid media can have a large static surface charge. If the charge is high enough, ink can be repelled from the media. This ink mist can show up as cloudy areas in white sections of the image. Static not only causes these printing artifacts, but can also result in excessive ink accumulation on the bottom of the carriage.
Why Static is a Problem
Many standard print materials such as PVC and acrylic are electrical insulators, and the static charge generated and held by these materials can provide some printing challenges. Thermoplastic materials are the most common static-laden print media. Static-prone materials tend to attract dust and hair and release charges that can be felt and seen.
Ionization is a solution to the problem of static. A common print industry method of controlling static electricity is the use of ionization. For the anti-static bar to be effective, it must be close to the media so it is mounted to the gantry at an optimal distance. The bar uses AC current to create positive and negative ions, which are attracted to the unbalanced surface of the material. This neutralizes the media and ink is more readily accepted. It is important to note that static electricity cannot be entirely eliminated; only reduced. To eliminate static electricity, something physically would have to be done to the conductivity of the material.
Humidity is also important to control static. Static-related print issues can be greatly reduced by an increase in print environment humidity. While most media will print without difficulty at humidity levels between 30 and 50%, thermoplastics will print more successfully when humidity is above 40%. Some locales, such as desert areas frequently deal with very low humidity, while other regions only experience this at certain times of the year. If a printer is installed in a low-humidity area and/or a large volume of printed work is on media that is prone to static, we recommend the installation of a humidity control system.