Thermal Printhead Cleaning
A printhead that is designed to print up to ten million labels can burn out after only a million if it is not taken care of. That creates a huge consumable expense.
Why? With ribbon and adhesive labels, residue builds up and clogs the print head. Over time this causes the print head to work harder to create the image, the harder the printhead has to work, the quicker it burns out.
How often should you clean your printhead? For best results it is best to clean the printhead every time you change the ribbon on the printer and with a direct thermal setup, every time you change a roll of labels.
With usage and time the ribbon and adhesive labels, leave debris, residue builds up and clogs the print head. Eventually this causes the print head to work harder to create the image, the harder the printhead has to work, the quicker it burns out.
We recommend the Thermal printhead cleaning wipes & Thermal Print Head Cleaning Pens to do the job, these are relatively inexpensive.
The printhead elements are fragile and delicate and must not be put in contact with hard or sharp objects/instruments. Take care when handling or cleaning the printhead by removing any jewellery that may scratch the printhead and use a grounding strap or anti-static mat (ESD protection) to discharge static electricity that could damage the printhead.
How? First, turn off the printer and open the printhead mechanism. Lightly blow or brush away any loose dust and lint particles within the print mechanism (i.e. Platen rollers, and printhead). NEVER use any hard, metallic, or abrasive objects—such as a screwdriver—to remove adhesives or other contaminants that may have built up on the printhead. Next, lightly rub the wipe or swab tip against the printhead and swipe the print elements from end to end. Then, turn the platen rollers (if possible) while wiping them from side to side. Repeat this step until the wipe no longer shows dirt. The cleaning swabs / wipes are typically only good for one use to prevent the dirt from these surfaces contacting a printhead, and should be discarded after each use.
Depending upon the type of printer you’ll typically either use a Cleaning Swab, Pre-Saturated Wipe or Cleaning Pen.
Please follow the owner’s manual for the correct cleaning techniques for the printer being used.
Contact Bar Code Data for all you technical support and service requirements on 03333 660 842 alternatively by email at Service@bcdata.co.uk