How to keep your thermal printer print head healthy
The print head of a thermal printer is the most important and most precise part of a thermal printer. It is not designed to be used indefinitely-technically, the print head is a consumable, just like thermal labels and ribbons. But, like any product that requires care and maintenance, as long as you and your team use it correctly and maintain it carefully and deliberately, it can and should provide consistent quality and performance over time.
What causes print head wear and tear and early print head failure? There are seven main factors:
corrosion. If the substance you come into contact with is corrosive, the protective coating of the print head may be damaged. To prevent this from happening, avoid physical contact with the surface of the print head itself; print on a substrate or media that is not recommended by the print head or label manufacturer; or use cleaning agents not specified by the print head manufacturer.
Pollution. When thermal labels or other media come in contact with abrasive materials and pass through the print head, they may cause contamination. As a result, this can scratch or cut the protective coating of the print head and cause premature failure. Likewise, it is wise to consult the print head and/or thermal label supplier in advance to determine the material that is suitable for your print head.
Wear. Wear is most often caused by friction. In particular, paper dust will collect on the platen toward the outer edge of the media or ribbon, which will abrade the glaze of the print head. To minimize this, you can follow the manufacturer's instructions to clean the accumulation of paper dust on the print head regularly. You should also keep sharp objects (for example, blades, screwdrivers, knives) away from the print head to avoid scratching the delicate surface.
The residue accumulates. Thermal ribbon or media coating buildup on the print head can cause overheating and eventual failure. Although the amount of residue will vary depending on the label media, ribbon, and external conditions (for more information on environmental factors, see below), it is important to ensure that you perform proper and regular cleaning and maintenance.
Print head pressure. Related to wear, excessive pressure will increase the friction on the print head assembly. This in turn leads to wear and tear, and ultimately to premature failure. To avoid this, use the balance of darkness and pressure.
Electrostatic discharge. The characteristic of electrostatic discharge is the sudden occurrence of unexpected current between two charged objects, which can cause serious damage to the internal circuit of the print head. Factors that often cause electrostatic discharge include static buildup and unspecified or incorrect maintenance. To minimize this situation, please work hard to ensure that any electrostatic brush and/or print head mechanism wiring is properly secured.
envirnmental factor. The operating environment of your printer (and your print head) affects the life of the print head. In addition, the storage area of label media and ribbon may cause damage to the print head. In both cases, it is wise to minimize the contact of the thermal label printer and print head with water, excessive temperature, and external contaminants. Mature and leading label converters can negotiate with you about other operations and storage strategies for your facility.
To avoid these and other thermal print head problems, and to extend the life of the thermal print head, we recommend five basic tips:
Follow consistent and correct cleaning and maintenance protocols specified by the thermal print head manufacturer. Many manufacturers recommend cleaning the thermal print head and rollers after each ribbon or media change.
Use the highest quality thermal media from leading manufacturers in the commercial label printing industry-especially direct thermal labels and thermal transfer labels and ribbons.
Likewise, avoid direct contact with the print head surface. If this is absolutely necessary, use only the materials recommended by the manufacturer, and then use an approved solution to clean the print head surface.
Set the print head pressure correctly and use the print speed required to complete the job correctly.
Cover the printer when not in use.
When there is a problem with the thermal print head, professional thermal printer support is the key
OMNI Systems has a good reason to become a leader in the thermal label industry in terms of price, quality and service-our company’s full-time customer representatives, expert application analysts and world-class R&D engineers will ensure valued end users and channel cooperation Partner customers always get the highest return-high-quality label solutions and services required to meet any labeling challenge at the lowest possible price.
