Universal Laser Systems CLP-100NI-NPRT - Manual (Page 17)

17
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
It is also extremely important to test the affect of other manufacturer’s ink on the XF Neoprene ink roll.
Since the ink roll must fit into a precision machined cavity in the inking system housing with little
clearance,
swelling of the roll, in reaction to non-compatible solvents in the ink, could cause serious problems with the
performance of your coder. The dry XF neoprene ink roll measures 3.425" (86.99 mm) OD. After thoroughly
saturating the ink roll with ink, the roll should not exceed 3.500" (88.90 mm) OD.
When a Reservoir Ink Cartridge is threaded into the bottle port, the plastic ball in the cartridge comes into contact
with the surface of the neoprene ink roll. When the ink roll rotates during the printing operation, a thin film of ink
is transferred from the reservoir cartridge onto the surface of the ink roll. The printed impressions will improve
within a few seconds after installation of the cartridge. When the printing operation is stopped, the Reservoir Ink
Cartridge automatically stops feeding ink to the roller to prevent over saturation during idle periods.
The knurled drive wheel shown in Figure 30 sits on top of
the transfer roll and is engaged by three stainless steel
drive pins. The knurled face of the drive wheel runs in
contact with a friction bearer on the print drum. When the
print drum starts to turn, the knurled drive wheel rotates
the transfer roll at the exact surface speed of the die face.
Keeping these two surfaces running at a synchronous
speed ensures a uniform coating of ink on the die face
and extends die life.
SELECTING AN APPROPRIATE INK
Universal’s Non-Porous Inking System is compatible with a wide range of alcohol base marking inks.
Although
we offer a variety of inks for specific applications, you are not restricted to using only Universal brand inks. When
selecting inks from other manufacturers however, it is your responsibility to make sure the inks are compatible
with the coder.
Dye base inks contain liquid color which is translucent and will provide good color contrast only on light colored
materials. These inks are generally faster drying than pigmented inks and normally produce less residue buildup
on the transfer roll and printing dies, thus requiring less frequent cleaning of the coder. Although dye base inks
are normally the easiest to use, they will fade more rapidly than pigmented inks when exposed to direct sunlight.
Pigmented inks contain finely ground solids which are opaque, providing much greater color contrast when
marking on dark colored surfaces. These inks also resist fading when exposed to direct sunlight. Pigmented
inks have a tendency to build up on the surface of the transfer roll and the die face more rapidly than dye base
inks and will generally require more frequent cleaning of these parts.
The first step in selecting an appropriate ink, is to determine if the ink will bond to the surface of the material being
printed and provide acceptable color contrast. It is normally recommended that inks be test printed on the
material being marked with a rubber stamp to determine if the resulting marks are acceptable. Please note that
when testing inks with a rubber stamp, the drying times will generally be much slower than when the inks are
applied with the Non-Porous Conveyor Line Printer.
KNURLED DRIVE
WHEEL
FRICTION
BEARER
INK ROLL
TRANSFER
ROLL
PRINTING DIE
FIGURE 30