artisJet ink system refers to a whole system installed in the artisJet direct to substrates printing machines. It’s a complex system and at the same time very simple to follow. The ink system has multiple parts, each one with a specific functionality: to pump, transmit, filter, fire/shoot out, wipe/clean the ink as well as storage the wasted ink. Moreover, the ink system has a self - automated maintenance functionality.

Ink containers (ink bottles). It refers to the ink tanks displayed in the form of ink bottles or refillable cartridges. artisJet is applying the open sourcing small ink bottles (1) with a volume capacity of 200 ml of inks for each ink color for continuous ink supply system (2). WHY? In the first place, because is easy to refill inks at a low cost for the machine user and their continuous production with portable loading, filtering and refilling system.

The second main reason of choosing accessible and refillable ink containers is that the small ink bottles will avoid decantation of the ink sediments if the ink will stay in the bottles for a long time. That is why, it is recommended to use the inks within 45 days, and otherwise the TiO2 from the LED UV ink will settle down gradually affecting the ink quality and also the entire ink system. The ink consumption is very low in artisJet digital direct to substrates printing systems. We need only 30 ml of all inks combined for each printed square meter. To understand better, a printed square meter can be translated into about 130 IPhone 6 mobile covers with full printing coverage.

There are few operation tips for the ink containers: to replace or clean the ink bottles every 3 – 5 months and to avoid spraying when refilling the ink bottles and to follow the operation menus.

Ink pumping (or ink pump / ink service station). The ink pump (3) refers to a system that suctions the ink from the containers and it will direct the ink into the entire ink system via a motorized pump (4) with the spongy cap top (5) connected to the printer head (6) using vacuum power. The entire pumping system is structured as it follows: pump motors, cap tops and plastic frames.

A pinion gear of the pump motor rotates in the clockwise direction and the ink is suctioned. The cap tops unit is designed to make airtight in the cap sticking fast to the printer head surface so that the ink suction can be performed by the driving force of the pump unit. When the printer is in standby status or is power off, the cap unit prevents the ink from thickening.

Operation tips for ink pump: keep practicing the cleaning of the cap top by automatic cleaning and replace the cap top every 3 months.

Ink transmitting (ink tubes). These refers to a system or a part that makes the path for the ink delivery to the printer head. artisJet applies 3*2 mm of dark plastic tubes with a standard length of 1.5 meters protected by the ink tube tank (7). One end of the ink tubes is connected to the ink tanks (8) and the other one is connected to the damper (9). Each ink tube has a number code (10), from 1 to 8 in the situation of an 8 ink channels printer (C, M, Y, K, W, W, W, W) as artis 3000U LED UV printer is.

Ink filtering (ink dampers). It refers to a part connecting the ink tube to the printer head, containing the inks and filtering them before the last step to ink firing. The dampers (11) are made of plastic with foil filtering matt inside (12). The black port of the damper makes the connection with the printer head (13), while the ink tubes are fixed on the golden ports of the damper (14). The ink filtering is installed on the carriage and it moves with it. There is one damper for each color.

Ink firing. This is the part of the process when the colors are fired to the substrate. The printer head is the one responsible with shooting the inks onto the printing materials and it is placed on the carriage cart. The functionality of the ink firing process is based on the mother board.
Before firing ink to start a printing process, a nozzle checking must be done. The purpose of nozzle checking and head cleaning is to check that all the colors can print well and this way you can keep the ink system work properly.

Ink wiper and ink cleaning. The ink wiper (15) is a part of the ink system that is made from silicon rubber. The wiper is installed nearby the ink pump and its role is to clean the wasted ink during the printing process on the mirror side of the printer head.

Wasted Ink Tank. During the pumping and printing process, the wasted ink is stocked into an ink bottle (16, 17).

Ink system maintenance modules. There are two ways of safe maintenance of the ink system. One way is the self – automated maintenance module or automatic cleaning functionality (18) which refers to a system that powers the ink system maintenance on demand when the user is away. Another way of doing the cleaning maintenance is manually.