Ice Zodiac Plus Operator's Manual
Zodiac Plus
Operator Manual
P/N 361741-21
Revision: AA, November 2005
Copyright Notice
This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, for any
purpose without the written permission of Interactive Coding
Equipment (ICE).
Neither whole nor part of the product described in this operating
manual may be adapted or reproduced in any material form without
prior written permission of Interactive Coding Equipment.
This First edition published: November 2005
Disclaimer
Information of a technical nature, and particulars of the product and its
use are given by Interactive Coding Equipment in good faith.
However, it is acknowledged that there may be errors or omissions in
this operator manual.
Interactive Coding Equipment shall not be liable for any loss or
damage arising from the use of any information, particulars or errors
in this operating manual, or maintenance carried out by unauthorized
personnel, or any incorrect use of the product, whatsoever.
At all times the printer must be operated with Interactive Coding
Equipment approved spares and consumables. Maintenance not
identified in this operating manual must be carried out by Interactive
Coding Equipment engineers.
About this Manual
This manual describes how to operate the ICE Zodiac Plus Printer, a
specialist printer system for use in production line environments for
printing onto a wide range of substrates.
The information contained in this edition of the operating manual is
applicable to software Version 1.
Products described in this operating manual are subject to continuous
development, and reviews will be made accordingly in subsequent
editions. Interactive Coding Equipment will be pleased to receive any
correspondence relating to this operating manual and the information
contained herein.
For further information or help with Interactive Coding Equipment
products, please contact info@interactivecoding.com.
Rev AA 1
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 — Safety
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–1
Safety Conventions Used in the Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2
General Warning Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2
General Caution Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–3
Safety Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–4
Comply with Electrical Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–4
Do Not Remove Warning Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–4
Placement of the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5
Using Printer Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5
Chapter 2 — Introduction
Equipment Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–1
About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–2
Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–2
Overview of Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3
About the CLARiTY Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–4
Creating and Adding New Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–7
Chapter 3 — Getting Started
Setting the Air Pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–1
Switching the Power On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–2
Setting the Screen Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–4
Starting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–5
Stopping the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–6
Understanding Printhead LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–6
Setting the Time and Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–7
Setting the Language and Region Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–8
Printing a Test Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–10
Chapter 4 — Viewing and Selecting a New Print Job
Viewing the Current Job or Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–1
Selecting a New Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–3
Changing Variable Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5
Changing Variable Text Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5
Changing Variable Date Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–12
Changing the Position or Appearance of the Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–14
Changing the Print Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–15
Changing the Print Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–16
Changing the Print Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–17
Setting the Print Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–18
Setting the Print Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–19
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
2 Rev AA
Setting the Printhead Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–19
Setting Interleaved Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–20
Deleting a Job from the Jobs Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–21
Chapter 5 — Routine Fault Finding and Maintenance
Working with Fault Messages and Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–1
Reading a Fault Message or Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–1
Clearing a Fault Message or Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–2
Removing and Reinstalling the Cassette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–4
Checking and Replacing the Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–7
Checking the Printer Ribbon Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–7
Replacing the Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–7
Using Ribbons of Different Widths and Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–11
Viewing the Printer Performance Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–12
Cleaning the Printhead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–13
Chapter 6 — Master and Slave Printers
Group Job Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6–1
Group Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6–2
Chapter 7 — Specifications
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–1
System Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–4
Print Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–5
Networking and External Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–6
Printer Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–7
Rev AA Introduction 1-1
1
Safety
This chapter contains the following topics:
• Safety conventions used throughout this manual
• Important safety guidelines to be followed when operating the
equipment
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Read this chapter thoroughly before
attempting to install, operate, service, or maintain this product
otherwise, it may cause serious injury.
Introduction
The policy of Interactive Coding Equipment is to manufacture
printing/coding systems and supplies that meet high standards of
performance and reliability. Therefore, we employ strict quality
control measures to eliminate the potential for defects and hazards in
our products.
The intended use of this printer is to print information directly onto a
product. Use of this equipment for any other purpose may lead to
serious personal injury.
The safety guidelines provided in this chapter are intended to educate
the operator on all safety issues so that the operator can operate the
printer safely.
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
1-2 Safety Conventions Used in the Manual Rev AA
Safety Conventions Used in the Manual
Specific safety information is listed throughout this manual in the
form of Warning and Caution statements. Pay close attention to these
statements as they contain important information that help in
avoiding potential hazards to yourself or to the equipment.
General Warning Notices
The following warnings supplement the specific warnings that appear
elsewhere in the manual. These are general warnings that must be
read, completely understood, and applied by all the personnel
involved in the operation, and/or the maintenance of the machine.
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Only trained service or maintenance
personnel should perform these installation procedures.
Qualified personnel have successfully completed the training
courses, have sufficient experience with this printer, and are
aware of the potential hazards to which they will be exposed.
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Before attempting any maintenance or
repair on any part of the product, disconnect the printer from the
main power supply and isolate the printer from any external
energy sources including other connected equipment.
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Before connecting the compressed air
supply to the printer, ensure that the air supply has been
isolated. Turn the regulator adjustment knob counterclockwise.
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. The printer uses an operator control
console. Ensure that this panel is mounted at an appropriate
working height and orientation for ease of operation.
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
Rev AA Safety Conventions Used in the Manual 1-3
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Keep your hands and clothing clear of the
printer while it is on.
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. To ensure that the connecting cables and
pipes do not become a trip hazard or become entangled in any
machinery, all the connecting cables and pipes must be secured
safely during installation.
Warning
ELECTRICAL HAZARD. Voltages used to connect the printer to
other equipment must not be greater than 50 V dc or peak ac.
Warning
ELECTRICAL HAZARD. Always wear a properly grounded
wrist-ground strap when handling printed circuit boards.
Failure to do so can result in damage to the board components
due to static electricity.
General Caution Notices
The following caution statements supplement the specific cautions
that appear elsewhere in the manual. These are general cautions which
must be read, completely understood, and applied by all the personnel
involved with the operation, and/or the maintenance of the machine.
Caution
EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. Before and after performing any
maintenance or repair on the product, check that the two safety
labels are clearly visible. One is on the power supply cover and
the other by the potential nip point next to the pulley in the
printer body.
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
1-4 Safety Guidelines Rev AA
Caution
EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. The use of incompatible ribbon can
seriously damage your printer and such damage will not be
covered by your printer warranty. Use only the ribbon approved
by your dealer.
Safety Guidelines
This section contains important safety guidelines on operating and
handling the printer and associated equipment.
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Always observe the following safety
guidelines when operating and handling the printer and
associated equipment otherwise, it may cause serious injury.
Comply with Electrical Codes
All electrical wiring and connections must comply
with applicable local codes. Consult the appropriate
regulatory agency for further information.
Do Not Remove Warning Labels
Do not, under any circumstances, remove or obstruct
any warning or instruction labels on the printer.
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
Rev AA Placement of the Printer 1-5
Placement of the Printer
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Do not place the printer in a hazardous
location. Hazardous locations might create an explosion, leading
to personal injury.
Hazardous locations, as defined in the United States, are those areas
that may contain hazardous materials in a quantity sufficient to create
an explosion. These are defined in Article 500 of the National Electrical
Code ANSI/NFPA 70–1993.
Outside United States, you must ensure compliance with all local
regulations regarding the equipment placement in potentially
hazardous locations.
Using Printer Accessories
To maintain regulatory approval for the printer, use only ICE
approved accessories when attaching any device to the equipment.
Rev AA Equipment Description 2-1
2
Introduction
This chapter contains the following topics:
• Description about the intended use of the product
• Information contained in this manual and other manuals
associated with this printer
• Description of the CLARiTY™ operating system
• Information on creating and adding new jobs
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Read Chapter 1, “Safety” before
attempting to operate the equipment otherwise, it may cause
serious injury.
Equipment Description
The Zodiac Plus printer uses high-resolution thermal transfer
technology with a unique electronic ribbon drive system. This system
reduces the wear on printer parts and the maintenance adjustments
normally associated with thermal transfer coders that use mechanical
ribbon drives. The printer offers greater reliability and ease of
operation compared to earlier systems. It can print barcodes, dates,
text, and graphics onto flexible packaging films and labels.
The printer is a suitable replacement for either hot stamp or rotary
coders. It can print in either of the following modes:
• Intermittent Mode (i.e., while the substrate is stationary)
• Continuous Mode (i.e., while the substrate is moving)
It is suitable for use on most horizontal form/fill/seal, vertical
form/fill/seal, and self-adhesive labelling machines.
The product is available in either left-handed or right-handed versions
to suit different configurations of the packaging machine.
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
2-2 About this Manual Rev AA
About this Manual
This manual is intended for the operator and contains information on
the routine operation of the printer, including routine cleaning and
maintenance tasks. Unless noted otherwise, all procedures in this
manual can be performed by the operator of the printer.
Note: Installation and service procedures are described in the service manual
(refer “Related Documents” on page 2-2).
This manual is a supplement to (and not a replacement for) formal
training.
Related Documents
The Zodiac Plus Service Manual (P/N 361771-21 AA) is the other
document that is available (through ICE Customer Service), for this
printer.
The service manual contains information on installing, maintaining,
troubleshooting, and servicing this printer. It also includes sections
about the theory of operation, component identification, and the
illustrated parts breakdown of the printer.
This Zodiac Plus Service Manual is intended for use only by trained
service personnel. The service manual is a supplement to (and not a
replacement for) formal training.
Warning
PERSONAL INJURY. Customers who intend to service and
maintain the printer themselves must have only qualified
personnel perform these procedures. Qualified personnel have
successfully completed the training courses, have sufficient
experience with this printer, and are aware of the potential
hazards to which they will be exposed.
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
Rev AA Overview of Printer Parts 2-3
Overview of Printer Parts
The main parts of the Zodiac Plus printer is described as follows:
• CLARiTY Controller: Houses the power supply unit and touch
screen. You can access jobs, setup jobs, set the various print
parameters using the touch screen
• Printer: Houses the printhead and ribbon. The data is transferred
to the printhead from the CLARiTY controller. The printhead
prints onto the packaging film
1. CLARiTY Controller
2. Low Profile Cable Assembly
3. Sample Ribbon Roll
4. Air Regulator
5. 4 mm Air Tubing
6. Power Cable
7. CLARiTY Configuration Manager CD-ROM
8. Cassette
9. Printer
Figure 2-1:Printer Configuration Parts
9
6
1
2
5
3
4
8
7
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
2-4 About the CLARiTY Operating System Rev AA
About the CLARiTY Operating System
CLARiTY is an icon-based operator control system. It has an easy-touse touch screen and most areas of the display are "active", that is,
simply touching an area of the screen is like pressing a "button" on a
traditional control panel. The CLARiTY home screen’s main buttons
are shown in Figure 2-2.
Shortcut buttons take you directly to the key pages, regardless of the
page that you are currently viewing.
Table 2-1 provides the list of shortcut buttons to be used to access the
required pages.
Buttons Display
Tools Page for printer set
up and diagnostics
Home Page
Fault and Warning Pages
Table 2-1: List of Shortcut Buttons
Figure 2-2: CLARiTY Home Screen
1
2
3
4
5
1. Machine Status Button
2. Tools Button
3. Current Job Details Button
4. Control Frame Buttons
5. Home Button
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
Rev AA About the CLARiTY Operating System 2-5
Table 2-2 shows the buttons used to select a new job or view the
current job selected.
The navigation bar (Figure 2-3) indicates the location of the current
page in the menu tree. To use the navigation bar, do one of the
following:
• Touch the Back button to go back to the previous page.
• Touch any title on the navigation bar to go to that page directly.
Buttons Display
Job Page (to load the next
image or job to be printed,
and to enter any variable
data)
Current Job (shown as the
Current Job Name)
Table 2-2: Buttons for Viewing Jobs
Figure 2-3: Navigation Bar
1
2
1. Back Button
2. Navigation Bar
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
2-6 About the CLARiTY Operating System Rev AA
On the left side of the home screen display is the Control Frame
(Figure 2-2 on page 2-4). This contains buttons (Table 2-3) that stay
active as long as the printer is powered up. These buttons are used for
the immediate control of your printer.
The home screen contains two more buttons (Figure 2-4):
•Production Performance button
• Consumables Status button
Touch each of these areas to go to the pages that contain further details
and statistics about production throughput and ribbon status.
Button Description
Stop
Start
Test Print
Print Registration
Table 2-3: Control Frame Buttons
Figure 2-4: Performance and Consumables Status Buttons
1
2
1. Consumables Status Button
2. Production Performance Button
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
Rev AA Creating and Adding New Jobs 2-7
Creating and Adding New Jobs
Print jobs are created offline using the CLARiSOFT™ image design
software that runs on a PC.
This is a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) package that
enables you to design the look and feel of a print image and define the
content of special fields such as complex sell by date calculations.
When the job has been designed using CLARiSOFT, it is saved with a
unique job name onto the PC's disc. Jobs are transferred into the
Zodiac Plus local database by connecting the PC to the printer using
an RS232 cable.
Alternatively, the Zodiac Plus printer has the ability to download a
'Job' database directly from a USB device. Jobs can now be created in
CLARiSOFT and saved onto a USB device, ready for directly
downloading into the printer. This removes the need to take a lap top
into the production area.
For information on how to create images, refer the online help
supplied with CLARiSOFT. For more information on how to transfer
images to the printer, refer the Zodiac Plus Service Manual.
Once the jobs are stored in the printer’s local database, the PC may be
removed. Jobs are then selected for printing as described in “Selecting
a New Job” on page 4-3.
The printer is supplied with two standard (default) job images:
• Default 4 Line Text
•Default Date Code
You can change the details in these two job images to suit your own
needs. Refer Chapter 4, “Viewing and Selecting a New Print Job” for
instructions on how to change an image.
Variable information such as batch codes or sell by dates can be
entered by using a mobile phone style keypad described in “Changing
Variable Information” on page 4-5.
Rev AA Setting the Air Pressure 3-1
3
Getting Started
This chapter contains the following topics:
• Setting the air pressure
• Switching the power on
• Setting the screen orientation
• Starting the printer
• Stopping the printer
• Understanding the printhead LEDs
• Setting the printer time and date
• Setting the language display
• Printing a test image
Setting the Air Pressure
The air pressure on the printer should be set to a value of 4.5 bar (63
Psi).
Caution
AIR PRESSURE SETTING. Do not set the pressure to a different
level without consulting Interactive Coding Systems first. Proper
operation of the machine relies on the accurate setting of the air
pressure.
To view and set the air pressure on the printer, proceed as follows:
1 Locate the air pressure regulator (Figure 3-1 on page 3-2). It is
close to the printhead and connected to the printhead by a 4 mm
air line.
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
3-2 Switching the Power On Rev AA
2 Read the air pressure displayed on the regulator. It should show a
value of 4.5 bar (63 Psi).
3 If the dial on the regulator does not display the correct value, lift the
air regulator control knob and turn it clockwise to increase the
pressure, or counterclockwise to decrease the pressure.
4 Push the control knob down to lock it in position.
Switching the Power On
To switch the printer on, turn the power switch on the CLARiTY
controller to the I (On) position (Figure 3-2).
Air Pressure Regulator
Figure 3-1: Air Pressure Regulator
Figure 3-2: Printer Power Switch
Power Switch
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
Rev AA Switching the Power On 3-3
The boot-up will take approximately 90 seconds. During which a
"starting CLARiTY …" message appears. Following this, the CLARiTY
home page (Figure 3-3) is displayed.
An initialization process of 15 seconds begins, during which the
printer calibrates the ribbon drive. The status bar flashes the words
STARTING UP and the amber LED flashes on and off. When the
process is complete, the home page changes, as follows:
• The CLARiTY status panel changes from STARTING UP to
OFFLINE.
• The Consumables area displays the percentage of ribbon
remaining.
• In the Control Frame, the Start and Stop buttons are enabled.
Figure 3-3 displays the CLARiTY home page in the OFFLINE state.
Figure 3-3: CLARiTY Home Page in the Offline State
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
3-4 Setting the Screen Orientation Rev AA
Setting the Screen Orientation
Depending the position in which the CLARiTY controller is mounted,
it may be necessary to rotate the screen image by 180 degrees.
To change the screen orientation, proceed as follows:
1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Control button on the setup page.
4 Touch Set Screen Orientation from the list. The Screen Orientation
page appears.
5 Select 0 or 180 degrees depending on your requirement and touch
ok. The screen orientation changes.
6 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.
Figure 3-4: Control Page
Figure 3-5: Screen Orientation
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
Rev AA Starting the Printer 3-5
Starting the Printer
When the printer is switched on, the printer state changes from the
SHUTDOWN to the STARTING UP and then to the OFFLINE state.
Under this condition, all the external electrical inputs are ignored and
the print sensor signals will not trigger a print. This enables you to
check if the line and the printer are ready for production, before you
switch the printer into the RUNNING state to start printing.
To switch the printer to the RUNNING state, touch the Start button
(Figure 3-6).
Figure 3-7 displays the CLARiTY home page with the printer in the
RUNNING state.
Note: If the printer has a fault or a warning, RUNNING will be replaced
with FAULT or WARNING. If FAULT is displayed, you must fix the
problem before trying to print. Refer “Clearing a Fault Message or Warning”
on page 5-2 for further information
.
Start Button
Figure 3-6: Start Button
Figure 3-7: CLARiTY Home Page in the Running State
Zodiac Plus Operator Manual
3-6 Stopping the Printer Rev AA
Stopping the Printer
To stop the printer from printing, touch the red Stop button (Figure 3-
8). The printer returns to the OFFLINE state.
Understanding Printhead LEDs
Table 3-1 lists the printhead LEDs that indicate the status of the
printer.
Note: The amber LED also flashes when the printer is being powered on and
the printhead is initializing.
Color On Flashing Off
Amber Warning Signal Fault Signal No warning or fault
Green — Printhead is
printing
—
Blue Power On — No power to
printhead
Table 3-1: LED Indicators
Stop Button
Figure 3-8: Stop Button
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