Universal HPNP-100NI, HPNP-100, HPNP-100-T, HPNP-100NI-T Owner's Manual

STENCILING & MARKING SYSTEMS

OWNER’S MANUAL

NON-POROUS

HAND PRINTERS

ALL MODELS

OPERATION - MAINTENANCE

LONDON - Head Office

349 Ridout Street, London, ON N6A 2N8
PH. 519.434.5785 FAX [phone]

KITCHENER

96 Frederick St., Kitchener, ON N2H 2L7
PH. 519.571.0882 FAX [phone]

Distributed By

TORONTO

4 William Morgan Dr., Toronto, ON M4H 1E6
PH. 416.425.4140 FAX [phone]

OTTAWA

1695 Bank Street, Unit 203, Ottawa, ON K1V 7Z3
PH. 613.234.8077 FAX [phone]

HPNP-11045

1

MONTREAL

3850 Jean-Talon Ouest, Suite 100, Montreal, QC H3R 2G8
PH. 514.906.0698 FAX [phone]

VANCOUVER

114-408 East Kent Ave. S., Vancouver, BC V5X 2X7
PH. 604.321.3282 FAX [phone]

WINDSOR

1505 Ottawa St., Windsor, ON N8X 3G3
PH. 519.253.7211 FAX [phone]

www.sterling.ca

IMPORTANT NOTE

UNIVERSAL products are manufactured to exacting standards and every available step has been taken to
assure your complete satisfaction. It is most important, however, that the instructions contained in this manual
are read and carefully followed for best results. Failure to do so may result in unsatisfactory performance,
damage to the equipment and personal injury.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE
SPECIFICATIONS

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

HPNP-100, HPNP-100NI, HPNP-100-T & HPNP-100NI-T
Indexing & Non-Indexing models
Printing Dies
Ink Rolls

QUICK ST ART

Installing the Pre-Inked Roll
Installing the Printing Dies

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Adjusting the Die Position on Reset Printers
Adjusting the Ink Roll Eccentric

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF OPERA TION

Inking System Design
Ink Options

MAINTENANCE

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Pre-inking the XF Neoprene Ink Roll
Cleaning the Printing Dies
Cleaning the Transfer Roll
Cleaning the Coder

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

3
4

4
5
5
7

8
8
11
12
13

14
14
14

15
15
17
18
18

CODER REASSEMBL Y INSTRUCTIONS

Adjusting the Transfer Roll to Die Face Contact Pressure
Install the Index Assembly

P ARTS LIST & DIAGRAMS

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

UNIVERSAL Non-Porous Hand Printers are guaranteed to be free from defects in materials and workmanship
for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase. Components found to be defective during this time will be
repaired free of charge if returned to the factory . Damage resulting from use of improper inks, improper installation,
or operation is not covered under the scope of this warranty . For warranty service please contact our Customer
Service Department.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

- LIMITED W ARRANTY -

2

19
19
20

22

PREFACE

Printing on non-porous materials has always been a major problem in industrial applications. The high degree
of maintenance usually required to keep conventional “non-porous” machines operating has made many com­panies opt for manual marking as a cost effective alternative. UNIVERSAL changed all that with our patented
Non-Porous Inking System design. Previously available only on conveyor line mounted coders, this same
technology is now available on the new Universal Non-Porous Hand Printers.

Printing on non-porous materials can now be accomplished with the same relative ease as printing on porous
materials. This breakthrough in Non-Porous coder design opens up in-plant printing opportunities which previ­ously were regarded as too difficult to consider.

Unlike the inks used to print on porous materials which dry through absorption into the material being printed,
non-porous inks rely on the rapid evaporation of the ink solvents to achieve fast drying of the printed marks.
Since the ink solvents must evaporate very rapidly on the printed material, they also evaporate very rapidly from
the ink rolls and ink wells of conventional printers therefore requiring constant maintenance.

The proprietary design of the UNIVERSAL Non-Porous Inking System ef fectively eliminates the rapid evapora­tion of the ink solvents from the ink roll. The final design of this system was the product of many months of
design engineering and field testing. The final product is both simplistic in design and extremely effective in
operation. The relatively low cost of these systems makes in-plant printing of all types of non-porous materials
a practical reality . The following pages of this manual explain the operation and maintenance of the Non-Porous
Hand Printers and are the key to trouble free non-porous printing.

QUICK START

PAGES 8 THRU 13

This manual was written with a full understanding that very few people like to read manuals or have the
time to do so. To accommodate those who have little time to spare, we have included a Quick Start
section which will get your coder operating in just a few minutes.

To keep your coder operating properly, it is important to read and understand the Basic Principles of
Operation section which explains the basic operation of the Non-Porous Inking System.

CODER SPECIFICATIONS

The following specification diagram includes the basic dimensions of the Non-Porous Hand Printers. The ap­proximate net weights, maximum die capacities, maximum print width and print drum circumferences are also
listed for reference.

3

3.238

(82.24 MM)

SPECIFICATIONS

NON-POROUS HAND PRINTER SPECIFICATIONS

HPNP-100, HPNP-100NI, HPNP-100-T , HPNP-100NI-T

5.239

(133.07 MM)

MIN

10.742

(272.84 MM)

2

1

3

MAX

2.895

(73.53 MM)

NET WEIGHT: 9 LBS. - 8 OZS. (4.31 KG.)
MAXIMUM DIE SIZE - US ST ANDARD: 7/8” (8 RIBS) X 8-3/8” LENGTH
MAXIMUM DIE SIZE - METRIC CODERS ONL Y: 23.8 MM (7 RIBS) X 212.7MM LENGTH
PRINT DRUM CIRCUMFERENCE: APPROXIMA TEL Y 9.1" (231 MM) MEASURED A T DIE F ACE

4

SPECIFICATIONS

INDEXING & NON-INDEXING MODELS

Universal Non-Porous Hand Printers are available from the factory in both indexing and non-indexing models.
Indexing Hand Printers contain a cam & spring return mechanism (see Figure 1) which returns the print drum to
the same rotational position after every imprint is applied. This feature provides print registration capabilities
when printing on cut sheets of material or the sides of varnished or waxed cartons.

Non-Indexing Hand Printers have print drums which simply rotate on bearings and repeat the print at an interval
equal to the circumference of the print drum. If repeat intervals shorter than the print drum circumference are
required, duplicate sets of dies can be installed on the print drum. Non-Indexing Hand Printers are generally
used for printing on long lengths of material where it is desirable to print the same code repeatedly down the
entire length of material.

2

1

MIN MAX

3

TENSION ADJUSTING KNOB

INDEX SPRING

INDEX SLIDE

CAM ROLLER BEARING

INDEX CAM

PRINT DRUM BEARING HUB

FIGURE 1

5

SPECIFICATIONS

RIBtype® PRINTING DIES

Universal Non-Porous Coders are designed to use RIBtype® rub­ber type, printing dies which have a molded rib backing. The ribs
on the back of the die snap into mating ribs in the Drum Cover on
the print drum as shown.

The printing dies are produced in many standard character styles
and sizes and are available in sets containing a combination of
individual alphabetic and numeric characters or in sets containing
numeric characters only. These character sets or “sorts” can be
used to make up text messages and code numbers as necessary .

FIGURE 2

Dies are also available in “logo” form in which a complete text message is produced on a single piece of rib
backed rubber. Logo dies are much faster to change and generally produce better print quality due to their
unitized construction. Custom type styles, company logos, and trademarks can also be photographically repro­duced from black and white art work. For details on ordering custom logo dies, please contact our Customer
Service Department.

Printing dies are manufactured to precision thickness tol-

BEARER RING

erances which are very critical to the performance of these
coders. When installed, the face of the printing die should
extend only .007" - .008" beyond the radius of the Bearer

.007” - .008”

Rings as shown. Using dies that do not meet the design
specifications will result in poor print quality and possible
damage to the transfer roll.

PRINTING DIE

Although there are several competitive rib backed die sys-

DRUM COVER

tems available, it is very important to note that they are not
all made to the same rib spacing or thickness specifica­tions and they are not interchangeable.

FIGURE 3

CODER MODELS DESIGNED FOR METRIC RIBtype® PRINTING DIES

Universal also offers Metric RIBtype® Die systems for use in countries where metric character sizes are the
standard. The Metric dies are thicker and the rib spacing differs slightly from the standard printing dies therefore
the two versions are not compatible. To accommodate the differences, the print drums for Metric dies are
machined to a slightly different diameter from the U.S. versions.

The coder model numbers on Metric coders will have a “-T” suffix and the Metric Drum Covers have a distinct
pink color.

6

SPECIFICATIONS

INK ROLLS

Universal offers two ink roll options for the Non-Porous Hand Printers. The coders are designed to accommo­date both types of ink rolls without modification. A detailed review of your printing requirements will determine the
best choice of ink rolls for your particular application.

XF NEOPRENE INK ROLLS

Universal’s XF Neoprene Ink Rolls are a re-inkable roll which can
be used with a variety of alcohol or glycol base inks. These rolls
are normally supplied in a dry condition with the coder and require
pre-inking prior to installation. Pre-inked rolls are available from
the factory and are recommended for first time users.

Universal’s #100 Inks provide drying times of approximately 2 sec­onds at 75 Degree F. (24 Deg. C) ambient temperature. Many
other inks, both dye and pigment based, can be used in these ink
rolls to meet the specific application requirements. Refer to the
Basic Principles of Operation section for more information on se­lecting an appropriate ink.

FIGURE 4

TYPE MT INK ROLLS

Universal’s Type MT Ink Rolls are disposable pre-inked rolls which
are available in Black only . The MT Ink Rolls provide excellent color
density and adhesion on most materials and yield a much greater
number of impressions than the XF Neoprene Rolls before replace­ment is necessary.

The T ype MT Ink Rolls provide drying times between 4 - 7 seconds at
75 Degree F. (24 Deg. C) ambient temperature. The added conve­nience and simplicity of using the T ype MT Ink Rolls makes them an
ideal choice in high volume production applications.

FIGURE 5

7

QUICK ST ART

Warning: Non-Porous inks contain flammable solvents. Do not smoke or handle these rolls in the
presence of sparks or open flames. Inks will also stain clothing, furniture, carpeting and your hands.
Rubber gloves should be worn during the following procedures.

INSTALLING THE PRE-INKED ROLL

The ink roll you install on the coder must be properly pre-inked. If your coder was supplied with a dry XF

Neoprene ink roll, refer to the Maintenance Section for inking instructions.
Rollers that have been pre-inked at the factory are slightly oversaturated with ink to compensate for potential

solvent loss during shipping and storage. If you received a pre-inked ink roll with your coder, it is important to
examine the roll prior to installation. The ink roll should be thoroughly saturated with ink but not dripping
wet. Excess ink can be easily removed by lightly rolling the ink roll across a clean piece of absorbent paper.

1 - To install the pre-inked roll, first turn the Ink Roll Ec-

centric Adjusting Knob “A” to the “MIN” position.

This moves the ink roller axle away from the Transfer Roll
and enables the ink roll to be installed without interference
with the Transfer Roll during reassembly of the inking sys­tem.

A

2 - Remove the two cover retaining Thumbscrews “B”.

3 - Remove the Inking System Housing Cover.

The Ink Roller Core Assembly is installed on the
Ink Roller Axle when shipped from the factory.

FIGURE 6

B

FIGURE 7

FIGURE 8

8