ASTRO astrojet 5000 User manual

AstroJetTM 5000
SHUTTLE HEAD
PRINTER
SERVICE MANUAL
ASTRO MACHINE CORP.
630 Lively Blvd.
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.astromachine.com

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
THIS EQUIPMENT PRESENTS NO PROBLEM WHEN USED PROPERLY.
HOWEVER, CERTAIN SAFETY RULES SHOULD BE OBSERVED WHEN
OPERATING THE ASTROJET 5000 PRINTER.
BEFORE USING THE PRINTER, YOU SHOULD READ THIS MANUAL
CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES, SAFETY
WARNINGS, AND INSTRUCTIONS:
Keep hands, hair, and clothing clear of rollers and other moving parts.
Avoid touching moving parts or materials while the machine is in use. Before clearing a jam, be
sure machine mechanisms come to a stop.
Always turn off the machine before making adjustments, cleaning the machine, or performing any
maintenance covered in this manual.
A power cord is supplied with the machine. Plug it into a properly grounded, easily accessible
wall outlet located near the machine. Failure to properly ground the machine can result in severe
personal injury and/or fire.
The power cord and wall plug are the primary means of disconnecting the machine from the power
supply.
DO NOT use an adapter plug on the line cord or wall outlet.
DO NOT remove the ground pin from the line cord.
DO NOT route the power cord over sharp edges or trap it between furniture.
Avoid using wall outlets that are controlled by wall switches, or shared with other equipment.
Make sure the power cord is not stretched or strained due to being jammed between equipment,
walls or furniture.
DO NOT remove covers. Covers enclose hazardous parts that should only be accessed by a
qualified service representative. Report any cover damage to your service representative.
This machine requires periodic maintenance. Contact your authorized service representative for
required service schedules.
To prevent overheating, do not cover the vent openings.
Use this equipment only for its intended purpose.
In addition, follow any specific occupational safety and health standards for your workplace or area.
This manual is intended solely for the use and information of Astro Machine Corp., its designated agents,
customers, and their employees. The information in this guide was obtained from several different sources
that are deemed reliable by all industry standards. To the best of our knowledge, that information is
accurate in all respects. However, neither Astro Machine Corp. nor any of its agents or employees shall be
responsible for any inaccuracies contained herein.
AstroJetTM is a registered trademark of Astro Machine Corp.
Hewlett-Packard is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Corporation.
Windows 98 and Windows XT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
Table of Contents
Table of Contents i
SECTION 1 –Installation 1
Contents of Packaging 1
Tools Required: 1
Unpacking and Assembly 1
Connecting the Printer 3
Plugging in Printer 3
Connecting to Computer 3
Install the Inkjet Cartridges 4
Installing the Printer Driver 5
USB Port Installation 5
Parallel Port Installation 6
SECTION 2 –Troubleshooting 9
Power Problems 9
Interface Communication Problems 9
Feeding Problems 10
Printing Problems 11
Software Problems 11
SECTION 3 –Functional Operation 12
Sequence of Operation 12
Printer Controls 13
Printer Driver Properties 14
Paper/Quality Tab 15
Finishing Tab 16
Effects Tab 17
Basics Tab 17
Color Tab 18
Service Tab 18
Tap 13 20
SECTION 4 –Adjustment 21
Printer Drive Belt Tension Adjustment 21
SECTION 5 –Disassembly –Assembly Procedures 23
Basic Disassembly 23
Replacing the Separator Tips 23
Service Disassembly Procedures 23
Right-hand Side Covers 24
Components under Right-Hand Side Covers 25
Left-hand Side Cover 25
Major Components under Left-Hand Side Cover 26
Replacing Motor Drive Belt or Motor 26
Replacing Clutch 27
Replacing Feed Rollers 27
Replacing Main PC Board 30
Removing and Replacing Cleaning Station 31
Removing the Paper Length Sensor 32
Removing the Print Engine 33
Replacing Transport Rollers 36

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ii
SECTION 6 - Maintenance 39
The Inkjet Cartridge 39
To Replace the Inkjet Cartridge: 39
Storage 39
Disposal 39
Cleaning the Printhead 40
Jams in the Printer 40
Failure to Feed Paper Stoppages 40
Removing Jammed Media 40
Misfeeds 41
Replacing the Sheet Separators 41
Cleaning 41
APPENDIX A –AstroJet 5000 Specifications 42
APPENDIX B –Supplies and Optional Hardware 43
APPENDIX C –Wiring Diagram 44
INDEX 46

TABLE OF CONTENTS
iii
NOTES

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
1
SECTION 1 –Installation
Contents of Packaging
1.
ASTROJET 5000 Printer
2.
AC Power Adapter
3.
Parallel Cable and USB
4.
Software Driver
5.
Media Guides
6.
Operator Manual
7.
Driver Software Disk
Tools Required:
Standard #2 Phillips head screwdriver.
Unpacking and Assembly
Remove Printer and its parts from carton. Remove all packing tape. Screws that attach the various parts
of the Guides to the Printer are under the tape in their respective positions.
1. Install Fixed Side Guide with two screws [1]:

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
2
2. Next, install Adjustable Side Guide using two
screws [2] provided.
3. Attach Rear Media Support using two
Knobs [3] provided.
NOTE: Large slots fit over socket head screws.
4. Install Rear Media Guide using thumbscrew and
washer [4] provided. (Washer goes between screw
and Rear Media Support.)

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
3
Connecting the Printer
Plugging in Printer
Make sure Printer’s Main Power Switch is turned OFF.
1. Connect power cord from power pack to connector [4] at rear of Printer.
2. Plug power cord into power pack and then plug other end into a 115-220 Volt AC, 50/60 Hz.
grounded outlet.
CAUTION
USE THE POWER SUPPLY PACKED WITH THE PRINTER.
DO NOT USE AN ADAPTER PLUGS OR EXTENSION CORDS TO
CONNECT THE PRINTER TO THE WALL RECEPTACLE.
DO NOT USE OUTLETS CONTROLLED BY WALL SWITCHES.
DO NOT USE OUTLETS THAT SHARE THE SAME CIRCUIT WITH LARGE
ELECTRICAL MACHINES OR APPLIANCES.
Connecting to Computer
Printer has both USB [2] and Parallel Port [1]
connections located one above the other. If using the
parallel printer cable from your computer, plug it in and
latch the two locking clips. If using the USB Port [2] plug
the USB cable into the USB connector.
Main Power Switch [3] should be turned ON after
attaching the power cord to the power receptacle [4].

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
4
Install the Inkjet Cartridges
Printer uses two Ink Cartridges (HP57 Color Cartridge and HP56 or HP58 Black Cartridge). Use HP56
Black Cartridge for everyday printing and HP58 Black Cartridge for photos and high quality printing.
Install and/or replace Inkjet Cartridge:
1. Plug in Printer and turn Main Power
Switch ON. Open Top Cover. Press Soft
Power button [1], (button lights).
Printhead Carriage moves side to side.
Printhead Wiper mechanism moves to its
downward position. Wait until the
mechanism stops moving. Open the two
Printhead Latching Covers [2] by lifting
them from the front.
2. Insert Cartridges in their appropriate
positions as shown. (Color Cartridge
goes on the left.)
3. Press down on Cartridge Latches until
you hear a click. Close Cover.

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
5
Installing the Printer Driver
Installation procedure for the Printer Driver is different for USB and Parallel Ports. Follow instructions
below for installing the Driver with a USB Port. Instructions for installing the Driver with the Parallel Port
follows instructions below.
Install Driver Disk supplied with Printer in your CD drive. If Window’s Explorer window opens, close it.
USB Port Installation
1. Connect Printer to computer via USB port.
Turn Printer ON. “Welcome to the Found
New Hardware wizard”opens. Check box
“No, not this time”as shown. Click Next>.
2. Next window shows the name of the Printer,
AMC50 or AMCAMC50. Click “Install the
software automatically (Recommended)”
box. Click Next>.
3. After a few moments, “Wait while the
wizard installs the software” opens. Then
“Hardware Installation”window appears.
Click “Continue Anyway”and the driver
software loads from the disk.

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
6
4. Once Driver is loaded, “Completing the
Found New Hardware Wizard”
window appears. Click Finish.
5. Installation is complete when “Found
New Hardware”box appears in the
lower right-hand corner of the screen.
Parallel Port Installation
1. Connect Printer to computer via Parallel Port
(LPT1). Turn Printer ON. If disk loads and the
“Welcome to the Found New Hardware
wizard”opens at this time, CLOSE it.
2. Click START, then Printers and Faxes. When
“Printers and Faxes”window opens, click
Add a printer.
3. “Welcome to the Add Printer Wizard”
window opens. Click Next>.

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
7
4. Click “Local printer attached to the computer”
and “Automatically detect and install my Plug
and Play printer”buttons in the “Local or
Network Printer”window. Click Next>.
5. “Welcome to the Found New Hardware
Wizard”window opens. Click “No, not at this
time”. Click Next>.
6. In the “Found New Hardware Wizard”
window, click “Install the software
automatically (Recommended)”button.
Click Next>.
7. Installer looks for the disk. (This may take a few
minutes.) Then “Please wait while the wizard
installs the software…” opens, as will the
“Copying Files”window.

SECTION 1
INSTALLATION
8
8. After a few moments, “Hardware Installation”
window opens. Click “Continue Anyway”to
continue the installation.
9. When the “Completing the Found New
Hardware Wizard”window opens, click Finish.
10. “New Printer Detection”window opens. Print a
Test Page at this point to confirm that the Printer
Driver and the Printer are communicating.
Load a sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" paper in the Printer
and click Next>.
11. Once the Test Page is printed, the “Completing
the Add Printer Wizard”window displays
information about the Printer. Click Finish to
close the window.
12. Restart the computer to complete the installation.

SECTION 2
TROUBLESHOOTING
9
SECTION 2 –Troubleshooting
This section is arranged by first the condition that might occur, and then by possible
problems, their cause and recommended solutions.
Power Problems
CONDITION
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Power is ON, nothing happens
No power to Printer
Check that power cord is
plugged in.
Check that power outlet is live.
Replace AC Adapter.
Interface Communication Problems
CONDITION
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Printer does not respond to
software
Connection problems
Check that port is communicating
with Printer by using another
parallel or USB cable.
Replace cable.
Check cable connection to see if
any pins are bent or missing. If so,
replace cable.
If port cannot communicate using
another parallel or USB cable,
check Printer.
If port cannot communicate using
another parallel or USB cable and
the Printer is OK, check parallel
or USB port on the computer.
Printer not responding to
software
Poor connection between
Printer and computer
Turn Printer OFF and ON again.
Check connections.

SECTION 2
TROUBLESHOOTING
10
Feeding Problems
CONDITION
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Intermittent feeding
Feed Ramp not used
Side Guides set improperly
Dirty Feed Rollers
Paper stuck together
Uneven mail piece
Feed Ramp adds a slope to media
stack and helps feeding.
Loosen Side Guides slightly.
Clean Feed Roller with distilled
water and a cloth. DO NOT use
any solvents or detergents as they
may damage Feed Rollers.
Fan media before loading
in Printer.
Tap inserts to front of envelopes
and retry.
Multiple feeds
Separator gap not set properly.
Media stuck together.
Side Guides too close to media
Brake misadjusted.
Adjust Separators to thickness of
media.
Fan media before loading
in Printer.
Push Side Guides away
from media.
Adjust Brake
(see Section 4-Adjustments).
Failure to feed
Side Guides too close to media
No power to Printer
Feed gap too tight
Feed gap too loose
Material is out of specification
Motor ON, Feed Rollers not
turning
Clutch not engaging
Motor failure
No power
Readjust Side Guides.
Check Power Button is ON and
that power cord is plugged in.
Adjust Separator to thickness
of media.
Adjust Separator to thickness
of media.
Maximum thickness is 0.0625".
Check for broken Drive Belt and
replace. Check for loose set
screws on Drive Pulley or Belt
Drive Roller Pulley.
Replace Clutch.
Check that Motor is receiving
power from Power Supply.
See Power Problems in this
Section.

SECTION 2
TROUBLESHOOTING
11
CONDITION
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Jams
Paper path obstruction
Paper not loaded properly
Feed Ramp not used properly
Separators improperly adjusted
Media curled or bent
The Separators are worn
Clear jam and remove pieces
remaining under Printhead.
Instruct operator in proper loading
of media.
Set Feed Ramp.
Adjust Separators to thickness
of media.
Uncurl media.
Replace Separator Tip.
Printing Problems
CONDITION
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Extra lines; losing data
Database problem
Check data in database program
Improper output (address
information out of order,
miss-feeding, etc.)
Wrong Interface settings
Static electricity
Dirty media Sensor
Check software or database on PC.
Close software and then turn
Printer OFF and ON.
Clean media Sensor.
Media jams
Double feeding
Media is curled or bent
Media is too thin
Adjust Sheet Separators
on Feeder.
Uncurl media.
Minimum thickness for
media is 0.006".
No communication
Improper cabling / connector
Unit not receiving power
Use Proper cable
(see Operator Manual).
Check plug connections, ON/OFF
switch and fuse on back.
Print too light or missing
character dots
Clogged or dirty Printheads
Running out of ink
Replace Cartridges.
Blurry address
Image is not sharp
Replace Inkjet Cartridge or change
Printer resolution setting.
Check media thickness.
Split line of type
A line of type does not
match up
Check media thickness. Minimum
thickness for material is 0.006".
Increase resolution of print.
Feeding problems
Double sheets
Misfeeds
Adjust Sheet Separator.
Paper Light Flashes
Paper Misfeed
Press Paper button to feed media
into position for printing.
Cancel Light Flashes
Ink Cartridge missing
Install Print Cartridge.
Software Problems
Refer to the manual for the application software being used.

SECTION 3
FUNCTIONAL OPERATION
12
SECTION 3 –Functional Operation
Sequence of Operation
User Prepares the Printer
1. Installs Inkjet Cartridges in proper location.
2. Uses a single piece of media to set Sheet Separators.
3. Loads media and adjusts Side Guide to within 1/32" of media.
4. Stacks media in Feeder and adjusts Rear Media Guide.
5. Turns Printer ON.
User Prepares the Layout and Creates a Job
1. Selects the database and opens the layout software such as Microsoft Word.
2. Creates a layout consisting of the variable data from the database using Merge function.
3. Creates a layout using fixed information such as return address and adds graphics as needed.
4. Saves layouts.
5. Initiates Print function through File menu in the program.
6. Selects Paper size and desired print resolution through Printer Driver Properties menu.
7. Clicks on Print button to print job.
Printing the Job
1. As soon as enough of the job is sent from the computer to the Printer, Soft Power button begins to
blink. If this is the first job of the day, Printheads automatically start cleaning function. Once this
is complete, Printer starts to feed media.
2. After media travels to Printer, Media Sensor detects lead edge of media, then stops feeding and
lines up lead edge of media with Printheads.
3. Printheads then begin to move across media, printing the job. After each pass, media is advanced
by Media Feed Clutch to continue printing.
4. Once first piece is printed, it is ejected, and next piece moves into position and aligns for printing.
5. When last piece in job is printed, Printer ejects it and any pieces waiting to be printed.
6. Printheads return to Capping Station and remain there until next job is sent.
Printing
Print Engine consists of two Printheads mounted on a movable shuttle. One Printhead is three colors
(Cyan, Magenta and Yellow) and the other is Black to provide full color CMYK printing. Printing and
operation of the Printer is controlled by a single Main Circuit Board.

SECTION 3
FUNCTIONAL OPERATION
13
Printer Functional Description
1. A Photosensor located on the Printhead Carriage sees the lead edge of the media, signals the
Driver Motor to reverse and aligns the media with the Printhead Carriage, and signals the Print
Engine on the Main Board that the mailing piece is ready for printing. Feed Clutch remains
disengaged as long as a mailing piece is in view of the Photosensor.
2. When the mailing piece uncovers the Sensor, the Clutch engages the Feed Rollers and the next
piece of media starts moving toward the printer section.
3. This cycle repeats itself as long as there is media in the Feeder.
4. The cycle stops when the Feeder runs out of media, the operator stops the process, or no records
remain to be printed.
5. When there are no records to be printed, the Printer ejects any media that is in line for printing.
The Feed Clutch is off at this point.
Cartridge Cleaning
Cartridges are cleaned at the beginning of each startup of a job by the Cleaning Station and at times during
a run (as determined by Printer software). A separate Motor operates the Cleaning Station.
Printer Controls
Printer Controls and their functions:
Main Power Connection and ON/OFF Switch
AC Power Adapter provides the proper voltage to the Printer.
Main Power Switch powers up the Printer when it is turned ON.
CAUTION
USE THE AC POWER ADAPTER PACKED
WITH THE PRINTER.
DO NOT USE ADAPTER PLUGS OR
EXTENSION CORDS TO CONNECT THE
ADAPTER TO THE WALL RECEPTACLE.
DO NOT USE OUTLETS CONTROLLED BY
WALL SWITCHES.
DO NOT USE OUTLETS THAT SHARE THE
SAME CIRCUIT WITH LARGE ELECTRICAL
MACHINES OR APPLIANCES.
Clear Machine Button
Operates Main Drive Motor to help clear media from Printer.

SECTION 3
FUNCTIONAL OPERATION
14
Soft Power Button
Press and hold to reset the Printer’s software. Glows steady
green when Printer is ready and blinks when job is sent to
Printer and is printing.
Paper Switch and Cancel Switch
Paper Switch light blinks if the next piece does not feed
into position properly. Press to resume feeding media.
Cancel Switch cancels the job. If the light on this switch
blinks it means that Printer is out of ink or a Cartridge is
missing. Both Color and Black Cartridges must be in the
Printer even if you are not printing in color.
Printer Driver Properties
Printer Driver for the AstroJet 5000 works the same as any other Printer Driver for Windows. It does,
however have some enhancements to help you maximize the ability of the Printer to print variable
addresses quickly and efficiently.
Once the job is set up, click File, and then Print.
The window at right opens.