Digital Combo DC16 User manual

1
Version 1-09
Digital Combo
Multi-Purpose Press

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Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................ 3
Setup & Suggestions ......................................................................................... 4
Normal Operation .................................................................................................. 5
Normal Operating Mode ................................................................................... 5
Setting Temperature.......................................................................................... 5
Setting Time...................................................................................................... 6
Pre-Press Timer................................................................................................. 6
Setting Pressure................................................................................................. 7
Digital Pressure Bar Graph ............................................................................... 7
Guidelines & Standard Settings ........................................................................ 8
ERR Mode......................................................................................................... 9
Over-Temp Alarm............................................................................................. 9
Using Attachments................................................................................................ 10
Removing a Heat Platen................................................................................... 10
Attaching a heat platen..................................................................................... 11
Cap Hold-down Device (For Cap Attachment Only) ............................................... 12
Aligning the Pedestal ....................................................................................... 12
Optional Forms / Custom Pedestals ................................................................. 12
How to use the Cap Attachment....................................................................... 13
How to use the Mug Attachment ..................................................................... 13
How to use the Plate Attachment..................................................................... 14
Pressing Ceramic Tile ...................................................................................... 14
Programmable Presets........................................................................................... 15
How Presets Work............................................................................................ 15
Loading a Preset............................................................................................... 15
Editing/Programming a Preset ......................................................................... 16
A Walkthrough Tutorial for using Presets ....................................................... 17
User Menus ........................................................................................................... 18
Entering the user menus & options .................................................................. 18
Fahrenheit / Celsius.......................................................................................... 18
Timer Counter Units ........................................................................................ 18
Recorded Pressings (User Odometer) .............................................................. 19
Pressure Minimum ........................................................................................... 19
Pressure Maximum........................................................................................... 20
Temperature Drop Sense.................................................................................. 20
Keypad Beeper................................................................................................. 21
Alarms.............................................................................................................. 21
Finished Warning Beep.................................................................................... 22
Prepress Timer ................................................................................................. 22
Prepress Alarms ............................................................................................... 23
Operator Lockout ............................................................................................. 23
Parts / Maintenance / Misc.................................................................................... 24
Interchangeable Tables..................................................................................... 24
Maintenance ..................................................................................................... 24
Replacement Parts............................................................................................ 25
Wiring Diagram ............................................................................................... 26
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................... 27
Troubleshooting (cont.).................................................................................... 28
Limited Warranty............................................................................................. 29

3
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the DC16 Digital Combo press!
This heat press machine has many exciting features, all of which are
meant to help make your heat transfer pressing endeavors as successful
and easy as possible. Please take the time now to thoroughly read through
this manual to become acquainted with them. It will explain some key
features, concepts and methods that will save much time and effort in
using this press and in your heat pressing applications.
Throughout this manual, many areas and components of this machine
will be referred to by specic names. Please refer to the illustrations
below in order to become familiar with some of the terminology used
in this manual.
Handle
Pressure Knob
Top Head
Clamp/Linkage
Pwr Inlet/On-Off
Heat Platen
Stop Collar
Lower Table
Silicone Pad
Pedestal
Gibb Plates
Base
Temperature
°F/°C Indicator
Ready/Heating Indicator
Open/Timing/Done Ind.
Time
Pressure Bar Graph
TEMP key
PRG key
Up/Down Arrow keys
Default Operating Mode of Controller

4
Setup & Suggestions
• Locate the press on a rm, sturdy work surface. It is recommended but
not necessary to bolt the press to a workbench using the rear mounting
holes on the base frame.
• A stand on lockable casters is available from Geo Knight & Co or your
distributor.
• The height of the bench/work space the press is located on would be
ideally 25” to 30” high. The higher the press, the more difcult to
close/lock.
• Attach the power cord from the rear to the underside of the top head.
There is a power inlet under the top head that the modular cord will
plug into.
• It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that the cord be strapped or tied to
the back white post of the press, so that the cord is not pulled on and
tugged out of the power inlet where it plugs into the press. TEST and
make sure the cord travels freely when swinging the press, and that
there is no tension or pulling on the inlet socket where the power cord
plugs into the head. Make sure the cord can not be pressed by the
heater.
• The press should remain in the unclamped OPEN position when not in
use. Do not leave the heater block closed on the table when not using,
unless transporting.
• The top head should be swung over the pressing table when not in
use. Do not leave the platen down on the silicone pad when heating.
Always leave the heat platen in the UP position.

5
Normal Operation
Normal Operating Mode
The normal operating mode of
the press will display the current
actual Temperature at the top of
the screen and the time setting
or elapsed time below the
temperature.
The right side the screen will
indicate the heating status by
stating HEATING, READY, both
of those words, or none at all,
depending on if it is cooling down or heating up to the set temperature.
READY is shown only if the current temperature is within 5 degrees of
the set point temperature.
The right side of the screen will also indicate the timing status by stating
OPEN, TIMING or DONE. The DONE indicator may remain on in
some cases until the press is opened back up.
If the pressure feature is enabled, the pressure bar graph will show the
last known pressure exerted when the press was closed.
Setting Temperature
From the normal operating mode,
simply press the TEMP key to set the
temperature.
The ashing 3-digit number is the
temperature setting (not the actual
current temp). Use the Arrow Keys to
set the desired temperature. Hold them
down to increase rapidly, press both
together to set it to 350°F.
Press TEMP again to lock in the setting.

6
Setting Time
From the normal operating mode, simply
use the Arrow Keys ONLY to set the
time. Do not touch the PRG key.
Hold down either the Up or Down arrow
key for more than 2 seconds and the time
will increase rapidly.
Press BOTH Arrow Keys and the time
will reset to 00 seconds.
Pre-Press Timer
There is a second timer available for
use, called the “Pre-Press Timer”.
This feature is useful if a multiple-step
process is performed.
For example: If a product must be
pre-pressed for 5 seconds before a
main pressing cycle of 20 seconds, the
Prepress timer can be set for 5 secs, and
the main timer for 20. When the operator closes the press, the 5-sec
time counts down. When the operator opens the press, the time setting
switches to 20 seconds.
The word PREPRESS will be displayed next to the pre-press time setting
when it is active. To set the pre-press time, simply use the Arrow Keys
to set the time. If PREPRESS is not displayed next to the time, quickly
close and then open the press to switch to the prepress time.
To turn ON the prepress timer feature, enter the User Options Menus
(see page 18) and go to the PPR setting and turn it ON. (see page 22)

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The Digital Pressure Bar
Graph indicates a basic 0-9
scale of pressure exerted.
The pressure bar graph
resets when the press is
closed/locked while timing.
If the pressure adjustment has been changed, or a different thickness
item has been placed in the press, the pressure bar graph will not change
until the press is closed and locked and the timer is counting.
This bar graph is directly related to the amount of pressure, or resistance,
being felt and applied to the bottom table. If a thicker item is placed in
the press, and no adjustments are made to the pressure knob, then the
amount of pressure clamping down will be greater, and the bar graph
will show a higher number. Here are some bar graph guidelines:
A very light pressure slight clamping would be in the 0 to 3 range.
A good medium pressure for most applications would be 4 to 6.
Excessively high pressure for demanding items would be 7-9.
Pressure is set manually using the large black Pressure Adjustment
Knob. There is one important rule of thumb when setting pressure: The
press MUST LOCK IN PLACE when lowering and clamping the press.
Do not simply let the platen rest on the pad. A good solid two-handed
locking force is recommended when rst doing transfers to insure good
results. A “Ka-Thunk” click/clamp sound will result when locking the
press in place.
• To decrease the pressure, turn the
pressureknobto the left, counterclockwise.
The top head will rise away from the lower
table.
• To increase the pressure, turn the
pressure knob to the right, clockwise. The
top head will lower toward the pressing table.
Setting Pressure
Digital Pressure Bar Graph

8
Guidelines & Standard Settings
The following information covers some basic guidelines for pressing,
as well as some generic parameters for basic heat transfer applications.
• When pressing shirts, it is often recommended that the shirts be quickly
pressed for 2 to 4 seconds before transferring to remove wrinkles and water
content.
• When pressing two sides of a garment, pull the garment over the table so
that the printed side drapes underneath the table. This will avoid reheating
previously transferred designs on opposite sides of garments. It will also
avoid any bleed-through of inks on lighter fabrics.
• Avoid laying collars, cuffs, zippers, and other bulky parts of garments
on the lower table, as these can adversely affect pressing conditions, and
reduce the life of the silicone pad.
• When pressing rigid substrates (plastics, metals, woods, etc.), be sure that
any protective lms or laminates are removed before heating.
• Always check that the transfer image is face down against the material, to
avoid sealing the image against the heat platen instead of the substrate.
Always follow the transfer media suppliers instructions when
pressing. The information below is for general reference only, and may
not be as accurate as the instructions provided by the transfer media &
imprintable substrate supplier.
• Hot Split Supplier Transfers 350-375°F, 8-10 secs
• Puff Transfers 350-375°, 5-7 secs (extra heavy pressure)
• Ink-Jet Transfer Papers 360°, 15-18 secs
• ColorCopy/Laser Transfer Papers 375°, 20-25 secs
• Sublimation Inks (Polyester Fabrics) 400°, 35 secs
• Sublimation Inks (Plastics) 400°, 1 min, 15 secs
• Sublimation Inks (Metals) 400°, 1 min
• Sublimation Inks (Woods) 400°, 1 min, 15 secs
• Sublimation Inks (Ceramics) 400°, 4 min

9
ERR Mode
During operation of the press, if there
is a loss of signal from the temperature
sensor wire, the ERR display will
appear.
This is a safety feature that will shut off
the relay so the press will not overheat
aimlessly without a temperature signal.
Once the temperature signal is restored (no longer broken, or plugged
back into the control) the press will resume the temperature display, and
start heating if necessary. If ERR persists, contact support.
Over-Temp Alarm
If the press heats beyond the set
temperature by 40 degrees or greater,
the OverTemp alarm will sound.
This is a safety feature that warns the
operator of a possible thermal run-away
of the press. This means the press relay
may be locked in a heating position
where it will never stop heating, to a
possibly harmful temperature level.
If the OverTemp alarm sounds, set the temperature to a higher value
than the current actual temp. Wait 30 seconds and then reset the press to
your desired temperature and Watch Carefully. Do not let the press rise
to extremely high temps.
If it continues to rise, turn off the press and let it cool off to room
temperature. Turn the power back on and immediately set the temperature
to a low setting like 200°F. Wait for the press to heat up. When the press
displays “READY”, monitor the temperature and see if it continues to
heat to a level that the OverTemp alarm activates again. If so, contact
the factory.

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The main feature that makes the Digital Combo so versatile is the
interchangeability of the heat platens. Because the heat platens are
modular in their method of connection, one platen can be unplugged
and another attached, in its place. These platens are “Hot Swappable”.
You do not need to wait for the platens to cool off to remove.
The following instructions apply to the 14x16, 12x14, cap, plate & mug
heat platen attachments. All of them disconnect and connect in the same
manner.
The heat platen can be safely disconnected with
the machine on. However, thermal gloves or
oven mitts must be used when handling hot heat
platens.
• Unplug the modular connector. This is done
by unscrewing the safety lock and pulling the
connectors apart.
• Lower the heat platen so it rests on the bottom
table, and do not clamp it.
• Pull out the quick release pin from the linkage.
It is easiest to remove when there is no pressure
on the side links or on the heat platen shaft.
• Once the quick release pin is removed, lift the
handle away, exposing the heat platen shaft now
disconnected from the linkage.
• Lift up on the heat platen slightly, enough to swing
it out away from the bottom table. Lower the heat
platen down and out of the clamp linkage.
Using Attachments
Removing a Heat Platen

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The heat platen can be safely connected with the machine on. However,
thermal gloves or oven mitts must be used when handling hot heat
platens.
• Lift the heat platen into the clamp linkage. Make
sure the rear guide fork holds onto the guide pin
in the back post of the frame. This holds the heat
platen in a straight position and keeps it from
rotating.
• Reattach the quick release pin through the linkage
and the heat platen shaft.
• Reconnect the modular connector. An Err display
might read on the controller if in the Normal
operating mode. If it does not read a temperature
after the heat platen is reconnected, turn the
machine off and then on again.
Attaching a heat platen

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There is a curved 1/2-moon cap
holddown device for stretching the
cap over the curved bottom table.
Simply pull the back strap of the
cap behind the pedestal and under
the 1/2-moon shaped bracket. This
will hold the cap in place for proper
printing.
Cap Hold-down Device (For Cap Attachment Only)
The table can be easily adjusted in a straight position if the heat platen
does not correctly line up with the pressing surface. The pedestal the
table rests on can slide front to back on the base of the machine. Loosen
the screw in the gibb plates that holds the pedestal in place in order to
adjust its position.
The pedestal can also be slightly rotated in order to align with the upper
platen. Loosen all (4) screws holding the gibb plates in place, position/
rotate the pedestal to the desired place, and retighten the gibb plates.
Aligning the Pedestal
The standard tables included with the DK7
or DK8 will accommodate most items.
However there are other sized bottom
tables that are instantly interchangeable.
For the DK7, there are 3 different curved
forms (the top heat platen stays the same).
The mid-sized and youth-sized forms
are not included with the press. The mid-
sized “EURO” form is especially useful
for solving wrinkling of caps in the middle
area for lower-prole tight-t caps.
Custom pedestals, bottom tables, and other
custom solutions are also available from the factory.
Optional Forms / Custom Pedestals

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The cap attachment works the same as a
cap press. The only difference is that the
swing-away style Digital Combo press
allows complete access to the cap when
the heat platen is swung out, as opposed to
typical stand-alone clamshell cap presses.
Here are some tips for using the cap
attachment:
Make sure the cap holddown device is
attached to the bottom pedestal.
Make sure the proper bottom form is used.
If wrinkling/folding of the middle of the
cap occurs, this is a good indication that
the wrong form is being used.
Make sure the lower pedestal is adjusted and slid forward or backward
to line up with the heat platen above.
How to use the Cap Attachment
How to use the Mug Attachment
The mug attachment will print one half side
of the mug in one pressing cycle. Here are
some tips for using the mug attachment:
Use the Additional 1/8” Green Square Pad
for smaller 11 oz mugs. Lay the pad on top
of the transfer paper, then press.
Wider “steins” and 15oz mugs do not use
the extra pad. The heater is sized for larger
diameter mugs.
Sublimation transfers can be left on the
mug, and the mug can be ipped and
pressed on the opposite side for a continuous full wrap-around print.

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The plate attachment allows
the operator to press down
inside a dish or other indented
object. Here are some tips for
using the plate attachment:
Use the large T-Shirt at
bottom table.
Place the 3-sided aluminum
tray on top of the T-Shirt
table. This will protect the
main T-Shirt silicone pad
from being cut into by the
plate’s bottom edges.
Plate the black circular silicone pad on the tray. Center the pad so that
it is directly underneath the plate heater block attachment when swung
over. Make sure it lines up directly under the plate heat platen. Then
peel the backing off the circular black silicone pad and permanently
stick it to the tray.
The purpose of the black circular pad is to automatically center the plate
under the heat platen. It also provides cushioning when pressing plates.
Set the clamping pressure of the press so the black pad is compressed to
50% its height. Pressing heavier may risk breaking certain fragile style
plates.
Lay the 1/8” green circular pad on top of the transfer paper in the plate.
How to use the Plate Attachment
Pressing Ceramic Tile
To press ceramic tile, use the standard T-Shirt heat platen and bottom
table. Lay the 1/2” White Nomex Felt padding on top of the black
silicone pad. Then lay the transfer paper face-up, and the tile face-down
into the image. Press the tile from the back side, rmly. This wraps the
transfer paper nicely around the radius of the tile.

15
Loading a Preset
Programmable Presets
How Presets Work
There are 70 programmable presets in the controller. The operator can
store a Temperature, Time, Prepress Time, and Pressure setting in each
preset.
When a preset program is loaded by the operator, the Current Temperature
Setting, Time and Prepress Settings (if there is a Prepress setting in that
preset) are updated in the normal operating mode.
The pressure is NOT set for the operator mechanically. A brief display
of the pressure value in the preset is shown while updating the current
settings. This is simply a reference... a reminder of what pressure setting
the operator must adjust for that preset.
There are 2 main functions to using the presets. LOADING and EDITING
the preset. LOADING a preset simply means selecting a desired preset,
and returning to the normal operating mode where the current settings
are changed. EDITING a preset is when the operator actually changes
the preset’s settings.
To enter the presets, press the PRG
key.
SET will display on the screen.
Use the Arrow Keys to select a preset
from 00 to 70.
Press PRG to return to the normal
operating mode. The current active Temperature, Time & Prepress time
settings (if there is a prepress setting in that preset) are now updated
with the presets values.

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Editing/Programming a Preset
To edit a preset and change it’s values to your
own desired settings, you simply use the TEMP
key while in the SET preset mode.
From the normal operating mode, press the PRG
key. SET displays on the screen. Use the Arrow
Keys to select the preset # you wish to edit.
Press the TEMP key. The temperature will ash.
Use the Arrow Keys to set the temperature for
that preset.
Press the TEMP key. The time will ash. Use
the Arrow Keys to set the time for that preset.
Press the TEMP key. The Prepress time will
ash. Use the Arrow Keys to set the Prepress
time. Set the Prepress time to 00 if only one timer
is to be used for that preset. Setting Prepress to
00 will disable the Prepress feature.
Press the TEMP key. The Pressure reference
value will ash. Use the Arrow Keys to set the
pressure for that preset. This will display 0 to 9
for presses congured for Bar Graph Pressure
readout, and will display 0:00 to 10:00 for
presses congured for a Height Gauge readout.
Press the TEMP key. The screen returns to the
preset #. Press PRG to return to the normal
operating mode, or use the Arrow Keys to select
a different preset and edit that as well.

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A Walkthrough Tutorial for using Presets
Here is a tutorial of programming 2 different presets, and then an
example of using them in normal daily operations. Do this walkthrough
to practice using presets.
Part 1: Programming 2 different presets.
From the normal operating mode, press PRG. SET appears.
Use the arrow keys to select SET 01.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing temperature to 400 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing time to 45 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing Prepress time to 00 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing Pressure ref to 6 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Use the arrow keys to select SET 02.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing temperature to 350 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing time to 12 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing Prepress time to 3 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Set the ashing Pressure ref to 8 with the arrow keys.
Press TEMP. Press PRG to leave the preset mode.
Presets SET 01 and SET 02 have now been programmed.
Part 2: Loading the presets. Let’s say we are powering on the machine
and starting a job. The rst job will need to use preset 01, and later on
the next job will need preset 02.
From the normal operating mode, press PRG. SET appears.
Use the arrow keys to select SET 01 then Press PRG. Done!
The press is now set for 400°F and 45 seconds and will start to heat to
that temperature. When leaving the presets, the screen briey displayed
PRS 6 - indicating you must manually set the clamping pressure so the
bar graph shows 6 (or close to it) at the bottom of the screen.
Now let’s change to the next job. Press PRG. SET appears.
Use the arrow keys to select SET 02 then Press PRG. Done!
The press is now set for 350°F, 12 secs, 3 prepress, and you are reminded
to set the pressure heavier to 8 on the bar graph display (when closed).
That’s it! You can load a preset as often as needed: just press PRG, pick
the preset you want with the Arrow Keys, and press PRG again.

18
User Menus
Entering the user menus & options
There are many useful features beyond simply setting time & temperature,
and storing presets. All of these additional features are available to the
operator in the User Menus.
To access the user menus, simply press TEMP & PRG at the same
time from the normal operating mode and let go.
(Try to use two hands and press the keys at the exact same time. If one
key is pressed too early from the other, the temperature setting or preset
modes may be activated instead. Turn the press off and then on and try
again.)
Fahrenheit / Celsius
The current and set temperature can be
displayed in °F or °C. After entering the
user menus (see above), use the arrow
keys to select F or C. Press PRG to move
to the next menu item.
Timer Counter Units
The timer and Prepress timer can be set
for mins/secs (default) or hours/mins. If
special applications need a higher timer
range than 99 mins, 59 secs, this can be
changed. After entering the user menus
(see top of page), Press PRG until CNT
displays. Use the arrow keys to select
SEC or HR. Press PRG to move to the
next menu item.

19
Recorded Pressings (User Odometer)
There is an “odometer” that records
pressing cycles done. This can be cleared
and reset to 0 at any time when needed.
The gure scrolls and it’s beginning and
end are separated by a “-” sign.
After entering the user menus (see
top of page 18), Press PRG until REC
displays. Use the arrow keys to reset the
counter to 0. Press PRG to move to the
next menu item.
Pressure Minimum
To reset and redene “0” for the pressure
bar graph, use this calibration menu. Do
NOT adjust this setting unless you are
sure adjustments are necessary.
Adjust the pressure of the machine so
there is barely any locking pressure
when clamping and locking the press.
Press either Arrow Key. The press now
considers this pressure as “0” on the
Pressure Bar Graph Display.
Press PRG to move to the next menu item.

20
Pressure Maximum
To reset and redene “9” for the pressure
bar graph, use this calibration menu. Do
NOT adjust this setting unless you are
sure adjustments are necessary.
Adjust the pressure of the machine
so there is extremely heavy pressure
when clamping and locking the press.
Press either Arrow Key. The press now
considers this pressure as “9” on the
Pressure Bar Graph Display.
Press PRG to move to the next menu item.
Temperature Drop Sense
The press can be set to alarm if the
temperature drops a certain range below
the set temperature. This is useful to
warn the operator if the press is too
far out of temperature range during
excessive use.
After entering the user menus (see top of
page 18), Press PRG until DRP displays.
Use the arrow keys to set it to OFF (default), or 10, 20, 30, etc.
If the current temperature drops below the set temperature by that many
degrees, and alarm will sound. Press TEMP to silence the alarm.
Press PRG to move to the next menu item.