Domino C Series User manual

C-SERIES PRINTERS
OPERATION AND
MAINTENANCE MANUAL
MODELS
C7, C16 AND C34

2 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We
Domino UK Ltd, Bar Hill, Cambridge, England CB3 8TU
declare under our sole responsibility that the products,
Domino C7, C16 and C34 Printers
to which this declaration relates, are in conformity with the following standards:
BS EN 60204 - 1:1992 Safety of machinery - electrical equipment of machines
73/23/EEC : Low Voltage Directive as amended by 93/68/EEC
Council Directive 89/336/EEC EMC compatibility as amended by directive
92/31/EEC of 28th April 1992
BS EN 50082 - 1:1992 Electromagnetic Compatibility-Generic Immunity
Standard
BS EN 50081 - 1:1992 Electromagnetic Compatibility - Generic Emission
Standard
EN 55022:1987 Limits and measures of measurement of radio interference
characteristics of information technology equipment
EN 55011:1996 Conducted emissions
EN 61000 - 4 - 1:1995 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Part 4. Testing
and measurement techniques
EN 61000 - 4 - 2:1995 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Electrostatic
discharge immunity test
EN 61000 - 4 - 3:1996 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Radiated RF
immunity.
EN 61000 - 4 - 4:1995 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Electrical fast
transient burst immunity test
EN 61000 - 4 - 6:1996 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Direct injection
immunity to RF signals
EN 61000 - 4 - 11:1994 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Part 4. Voltage
dips, short interruptions and voltage variations immunity tests.
L. J. Mason
Technical Director

77091 Issue 2 November 2003 3
C-SERIES PRINTERS
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
MANUAL
MODELS C7, C16 AND C34
This manual, Domino Part No. 77091, is for use in the maintenance of Domino
C7, C16 and C34 printers.
Users of this equipment are warned that it is essential to read, understand and act
according to the information given in Health and Safety, page 9. This part of the
manual also specifies a set of symbols which are used elsewhere in the manual to
convey special warnings or requirements. It is, therefore, essential that users are
also familiar with these symbols and act accordingly.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission
of Domino UK Ltd.
Domino UK Ltd has a policy of continuous product improvement, the Company
therefore reserves the right to modify the specification contained in this manual
without notice.
© Domino UK Ltd 2001.
For sales, service and inks please contact:
Domino UK Ltd Domino Amjet Inc
Bar Hill 1290 Lakeside Drive
Cambridge CB3 8TU Gurnee IL.60031
England U.S.A.
Tel:[phone] Tel:[phone]
Fax:[phone] Fax:[phone]

4 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
FCC Notice
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communication Commission
(FCC) Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment.
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communication. Operation of this equipment in a residential
area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case, the user will be required
to correct the interference at his own expense.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Re-orientate or relocate the receiving antenna
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could
void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
TÜV CERTIFICATION
This product has been designed for maximum safety, and has been certified as such
by TÜV Product Services.
Modifications to this machine that are not approved by Domino, or the use of
non-Domino approved spares, will invalidate the CE mark and the TÜV
certification.

77091 Issue 2 November 2003 5
AMENDMENT RECORD
Amendment Date
All Parts at Issue 1 October 2001
All Parts at Issue 2 November 2003

6 77091 Issue 2 November 2003

77091 Issue 2 November 2003 7
CONTENTS
HEALTH AND SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Basic Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fire Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Spillages and Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SYSTEM OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
How it works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The Base Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
One Litre Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Three Litre Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Where to Site the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Buffer plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mounting the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Voltage Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
One Litre Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Three Litre Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Connecting an Ink Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Connecting the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Priming the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Purging the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Two Line LCD Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Four Line LCD Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
PROGRAMMING AND PRINTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Selecting a language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Password Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Creating a Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Printing a Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

CONTENTS
8 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
Adjusting the Dot Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Adjusting the line print density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Adjusting the Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Adjusting the delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Setting the Print Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Setting the Print Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Product Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Setting Up a Second Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Clearing all Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
FORMATTING MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Formatting Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Slashed and Non-Slashed Zeros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Bold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Text Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Standard Text Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Box Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Pallet Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Setting Up Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Printing the Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Printing the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Printing a Sell-by-Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Start code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Incremental value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Date code letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
End code “e” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Printing Shift Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Routine Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Before Long Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Six Monthly Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
TROUBLESHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
The Ink Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Flushing the Jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Solenoid Valve Tubing Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

HEALTH AND SAFETY
77091 Issue 2 November 2003 9
HEALTH AND SAFETY
INTRODUCTION
Domino supplies Safety Data Sheets (SDS's) giving specific safety information with
each of its ink products. There are also warnings on each container. The
following notes are for general guidance only.
Basic Requirements
When used correctly, printing inks do not cause problems. However, everybody
using them should be familiar with the appropriate safety standards and be aware of
the precautions that should be taken. The following are basic requirements.
• Proper standards of industrial practice relating to cleanliness and tidiness must
be maintained
• Inks and their containers must be stored and handled with care
• All who come into contact with inks must be properly instructed in their
use.
Directions for safe working practices vary according to the environment. The
following are broad principles so that necessary precautions may be taken.
• Contact with the mouth must be avoided. Therefore eating, drinking or
smoking, or any personal habits or actions which may transfer ink to the
mouth, must be avoided
• Contact with the eyes must be avoided. Suitable eye protection must always
be worn whenever there is any risk of splashing or misting. If ink does get
into the eyes, first aid treatment is to flood the affected eye for 15 minutes
with saline solution, (or clean water if saline solution is not available), taking
care not to allow the water to run into an unaffected eye. Medical aid must
be obtained immediately
• Most inks contain ingredients which may injure the skin. Warning of this is
given on the SDSs. Barrier creams should be used and protective clothing
worn
• Many inks contain materials which vaporise easily and can be inhaled. Good
ventilation is necessary
• Any used cleaning materials, e.g. rags, paper wipes, are a potential fire hazard.
They must be collected for safe disposal after use
• After exposure to ink, all possible traces must be washed off as soon as
possible at the nearest washing facility.

HEALTH AND SAFETY
10 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
Storage
Store in a cool dry place, avoiding direct sunlight. Keep in the original container
and keep the container fully closed.
Fire Risk
For an electrical fire, do not use water. If water must be used, the power MUST
BE REMOVED first.
Water-based inks will not burn, although inks based on water-alcohol mixtures
may burn if there is sufficient alcohol present. Prolonged exposure of water-based
systems to high temperatures may evaporate the water to give a flammable residue.
If there is a fire, there is a likelihood that dangerous fumes will arise from printing
inks. For this reason ink must be stored where it can be reached quickly by the fire
fighting service, and where it will not spread beyond the store.
Spillages and Disposal
WARNING: Some dried inks are highly flammable. Clean up all
ink spillages immediately. Do not allow the ink to
dry or allow any build-up of dried ink spills.
Spillages must be cleaned up as soon as possible with the appropriate solvent
materials and with regard to the safety of personnel. Care must be taken to prevent
spillages or residue from cleaning up entering drains or sewage systems.
Inks and associated fluids are materials which conduct electricity. Therefore,
power to the printer must be switched off while spillages are being cleaned up.
Printing inks and associated fluids must not be treated as ordinary waste. They
must be disposed of using approved methods according to local regulations.

77091 Issue 2 November 2003 11
SYSTEM OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
The Domino C-Series is a family of high quality ink jet printers enabling printing
at speeds of up to 35 metres per minute. Each C-Series unit is designed to be
compact and efficient, requiring no external connections except power.
The C-Series printers are capable of printing up to four lines of text at once
(depending on the model used), each line containing up to 40 characters. Text
heights range from 10mm to 68mm. Each line (or lines) of text printed at once is
known as a “message”. 50 separate messages can be stored in the printer’s memory.
Once input, these messages can be recalled for printing at the touch of a button
and are entirely unaffected by power loss.
Production dates, sell-by-dates, shift codes and incremental box counting can be
generated automatically. The system is quick and easy to install and operate,
requiring minimal user input and maintenance. All communication with the
printer is made using the combination membrane keypad and LCD panel on the
top of the unit.
Ink is held in a special disposable container inside the printer case. A window in
the case allows an instant check on ink level to be made.

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
12 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
The C7, C16 and C34 printers are robust, stand-alone units manufactured from
high quality metal and will give many years of service in even the most demanding
of environments.
HOW IT WORKS
Each printer is manufactured in two main parts. The base unit holds the ink
storage and delivery system, power supply unit and in-built air pump.
The print head contains the printer’s processor, memory and ink valve driver
electronics, keypad, LCD screen and photocell (or other product sensor). It also
contains all the electro-mechanical valves, tubing, filters and ink jet system
required to form a matrix of alphanumeric characters.
Air is supplied from an internal air pump mounted in the base unit, which remains
active while power is switched on. Low pressure air is fed into the sealed ink
bottle, forcing ink up into the print head. A manually operated pressure release
Print Head and Base Unit
Air Pressure
Release
Print Head
Base Unit
Air Pump
Print Head
Ink Supply
Ink Bottle
Print Head
Power Cable

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
77091 Issue 2 November 2003 13
valve is fitted in order to depressurise an empty ink bottle when changing to a fresh
supply.
Due to the air pump, there is a constant pressure of ink driven up the coiled
supply tube linking the base unit to the print head (a second, separate coiled tube
provides the print head with power). A quick disconnect “QD” plug at the end of
the ink supply tube is fastened into the rear of the print head.
Entering the print head, the ink passes through a 25 micron ink filter which traps
any minute particles suspended in it, then an ink reducer. Finally it is distributed
to all the inlets in the solenoid valve array. The diagram above shows the ink path
in a typical print head. For clarity, only two of the valves are shown. The number
of valves and layout of the ink distribution assembly depends on the model used.
On activation, each solenoid valve allows a
measured amount of ink (still under air pump
pressure) to move forward into the outlet tube
linking the valve with the nozzle plate. The
nozzle plate consists of a series of openings
arranged vertically. The ink is ejected from
these openings in droplets, driven a few
millimetres onto the surface of whatever is to be
printed. Each time the valve is activated more
ink is released into the relevant outlet tube,
forcing another droplet of ink out of the nozzle
plate.
ValvesReducer Ink Distribution
Assembly
QD Ink
Connector
Ink Filter
Nozzl
e
Plate
Print Head Ink Distribution
Printer Nozzle Plate

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
14 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
The vertical component of text is produced
by the vertical arrangement of openings in
the nozzle plate. Since the printer is fixed in
position, the horizontal component of text is
produced by the movement of product on the
conveyor. It is similar to the action of a
typewriter; the place at which printing takes
place is fixed, and the carriage moves (to the
left) correctly positioning the paper for each
character. In the case of the C-Series
printers, it is not each character which needs
to be positioned but each vertical row of dots.
C-Series printers produce text in several
available matrices, depending on the text size
chosen and the capabilities of the model used. These matrices can range from 5 x
5 (five dots high and five dots wide) to 34 x 24.
The previous diagram shows the smallest and largest matrices available in the C7,
C16 and C34 printer range. The text is to scale but not full size; the numbers give
Printing single and
two line text

77091 Issue 2 November 2003 15
the actual height of the text in millimetres. Each character in the top row is
formed using a 5 x 5 matrix; each character in the bottom row is formed using a
34 x 24 matrix.
The number of jets per nozzle plate, and hence the
largest matrix available, is fixed for each model. Thus,
a C14 has 14 jets arranged in two blocks of seven.
This allows two lines of 7 x 5 matrix text to be
produced. (Note: it cannot produce one line of text
14 jets high - multi-line text requires a C14.)
The diagrams below show proportionally the print
capabilities of each of the printers. In each case, the
number is the height of the relevant text in
millimetres.
Note: The sizes given are representative only. When
dealing with nozzle plates, the “height” is assumed
to be the measurement between the middle of the top jet and the middle of the
bottom plate in the array.
The print capabilities differ widely between models. The larger model number
printers are capable of a bigger range of text sizes. The models also differ in the
size of LCD screen. Functions and features detailed in this manual are relevant to
all models in the range except where indicated.
C7
Nozzle Plate Height
Heigh

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
16 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
C14
An Example of a Printed Message

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
77091 Issue 2 November 2003 17
C34

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
18 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
C34 (continued)

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
77091 Issue 2 November 2003 19
The printer is fixed to the side of a conveyor
along which move the items to be printed.
As an item reaches the print head it is
detected by a built-in photocell mounted just
above the nozzle plate. (The diagram left
shows a C16 print head. The arrangement is
slightly different for some printers, but the
principle remains the same.)
The system then allows a short time delay to enable the item to be carried on past
the print head. This delay depends on the speed of the conveyor and the length
and position of the message and is set by the operator for each message.
When the item is at the correct position in respect to the print head, the desired
text is printed by repeated triggering of the solenoid valves.
Meanwhile a second item may be approaching the print head. Items do not need
to be equally spaced along the conveyor since the printer senses each one
individually as it reaches the photocell.
Photocell
Direction of Travel
Photocell
Direction of Travel

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
20 77091 Issue 2 November 2003
As mentioned earlier, it is the steady horizontal motion of the item along the
conveyor which produces the text. On a stationary item only a single vertical band
of ink would be produced.
The printer is capable of high volume printing (at a maximum line speed of 35
metres per minute) dependent on the speed of the conveyor. Software controls
regulate the speed at which the vertical lines of dots are produced in order to
match the speed at which the items pass by the nozzle plate.
It is important that the conveyor runs at a steady, uniform speed. Conveyors
which judder or run at variable speed will produce uneven print. On a suitable
conveyor the ink jet system is capable of good quality text due to its extremely
accurate timing and control of ink drop release.
Ink
CAUTION: Do not use ink or cleaner not supplied by Domino. The use of any
other ink or cleaner can cause serious damage to the printer. Contact
your nearest distributor or Domino Service for advice on ink and
printing applications.
Printer ink comes in a choice of colours and is specially formulated to maintain the
long life of the printer and to provide the optimum performance in a wide variety
of applications. There is no messy mixing or topping up of ink as this is supplied
in easily-changed disposable containers.
Domino’s water-based inks are best suited to porous surfaces such as cardboard,
paper and fibres. The main advantage of using water-based ink is that the ink is
less prone to drying while in the tube and on the jet openings which are exposed
to the atmosphere. Spirit-based inks tend to dry in and on the jets, creating a need
for more maintenance. Domino only use water-based ink in the C7, C16 and
C34 printers.