Hitachi Ux2 series User manual

HITACHI Printer

Model UX2

Instruction Manual

●Before using the printer, thoroughly read this instruction manual for

optimum printer use.

●After reading the manual, properly keep it for future reference.

To export the product, check the export control-related regulations,

such as the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law and the

Export Administration Regulations, and follow the necessary

procedures.

If you have any questions, contact your Hitachi sales

representative.

January 2022 (rev. A)

●No part of this manual may be copied or reproduced without permission.

●The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice for

improvement.

Important Notes

■Precautions before using the product

●Be sure to read this instruction manual and related documents mentioned in the manual thoroughly

before using this product. Follow the instructions, such as product description, safety information and

precautions, and operation and handling methods, for proper use.

-Make sure that you always use the product within the specification range mentioned in this

instruction manual.

-Perform proper inspection and maintenance to prevent failures.

●After reading the manual, keep it in an easily accessible place for future reference.

■Restrictions on Export

●User hereby agrees not to export or re-export this product to any end-user who the user has reason

to suspect may utilize the product for the design, development or reproduction of nuclear, chemical or

biochemical weapons.

●The product or system including the product cannot be used in countries or areas other than those

which have concluded a sales contract.

■Disclaimer

●Do not perform operation not in accordance with this instruction manual, such as using replacement

parts other than ones supplied by Hitachi or modifying parts. Doing so may cause machine failure or

personal injury. Hitachi will not bear any responsibility for damage resulting from these actions.

For the details on the product warranty and agreement terms, see the separate written agreement.

●The warranty does not cover any production loss due to downtime or physical loss (damage to a

printed object and related equipment) due to a failure or malfunction of the delivered product. Should

any failure occur, Hitachi will send a technician as soon as possible to try to minimize the downtime.

-It is recommended that you check the printing state periodically in a process even during

production.

-When starting the IJ printer, check if the printing state and print description are correct.

Important Notes (Continued)

■Related laws

●Never drain the ink or makeup waste solution into a public sewer system. Waste disposal must

comply with all appropriate regulations. Consult the appropriate regulatory agency for further

information.

●The printer must be managed in compliance with all appropriate regulations. Read and understand

the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before using any ink or makeup.

■Security precautions

●More control systems are getting connected with information and telecommunications systems

recently, which results in an increased number of security risks such as cyberattacks.

A system using this product requires both physical security measures mainly in the installation

location and security measures against network usage.

[Examples of security risks via network]

-Abnormal operation, performance degradation, information leakage, and data tampering by

attacks from outside

-Malfunction, harm, and damage due to program and/or data tampering from outside

-Used as a step for attacking other systems

However, the security level required in control systems varies depending on the system. In addition,

potential security risks are not consistent but change on a daily basis. Not only in Hitachi products but

also in system components, the security protection support functions are just one means to ensure

the security level required for the system but do not completely prevent increased security risks.

The security level required in each control system must be constructed by the system and customer.

The maintenance of the security level requires continuous improvement measures. Please take

appropriate measures, such as updating the password periodically.

Hitachi will not bear any responsibility for trouble, accident, or damage caused by unauthorized

external access in a system using this product.

●Please use USB memory only on this product.

Perform periodic virus check on a computer where USB memory is inserted using the latest anti-virus

software.

III

Important Notes (Continued)

■Open source software licenses used in the product

This product contains software that is licensed under BSD License.

The license conditions under BSD License are as follows:

libzint - the open source barcode library

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided

that the following conditions are met:

(1) Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the

following disclaimer.

(2) Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and

the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

(3) Neither the name of the project nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or

promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"

AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED

WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE

DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE

FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL

DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR

SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER

CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR

TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF

THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

■Intellectual property

Hitachi owns the rights of intellectual property for all the contents of this instruction manual. No part of

the manual shall be disclosed to third parties without prior written consent of Hitachi.

■Contact

If you have any questions about this manual or need consultation or after-sales services, contact your

dealer or nearest local distributor

S-1

Safety Precautions

●You should observe the precautions set forth below in order to use the product properly and avoid

endangering you or other persons or damaging property. For the purpose of clarifying the severity of

injury or damage and likelihood of occurrence, the precautions are classified into three categories,

WARNING, CAUTION, and NOTE, all of which describe hazardous situations that may arise if you

ignore the precautions and perform an incorrect handling or operating procedure. These precautions are

all important and must therefore be observed without fail.

WARNING

Indicates the presence of a hazard which may cause severe

personal injury or death unless avoided.

CAUTION

Indicates the presence of a hazard which may cause moderate or

minor personal injury unless avoided.

NOTE

Indicates the presence of a hazard which may cause non-personal

damage unless avoided.

The ∆symbols are used to indicate precautions (including those related to

potential warnings) to be observed. Detailed information is furnished by a

picture within the symbol outline (a shock hazard is indicated by the example

shown at left).

The symbols are used to describe prohibited actions. The details of a

prohibited action are given by a picture within or near the symbol outline (the

example shown at left dictates that you must keep flames away).

The ● symbols are used to describe mandatory actions. Detailed instructions

are given by a picture within the symbol outline (the example shown at left

dictates that a ground connection must be made).

WARNING

●Ensure that no flame- or arc-generating devices are installed around the product.

- Fire: (Examples) Matches, lighters, cigarettes, heaters, stoves, gas burners, welders,

grinders, static electricity, etc.

- Flammable: (Examples) Ink, makeup

- Arc-generating device: (Examples) Open-type relays, open-type switches, brush motors, etc.

Before handling ink and makeup, remove static electricity from your body, peripheral

equipment, and so on.

In the interest of safety, place a dry-chemical fire extinguisher near the product.

Pictograph examples

Installation environment

S-2

Safety Precautions (Continued)

WARNING

●Install the product in an adequately ventilated location.

●Do not install the product in an enclosed space.

●Connect the product to exhaust equipment to prevent it from being filled with organic solvent

vapor.

●Secure adequate space for the ink/makeup handling area and product installation site. At least

200 m3must be provided per print head. Ensure that adequate ventilation is provided.

* If ink or makeup contains any organic solvents or specified chemical substances, it must be

managed under the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

NOTE

●If extraneous noise enters the product, it may malfunction or break down.

For maximum noise immunity, observe the following installation and wiring precautions.

- Ensure that 100 or 200 VAC power cables are not bundled with other power supply cables.

- Insulate the product main body and print head so that they do not come into direct contact

with the conveyor or other devices.

- If the employed print target detector is housed in a metal case, use a plastic mounting brace

to insulate the detector from the conveyor and other devices.

- Ensure that the print target detector wiring is not bundled together with other power supply

cables.

Installation environment (continued)

S-3

Safety Precautions (Continued)

WARNING

●Ensure that all electrical wiring, connections, and grounding comply with applicable cords.

Properly connect the product to its dedicated ground.

Complete the above procedure to avoid electrical shock hazards.

●When welding, keep enough space between the product and the welding work area to prevent

the arc from starting a fire. Also, insulate the print head and product frame to keep the welding

current from flowing to the control section of the product, and make a separate ground

connection for the product.

●If you need to receive ink particles in a beaker, a printing test for example, use an electrically

conductive beaker and connect the beaker securely to the ground.

Do not let the tip of the printing head enter the beaker.

Ink particles used for printing are electrically charged. An ungrounded beaker has a gradually

rising charge, possibly catching on or causing a fire.

WARNING

●Use an AC power cable within the following range:

- When using an inlet: 100 to 240 VAC

- When using a power-receiving terminal block: 100 to 120 VAC/200 to 240 VAC

- Frequency: 50 or 60 Hz

If the above requirements are not met, the electric parts may overheat and burn, causing a fire

or electric shock.

●When the power cable outlet is not used, ensure that it is connected to the input port inside the

product.

- If it is connected to an incorrect input port, the electric parts may break down, overheat, or

burn, causing a fire or electric shock.

Grounding

Power cable handling

S-4

Safety Precautions (Continued)

WARNING

●If you need to clean the casing of the product with wiping paper soaked with makeup, be sure

to do so when the power is off.

Attempting to clean it with the power on will cause makeup or vapors of makeup to enter the

product, possibly catching on or causing a fire.

When the cleaning is finished, open the maintenance cover and make sure that no makeup has

entered and no vapors remain inside.

CAUTION

●When cleaning the product or replenishing ink or makeup, wear protective gloves and safety

goggles to avoid direct skin contact. If the ink or makeup comes into contact with skin, wash

thoroughly with soap and warm or cold water.

●When transferring the ink or makeup to or from a bottle, exercise caution to prevent it from

coming into contact with the product or surrounding articles. If there is any spillage,

immediately wipe it to clean using a cloth moistened with makeup.

Ink and makeup handling

S-5

Safety Precautions (Continued)

WARNING

●Do not insert tweezers, a screwdriver, or any other metal article into the ink ejection hole at the

end of the print head.

When the product is ready to print, a high voltage (approximately 6 kV) is applied to the

deflection electrode section in the print head.

Exercise caution to avoid electric shock, injury, and fire.

●Do not remove covers and/or screws not specified in this manual.

A high voltage is applied to some sections of the product.

Exercise caution to avoid electric shock and injury.

●While the product is operating, do not look into the ink ejection hole at the end of the print head.

Ink or makeup may enter your eyes or mouth or soil your hands or clothing. If any ink or

makeup enters your eyes or mouth, immediately flush with warm or cold water and consult a

physician.

●Before servicing the product, be sure to stop the ink ejection.

This is because ink or makeup may splash into your eyes or mouth or onto your hands or

clothing.

If any ink or makeup enters your eyes or mouth, immediately flush with warm or cold water and

consult a physician.

●If an earthquake, fire, or other emergency occurs while the printer is engaged in printing or just

turned on, press the main power switch to turn off the power.

Do not perform this operation in any other situation than emergency.

NOTE

●Only people who have completed an operator training course for Hitachi can operate and

service the product.

- If the printer is operated or serviced incorrectly, it may malfunction or break down.

●Do not attempt to repair the product for any other purpose than operation or maintenance.

Otherwise, it may cause a malfunction, so if a repair is needed, contact your nearest local

distributor.

Main body handling

S-6

Safety Precautions (Continued)

WARNING

●Never drain the ink or makeup waste solution into a public sewer system. Waste disposal must

comply with all appropriate regulations. Consult the appropriate regulatory agency for further

information.

●The printer must be managed in compliance with all appropriate regulations. Read and

understand the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before using any ink or makeup.

FCC Notice

●This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two

conditions. (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept

any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

●This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device,

pursuant to part 15 of the 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

communications. 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.

Related Regulations

S-7

Safety Precautions (Continued)

WARNING

< Keep all fire away.>

⚫Ink and Makeup are flammable.

⚫All fire must be kept away from the machine.

⚫Spilled Ink and Makeup must be wiped off and dried up immediately.

⚫Strage must comply with local regulatory requirements .

⚫Read and understand Safety Data Sheet(SDS).

⚫Be sure to wear protective gloves and safety goggles.

⚫If the Ink/Makeup in used is an organic solvent, it must be managed in compliance with the

Ordinance on the prevention or Organic Solvent poisoning. Refer to the "Instruction Manual"

and the "Handling guidance of each ink" for details.

AVERTISSEMENT

< Tenir hors de portée du feu. >

⚫L’encre et la composition sont inflammables.

⚫Tenir la machine hors de portée du feu.

⚫Nettoyez et séchez immédiatement les projections d’encre et de composition.

⚫Le stockage doit respecter les obligations réglementaires locales.

⚫Lisez attentivement la fiche signalétique de sécurité de l’appareil (FSSP).

⚫Assurez-vous de porter des gants et des lunettes de protection.

⚫Si l’encre/la composition utilisée est un solvant biologique, vous devez le manipuler

conformément au décret sur la prévention des empoisonnements par solvant biologique.

Reportez-vous au «Mode d’emploi» et aux «Conseils de manipulation de chaque type

d’encre» pour plus de détails.

Related Regulations (continued)

Preface

Hitachi Inkjet IJ Printer (hereinafter referred to as the "unit") employs a non-contact, ink-jet method to print

onto a print target.

This instruction manual describes the basic operating procedures, maintenance procedures, and other

detailed handling procedures of the unit.

If the unit is improperly handled or maintained, it may not operate smoothly and may become defective or

cause an accident. It is therefore essential that you read this manual thoroughly to gain a complete

understanding of the printer and use it correctly.

After reading the instruction manual, properly keep it for future reference.

< Scope of application>

This instruction manual is prepared for all the models of "HITACHI IJ Printer Model UX2 for Dye Ink",

which are listed in the table below.

Please be advised that the differences among these models such as a nozzle size or applicable functions

are referred to in the relevant section in this instruction manual.

[HITACHI IJ Printer Model UX2 for Dye Ink]

Model type

Nozzle diameter

UX2-D160W

Standard model

UX2-D

65 μm

Preface (Continued)

Manuals related to the unit are "Basic Operation Manual", "Instruction Manual", "Technical Manual" (this manual),

"Communication Manual", and the handling guidance of each ink.

Read these manuals as needed.

Basic Operation Manual

The basic operation manual is prepared for all the models of "HITACHI IJ Printer Model UX2 for Dye Ink", which

describes basic operations, ink and makeup replenishment, and emergency operations.

It is suitable for those who use it for regular work or those who want to instantly know individual operation methods.

Instruction Manual (this manual)

The instruction manual describes how to input and edit the print description, in addition to the contents of the basic

operation manual.

It provides the information you need for all aspects of the unit from initial use to maintenance.

It is suitable for beginners or those who want to teach a set of operations.

Technical Manual

The technical manual mainly describes precautions and check items for installation, connection of electric signals of

the print target detector and encoder, and operation and adjustment methods of the circulation system.

It is suitable for those who perform maintenance and contains the information that can be used to determine the cause

of a unit fault.

Communication Manual

The communication manual describes how to control the unit through communication.

It contains a communication connection method, a list of communication codes, and countermeasures for warnings

and faults in communication.

It is recommended to use this manual in combination with the instruction manual and the basic operation manual.

Handling guidance of each ink

The handling guidance of each ink describes the classification of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, the Fire Service

Act, and the PRTR system, replacement interval, storage precautions, temperature range, and notes regarding each

ink and makeup.

It is recommended that all users of the unit read this manual before use.

-Ethernet is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation in the United States.

-Microsoft is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other

countries.

-Microsoft Excel is a product name of Microsoft Corporation in the United States.

-Windows XP is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other

countries.

-Windows 7 is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other

countries.

-Windows 10 is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other

countries.

-EtherNet/IP is a registered trademark of ODVA (Open DeviceNet Vendor Association).

iii

This instruction manual consists of the following chapters.

Chapter 1. Overview

This chapter describes the purposes and functions of the Hitachi IJ Printer and the usage

precautions.

Chapter 2. Specifications

This chapter describes the specifications of the Hitachi IJ Printer.

Chapter 3. Component Names and Functions

This chapter describes the names and functions of components of the Hitachi IJ Printer.

Chapter 4. Basic Operation

This chapter describes the basic operations of the Hitachi IJ Printer.

Chapter 5. Creation and Setting of Print Messages

This chapter describes the procedures to create messages to be printed with the Hitachi IJ

Printer.

Chapter 6. Character Print

This chapter describes the information about character printing with the Hitachi IJ Printer.

Chapter 7. Auxiliary Functions

This chapter describes the functions to manage messages created with the Hitachi IJ Printer.

Chapter 8. Ink and Makeup Replenishment

This chapter describes the procedures to replenish ink and makeup in the Hitachi IJ Printer.

Chapter 9. Environment Setup

This chapter describes the setting functions of the Hitachi IJ Printer, such as user environment

and display environment.

Chapter 10. Maintenance

This chapter describes the functions to manage the unit status and stabilize the operation of

the Hitachi IJ Printer, such as unit information and circulation control.

Chapter 11. Safe Clean Station (Optional parts)

This chapter describes the basic operations of the safe clean station.

Chapter 12. When Fault or Warning Occurs

This chapter describes what is displayed when a warning or fault occurs in the Hitachi IJ Printer

and how to check the occurrence status and handle the warning or fault.

Chapter 13. Troubleshooting Guide

This chapter describes points to be checked when the Hitachi IJ Printer does not start up

normally.

Chapter 14. Emergency Procedures

This chapter describes actions to be taken if an emergency such as an earthquake or fire

occurs.

vi 
Contents 
 
Important Notes....................................................................................I
Safety Precautions...............................................................................1
Preface.................................................................................................i 
Overview.......................................................................................1-1
1. Purpose and Function Description.....................................................................................1-2 
2. Usage Precautions.............................................................................................................1-2 
2.1. Ink and Makeup.................................................................................................................. 1-2 
2.2. IJ Printer Long-term Shutdown .......................................................................................... 1-4 
2.3. Print Head Cleaning........................................................................................................... 1-5 
2.4. Shutdown (No-cleaning Stop)............................................................................................1-6 
2.5. Cautions on Operating Time When Unit Is in Service .......................................................1-8 
2.6. Heating of Ink..................................................................................................................... 1-9 
2.7. Ink Concentration Control ................................................................................................1-10 
2.8. Gutter Cleaning................................................................................................................1-11 
2.9. Protection Sheet...............................................................................................................1-12 
Specifications ...............................................................................2-1
Component Names and Functions................................................3-1 
1. External Views....................................................................................................................3-2 
2. Unit Internal Parts Arrangement.........................................................................................3-6 
3. Print Head...........................................................................................................................3-7 
4. Safe-Clean Station (Optional parts)...................................................................................3-8 
5. Screen Display ...................................................................................................................3-9 
Basic Operation............................................................................4-1 
1. Basic Operation Flow .........................................................................................................4-2 
1.1. Operating Scheme............................................................................................................. 4-2 
1.2. Status................................................................................................................................. 4-3 
1.3. Operation of Screen Transition.......................................................................................... 4-5 
1.4. Basic Operation to Change Settings.................................................................................. 4-7 
1.5. Operation to Exit from Setting Screen ...............................................................................4-9 
2. Start Operation.................................................................................................................4-11 
(Continue to next page) 