MUTOH Viper TX Softsign User manual

User’s Guide
For Maintenance Kits, Spares,
Service and Support
Call: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
AP-75360 - Revision 1.2 3
Copyright notice
COPYRIGHT © 25/5/10 Mutoh Belgium nv All rights reserved.
Mutoh Belgium nv reserves the right to modify the information contained in this manual at any
time without prior notice.
This document may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without written
permission of the copyright owner.
Mutoh furnished this document to support the Viper TX Softsign series printers. In
consideration of the furnishing of the information contained in this document, the party to
whom it is given, assumes its custody and control and agrees to the following:
The information herein contained is given in confidence, and any part thereof shall not be
copied or reproduced without written consent of Mutoh Belgium nv
This document or the contents herein under no circumstances shall be used in the
manufacture or reproduction of the article shown and the delivery of this document shall not
constitute any right or license to do so.
25 May 2010
Published: Mutoh Belgium nv, Archimedesstraat 13, B-8400 Oostende, BELGIUM
©©©ò³«¬±¸ò»«

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
4AP-75360 - Revision 1.2
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Trademarks mentioned in this guide
Mutoh, Viper TX Softsign are registered trademarks or product names of Mutoh Belgium
nv.
Windows95, Windows98, Windows NT4.0, Windows2000, Windows XP, and MS-DOS are
registered trademarks or product names of Microsoft Corporation.
Other company and product names may be registered trademarks or product names.
Ò±¬»
The product and the contents of this publication may be changed without prior
notification.
Mutoh Belgium nv has made the best efforts to keep this publication free from
errors, but if you find any uncertainties or misprints, please contact the reseller
from which you bought this equipment or email us: ¬»½¸²·½¿´ò²»©-೫¬±¸ò»«.
Mutoh Belgium nv shall not be liable for any damages or troubles resulting
from the use of this equipment or this guide.

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Table of contents
Chapter 1 Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.1 Compliance with the following regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.2 Handling inks and waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.3 Warnings, cautions and notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.4 Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.5 Safety labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chapter 2 Product overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.1 Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.2 Rear view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.3 Emergency stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.4 Winding system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Front section ............................................ 27
Rear section............................................. 28
2.5 Operation panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Keys ................................................... 29
LCD and LEDs .......................................... 30
2.6 Installation environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Installation environment requirements ....................... 31
End location requirements ................................. 32
Air purification ........................................... 33
Network requirements .................................... 35
Compressed air requirements .............................. 35

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Chapter 3 Printer handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.1 Printing workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3.2 Switching the Power ON / OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Switching the power ON................................... 41
Switching the power OFF.................................. 43
Restart the machine after an emergency stop ................ 44
3.3 Perfect fabric handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Ink gutter................................................ 45
Fabric retainers .......................................... 46
Ink absorbents ........................................... 47
Head tactile sensor ....................................... 48
3.4 Handy menu features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Adjustable head height.................................... 49
Capskip................................................. 49
Continue feed for fixing ................................... 50
Equal heating up of the heat fixation unit .................... 51
3.5 Handling and loading fabrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Cautions on handling fabrics ............................... 53
Cautions on storing fabrics ................................ 53
Loading fabric ........................................... 54
3.6 Features to improve print quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Nozzlecheck............................................. 70
Head cleaning ........................................... 72
Fabric feed compensation (step) ........................... 73
Pause option ............................................ 77
3.7 Set ideal heat fixation unit temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Testing condition ......................................... 78
Overview tables .......................................... 79
Artefacts ................................................ 81
Determining my softsign settings for my fabric ................ 84
Blank tables ............................................. 87

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3.8 Replacing the ink cassettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
3.9 Replacing the waste bottle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3.10 Relocating or transporting the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Relocating the printer ..................................... 90
Transporting the printer ................................... 90
Chapter 4 Periodical maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
4.1 Done by the end user . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Overview................................................ 94
Maintenance kits and cleaning ............................. 95
Daily maintenance at shutdown ............................ 96
Weekly maintenance .................................... 101
Other maintenance ...................................... 106
4.2 Done by an authorized Mutoh technician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Overview............................................... 111
Partnumbers of the maintenance kits....................... 111
Chapter 5 Printer menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
5.1 How to work in the menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Main screen ............................................ 116
Menu screen ........................................... 117
Changing between the screens............................ 118
5.2 Operation panel in standby mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
[F1] - Feeding fabric and Step Adjust....................... 119
[F2] - Cleaning the heads................................. 120
[F3] - cancel ............................................ 121
[F4] - Fabric load ........................................ 121
[ENTER] - Print mode check .............................. 122

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5.3 Operating panel during printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Printing 1/5 ............................................. 123
Printing 2/5 and 3/5...................................... 125
Printing 4/5 ............................................. 125
Printing 5/5 ............................................. 126
5.4 Menu overview (1/7 - 7/7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
5.5 Setup menu 1/7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
InkStatus............................................... 128
OriginSet............................................... 129
TestPrint ............................................... 130
FabricSet .............................................. 131
5.6 Setup menu 2/7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
PrintMode .............................................. 134
Command.............................................. 142
Layout ................................................. 143
Function ............................................... 144
5.7 Setup menu 3/7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
RollSetup .............................................. 145
Centronics ............................................. 145
Network................................................ 146
5.8 Setup menu 4/7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Utility .................................................. 148
Initialization ............................................ 154
5.9 Setup menu 5/7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
DataDump ............................................. 155
InkManager ............................................ 155
5.10 Setup menu 6/7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Head Unlock ........................................... 161
WiperClean ............................................ 162
TankChange ........................................... 162
TubingFlush ............................................ 162

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5.11 Setup menu 7/7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
VersionCheck .......................................... 163
Area................................................... 163
Chapter 6 Fixation unit control panel overview . . . . . . . . . . 165
6.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
6.2 Start-up screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
6.3 Mainscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Manual ................................................ 168
Automatic .............................................. 169
Settings................................................ 170
Heating settings......................................... 172
Machine parameters ..................................... 173
Plotter leds off .......................................... 175
Chapter 7 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
7.1 Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
7.2 Failures and malfunctions of the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
7.3 Error messages printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Status messages........................................ 186
Message type error and solutions.......................... 187
Data errors ............................................. 188
Command errors ........................................ 188
Errors requiring a restart ................................. 188
7.4 Error messages fixation unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
10 AP-75360 - Revision 1.2 - 25/5/10

1
Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Safety instructions
AP-75360 - Revision 1.2 11
Chapter 1 Safety instructions
Compliance with the following regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Handling inks and waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Warnings, cautions and notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Safety labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
This chapter explains the installation of Viper TX Softsign, warning terms that operators need
to know, caution items and warning labels on the printer main unit.
׳°±®¬¿²¬
When installing and operating this printer, be sure to follow the directions and
warnings in this guide.

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Safety instructions
12 AP-75360 - Revision 1.2
1.1 Compliance with the following regulations
The CE marking is a mandatory European marking for certain
product groups to indicate conformity with the essential health and
safety requirements set out in European Directives.
By affixing the CE marking, the manufacturer, his authorized
representative, or the person placing the product on the market or
putting it into service ensures that the item meets all the essential
requirements of all applicable EU directives and that the applicable
conformity assessment procedures have been applied.
Your product is designed and manufactured with high-quality
materials and components, which can be recycled and reused.
When this crossed-out wheeled bin submenu is attached to a
product, it means the product is covered by the European Directive
2002/96/EC - WEEE regulation.
Please inform yourself about the local separate collection system for
electrical and electronic products.
Please act according to local rules and do not dispose of your old
products with your normal household waste. The correct disposal of
your old product will help prevent potential negative consequences
for the environment and human health.
FCC
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.
ICES This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

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Safety instructions
AP-75360 - Revision 1.2 13
1
1.2 Handling inks and waste
Before handling inks/ cleaning and their waste, CAREFULLY READ THE MATERIAL
SAFETY DATA SHEETS (MSDS) and the labels for important health, safety and
environmental information. Post these documents in the work area as required by federal or
local law. All safety data sheets are periodically updated. These sheets and their translations
can be found on ©©©ò³«¬±¸ò»«
Only use original manufacturer's ink and appropriate cleaning liquid. Before installing an
ink holder, shake it gently. Doing so will preserve print quality.
When ink is moved from a cold place to a warm place, keep the ink for three hours or more
in the new printing environment before printing.
Do not disassemble ink holder. Otherwise, ink may get in your eyes or on your skin. A
disassembled ink holder cannot be used either.
When refilling ink, use original manufacturer's ink. Our Mutoh printers are designed to use
original ink. If you use ink which are not produced by the original manufacturer:
printing might become blurred and the end of the ink in the holder might not be
detected correctly
Any problems caused by using an ink holder other than those recommended above will
not be covered by the warranty, and repair expenses will be paid by the customer.
For handling waste: see section 13 on the MSDS-sheet
Inks / Waste
General advice: wear safety glasses and gloves especially when handling the waste
ink.
After spill: remove contaminated clothing.
After inhalation: if difficulties occur after vapour/aerosol has been inhaled, remove to
fresh air and seek medical attention.
After skin contact: wash thoroughly with soap and water.
After eye contact: wash affected eyes for at least 15 minutes under running water
while the eyelids are held open.
After swallowing: rinse mouth and drink plenty of water. Never induce vomiting.
1.3 Warnings, cautions and notes
Safety terms in this manual and the contents of warning labels attached to the printer are
categorized into the following three types, depending on the degree of risk (or the scale of
accident).
Read the following explanations carefully and follow the instructions in this manual.
Safety terms Details
Important Must be followed carefully to avoid death or serious bodily injury.
Caution Must be observed to avoid bodily injury (moderate or light) or damage to
your equipment.
Notes Contains important information and useful tips on the operation of your
printer.

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Safety instructions
14 AP-75360 - Revision 1.2
1.4 Safety instructions
Machines must be installed according to Mutoh's Installation Guide also after moving
machines to another location; maintenance needs to be done according to the service
manual.
To prevent fire or electrical shock, never use a power supply source other than the one
rated for the product in the country where you purchased the product.
Use only the provided power cable. To prevent fire or electrical shock, follow the
instructions below when handling the power cable:
Do not cut or modify the cable.
Do not put heavy objects on the cable.
Do not bend, twist, knot or pull the cable.
Do not wire the cable near equipment that generates heat.
Do not use the cable with any other electrical device
Do not handle the cable with wet hands
Be aware of all caution and warning labels to avoid potentially hazardous situations.
To prevent fire or electrical shock, machines must be connected to a properly grounded
electrical power outlet. Do not connect the power cable to a power strip or a power source
shared by other electrical devices.
Make sure that no foreign substances such as dust etc. are stuck to the power plug.
Make sure that the power plug is firmly inserted to the edge of the power socket.
Do not disable any safety precautions systems.
Do not operate the unit unless all parts are mounted.
The heat fixation unit can reach high temperatures (up to 200°C). Do not touch! Doing so
can cause severe burn wounds.
Do not place the machine in the following areas. Doing so may result in the machine
tipping or falling over and causing injury.
Unstable surfaces
Sloping floors
Areas subject to vibration by other equipment
Do not stand on or place heavy objects on your machine. Doing so may result in the
machine tipping or falling over and causing injury.
Do not place the machine in humid and dusty areas or in areas exposed to flammables.
Doing so may result in electrical shock or fire.
Do not cover the ventilation hole of your machine with cloth, such as a blanket or table
cloth. Doing so could obstruct ventilation and cause fire.
Do not insert or drop metal or inflammable objects into openings, such as ventilation
outlets. Doing so may result in electrical shock and fire.
Stop using your machine if a liquid has been spilled into it. This may cause electrical shock
or fire. Switch the machine off as soon as possible, unplug the power cord, and contact
your local MUTOH dealer.

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Safety instructions
AP-75360 - Revision 1.2 15
1
Be sure to power OFF the machine and unplug the power cable from the outlet before
cleaning the machine. Use a damp cloth to clean the machine. Do not use thinner,
benzene, alcohol or other active agents. Doing so may result in damage or paint peeling
from the casing.
Do not bend or pull the waste fluid tube. Doing so may cause waste fluid to leak out and
malfunction of the product.
Do not tilt the machine, place it against a wall or turn it upside down. Doing so may cause
ink to leak inside the machine. Movement after transport is also not covered by the
warranty.
To prevent back pains and other injuries, always work with at least 4 people to unpack or
move the machine. Keep the machine horizontally during transportation.
Do NOT transport the machine to another room without contacting your local Authorized
Mutoh Dealer.

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Safety instructions
16 AP-75360 - Revision 1.2
1.5 Safety labels
A safety label is used on parts of the printer which especially need your attention. Understand
the locations and the descriptions of the danger associated with each label before operating
the printer.
Be sure to read and understand the safety warnings before handling the printer.
Label Description
Informs that the area can be
very hot. Be careful not to
burn your hands.
Moving parts can crush. Be
careful not to crush your
fingers.
Lock out the power before
servicing.
The device is a Class A
digital apparel which
complies with Part 15 of the
FCC rules and Canadian
ICES-003
It is very important to have
the latest firmware installed
on your printer before
performing the first ink load.
Bugfixes or other innovative
features may be
implemented in a newer
firmware.
Refer to
Ink label order label. To know in which order the ink cassettes have to be inserted.
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Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Safety instructions
AP-75360 - Revision 1.2 17
1
Some parts need to be
removed first before
powering ON the print.
Serial label of the machine.
An overview of all the
necessary periodical
maintenance by the end
user. Be sure to perform the
maintenance properly.
The Viper TX Softsign is foreseen from a multiple socket. It is NOT the purpose to connect
to this socket all kind of electrical equipment. Otherwise the system will be overloaded and
fuses might blow.
Label Description

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Safety instructions
18 AP-75360 - Revision 1.2

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Product overview
AP-75360 - Revision 1.2 19
2
Chapter 2 Product overview
Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Rear view. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Emergency stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Winding system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Frontsection .................................................. 27
Rearsection................................................... 28
Operation panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Keys......................................................... 29
LCD and LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Installation environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Installation environment requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Endlocationrequirements........................................ 32
Airpurification ................................................. 33
Networkrequirements........................................... 35
Compressed air requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Users Guide Viper TX Softsign
Product overview
20 AP-75360 - Revision 1.2
2.1 Front view
N° Description Extended description
ïMaintenance cover
Cover which can be opened easily to perform the
periodical maintenance
Refer to
îFront cover
Keeps the operator safe from the drive parts of the
printer while it is operating. Only open and/or close
the cover to perform following operations:
Fabric setting and replacement
Maintenance of the printer
Cleaning the printer
íFabric dust collection unit
Connect Mutohs APS system or your local system
to this unit to collect the dust particles coming loose
during printing.
Refer to
ìEmergency cord
Pull this cord in an emergency situation.
Refer to
ëFeeding belt To transport the fabric.
êCarriage Incorporates 8 drop-on-demand micro piezo heads.