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SPECIFICATIONS
Universal HPL Non-Porous Hand Printers are available in both indexing and non-indexing models.
FIGURE1
Indexingprintersfeatureaprintdrumindexingmechanism
whichprovidesprintregistrationcapabilitieswhenprinting
on individual parts. When the printer is lifted off the
surface, after the print operation, the print drum
automaticallyrotatesbackto the same startingor“home”
position. Printing with an indexing printer will allow the
imprinton each part tobe registered in thesame position
relativeto the positionwhere the printdrum first contacts
the part.
STAINLESSSTEEL
GUIDEROD
COMPRESSION
SPRING
Non-indexing printers provide random print registration
capabilities. These printers have print drums which
simply rotate on bearings and repeat the print at an
interval equal to the circumference of the print drum. If
your application requires the print to be repeated at
shorter intervals than the circumference print drum,
duplicate sets of dies can be installed on the print drum.
Non-indexingprintersaregenerallyusedforwebprinting
applications where the print drum stays in contact with
the web over long distances.
Note: It is extremely important to test the affect of other manufacturer’s ink on the XF Neoprene ink roll.
Since the ink roll must fit into a precision machined cavity in the inking system housing with little clearance,
swelling of the roll, in reaction to non-compatible solvents in the ink, could cause serious problems with the
performanceofyourcoder.InkscontainingMEKorpetroleumsolventssuch as Xylol orToulenearenotcompatible.
ThedryXF neoprene ink rollmeasures3.425" (86.99 mm)OD. Afterthoroughlysaturatingthe ink rollwithink, the
roll should not exceed 3.500" (88.90 mm) OD.
SELECTING AN APPROPRIATE INK
Universal’s Non-Porous Inking System is compatible with a wide range of alcohol base marking inks. Although
weoffer avariety of inks for specific applications, you are notrestricted tousing only Universal brand inks. When
selecting inks from other manufacturers however, it is your responsibility to make sure the inks are compatible
with the coder.
Dye base inks contain liquid color which is translucent and will provide good color contrast only on light colored
materials. Theseinks are generallyfaster drying than pigmented inksand normally produceless residue buildup
on the transfer roll and printing dies, thus requiring less frequent cleaning of the coder. Although dye base inks
are normally the easiest to use, they will fade more rapidly than pigmented inks when exposed to direct sunlight.
Pigmented inks contain finely ground solids which are opaque, providing much greater color contrast when
marking on dark colored surfaces. These inks also resist fading when exposed to direct sunlight. Pigmented
inks have a tendency to build up on the surface of the transfer roll and the die face more rapidly than dye base
inks and will generally require more frequent cleaning of these parts.
INDEXING AND NON-INDEXING MODELS
