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 This guide
has been produced to help you become familiar with the internal workings
and mechanisms of the Microboards Print Factory 2.
Below you will find
descriptions of the six main components found inside the Print Factory,
what each component is used for within the machine, and valuable tips to
help you keep your Print Factory 2 well maintained and running smoothly.
How Does the PrintFactory drop its discs? 1,2
The print
factory uses a very basic yet effective system to feed its discs. Before
any printing is done the ink cartridges slide to the far left of the
printer. This moves a metal lever, which in turn activates the servo
(Figure A).
Once the servo is activated it rotates anticlockwise,
pushing the lever (Figure B), and releasing a disc from the CD-tray
(Figure C).
A simple spring mechanism allows the system to reset
easily, ready to repeat the process for the next disc.
How Does the PrintFactory know where to print? 3
The Print
Factory 2 uses a number of sensors to track the progress of a disc within
the machine. One of the key sensors is the plastic wheel you see in the
image on the left. Following heavy usage of the Print Factory, ink vapour
from the cartridges will inevitably make this wheel dirty. When this
happens your Print Factory 2 will occasionally loose alignment, not feed
discs properly, or even not print at all.
Simply cleaning this wheel
with a damp tissue will resolve these issues.
* see below
How Does the PrintFactory know I am not using MicroBoards Ink?
4
The Print Factory 2 uses a magnetic sensor to track the location
of the cartridges. Only official MicroBoards cartridges contain the
necessary magnetic strip to track the cartridges, these strips help to
give you the best possible result for your printing needs. You can see the
sensor in the diagram, Figure D
How Does the PrintFactory know when to start printing on the disc?
5
A magnetic based sensor detects small movements in the arm
(figure E). When a disc moves along the conveyor belt it passes under the
arm, which then moves upwards breaking contact with the mainboard sensor.
This then tells the printer the exact location of the disc, where it needs
to start printing and where it needs to stop.
What is the sensor for on the side of the printhead/carts?
6
This sensor is to ensure accuracy of printing. This will scan
the disc as it passes underneath in order to determine the exact location
(as dictated by the alignment settings) to start printing. This is
accutare to 0.1mm.
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