In a print head support assembly for carrying a number of print heads and for positioning the number of print heads, the print head support assembly includes a carriage plate provided with reference elements for positioning the number of print heads, the carriage plate being further provided with at least four support positions and a support sub-assembly provided with at least four adjustable mounting points for coupling to said at least four support positions and for supporting the carriage plate at said at least four support positions. The support sub-assembly is configured to constrain the carriage plate in six degrees of freedom with respect to a position of the carriage plate and to constrain the carriage plate in at least one degree of freedom with respect to a shape of the carriage plate. Thus, a light-weight and compliant carriage plate may be used to provide for a light-weight carriage suitable for high-speed printing.

An adjustment tool for adjustment operations on a machine has at least one mechanical adjustment member. The tool comprises a body, a tool head and a drive member. The tool head is mounted on the body and is adapted to be detachably coupled to the adjustment member. Further, the tool head is displaceable relative to the body. The drive member is configured for driving the tool head and the adjustment member coupled thereto. The adjustment tool further comprises a displacement limiter arranged to limit an amount of displacement which the drive member can impart on the tool head to a set value.

An adjustment tool for adjustment operations on a machine has at least one mechanical adjustment member. The tool comprises a body, a tool head and a drive member. The tool head is mounted on the body and is adapted to be detachably coupled to the adjustment member. Further, the tool head is displaceable relative to the body. The drive member is configured for driving the tool head and the adjustment member coupled thereto. The adjustment tool further comprises a displacement limiter arranged to limit an amount of displacement which the drive member can impart on the tool head to a set value.

The invention relates to a method for digitally printing a profiled strip (1) having a plurality of digital print heads (2) which are aligned with respect to contour portions (4, 5, 6) of the profiled strip (1) and are moved in this aligned reference position (a, b, c, d) relative to the profiled strip (1) along the longitudinal strips of the profiled strip determined by the contour portions (4, 5, 6) at a predetermined distance, wherein the nozzles of the print heads (2) are controlled with respect to the ink delivery as a function of a print template. In order to ensure advantageous method conditions, it is proposed that individual contour portions (4, 5, 6) are assigned reference planes (7) by an evaluation program on the basis of data reproducing the contour (3) of the profiled strip (1) in the printing area, in that the print heads (2) are aligned with respect to these reference planes (7), and in that the nozzles of the aligned print heads (2) are controlled with respect to the ink delivery with a correction value which takes into account the deviation of the respective contour portion (4, 5, 6) from the reference plane (7).

There is provided a printing apparatus which includes the following: A printhead including a plurality of nozzles that discharge ink to a print medium. A first detection unit that detects a distance between the printhead and a platen. An adjustment unit that adjusts the distance between the printhead and the platen. An acquisition unit that acquires difference information concerning a difference of a distance between the platen and each of the nozzle on an upstream side and the nozzle on a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the print medium. The adjustment unit adjusts the distance based on a detection result of the first detection unit and the difference information acquired by the acquisition unit.

A printer includes: a transport belt; a print head that has a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink, a carriage that mounts the print head thereon, a sensor that detects a non-printable area of the print medium where the print medium placed on the transport belt and the print head are capable of coming into contact with each other; and a control section that performs printing by the print head by dividing the plurality of nozzles into a plurality of nozzle groups in the transport direction, and the control section prints an image indicated by image data assigned to one nozzle group by the other nozzle group different from the one nozzle group, in printing with respect to an adjacent area which is an area of which a length in the transport direction corresponds to a length of a nozzle row in the transport direction of the print head.

A method for determining a working gap includes a first recording step for ejecting ink from a recording head onto a first recording medium to record a test pattern, a first imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the first recording medium in each of a state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a first distance, and a state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a second distance, a function calculating step, a second recording step for recording the test pattern on a second recording medium, a second imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the second recording medium, and a working gap determining step for determining, based on the number of pixels of the captured test pattern and a function, a distance between the recording head and the second recording medium.

A method for determining a working gap includes a first recording step for ejecting ink from a recording head onto a first recording medium to record a test pattern, a first imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the first recording medium in each of a state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a first distance, and a state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a second distance, a function calculating step, a second recording step for recording the test pattern on a second recording medium, a second imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the second recording medium, and a working gap determining step for determining, based on the number of pixels of the captured test pattern and a function, a distance between the recording head and the second recording medium.

A printer is provided with a front linear guide rail, a front linear guide block, a rear linear guide rail, a rear linear guide block, and a carriage. The front linear guide rail extends in a first direction. The front linear guide block is configured to move along the front linear guide rail. The rear linear guide rail is provided in a second direction with respect to the front linear guide rail, and extends in the first direction. The rear linear guide block is configured to move along the rear linear guide rail. The carriage is fixed to the front linear guide block and the rear linear guide block. One of the front linear guide block and the rear linear guide block positions the carriage in the second direction, and the other positions the carriage in a third direction.

Methods are disclosed relating to the operation of a micro-structural fluid ejector in a fluid printing apparatus. The methods include providing an imaging system, capturing a digital image of the micro-structural fluid ejector and its surroundings, and pre-processing the digital image to detect edges. A method of detecting contact of a micro-structural fluid ejector to a substrate includes repeatedly lowering the print head and measuring the length of a detected edge until the currently measured length is determined to be longer than a previously measured length. A method of adjusting contact of a micro-structural fluid ejector to a substrate includes calculating a bending coefficient A of the micro-structural fluid ejector and lowering the print head toward the substrate if the bending coefficient A is less than a minimum threshold value A.sub.min, raising the print head away from the substrate if the bending coefficient A is greater than a maximum threshold value A.sub.max, and making no change to the vertical displacement of the print head if the bending coefficient A is in the range of A.sub.min to A.sub.max. A method of detecting a fault condition in fluid flow from a micro-structural fluid ejector onto a substrate includes analyzing the digital image to determine whether edges are present in a region of interest where fluid dispensed from the micro-structural fluid ejector should be present.