An image forming device includes an inkjet head unit, a count acquiring section, a determining section, and a head controlling section. The inkjet head unit includes an element. The count acquiring section acquires, based on job data, an element operation count of the element. The determining section determines whether the element operation count is equal to or greater than a warning threshold count that is smaller by a predetermined count than a life threshold count corresponding to a life end point of the element. The head controlling section controls, when the element operation count is equal to or greater than the warning threshold count, the inkjet head unit to form an image by suppressing the element operation count.

Provided are a control unit that predicts the life of an inkjet head unit and maximizes its life to be used, and a substrate treating apparatus including the same. The control unit performs maintenance of an inkjet head unit for discharging a substrate treatment liquid onto a substrate and comprises a count module for counting the number of discharges for each nozzle of the inkjet head unit, a comparison module for comparing the number of discharges with a reference value to determine whether the number of discharges is equal to or greater than the reference value, and an evaluation module for evaluating whether a life of the inkjet head unit has reached a usable life based on whether the number of discharges of each nozzle is equal to or greater than the reference value.

The liquid discharge system includes a head configured to discharge the liquid, a supply tank, a discharge tank, a pump, a first filter, a second filter, a first liquid amount sensor configured to detect an amount of the liquid stored in the supply tank, a second liquid amount sensor configured to detect an amount of the liquid stored in the discharge tank, and a controller configured to determine a state of the first filter, based on a first change amount or a second change amount, the first change amount being amount of change in a detection value of the first liquid amount sensor, the second change amount being amount of change in a detection value of the second liquid amount sensor, and determine a state of the second filter, based on a value or a rotational speed of the pump.

According to an embodiment the present invention, a printing apparatus detects a distance between a printhead and a print medium using a sensor while using a print medium for sensor calibration and changing a height from a print position to a carriage, stores first distance information indicating a relationship between the height and a signal representing a result of detecting the distance for each of heights in a memory, obtains second distance information indicating a relationship between the height and the signal representing the result of detecting the distance for each of the heights while using a predetermined print medium and changing the height, compares the first and second distance information, and corrects the first distance information stored in the memory, based on a result of the comparison.

A method for cleaning a liquid ejection head, including a flow path forming member forming a liquid flow path, a heat generating resistive element, and a coating layer covering the heat generating resistive element and in contact with the liquid, in which the heat generating resistive element is made to generate heat and the liquid is made to be ejected from ejection ports, the method including: applying a voltage to the coating layer to produce an electrochemical reaction between the coating layer and the liquid, and causing the coating layer to be eluted into the liquid, thereby removing kogation deposited on the coating layer; and causing the heat generating resistive element to generate heat and causing the liquid to be ejected from the ejection ports while a voltage is applied to the coating layer continuously or intermittently, thereby eliminating air bubbles generated due to the electrochemical reaction.

Disclosed is a printer that forms dots on a recording medium using a recording head that discharges an ink, as liquid droplets, from a nozzle formation surface, in which a nozzle opening is formed, as a result of deforming a meniscus of the ink in the nozzle using a piezoelectric element. The printer includes a liquid-repellent film that covers the nozzle formation surface, and a wiping process that wipes away a stain on the nozzle formation surface. The printer forms dots on the recording medium using a first liquid droplet discharging operation that discharges ink, which is separated from a wall surface of the nozzle and disposed on an inner side of the nozzle, as liquid droplets.

According to an example, in a method for mitigating damage to a plurality of drop generators in a printing system, data corresponding to an image to be printed on a media by the printing system may be accessed. In addition, the plurality of drop generators may be controlled to print the image on the media while mitigating damage to the plurality of drop generators and without shifting placement of the image on the media or shifting the plurality of drop generators in a direction perpendicular to a feed direction of the media.

A print strategy periodically inserts sacrificial print media, such as a small number of sacrificial sheets of paper into a print job to exercise underused print head jets and prevent nozzle dry-up and/or degraded jetting integrity. This can be implemented with sacrificial sheets out of a tray used by a current print job or from another paper tray housing, for example, the widest stock currently installed in the image forming device. Jets that need to be exercised can be determined by using Feed-Forward image content from the Image Path, and those jets are exercised to print ink on the sacrificial sheet(s). The sacrificial sheet may be diverted to a bypass tray as scrap. Without the need for a purge cycle, or a cycle-down, the image forming device can continue seamlessly to the next print job without performance loss from using the previously under-used print head jets.

The controller drives the piezoelectric body such that, when the cumulative number of times of the driving is a second number of times greater than the first number of times, the voltage difference is a second value smaller than the first value.

A liquid discharge system including a piezoelectric element that is displaced in accordance with a drive signal and discharges liquid; a drive signal output circuit that outputs the drive signal; a measurement circuit that measures a first capacitance of the piezoelectric element; and a determination circuit that determines a deterioration state of the piezoelectric element based on the first capacitance.