ALPS MicroDry Printer Maintenance

ALPS Printers and Decal Printing

ALPS MicroDry printers were developed and marketed in an era where they provided higher quality printing than the inkjet and laser printers of their day. While technology has passed them by in regard to many types of printing, such as photographs and transfer printing, and the cost of consumer-level printers has dropped tremendously, the MicroDry method is still unsurpassed, for small businesses and hobbyists, in one special niche area, one that the ALPS was neither designed for nor officially supported: decal printing for scale modeling.

It is for this sole purpose that the majority of ALPS printers are bought and sold today, long after they have been off the market internationally (and since 2015 in Japan).

The most outstanding and demonstrably unique features of the ALPS printers are their capabilities of:

• printing white ink:
  Opaque white ink either separately or as an undercoat for other colours.
• overlay mode:
  The feeding of a single sheet of media multiple times in perfect registration for different inks to be laid down on the same sheet.

These features make ALPS printers unique in their price-range, well within the reach of hobbyists and small businesses, and permit the creation of a wide range of decal designs and colours (using this so-called "overlay mode") for scale modeling purposes.

The only model which does not have a separate control of overlay mode is the MD-2000 model. On this mode, only a single artwork containing all the necessary inks can be printed, although the paper is fed multiple times for each ink as for other models.

However, in late-2019 we will be providing a 64-bit Windows utility for printing with all ALPS models, inclduding the MD-2000, which will enable overlay-mode printing functionality for this model also.

ALPS Printer "personality"

Each ALPS printer can be said to have a distinct "personality". The printers are analog devices, with power supply and electrical system individually tuned in the ALPS factory or by the official repair agent, so that printing is within design specifications.

Since decal printing was never a part of the design specifications for any ALPS printers, performance can vary by individual printer, and various work-arounds have been devised and documented by members of the ALPS community to deal with variations in the performance of the printhead, paper feed system, sensors and so on.

It is entirely possible that for a particular printer, a new work-around might be needed (hence the continued utility of the ALPS community) for a problem that already has work-around that satisfies other users, or that none can be found for a particular issue on that particular printer. That is simply a limitation of using ALPS printers in a way they were never designed for: their unique capabilities on the one hand, on the other hand also unique issues.

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Initial Maintenance

Before printing with a newly-purchased ALPS printer, or one which has been in storage for some time, it is critical to ensure that the printer will not be damaged either at power-on, or during the first printing. It pays to review the below maintenance tasks regularly, as part of the investment of keeping an ALPS printer serviceable.

Initial Cleaning

The following checklist can be used to minimize the chances of damaging an ALPS printer at power-on, during first use, or after long storage.

Task 1:
Position the printer on a flat surface, and check that it sits level, the frame does not have any indication of distortion, and the printer door opens and closes smoothly. If the printer has been dropped or otherwise suffered shock damage, the door may fail to close or open properly.

Task 2:
Thoroughly clean the interior (and preferably exterior) of the printer. Use alcohol and lint-free cloth (to avoid debris from the cleaning to enter the printer, which could easily lead to printhead damage). Remove any packaging material that might be left in the printer. The platen, which is where the printhead presses down on the media and ink ribbon, can see considerable build-up of ink, which can affect the adhesion quality of printing. Cleaning this takes effort and perseverance, but with alcohol and enough pressure and time, all the ink can be removed. In particular, check that there is no debris in the paper path, around the printhead assembly, in the left and right sides of the printer, in the paper tray, or ink cartridge tray. Use compressed air to clear any remaining dust or debris.

Task 3:
Clean the optical sensors on the printhead carriage, near the bottom left of the cartridge tray door, and others.

Task 4:
Check the printhead carriage movement drive-belt and the cogwheels that drive it. If the belt has come off the cogs, or the carriage has disengaged from the drive-belt, the printer will need to be opened up for this to be rectified.

Task 5:
Verify paper tray operation (Automatic and Manual switch, manually turning the media feed mechanism, checking the screws holding the paper tray assembly to the printer body are firm and that there is no wobbly attachment).

Task 6:
Check the media feed mechanism (behind printhead carriage) which can be loosened or tightened by operating the blue lever at the right of the printer door, and the printhead carriage movement from far right to far left. It should be smooth, with no sticking feeling. If any of the clips in the pinch rollers are broken, the printhead carriage will crash against them.

Task 7:
Once satisfied that the printer is mechanically sound, check that the power supply or transformer is correct for the printer (100 V is the norm for printers made in Japan), and perform the diagnostic self-test (see the Troubleshooting, Repair, Adjustment subsection of Files section in the Groups.io ALPS group, summarized below) using a single black cartridge (can be a used one, or a partially used one suitably rewound) and up to 7 sheets (MD-5000 and MD-5500, other models use 1 to 3 sheets only) of laser quality white paper. Note that no connection to a computer is required, only the power cable. The power-on self-test is the most important test to determine the status of the printhead, and paper feeding. Note that errors in paper feeding may not be critical (anti-curl motor operation issues can be worked around, sometimes feeding is sporadically problematic, or cartridge pick-up only works after several restarts, printing only works well after a period of warm-up, etc.). However, if the printhead is damaged, then this is critical point.

Note that the 64-bit Windows utility we will be providing from late-2019 incorporates correction for multiple dead printhead elements.

Diagnostic Self-test

The power-on self-test is such an important test to ascertain the status of a printer, that we post it here in full, although it is readily available, along with much other useful information, in the Trouble-shooting, Repair, Adjustment subsection of the Files section of the Groups.io ALPS group (see References below).

The procedure will run a printhead test which can assist in troubleshooting possible printhead problems. It also prints out other useful values, such as the serial number and band count (note that band count is meaningless if the printer has been refurbished, and the serial number too will not match the chassis serial number any more).

This is not the same printout as the driver test page printout which shows color bars, hairline targets and ALPS logo, however the instructions how to print such test page are also included at the bottom of this page.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Disconnect the Power Cable.
3. Disconnect the parallel (or SCSI) cable. That is the cable which connect the printer to your computer.
4. Make sure that the printer is set up for automatic paper feed and that it has at least 1 sheet of A4 or Letter size paper loaded. This printout is 1–3 pages long on all but the MD-5000 and MD-5500 where it is 7 pages long. However, only the first page has the information we are looking for, so the printer can safely be powered off by pressing the power button after one page. It will shut down properly after ejecting any media and re-seating the ink cartridge in the holder.
5. Install a regular black cartridge (label code 0) into the left cartridge holder (as you are facing the open printer door).
6. Plug in the Power Cable only. Wait for the lights to turn off.
7. Press and hold the "POWER" button, then press and hold the "READY/INSERT" button.
8. Release the "POWER" button but keep holding the "READY/INSERT" button.
9. Keep holding the "READY/INSERT" button for at least 4 seconds. This is important. It is OK to hold it longer than 4 seconds but not less. Ignore any lights flashing.
10. After 4 seconds release the "READY/INSERT" button, then right away press and release it again.
11. In few seconds, the printer will start making noises and then it will begin printing out the self-test.

This printout contains a bunch of information and calibration parameters. Here are a couple of most important ones.

At the top of the listing you will see a serial number. It should match the serial number on the printer's serial number label (although there may be some leading letters and digits that are not on the printout but are on the printer label). If it doesn't, the printer's controller board has been swapped or the printer has been refurbished.

Also look for the "Number of bands". That gives you an idea how much the printer was used. A band is a single printhead pass (about 0.5 inches) over a sheet of paper. So, full colour printout could possibly use 4 times as many bands as a black/white one. Basically, each time the printhead prints a band of anything, the band number will increase. There is no simple formula to convert this number to a number of sheets printed, but it still gives you an idea of how much the printer was used. If the printer has been refurbished, this number is meaningless.

For more details on the band count see information at the ALPS group on Groups.io:
Calculating_Printer_Usage

Next we have the important printhead test printout.

There will be 2 bands (about 0.5 inches again) of very thin, slightly skewed lines printed on paper. If any of those thin lines is broken up or missing segments then there is a problem with the printhead (unrepairable).

Some printers might also print a 0.5 inch solid black band. Again, that band should be solid black. If it is not, then the printhead is defective (unrepairable).

Basically, that is it. All other information is not readily usable by an end user.

NOTE:
If this printout confirms that you have a defective printhead, try first to clean it. Instructions for this should be located somewhere in the Files section. Repairing the head or swapping it with another one is not an option. Each printer has an adjustable power supply. It is calibrated to a specific printhead. Also, each print element is calibrated. The calibration information is stored on the EEPROM chip and is unique to each printer. If you swap printheads with another unit, it might print but it will be out of calibration. So, the print quality and head longevity will be compromised.

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Regular Maintenance

Printing with an ALPS printer is not difficult, once all is set up and working. However, the printers are analog, and printing is a process that leaves residues of paper media and ink, plus the effect of environmental dust and other debris will build up over time. Hence, to avoid reduction of printing quality (which translates into waste of precious ink and media, as well as printhead lifetime), regular maintenance of the type outlined below is recommended.

• Keep the printer cool:
  An ALPS printer, containing many springs and constructed largely of plastic, is under stress even when not operating. Deformation takes place, and aging is accelerated if the device is placed in direct sunlight or near a heat source such as an air-conditioner. Take care to place and store your ALPS printer in a cool environment.
  Furthermore, continuous use raises the temperature of internal parts, and particularly the printhead, and can lead to early damage.
• Keep the printer clean:
  Dust, dirt and other particles interfere with the smooth mechanical operation of the ALPS printer, degrading quality and accelerating wear and tear.
  When not in use, place the ALPS printer in a polyethylene bag.
  Any small but hard particles will damage the printhead, since this presses during printing with considerable pressure on the media. If near a busy road, railroad or thoroughfare, measures must be taken to avoid airborne dirt particles from entering the printer. The same applies to the ink cartridges and the media itself. Sanded plastic from modeling also poses a severe hazard.
• Remove un-needed cartridges from printer:
  Remove any currently un-needed cartridges from the printer, to cut down on excessive printhead carriage movements. For the MD-5000 and MD-5500, if at all possible, limit the number of inks per cartridge holder to one, and the total number of cartridges to 4 or less.
• Check carriage position before power-on:
  Before powering on the printer, ensure that the printhead carriage is to the right of center on its track, i.e., in its correct ending position after a normal power off. If necessary, push the printhead carriage to the right by the weight on its left-hand side. Note that the printhead carriage must not be moved by hand when the power is on.
• Disable anti-curl mechanism for printing:
  The anti-curl mechanism is of poor design, and causes numerous issues. When printing on the reverse side of media, take care to select the "Reverse-side printing" (or "duplex printing") in the printer driver properties. This ensures that the anti-curl mechanism is not activated.
  Furthermore, if media curl is not of any concern, then even for ordinary (single-sided) printing use "Reverse-side printing". This can be set as the default in the Printer Properties from the Control Panel.
• Take care handling the front cover:
  To open or close the front cover, always use two hands on the left and right sides of the cover to carefully lock it in position. Pay particular attention to the left side.

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Packaging of ALPS Printers

In the event of needing to move an ALPS printer over some distance by vehicle, or when dispatching it by mail for servicing, proper packaging is crucial to avoid damaging the printhead, various analog sensors and switches, paper tray and case, or deforming the metal frame. The printers are sensitive to shock damage, so care needs to be taken to lessen this in the best way possible. Below is a set of recommended practices, from the collective experiences of the Groups.io ALPS support groups and Elephant's Rocket, the official ALPS refurbishing agent in Japan.

It is important to note that using the original ALPS packaging is strongly discouraged, as it does not adequately protect against shock, certainly not under international shipping conditions.

Task 1:
Prepare the box for the ALPS printer with several layers of cardboard and newspaper at the bottom, followed by 8 or more layers of bubble-wrap on which the printer can rest. This is the safest way to protect the printer against shock and frame distortion during transport.

Task 2:
Pad the right-hand side of the inside of the printer and the blue paper release lever. Cut an L-shaped piece of cardboard that fits right to the back of the printer, and in the front turns to the right and sits between the plastic housing and the lever. The height can be about 5-7 cm, but the front piece needs to be cut down at an angle to clear the door mechanism, with a cut-out for the pin from the door also. Use masking tape to hold the cardboard in position if necessary.

Task 3:
Slide the printhead carriage all the way to the right and secure it in place to prevent damage during shipping. The easiest way to secure it is to slide a squared off C-shaped length of cardboard length-wise into the printhead carriage travel area from the left side of the carriage all the way to the cogs for the printhead carriage drive belt in the left side of the printer housing. The upper and lower sides of this stopper piece can be about 3 cm in length, with the vertical section about 5–7 cm high. This stopper can stand on its own inside the printer, not protruding too far forward so as to not interfere with the ink cartridge holders. A rectangle of cardboard can be laid against the left side of the printhead carriage, and taped in place, for more area for the stopper piece. Then, lightly crumpled newspaper can be inserted in the gap above the stopped cardboard, to prevent it from moving around too much.
Note that all ink cartridges should be removed from the printer prior to packaging.

Task 4:
Close the front cover carefully, making sure the added padding does not put any pressure or stress on the door mechanism or sensors. Then use masking tape to hold the door closed, especially over the release button, left and right vertical sides, and the top section.

Task 5:
Hold the collapsible media support at the rear of the paper tray in place with masking tape to the paper tray proper. Especially the small tab at the top of the smallest section of the media support should be fixed in place.

Task 6:
Slide the media width adjuster tab all the way to to the edge of the paper tray, and tape it in place securely.

Task 7:
Prepare a V-shaped piece of cardboard to sit in the paper feed going into the printer, and tape in place. This should take up the slack and prevent the media tray from swinging about in this gap.

Task 8:
Wrap the printer in bubble-wrap 2 or 3 layers thick, perhaps also initially in a polyethylene bag, and then place it on the prepared padded floor of the box.

Task 9:
Use a mixture of bubble-wrap, lightly crumpled newspaper, and sheets of cardboard at the front, rear, and sides of the printer to take up slack in the box. Note that the front cover should not have any heavy pressure on its front side, since this easily damages the door sensor. Also, the paper tray should not have any heavy pressure either on its rear side or on the top. Finally, place some cardboard lengths on the top of the printer across the entire width of the box, to even out any pressure. Manuals, cables, inks and so forth can be placed on top of this, in the space at the top of the packed box, or alternatively under the paper tray assembly, and sides or corners of the printer while adding the packaging.

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References

The following sources may be useful for further information on printer models, specifications, capabilities, inks and other consumables:

1. https://alps.groups.io/g/ALPS/files/Technical_Info
2. https://alps.groups.io/g/ALPS/files
3. https://alps.groups.io/g/ALPS/files/Troubleshooting_Repair_Adjustment
4. http://www.alps-supplies.com/compatability.html
5. http://kyhobby.web.fc2.com/alps-ink.html