ASTRO ATS-8900 Operator'S Manual Download Page 18

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OPERATING THE TABBER

Advanced

–

Press this key to place the Tabber in Advanced Mode. This mode is

used to select the Automatic Tab Sensing Program and to access more
information regarding the soft key menus.

Press

RUN

key (

located below soft keys on Control Panel

) to start the Tabber. Adjust the

Speed Control

to set the speed of the Tabber. Press the

STOP

key located below the soft

keys to stop the Tabber. Pressing the large

Emergency Stop

button will shut down the

entire Tabber and lock out the other keys. To restart from an

Emergency Stop,

release

the button by turning it clockwise, then press the

RUN

key.

When the Tabber is running, the screen
at right appears. It contains the
following information:

The number of the programmed
job that is running.

The number of tabs being
applied to the piece.

The rate or speed in pieces per hour.

The number of pieces that have been run. This can be reset by pressing the

CLEAR

key on the Control Panel before starting the job.

Operation of the Tabber is the same whether you are tabbing, applying labels or stamps. Refer to
the parts of this section regarding setting up the Tabber for the type of application you are
performing for more information.

Exceeding Tabbing Rate

IMPORTANT

THE MAXIMUM SPEED OF THE TABBER IS CONTROLLED BY THE
SOFTWARE. TABBER SPEEDS: SINGLE TABS

–

APPLIES UP TO 20,000

PIECES PER HOUR, DOUBLE TABS

–

APPLIES

12,000 PIECES PER HOUR,

TRIPLE TABS

–

APPLIES 8,000 PIECES PER HOUR. EXCEEDING THESE

SPEEDS WILL CAUSE THE TABBER TO STOP.

THE TAB PLACED ON THE

END OF THE PIECE IS NOT COUNTED IN THE ABOVE.

If you exceed the maximum speed of the
Tabber for the job you are running the

Run

Screen

changes and the

Exceeding Tabbing

Rate

message flashes for 15 seconds.

Summary of Contents for ATS-8900

Page 1: ...ASTRO ATS 8900 TABBER STAMP AFFIXER OPERATOR MANUAL ...

Page 2: ...rolled by wall switches or shared with other equipment 9 Make sure there is no strain on the power cord caused by jamming between equipment walls or furniture 9 DO NOT remove covers Covers enclose hazardous parts that should be accessed by a qualified service representative Report any cover damage to your service representative 9 This machine requires periodic maintenance Contact your authorized s...

Page 3: ...nning a Pre Programmed Job 15 SECTION 4 Programming the Tabber 17 Advanced Soft Key 17 Control Panel Backlight 17 Version 18 Diagnostic 18 Job Key 18 Automatic Tab Sensor V Tab Adjustment 19 Manual Tab Sensor V Tab Adjustment 21 Manual Tab Stamp Positioning Features 23 Automatic Tab Stamp Positioning Features 27 Manual Product Length Input 29 SECTION 5 Maintenance 30 Cleaning 30 Rollers and Transp...

Page 4: ...__________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________...

Page 5: ...up Reel Winds up tab web after tab is applied 5 Media Height Adjustment Knob Permits operator to raise or lower Head Assembly to adjust for media thickness 6 FF 30 Feeder Assembly Used to feed media to Tabber 7 Feeder Interface Cable When connected to Tabber allows Tabber to control Feeder 8 Media Support Supports media while it is being fed 9 Media Guides Help hold media in place while it is bein...

Page 6: ... be used when this feature is not used 2 Emergency Stop Output Permits Tabber to control emergency stopping of another machine 3 Tabber Feeder Control Cable Connect Feeder here to permit automatic operation of Feeder when used with Tabber 4 Main Power Switch Turns Tabber ON and OFF 5 Fuse Main power fuse for Tabber 6 Power Inlet Connection Power Cord plugs in here ...

Page 7: ...r Fuse is located here 4 Main Power Switch Turns Feeder ON and OFF 5 Mode Switch Selects either Automatic mode Tabber controls Feeder or Manual mode Feeder speed is controlled manually by Feeder Speed Control 6 Feeder Speed Control Controls Feeder speed when Feeder Mode Switch is in Manual position 7 Media Thickness Adjustment Adjusts height pressure of Forwarding Rollers Exit Rollers to accommoda...

Page 8: ...stments and program the Tabber 5 EMERGENCY STOP When Tabber is properly connected to Feeder and or other pieces of equipment pushing this button stops all machines Turn button clockwise to release reset it 6 SOFT KEYS Used to step through various menu options to program Tabber 7 STOP KEY Stops Tabber and holds it in a ready state to resume operation 8 RUN KEY Press to start Tabber when running a j...

Page 9: ...ber from excessive heat dust and moisture avoid placing it in direct sunlight CAUTION THE UNIT IS HEAVY IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT TWO TECHNICIANS REMOVE THE TABBER FROM THE CARTON AND PLACE IT ON THE WORKING SURFACE Installing the Reel Assembly 1 Place the Reel Assembly over the Guide Pin 1 Make sure that the Head is over Guide Pin 2 while you are tightening the Tab Positioning Knob 3 clockw...

Page 10: ...the Reel Assembly is completely seated plug in the Reel Assembly Cord 5 as shown Install FF 30 Feeder 1 The pin A on the Feeder should mate with the hole B on the Tabber body 2 The Feeder is properly aligned with the Tabber body as shown ...

Page 11: ... the Tabber in the corresponding receptacle 2 Connect one end of the Feeder power cord 2 to the rear of the Feeder in the corresponding receptacle 3 Plug the other end each cord into a 115 220 Volt AC 50 60 Hz grounded outlet CAUTION Do not use adapter plugs or extension cords to connect the Tabber or the feeder to the wall receptacle Do not use outlets controlled by wall switches Do not use an ou...

Page 12: ... leader over the Unwind Drive Roller Rotate the Unwind Drive Press Roller so that it contacts the Unwind Drive Roller 3 Thread the leader into the Bin then over the Bin Idler Roller Adjust the Roller Tension Spring so that it lightly touches the tab backing 4 Continue threading the leader under the Idler Roller then through the slot in the Tab Sensor and Applicator Tip It is easier to thread the t...

Page 13: ...d media 1 Open the non operator Side Guide to provide room for the media 2 Loosen the Separator Locking Knobs and raise the Sheet Separators Install one sheet of media under the Separators and lower Separators to contact the media Tighten the Locking Knobs NOTE For media thicker than 1 2 folded sheets add one sheet of the material to the media before tightening the Locking Knobs This gives thicker...

Page 14: ...y helpful when feeding media over 1 8 inch thick To adjust the Forwarding Rollers loosen the Locking Knob 3 place a piece of media under the Forwarding Rollers 4 and then tighten the Knob NOTE To increase or decrease the pressure on the Forwarding Rollers adjust the lever 5 while tightening the Locking Knob 3 Adjusting the Tabber The Tabber is equipped with two Paper Guides and an adjustable set o...

Page 15: ...ides 3 NOTE The Center Media Guide 2 can be set at an angle to increase the push against the Fixed Media Guide 3 Additionally all of the Guide Rollers on the Center Media Guide 2 should be riding on the same Transport Belt Adjusting Tab Fold Positioning Once the tabs are loaded the next step is to adjust the tab positioning 1 Loosen Locking Knob 1 that holds Exit Roller Assembly in position then s...

Page 16: ...he Tab Position Knob 5 to center the Tab on the edge of the belt as a starting point 6 Adjust the tab web so that it is in position against the back of the Reel Guide and the Spring Guides on the Idler Rollers are lightly touching the tab web 7 Insert one piece of media 3 into the front of the Tabber and adjust the Media Thickness Control Knob 4 up or down until you feel a drag on the piece of med...

Page 17: ...urn the Tabber ON by pressing the Main Power Switch on the Feeder and the Main Power Switch on the Tabber then press the Green Transport Power Switch on the Tabber Control Panel NOTE If Feeder Interface Cable is installed make sure that Feeder Selector Switch is set to Automatic so the Speed Control on the Tabber will control Feeder speed 2 Start Up screen at right appears Soft keys at bottom of d...

Page 18: ...The number of tabs being applied to the piece c The rate or speed in pieces per hour d The number of pieces that have been run This can be reset by pressing the CLEAR key on the Control Panel before starting the job Operation of the Tabber is the same whether you are tabbing applying labels or stamps Refer to the parts of this section regarding setting up the Tabber for the type of application you...

Page 19: ...unning a Pre Programmed Job Up to four jobs may be programmed into the Tabber s memory To run a pre programmed job release the Emergency Stop Button then 1 Press the Job soft key 2 Select the Job 1 4 you wish to run In our example we are selecting Job 2 using the soft key 2 3 Select Option to Edit screen appears Press RUN key on Control Panel to start Tabber NOTE To check the setup press and hold ...

Page 20: ...leading edge of tab stamp TabV The voltage on the Sensors when a tab is present under the Sensors Clear and Opaque Tabs will have different voltage readings Trip This voltage is used to determine the difference between the Tab and the Backing to cause the tab to feed Tab Type There are two tab types Clear and Opaque See Appendix B for samples 4 Pressing the RUN key changes the screen to the runnin...

Page 21: ...location and media feed through the Tabber may be required Here is an explanation of some of the functions and screens you will see when programming a job Advanced Soft Key From Start up screen pressing the Advanced soft key displays several new soft keys They are as follows Control Panel Backlight Intensity of the Control Panel Backlight can be controlled from the Advanced soft key To access the ...

Page 22: ...of a function of the Tabber It should only be used by a trained technician See Diagnostics at the end of the Troubleshooting Section Job Key When Job soft key is pressed from Start up screen jobs that are already programmed and saved can be selected Up to four jobs can be programmed into the Tabber s memory Any of the jobs can be overwritten by simply reprogramming the Job you select with new para...

Page 23: ...he Automatic feature Automatic V Tab Adjustment 1 Turn Feeder OFF 2 To begin programming select Job from the Press Run to tab using Job screen 3 Select the Job Number 1 4 you wish to use In this example we are selecting Job Number 1 4 From the Select Setup Option screen select V Tab 5 Select Automatic from the Tab Sensor setup screen 6 The Select Tab Type before calibration screen appears Select t...

Page 24: ...nce the Tab Type is selected the Tabber Transport will start and the screen at right appears Adjust the Speed Control on Tabber up or down until Feed 1 Product now appears in the display Feed one piece from the Feeder into the Tabber Two or three tabs will be applied to the piece and then the Tabber will stop and display the new V Tab values Tab Sensor is now set up for this tab stock IMPORTANT IN...

Page 25: ... voltage return from the space between the stamps in this case Release the Hold Down Roller Latch so that the stamps can slide easily through the Sensor Move the stamp web through the Sensor until you obtain the lowest voltage reading then press the Gap V key 1 Continue moving the stamp web through the Sensor until you obtain the highest reading then press the Tab V key 2 When you are finished pre...

Page 26: ...r for proper operation If you experience tab advancement or positioning problems verify proper threading transport setup media length tab type and tab pitch settings Tab Type Description Gap V Level Tab V Level Opaque Tabs in which the space between the tabs is lighter than the tab even if the tab is white Low High Clear Tabs with a black line between tabs High Low ...

Page 27: ...pplied to the media Pitch Select to set Tab Pitch distance from the top of one tab stamp to the top of the next tab stamp for the tab stamp stock used BACK Returns you to the previous screen If you select 1 for Tabs the Select Option to edit screen reappears If the Tabs soft key is pressed The display prompts you to select the number of tabs stamps to apply to the mail piece 1 Selects one tab stam...

Page 28: ...or Tab Stamp 3 BACK Returns you to the previous screen If any of the Tab n Tab 1 Tab 2 Tab 3 soft keys are selected you will be asked to enter the Offset Value for the Tab Number you selected NOTE The number of Tab n choices you are presented with is based on the Tabs and the tab placement Separate Together that you previously selected If Tabs was set to 1 or tab placement Together was selected yo...

Page 29: ...r for proper operation If you experience tab advancement or positioning problems verify proper threading transport setup media length tab type and tab pitch settings Tab Type Description Gap V Level Tab V Level Opaque Tabs in which the space between the tabs is lighter than the tab even if the tab is white Low High Clear Tabs with a black line between tabs High Low ...

Page 30: ...tch and press SAVE key Pitch Distance measured from the top of one tab to the top of the next tab Select Pitch from the Select option to edit screen Measure the distance from the top of one tab to the top of the next tab in this example it was 1 190 Then add 0 01 for a total of 1 200 Enter that number using the number keys on the Control Panel and then press the SAVE key BACK Returns to previous s...

Page 31: ...hin 1 from each edge and one tab is centered When Automatic is selected the following choices appear Tabs Allows you to choose the Number of Tabs to apply to the media Product L Set the Paper Length of the media you are using Pitch Set Tab Pitch distance from the top of one tab stamp to the top of the next tab stamp for the Tab Stamp stock used BACK Returns you to the previous screen If the Tabs s...

Page 32: ...r NOTE Feeding more than one mail piece will cause an incorrect length to be measured and set After the piece has fed through the Tabber the Tabber will stop and display the piece length Verify the measurement It must be accurate or 0 250 If the Tabber measures the piece to be longer than the actual piece length then the media may be slipping or hesitating as it feeds Check Adjust the transport sy...

Page 33: ...s Value in inches and tenths of an inch using the numeric key pad 3 Press the SAVE key to accept and save this value 4 Press the BACK soft key to return to the previous screen Set Pitch Pitch is very important The Pitch setting is how the software determines how far to advance the tab When the Pitch soft key is pressed the display prompts you to Enter Tab Pitch and press SAVE key Pitch Distance me...

Page 34: ...non abrasive household cleaner which does not contain plastic harming solvents CAUTION NEVER SPRAY OR POUR CLEANERS DIRECTLY ON OR INTO THE TABBER OR FEEDER EXCESS LIQUID COULD HARM ELECTRONIC PARTS ALWAYS DAMPEN A RAG WITH THE CLEANER AND APPLY IT TO THE PARTS TO BE CLEANED Rollers and Transport Belts Belts and Rollers can become glazed with paper lint and ink from the media Clean regularly with ...

Page 35: ...he sensor intensity may need to be lowered This is rare but possible when high gloss media is being used A qualified Astro service technician should make this adjustment Tab Web Sensor Test There are two LED s located on the exit side of the Tab Web Sensor CAUTION To avoid tabs being driven from the Tab Reel and or personal injury from moving Rollers please be sure to press the Emergency STOP butt...

Page 36: ...ount of white lithium grease where the Drive Press Roller Assembly touches the Release Cam 2 Place a small amount of white lithium grease where Unwind Drive Press Roller Assembly touches the flat part of the Release Cam 3 Lubricate Stepper Cam surface for the Head Raise Mechanism with white lithium grease as shown ...

Page 37: ... not pushing media tightly against the Fixed Side Guide 4 Check that head pressure is not too tight Tab Placement Problems CONDITION SOLUTION Tabs are not placed in same spot on media Tabs should be placed within 1 8 1 Check Pitch setting for the tab It should be 0 0005 0 010 more than the tab size plus the space between the tabs 2 Check amount of transport pressure Too little can cause media to s...

Page 38: ...edge of the media 1 Media may not be traveling along the Fixed Side Guide Adjust angle of Guide Rollers by turning knob on Skew Guide 2 Check pressure between the Head and the Transport Too much pressure causes the media to flex as it is transported Too little pressure causes media to skew as Tab is being applied Two or three tabs applied next to each other Programming issue When programming for m...

Page 39: ...elected 6 Check adjust the V Tab settings When applied Stamp is not aligned on media 1 The media may not be traveling along the Fixed Side Guide Adjust the angle of the Guide Rollers by turning the knob on the Skew Guide 2 Check the pressure between the Head and the Transport Too much pressure will cause the media to flex as it is transported Two or three stamps applied evenly spaced Programming i...

Page 40: ...n the Reel Assembly and Tabber is securely connected 2 Check that Unwind Rollers are engaged 3 Check clean Bin Sensor Tab web breaking at the Unwind Driver Roller 1 Tab Web wrapping around Rollers Clean Unwind Roller 2 Tabs not spinning freely on Reel Reel improperly installed 3 Check that Power connection between Reel Assembly and Tabber is securely connected Tab Web breaks at or near the Tab App...

Page 41: ...der are 1 Voltage Test Displays the voltages in the power supply and logic When you click Test ON V 1 should be 12 0 volts for the main power supply V 2 V 3 and V 4 are voltages on the logic board Click EXIT to return to the Voltage Test screen or Next to go to the next test 2 Encoder Test Tests if the Encoder is working When you press Test ON a number will display in Reading Rotate the Exit Rolle...

Page 42: ... ON will cause the Clutch and Motor to turn ON and the Brake to go OFF You should be able to hear this action Use the Next key to go to the next test 4 Tab Supply Test Tests the function of Tab Web Sensor In Test OFF the Drive is OFF Motor not running and the Brake is ON Tab Brake is locked Clicking Test ON turns the Drive ON Motor running and turns the Brake OFF Tab Brake unlocked Use the Next ke...

Page 43: ...hat the Media Sensor is working properly Insert a piece of paper between the Sensor and the reflective lens The display should change from UNCOVERED to COVERED Press Next to proceed to the Keyboard Test 7 Keyboard Tests keyboard function Each time you press a key the display should show the name of the key in the Key Pressed line Press EXIT last to return to the Advanced screen and exit the tests ...

Page 44: ...imum 3 4 x 3 4 1 1 2 x 1 1 2 Roll Size Up to 16 3 core Number of Tabs 1 2 or 3 Tab Accuracy 1 16 Production Counters and Displays Life and Job Count and Production rate and speed Error Reporting YES Features Built in Feeder removable for in line operation Can apply multiple stamps Safety Interlocks on all adjustments Dimensions 25 W x 27 H with reel x 41 L with feeder Weight 90 lbs approximately E...

Page 45: ...14 F Feeder Interface Cable 1 FF 30 Feeder 1 Adjusting 9 Installing 6 Fuse Feeder 3 Main 2 J Jams 33 Job Key 18 Automatic 18 BACK 18 Manual 18 V Tab 18 K Keypad Control Panel 4 L Loading Tabs Stamps 8 Lubrication 32 M Maintenance 30 Cleaning 30 Lubrication 32 Media Sensor Test 31 Tab Web Sensor Test 31 Media Guides 1 Media Height Adjustment Knob 1 Media Support 1 Media Thickness Adjustment Feeder ...

Page 46: ...8 Manual Positioning 23 Tabber Adjusting 10 Advanced 14 Job 13 Mode 13 Operating 8 Pass Thru Operate 13 Pre programmed Job 15 Programming 17 Start Up 13 Take up Reel 1 Troubleshooting 33 Jams 33 Stamp Placement Problems 35 Tab Placement Problems 33 Tabber Operation 36 V V Tab Automatic Adjustment 19 Manual Adjustment 21 ...

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