With its history dating back to 1937, when its business was the manufacture of watches in Japan, Seiko Instruments has long been synonymous with innovation and quality. Customers expect a lot when they see the Seiko name, and the company has established a particularly strong reputation in the world of mobile printers, of which the DPU-S445 thermal printer is an excellent example.
The mobile printing market has gained in relevance over the years, which has helped to make this 4” mobile receipt and label printer an invaluable investment for many organisations. It is ready to print anywhere, and incorporates features such as a Bluetooth, USB and serial interface, a Lithium-ion battery with an optional external charger, a maximum print speed of 90 mm/s, and so much more.
All in all, the Seiko DPU-S445 ticks almost every box that many a business will have, when it comes to portable, low-voltage thermal printing applications such as field sales, inventory and warehousing equipment, and inspection and measuring services.
However, your organisation will need to know more than all the above, if it is to get the best out of this highly rated member of the Seiko DPU family. So, let’s take a look at some of the steps you can take to accomplish exactly that.
Learn The Various Essential Parts of The Printer
You can learn more about the key parts of your Seiko DPU-S445 when you download the relevant user manual, as can be found online.
Those parts will include, of course, the power switch for turning the printer on and off, but also such features as the power lamp that illuminates whenever the printer is on, and the error lamp, which illuminates in the event of something going wrong with the device. The likes of the thermal head, paper outlet, and feed switch also play important roles.
Get To Grips with Installing and Removing the Battery Pack
You will naturally need power in order to use your Seiko thermal printer, so it’s just as well that the process of installing the battery pack is relatively straightforward. You simply need to remove the battery cover, before inserting the battery pack so that the printer connection terminal contacts the battery pack’s connection terminal. Don’t forget to also lock the battery release lever and the battery pack.
As for removal of the battery pack, you can do this by turning the printer off and taking the battery cover off, before sliding the battery release lever – a process that will cause the spring in the device to push out the battery pack.
Clean The Thermal Head If Needed
Although you shouldn’t need to do much in order to keep the thermal head of your DPU-S445 in good condition, it is possible that paper dust may accumulate on it over time. In the event of this happening, you will need to clean the thermal head so that you can be sure of the printer still giving the utmost print quality.
If you do need to clean the thermal head, you should wait for it to cool before doing so. You should also use a cotton swab or another soft material for wiping the thermal head and should take care to avoid touching the gear of the platen roller, given that doing so could cause a failure or a loss of printing quality.
To begin cleaning, first turn off the printer, before unplugging the AC plug of the AC cable to the outlet, and removing the printer’s battery pack. Then, you will need to open the paper cover and use the cotton swab – moistened with a small amount of ethyl alcohol – to clean the thermal head or the platen roller.
Only once any remaining ethyl alcohol on the thermal head and platen roller has evaporated completely, should you then close the paper cover.
Educate Yourself on What to Do in Case of Malfunction
Even a relatively short period of downtime for your Seiko DPU-S445 could be bad news for your organisation’s efforts to maintain maximum productivity. So, it could be a good idea, as you go along, to refresh your knowledge on how to respond to some of the most frequent issues that can occur with this printer.
The troubleshooting guide in the user manual will go through these potential problems in more detail. But to give just one example, in the case of the printer failing to print, you should know of the need to check whether the interface cable is connected correctly, and whether the Bluetooth or IrDA communication status is good, before assuming the worst.
Know When to Take the Printer to A Repair Specialist
Of course, even if all the best possible steps are taken in the use and maintenance of a device like this Seiko printer, you can’t entirely rule out that a malfunction could occur necessitating expert attention. In other words, you might at some stage need to seek out an external company that can carry out comprehensive and reliable Seiko DPU-S445 repair work.
Sure enough, here at Mobile Computer Repair, we have an excellent reputation in Seiko label printer repair, and carry out similar work on all manner of other portable computers and devices. So, if there’s an issue with your printer that you and your staff just can’t seem to fix, please don’t hesitate to give us a call – on 01202 606070 – to learn more about how we can assist.