KEEPING YOUR HARDWARE IN TIP-TOP CONDITION
Progressive-ID are keenly aware of how important your hardware; from the brand new printer, to the trusty 10 year old scanner, is to your business.
Because of this we have a comprehensive maintenance service structure in place to enable us to analyse and advise the repair or replacement of your hardware.
We have vast experience of our hardware and even employ an ex-thermal printer engineer in-house. As a result we can talk you through easy firmware fixes of printers or how to send hardware back if covered under warranty.
We also employ engineers that can be booked for a site visit to inspect and repair your thermal printers.
Contact Us to arrange a booking.
Further information on warranties, RTB options and our services FAQ can be seen below.
Toshiba are the only manufacturer in the UK with their own service department that provides onsite servicing for label printers, with a field service of over one hundred engineers across the country.
What printers can be repaired onsite?
All current models of industrial printers can be serviced onsite including the B-SX series and B-EX series printers. Desktop and mobile models are not suitable for onsite servicing and instead can be repaired via RTB to the Toshiba Workshop.
How quickly will I see an engineer?
Toshiba onsite services are available Monday to Friday, 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and operate under a priority system; printers covered by a service contract have a response target of eight working hours, and all other call outs have a target response of five working days.
Service Contract?
Toshiba offer our customers a service contract is a twelve month agreement* where a printer is entitled to:
All charges including the engineer call out fee, labour and parts (excluding the thermal print head and platen roller) are waived.
Response times are reduced from 5 working days to 8 working hours
Priority over non-contract service calls
For heavily used printers a contract is essential to reduce the amount of down time and ensure productivity.
*6 month seasonal contracts are available subject to conditions, contact us to discuss.
How much does a service contract cost?
The service contract is an upfront fee, the cost of which depends on the printer models being covered and is charged per printer. Service contracts cover the standard configuration of each printer, which means any optional extras such as LAN cards and cutters (guillotine or rotary) are not included; however these can be included at additional cost. For the latest prices please contact us.
Are thermal print heads included?
Toshiba service contracts do not include the thermal print head as these have a separate warranty. If the print head is replaced and it is outside the terms of the print head warranty, it will be chargeable along with the platen roller whether the printer has a service contract or not.
Is a general service included?
Toshiba do not include a general service as part of the service contract as the contract is designed to work when the printer has a known fault. There is no limit to the number of service calls a printer can have, as long as there is a fault.
How much will an onsite service call cost outside of contract?
There are two types of charge associated with servicing printers outside of a contract: an engineer call out fee and parts.
Engineer call out fee: a flat rate fee of £125 per hour. If the service requires more than one visit, or more than one printer is serviced at the same time, this is charged only once.
Parts: if required to repair the printer these are chargeable unless covered by either the printer warranty or print head warranty. For prices on specific parts please contact us.
Should an engineer be unable to repair the printer while onsite it will be uplifted to Toshiba’s workshop by arrangement.
What happens if I don’t want a part fitted?
You are entitled to refuse parts to be fitted and the engineer will not force you to have parts fitted. If you need to check what the cost of a certain part will be, please contact us as engineers are not able to advise on prices.
Warranties?
Repairing printers under warranty
All industrial Toshiba printers purchased in the UK come with an extended warranty. If the printer develops a fault within three months following installation, any onsite service will have the engineer call out fee and labour charges waived. If the printer develops a fault after three months, parts will still be covered by the printer warranty; however the engineer call out fee and labour will be chargeable.
Thermal print head warranty
All models of Toshiba printer have a separate warranty for the thermal head. If the print head is replaced and it outside the terms of the print head warranty, it will be chargeable along with the platen roller whether the printer has a service contract or not.
Head warranties are currently:
Thermal Ribbon printers – 6 months or 100km print, whichever comes first.
Direct Thermal – 6 months or 25km print, whichever comes first.
Thermal Direct printers have a shorter print distance due to there being no protective ribbon film separating the head and abrasive thermal head.
*See T&C for further info below.
Can I use compatible thermal transfer ribbon?
While you can use compatible thermal transfer ribbon with your printer, the print head warranty will be immediately invalid, no matter how old it is or how much it has printed.
How to book an onsite service call
For existing and new customers please contact us and provide details of:
- the printer serial number(s)
- a brief description of the fault(s)
- a suitable contact and telephone number
- an order number or reference
The service call will be booked with Toshiba who allocate a call number to each printer. The engineer can only service printers with a call number, so if you need more than one printer to be repaired, details must be provided on all machines when the call is booked.
Before booking with Toshiba, we will attempt to diagnose the cause of the fault to ensure that the engineer has an necessary parts when they arrive. Sometimes parts will need to be ordered and sent to the engineer before the call will be despatched.
For common parts this is usually the next working day, but it can take longer for uncommon parts.
*Warranty Terms and Conditions
- The warranty does not apply for any damage caused by; accident, misuse, or negligence; fire, theft, or break in.
- The warranty does not apply if any person other than a person authorised by Toshiba to undertake any repair, adjustment or modification of the print head.
- The warranty does not apply if non-approved thermal transfer ribbons are used.
- The warranty does not cover wear caused by perforated card where the perforations are punched towards the printing surface
- The warranty does not cover using the print head outside of the specifications of the equipment.
- The print head warranty is only granted if the platen roller is also replaced at the same time.
As part of Reflex Labels Ltd, we have access to our in-house engineer team. Our engineers are officially trained in the majority of printer manufacturers and can be called out to attend site for Thermal Printers and online applicator hardware.
If out of contract or non-Toshiba hardware our engineers are on hand to attend site and assist.
Axicon verifiers are sold with a two-year limited warranty — including parts and labour — against manufacturing defects.
The service cover is Return to Base (RTB)
Standard repair turn-around is 7–10 working days from date of receipt.
Factory Calibration (VCAS)
Axicon recommend an annual calibration of the unit to ensure compliance with GS1 standards. The factory calibration is different from user calibrations as it uses high precision testing equipment.
The silver sticker on the verifier unit states when it was last factory calibrated.
How to send your verifier for repair or VCAS
To return the unit for repair a RMA number must be obtained via Progressive-ID along with an RMA form. The unit must be packed in its original transit case including cables along with the completed RMA form.
Contact us or request a VCAS via our contact form.
RTB checklist:
- RMA number
- RMA form
- Axicon Barcode Verifier Manual
- Faulty unit
- All cables
If the unit is shipped without the transit case Axicon will supply and charge for a replacement. Axicon will not accept responsibility for equipment returned without a RMA number or with alternative packaging.
Terms and Conditions
Axicon reserves the right to charge an inspection fee for any equipment returned under warranty for which no fault is found.
Recommended guidelines
The thermal transfer printing process is inherently abrasive and while printers are capable of printing high volumes of labels, eventually parts will wear. The following guidelines are intended to help prolong the life of the printer especially the print head.
Printing guidelines
- Always ensure that the thermal transfer ribbon is at least 6 mm wider than the label including the backing paper.
- The print head temperature (voltage) should be set to ‘0’. Settings of ‘2’ or ‘3’ are acceptable; however prolonged use of temperatures exceeding ‘3’ should be avoided as this can lead to premature failure.
- Thermal Direct media must be printed at lower speeds compared to printing with thermal transfer ribbon. For plain coated media the print speed must not exceed five inches per second, and for pre-printed thermal coated media the print speed must not exceed three inches per second.
- The print head and platen roller should be cleaned each time the ribbon roll is changed.
Storing media guidelines
- Store rolls of label media on the flat end (upright). Do not store them on the curved side as this might flatten the roll and cause poor print quality.
- Store label media in plastic bags and always reseal after opening. Unprotected media can get dirty and the extra abrasion from the dust and dirt particles will shorten the print head life.
- Store label media and thermal transfer ribbon in a cool, dry place. Avoid areas where they would be exposed to direct sunlight, high or low temperatures, high humidity, dust or gas.
- Perforated media must have the perforations punched away from the printing surface. If the perforations are punched towards the printing surface, the resulting rough surface will cause premature print head failure.