For the UV printer, the print head is not only a core part, it is also a type of consumable. If it is not used or be maintained properly in daily operation, it will be blocked even be written off.

First thing to know is the types of UV print heads.

The most popular print heads are basically EPSON, Seiko, Konica and Ricoh. Of course there are several other types of print heads such as Kyocera, Polaris and Xaar, etc. Here we use the popular ones as example:

Practical lifetime for EPSON:

The practical lifetime for EPSON UV print heads is in a range of 3-5 months. If the work time is less than 4 hours per day, and with carefully cleaning and maintenance, the time can extend to 6 months. But basically, it will be written off in 1-2 months if the work time is over 8 hours per day.

Practical lifetime for Seiko:

The average lifetime for Seiko print heads are among 1-2.5 years, the Seiko GS508 print head has 2.5-3 years of lifetime, Seiko 255 4-6 months, Seiko 510 6-8 months, Seiko 1020 8-12 months.

Practical lifetime for Konica:

The Konica print heads has a practical lifetime of 8-12 months.

Practical lifetime for Ricoh:

The practical lifetime for Ricoh print heads is about 9 months.

When we are choosing UV printers, the lifetime of the print heads is worth considering, but we should also think about the stability, the price, the maintenance cost(the price of replacing the print heads) and the after-sales services. More importantly, pay attention on the maintenance of the print heads when using them, this will extend the life time of the printer.