ULINE Better Pack Electronic 555eS Kraft Tape Dispenser User Guide

: June 7, 2024
: ULINE

Table of Contents

ULINE Better Pack Electronic 555eS Kraft Tape Dispenser
SETUP INSTRUCTIONS
- PREPARING THE UNIT FOR OPERATION
OPERATION
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

ULINE Better Pack Electronic 555eS Kraft Tape Dispenser

product

IMPORTANT: Read this manual thoroughly and familiarize yourself with ALL controls and operating features. Keep this manual for future reference and maintenance.

Unpacking: Check the machine for damage. If damage is found, return to Uline.

TECHNICAL DATA
Dimensions of machine: 20 x 12½ x 12″ Weight of machine: 29 lbs.
Electrical power: 115V-4 Amps
Dispensing velocity: 45″ / sec.
Length: min. 6″ / max. 45″ (90″ if using 2x button)

TAPE
Types of gummed tape: All

PAPER FEATURES
Width: min. 1½” / max. 3″
Maximum roll diameter: 10″

SETUP INSTRUCTIONS

UNPACKING
When you open the top flaps on the box for the tape dispenser, there will be instructions for removing the tape dispenser from its packaging. Save the box and packing materials in case you need to ship the unit at some future time.

CHECKING THE CONTENTS
Packaged inside the tape dispenser, under the top cover are the following items: (See Figure 1)

Fig 1

Brush Assembly (three beveled brushes assembled together)
Water Tank (a black plastic piece with a metal bracket attached to it)
Bottle (a white plastic bottle with a screw cap)
Upper Tape Plate
Power Cord
Operating Guide
Warranty Card (inside the Operating Guide)
2 Tape Roll Guides (See Figure 2)

PREPARING THE UNIT FOR OPERATION

ADJUSTING THE ROLL GUIDES
Roll guides fit into slots in the front and bottom panels of the tape basket. They hold the tape roll vertical to allow the tape to unwind. You must adjust these guides for the size of the tape being used.

NOTE : This machine can dispense tapes from 1½” to 3″ wide.

PROCEDURE

Remove a guide from its current position by grasping the guide, lifting it up and pulling the bottom of it to the rear of the unit. (See Figure 2)
Reinsert each guide pressing tabs first into the bottom slot and then rotating into the front slot.(See Figure 3)

fig 3

Set the space between the guides to just larger than the width of the tape.
Use the guides to center the tape as much as possible by inserting each tab into a slot the same distance from the outside edge of the panel. For example, if you set the bottom part of the guide in the second slot from the outside edge of the panel, set the front part of the guide also into the second slot from the outside edge.

LOADING THE TAPE

Cut the end of the tape so that it has a clean, square end to feed under the drive wheel.
Load the tape roll into the basket so that:
- The adhesive side is down.
- The roll is upright between the roll guides. (See Figure 4)
- The end of the tape goes over the:
- Top of the roll from back to front.
- Lift roller then rubber roller
- The end of the tape is fed under the upper tape plate and drive wheel; and is butted against the shear blade.

Close the top cover.

fig 4

NOTE: Feed the tape:

Adhesive side down
Around the lift roller
Over the rubber roller
Under the upper tape plate
Under the guide bar
Up against the shear blade

NOTE: The front part of the top cover is attached to the rear part with plastic pivot points. To attach or detach the front part to or from the rear, squeeze the back part of the top cover just below the pivot point to spread the opening where the front part attaches. This will allow the pivot knobs to fit into the slots. (See Figure 5)

fig 5

NOTE: Be sure the top cover is fully closed. There is a safety interlock built into the dispenser which prevents the machine from operating unless the cover is completely closed.

CHECKING UPPER TAPE PLATE
Make sure the upper tape plate is in its proper position. (See Figure 6) If the plate is not correctly positioned:

Hold the upper tape plate by its rear edge (See Figure 7) and guide it forward so that the front slot centers around the drive wheel. NOTE: The upper tape plate must fit:
- Around the drive wheel
- Under the guide bar
- Over the rubber roller drive wheel
When the cutouts in the sides of the plate are above the retaining buttons, drop the plate down and slide it forward as far as it will go.

NOTE: There is a round guide bar just before the cutting blade. The front of the upper tape plate should be under that guide bar.

INSTALLING THE BOTTLE AND WATER TANK

Insert the brush assembly in the water tank. The brush assembly must be tilted toward the dispenser so that the cotter pin will clear the retaining bracket as it is pressed into place. (See Figure 8) Then rotate the brush forward so that it seats flatly on the bottom of the water tank. The edge of the base of the brush should be under the retaining bracket.
Lift the front of the heater assembly and slide the water tank into position at the front of the dispenser.
NOTE: Brushes must be angled toward the front of the dispenser in order to work. Installing the brushes backwards will cause tape to jam.The bottom of the water tank should be even with the edges of the shelf it sits on and the water tank will drop slightly into the shelf when it is correctly positioned. (See Figure 9)
Lower the heater assembly.
Fill the bottle with water.
NOTE : We recommend using Penetron® or a similar wetting agent if you have hard water. This will keep mineral deposits and bacteria from building up in the brushes, bottle, and water tank. These deposits can lead to poor tape adhesion. Penetron® helps the water more quickly penetrate into the adhesive for better performance.
Position the bottle onto the right side of the dispenser. The spring-loaded center of the bottle’s cap must be on the pylon protruding from the water tank. (See Figure 10)

Fig 10

ATTACHING THE POWER CORD

Ensure that the power switch is in the OFF (down) position. (See Figure 11)
Attach the female end of the power cord to the dispenser connector. (See Figure 12)There are two other components on the electrical panel:
- The 9-pin female connector that can be used:
- On Standard and Automatic Models to attach a power switch.
- On Automatic Models (only) an RS-232 serial data port. Using this data port, the Better Packages Automatic Measure Device (AMD-1) can be utilized to instantly measure and dispense the exact length of tape as needed.
- A user-replacement fuse. See the Maintenance Section.
Plug the male end of the power cord into a 110/120v 60hz receptacle.

WARNING : FOR YOUR SAFETY all metal parts of this machine are electrically grounded through a 3-wire power supply. You must plug this cord into a 3-wire grounded type receptacle.

NOTE : If you are not sure if the electrical system in your building is properly grounded, contact a licensed electrician.

TURN THE SYSTEM “ON”

Turn the power switch to the “ON” (up) position. The switch will light and the channel will “beep” once. (See Figure 13)

fig 13

ADJUST THE SETTING ON THE HEATER ASSEMBLY

Finding the correct setting for the tape you are using is a matter of simple testing. Turn the adjustment knob to the highest setting (clockwise), then back off slightly until you find the temperature that best meets your needs.
(See Figure 14) Refer to page 9 for how to seal with gummed tape.

CAUTION: The bottom of the heater assembly gets HOT! Handle the heater only by the tabs protruding from the sides of its top. (See Figure 14)

fig 14

NOTE: When the heat is properly adjusted, the tape will adhere quickly to the parcel. Too low a setting may result in the tape taking too long to properly adhere.

OPERATION

MODEL DESCRIPTIONS
The difference between Automatic and Standard models is the capability for the Automatic models to dispense the next piece of tape automatically each time a piece is removed. A repeating pattern of up to three different lengths can be automatically dispensed with this feature. The lengths of these pieces can be standard keypad button lengths or lengths adjusted using the , the or buttons.

SELECTING THE TAPE LENGTH (STANDARD MODEL H-800)
Pressing a button or combination of buttons allows you to dispense tape in lengths from 4″ to a maximum of 20″ in increments of 1/2″. (See Figure 15)

SELECTING THE TAPE LENGTH (AUTOMATIC MODEL H-1037)
Pressing a button or combination of buttons allows you to dispense tape in lengths from 4″ to a maximum of 20″ in increments of 1/2″. (See Figure 16)

fig 16

AUTOMATIC MODE (AUTOMATIC MODEL H-1037)

In the Automatic Mode, removing a piece of tape from the dispenser causes another piece of tape to be dispensed automatically. Additionally, in the Automatic Mode, the dispenser can remember up to three tape lengths and automatically dispense them in the order in which they were entered.

TO ACTIVATE AUTOMATIC MODE

Make sure that the last piece of tape dispensed has been removed.
Press A
The indicator will be illuminated.

SETTING THE HEATER CONTROLS

In most situations the application of heat is helpful for reactivation. Different tape manufacturers use different adhesive formulas. Some require more or less heat than others.
You should experiment with different heat settings to optimize adhesive performance for the tape you are using and the conditions under which you are operating. Carton sealing done in a cold meat packing plant will certainly require a higher temperature setting than carton sealing done in a tropical plant nursery.
As a general rule, the strength of the adhesive bond will increase as the temperature setting of the heater is increased up to some optimum point. Too much heat:

May cause the tape to dry too quickly before the glue has properly set.
Can cause the tape to curl and become difficult to work with.
In extreme cases, can cause delamination of the tape, causing the tape to fail.

CHOOSING THE CORRECT TAPE LENGTH
In most situations, the correct length of tape is the total length of the seam to be sealed plus a two to three inch overlap on each side.

On extremely long cartons, such as those used on furniture or mattresses, an overlap of four to five inches may be best.
On very short cartons, those less than 16-20 inches, only one or two inches overlap may be necessary.

APPLYING TAPE TO THE CARTON
The best way to apply tape to the carton is:

Place wet tape on the end of one of the flaps to be sealed so that:
- Half of the tape’s width is on one flap.
- The other half is overhanging.
Fold the flap without the tape down to its closed position.
Fold the other carton flap (the one with the overhanging tape) down to its proper closed position so that the overhanging portion of the tape is now in contact with the other flap on the opposite side of the carton.
Starting from the middle of the carton, apply a light downward pressure and wipe your hands over the tape on top of the carton flaps. Move from the center to the sides and then down over the overlapping ends in the sides of the carton. Sometimes wiping the tape down a second time before releasing the carton is helpful.

This process will ensure:

Full adhesion of the adhesive.
A strong permanent bond.
A neat professional appearance of sealed carton.

NOTE: It is not necessary to apply more than one piece of tape to any one seam being sealed. Reinforced water-activated tape provides an extremely strong seal.

fig 17

MAINTENANCE

There is very little maintenance required to keep your tape dispenser in working condition. What is required however, is important to perform.
Maintenance is basically:

Keeping the machine clear of tape jams.
Cleaning the water tank, bottle and brushes.
Keeping the shear blade clean.
Keeping the blade oiler moist.

These are outlined in the following pages.

WASHING THE TANK, BRUSHES AND BOTTLE
You should wash the water tank, brushes and bottle with warm water and soap on a weekly basis. This is mostly to clean the hard dried adhesive from the brushes so they remain soft, supple, and wet the tape well for proper adhesion.

Remove the brushes from the tank to remove any old dried adhesive. You will need to tilt the brushes to clear the retaining bracket. Be sure to replace the brushes in the tank correctly. (See Figure 18)

NOTE: Facing the brushes in the wrong direction can result in poor moistening and tape jamming. The brush tips are cut at an angle and in 3 unique lengths. They are designed to be used in one direction only.

WARNING: Never cut the ends of the brush tips to remove dried glue. The brush will be short and not work properly.

NOTE: Brushes must be angled toward the front of the dispenser in order to work. Installing the brushes backwards will cause a tape jam.

fig 18

CLEANING THE SHEAR BLADES

When using reinforced tapes laminated with glue or resin, this material can accumulate on the blades and interfere with cutting the tape. Even paper tape with no reinforcement can cause an accumulation of glue and dust on the blades. Use a small brush and naphtha to remove this accumulation on the blades.

WARNING : Be sure the dispenser is OFF before performing any cleaning operations.

CLEARING JAMS
If the tape jams inside the dispenser near the cutting blade:

Turn the dispenser OFF and UNPLUG it.
Cut the tape roll just behind the upper tape plate to get it out of your way.
Remove the upper tape plate.
Raise the shear plate by moving the lever to the right of the feed wheel forward. (See Figure 19)
Pull out any jammed tape. Push the lever back to lower the shear blade to its normal operating position.
Swing the heater assembly up out of the way and check for and clear any jams in front of the shear blade.
Replace the upper tape plate and feed the tape back into position when you have cleared the jam. (See Figures 21 and 22)

fig 21

fig 22

CHANGING THE FUSE

If the dispenser is plugged in but doesn’t work, it is probably the safety interlock switch. The safety interlock switch makes contact when the top cover is properly closed. Before performing any other diagnostics checks, ensure that the top cover is fully closed and that the switch is activated when the cover is closed. If the top cover is properly closed and the on/off switch doesn’t light in the “ON” position, it may indicate a blown fuse.
Proceed as follows:

Unplug the dispenser’s power cord from the wall.
Determine if the outlet is OK. Test the outlet with a light or other device.
If the outlet is OK, remove the fuse holder from the electrical panel at the rear of the dispenser and check the fuse to see if it is blown. A break in the filament (the thin wire running the length of the fuse) indicates the fuse is blown. (See Figure 23) Use a continuity tester to check the fuse if you are unsure.
If the fuse if blown, replace it with one rated AL T2 250V.
If the fuse is OK and the system is still not working, call Uline Customer Service at 1-800-295-5510.

fig 23

LUBRICATION
The blade oiler is a felt pad that presses lightly on the back of the shear blade.

Turn the dispenser off and unplug it.
Pull back gently on the blade oiler and move it away from the shear blade.
Keep the felt pad slightly moist by adding several drops of light machine oil at regular weekly or monthly intervals depending on use. Do not over oil. The oil will keep your shear blade lubricated for clean, fast cutting.
Gently push the oiler back into position next to the shear blade.
Plug the dispenser back in.

NOTE: All moving parts of the machine are permanently lubricated and SHOULD NOT BE LUBRICATED. Putting oil or grease on the oilite bearings clogs them up and makes them wear prematurely.

CAUTION: Do not oil the feed roller shaft.

WARNING: DO NOT USE SPRAY LUBRICANTS, SPRAY CLEANER OR OTHER FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS, ON OR INSIDE THIS TAPE DISPENSER.

CLEANING

Inside this dispenser:

Brush out paper dust.
Do not use spray cleaners

Exterior surface of the dispenser:

Brush out paper dust.
Do not use spray cleaners

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

CHARACTERISTIC	MEASUREMENT
Tape Width	1.5-3″
Maximum Tape Roller Diameter	10″
Tape Lengths Dispensed	Short Models (auto & std.) 6-45″

Long Models (auto & std.) 12-90″

555eM, eMA

555eL, eJA

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115v 60Hz, 4 Amps 230v 50/60Hz, 2 Amps

100v 50/60Hz, 4 Amps

PORT CONNECTIVITY
The 9-pin female connector at the rear of the dispenser is Input / Output (I/O) allowing communication with optional devices such as the AMD-1, an Automatic Carton Measuring Device.

On standard models, this I/O port is active for use with pedal foot switches or other similar devices which use the “contact closure” method of sending a signal.
On automatic models, this I/O also provides access to the dispenser’s RS-232C serial data port. Pedal foot switches or other “contact closure” devices may still be used on automatic models.

CONNECTOR CONFIGURATIONS
Both standard and automatic models are equipped with 9-pin female D-type connectors.

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