Noise control in dot matrix printers

I thought dot matrix printers had gone out of style. Last one I saw was about eight years ago. It was large and printed on what looked like three foot wide continuous paper. It made a lot of noise! But that was when it was open.

It had a cover that when you put it down, the noise was drastically reduced. I don't have dB figures (it was disposed of about two or three years later) but it was very effective.

I remember decades ago during the dot matrix's heyday, someone advertised a sort of soundproof housing for the printer. You put the printer inside the thing and it quieted it down very well. Unfortunately, the manufacturer forgot that the printer needed ventilation and completely covered the printer without any way to cool it.

"I thought dot matrix printers had gone out of style. Last one I saw was about eight years ago. It was large and printed on what looked like three foot wide continuous paper. It made a lot of noise! But that was when it was open."

That seems like the description of a high speed chain printer. A chain of characters runs in track around the wide paper and is impacted at the right times and places to print an entire line in a very short time, feeds paper, and does it again and again! Noisy? YES!

The print out cascades into the output basket!

I still use a dot matrix printer because of its high speed and low running cost.

No expensive inks, toners or paper to worry about. For high volume you can't cheaply beat them, using fanfold tractor fed paper, you can print out 100 metres in less than an hour!

We use it for printing out our end of year accounts, also the fanfold paper is much easier to store and less likely to get pages mixed up or lost!!

As for noise, well it IS an impact printer, so it has to make noise to work! As Vulcan said the case is a well designed part of the printer and has been designed with all the best noise deadening / sound proofing materials to make the noise incredibly low with the covers closed...

Even so I don't like hanging around it when its doing a large print run!

John.

John,

"As for noise, well it IS an impact printer, so it has to make noise to work!"

Exactly!

The best techniques are enclosing the print head/platen area and using liberal amounts of sound absorbing material. The printer covers/enclosures utilize these methods around the whole printer, but obviously they can also be employed to the maximum extent possible in the printer's own housing. (Fan forced ventilation may be necessary.)

To those who think the dot matrix printer is obsolete:

I have two dot matrix printers, and although mine don't see much use, they are required for printing on multi-part forms which is their main purpose today in shops and offices.

Regards, Greg

Oowwww yes of course Greg... That's the other reason we use it for printing out NCR (No Carbon Required) forms i.e. delivery notes etc...

I should add that we / I use other printers as well!!

John.

Very excellent subject to bring the cheaply available printing method with ease and silent mode. I suggest the approximate approach towards the reduction of print head noise.

The noise can be subsidised if the source is enclosed into some enclosure. So by putting the print head in some air tight enclosure it will help out. Even entire printing can be done deep inside the printer itself instead of the type oriented technology.

Secondly the striking of pins on the platen and paper also generates noise. If platen made with magnetised attractor of the pins the impact on paper will be same but striking noise can be reduced. Here and dual activation of impacts can be considered. So start thinking on change of convention platen/roller into magnetised.

Thermally burning type printing can also reduce the noise..

"Thermally burning type printing can also reduce the noise.."

Unless there is a better thermal paper available or a new thermal technology I'll take a pass. Only good for temporary use, not archive quality as subject to further burning on exposure to light.

Try to understand you noise.

http://www.bksv.com/591.asp

My first dot matrix in ±1970 was very loud and slow. but great improvements were made.

Maybe it is already done or it may not be practical - The noise should be reduced if the pins are fired in sequence,

Soft padding seems to help.

Quiet printers have been around for over 25 years starting with the HP Thinkjet. It sprayed dots of ink, and the print head was totaly quiet. I still use them today. Is there some reason you can't use ink spray technology?

The question was about dot matrix impact printers, not ink jet!

John.

"The question was about dot matrix impact printers, not ink jet!"

He never used the word "impact", just dot matrix, which ink jet is. You assumed impact because of the noise. My question was to the fellow who started the discussion. The point is that ink jet would be quiet, which is the objective.

If you'd read a little more throughly, you'll see that the fellow who started the discussion is working in a dot matrix printer manufacturing company, which means that he cannot just make the shift to ink jet printers. His question was not for a printer for his personal use.

Hmmm Good point StandardsGuy.... I must remember my early training years, and the message that was drilled into us then...

"Never Assume Anything!!"... ;-)

But as Vulcan said the guy doesn't have a choice at work...

John.

You cannot print copies with jet. Unless you use blotting paper. (if you can get hold of some)