How to Maintain Your Gummed Tape Machine
Better Packages and Marsh tape dispensers and systems require minimal preventive maintenance and care. If you give your machine a little special attention, it will run for years at optimal levels. Performing these few simple maintenance tasks can help you sustain high levels of productivity, save money on repairs, and help increase the life expectancy of your dispenser.
Weekly Preventative Maintenance:
- Turn off and unplug your taper from the electrical outlet.
- Remove water brushes, wash with mild soap, soak over weekend; rinse well and reinstall.
- Clean inside of taper any accumulated tape dust with a shop vac or dry brush.
- Remove water tank and wash with mild soap; rinse well and reinstall.
- You can watch this video to see how to wash your brushes so you can remove the glue that tends to accumulate and reduce tape moistening effectiveness: Watch the Video: How to Clean the Water Brushes
Monthly Preventative Maintenance:
- Turn off and unplug your taper from the electrical outlet.
- Clean accumulated glue from blades using a scraper. Do not scrape the cutting edge because the blade may become nicked or dull and need replacement. Caution: The blade is sharp and can cut easily, so be careful working around it.
- Apply light coating of light machine oil to back of blade.
- On Better Packages 555 and 555e series tapers add a few drops of light machine oil to felt pads. Be sure oil does not drip on the motor or other parts below the blade.
Annual Preventative Maintenance:
- Turn off and unplug your taper from the electrical outlet.
- Thoroughly clean all accumulated pieces of tape, tape dust and any other foreign material from inside of machine with dry brush or shop vac.
- Clean bottom of heaters and pressure plates of accumulated glue.
- Oil upper and lower blades lightly with light machine oil.
- Clean all covers with a damp rag.
- Perform the monthly preventative Maintenance procedure.
- You can watch this video to learn how to clean the outside of your machine and the water bottle: Watch the Video: Keeping the Dispenser Clean
WARNING! Never spray cleaning fluid or lubricant into the machine. Never clean or work on an electric or electronic dispenser with the power turned on. Always turn the power off and unplug the machine before servicing.