Patent ID: 8500345

Claim:
A method of aligning a printer in an item handling system, comprising a transport system defining a transport plane, a printer assembly defining a printer plane, and a printer alignment system supporting the printer assembly, wherein the printer alignment system comprises a plurality of drive elements configured to move the printer assembly, the method comprising: moving the printer assembly to a limit position of the printer alignment system distal from the transport system using the drive elements by performing the following substeps; driving each drive element at a first level to move the inter assembly away from the transport system to a travel limit stop on the printer alignment system; driving each drive element at a second level higher than the first level to apply a predetermined force on the travel limit stop; and driving each drive element at a third level lower than the second level to maintain the printer assembly at the travel limit stop; moving the printer assembly to a limit position of the printer alignment system proximate to the transport system using the drive elements by performing the following substeps: driving each drive element at a fourth level to move the printer assembly towards the transport system so that a portion of the printer assembly engages a portion of the transport system; driving each drive element at a fifth level higher than the fourth level so that the drive element applies a predetermined force on the portion of the transport system; and terminating a drive signal to the drive element; and driving each of the drive elements at a respective predetermined level to place the printer plane in a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the transport plane.