IBM hammer printers

IBM developed, manufactured and sold hammer-based impact printers that used either type bars, a chain, a train, or a band to create printed output from 1959 till 1999, replacing the older print drum technology,. Over the course of this time they produced a wide variety of these line printers. This article will detail the most significant ones. Note that while IBM initially described band printers as belt printers, they are effectively the same thing.
Note the acronym lpm used throughout this article stands for lines per minute, being a measure of print speed. In general the maximum lpm for a printer is based on the use of a repeating set of 48 characters, referred to as a character set.

Chain and train printers

The printers are listed here in the order they were announced.

IBM 1403

Released in 1959, the IBM 1403 Model 1 is the first hammer based printer produced by IBM. It uses type slugs on a chain and is the first IBM printer to do so.
In 1967 the IBM 1403 Model N1 is the first IBM printer to use a train rather than a chain. This change is made because it is not possible to achieve higher speeds using a chain. It is called a train as the print slugs move inside a machined track, resembling rail-road cars.

IBM 5203

The IBM 5203 is a line printer that uses interchangeable train cartridges. By default it has 96 print positions, which can be optionally expanded to 120 or 132 positions. The train itself has 240 characters, with the standard character set having 48 characters repeated 5 times. A single IBM 5203 can be used with the IBM System/3 as an alternative to the IBM 1403. A Model 3 can be attached to an IBM S/370 using an integrated printer attachment, meaning it did not use a channel or require a control unit. The covers could be ordered in red, yellow, blue, gray or white.

Model	Speed	Announced	Withdrawn	Weight	Length	Width	Height	BTU
1	100	July 30, 1969	December 10, 1982
2	200	July 30, 1969	December 10, 1982
3	300	October 16, 1970	December 10, 1982

IBM 3211

The 3211 was announced on June 30, 1970. Operating at up to 2000 lpm, it compared well to the 1403-002 which ran at 600 lpm and the 1403-N1 which ran at 1100 lpm.
It is actually a combination of three separate machine types:

IBM 3211

This is the printer component. It was described as a front printer in that the hammer and the type elements are placed in front of the ribbon with the paper in the rear, against the platen. The combination of front printing, improved type design, oscillating platen and improved hammer dynamics meant that even though the train and the printer both ran much faster, print quality was actually improved over previous printers.<
It has the following significant features:

An interchangeable train type print cartridge that contains all the type elements.
An oscillating platen that can automatically sense the form thickness. The platen moves forward as each line is printed and then retracts as the form is advanced to the next line.
It uses a programmable forms control buffer rather than paper carriage tapes.
The paper can advance at up to 90 inches per second
An enhanced power stacker. This was needed as the printer could empty a standard box of paper in 10 minutes.
132 print positions, that can optionally be expanded to 150 positions.
The printer cover automatically opens when the printer has an issue, such as being out of paper, having a full stacker or having a forms jam. It can also open by program control. Operators need to take care not to leave objects on top of the printer for this reason.
It had a special control panel for a service representative to use to run diagnostics, meaning tests could be run without relying on the host system.

OCR printing capability was added on March 13, 1972,
The 3211 is long, wide and high. It weighs.

IBM 3216

Described as a train type cartridge, it can be installed and replaced by an operator.

It has 432 print elements mounted on 108 carriers. This is larger than the IBM 1416 used by the 1403 and 3203 which has 240 characters
A new style type slug that is not engraved on the carrier, but suspended on the train elements
It includes an oiler mechanism.
It has two large T handles to lift it in and out of the 3211.
Each 3216 is transported and stored in a specially designed, one-piece, solid-plastic, molded case designed by C Sheikofsky and F. Strauss.

The maximum speed of the 3211 was determined by the train configuration, based on how large a character set was and how many times that set was repeated. The printer was interlocked to not exceed 2500 lpm.

Array Length	Number of array repeats	Minimum print rate
27	16	2500
36	12	2430
48	9	2000
54	8	1837
72	6	1477
108	4	1060
144	3	827
216	2	574
432	1	300

Print trains could be ordered in different arrangements, such as A11, 48 graphics in 9 identical arrays or H11, 48 graphics in 9 identical arrays. While the 48 character sets typically achieved 2000 lpm, other arrangements varied according to the table below:

Arrangement	Characters	ArraySize	Number of Arrays	Minimum lpm	Expected lpm
G11	64	108	4	1060	1765
P11	60	108	4	1060	1815
T11	120	144	3	827	906

IBM 3811

This is the printer control unit, that controls and buffers the printer. It contains the circuitry needed to attach the printer to the channel.
It is long, wide and high and weighs based on power 50/60 Hz.

Withdrawal

The 3211-1 and 3811-1 were withdrawn by IBM on May 1, 1985. The replacement product is the IBM 4245

IBM 3203

The 3203 is mechanically similar to the IBM 1403-N1. The 3203 is a line printer that used an interchangeable train cartridge known as the IBM 1416. It does not require a carriage control tape. It has an inbuilt vacuum cleaner.
Models 1 to 4, do not require a separate channel or control unit, but require the S/370 to have an integrated 3203 printer attachment feature. The Model 1 attaches to S/370 Models 115 and 125 and the Model 4 attaches to the S/370 Models 138 and 148.
The Model 005 is a standalone printer that can be directly attached to a parallel channel without a separate control unit or integrated adapter.
Maximum print speed is 1580 lpm with a 32 character set.
One unique capacity of the 3203 was the ability to print Braille. This was done by using an operator installed rubber strip across the face of the hammers and a special train cartridge that could, with the correct programming, print the matrix of dots needed for Braille cells.

Model	Speed	Connection	Announced	Withdrawn	Weight	Length	Width	Height
1	600	Integrated 3203 printer attachment	March 3, 1973	Jan 30, 1979	370	143	51	117
2	1200	Integrated 3203 printer attachment	March 3, 1973	Jan 30, 1979	370	143	51	117
3	1000/1200*	Integrated 3203 printer attachment	Oct 20, 1975	August 2, 1986
4	1200	Integrated 3203 printer attachment	June 30, 1976	Jan 30, 1979	370	143	51	117
5	1200	Parallel Channel	Jan 30, 1979	August 2, 1986	485	223	51	117

By default the 3203-3 can print 1000 lpm with a 48 character-set train. There is a speed enhancement feature that increases the speed to 1200 lpm. It can be cable connected to an IBM 3777 controller as well as an IBM System/3 or IBM System/38.

IBM 1416

The IBM 1416 is an interchangeable train cartridge introduced with the 1403-N1 and also used with the IBM 3203. This meant that instead of using a chain of linked characters, the printer used a train of unlinked characters. It has 240 characters, a typical configuration being the Universal Character Set which is five sets of the same 48 characters.

Band printers

In the late 1960s IBM began development work on flexible band technology. The goal was to create lower cost printers that still had good print quality. Initial printers used one hammer for two print positions and were relatively slow. However over time IBM switched back to one hammer per print position so they could attain higher speeds.

IBM 3618 Administrative Line Printer

The first IBM band printer, it was released in 1974. It is a 155 lpm printer with a 48 character set and uses one hammer for two print positions. It has 80 printer positions, but could be ordered with 132 print positions as a feature. It is part of the IBM 3600 banking system and is loop attached to an IBM 3601 controller. The 64 character set band reduces nominal print speed to 120 lpm, while the 96 character set band reduces it to 80 lpm.
It was announced on August 10, 1973.