Tech Fest Preview: Testing and Choosing Print Heads for Industrial Applications

In my previous FuturePrint blog on the topic of modular lab testing, we looked at how combining drop watcher technology with modular components for printing and curing can help with customised testing of different material combination for industrial inkjet applications. We follow up here with a brief discussion on print head choices and testing for meeting different fluid needs.

Print head selection is one of the most common questions that comes up for newcomers to inkjet. To There is an ever-widening choice of print head models from the main manufacturers offering high print speeds and resolution or big fat drops and throw distance, with or without recirculation.  Jetxpert recently posted a nice summary.

What a list of specs does not help with is the understanding of what heads suits what use and why. Beyond the ubiquitous “offset quality” claims for 1200-1600dpi MEMS offerings intended for high- speed roll-to-roll printers, the justifications can be much more nuanced and sometimes quite unique for certain technologies.

Ink chemistry is the overriding determining factor, because the more niche industrial uses tend to demand extremely specific fluids. Even just looking at a single application like 3D printing, the spectrum of formulations ranges from fast drying solvent-based 3D binders with phenolic/furan resins, through UV cured ink for direct printing of polymers, and hot-melt inks as support materials. Some heads are good for stronger solvents whilst others are not-so-much, and likewise for higher jetting temperatures. Using our Jetxpert system we have helped many customers with UV, solvent, aqueous and solvent ink using heads from Futureprint partners like Fujifilm Dimatix (Q-class, Starfire, Samba) and Ricoh (MH, GH).

Next is the ability to achieve ink recirculation past the nozzles, which determines whether more difficult inks, like those with higher particle content can the managed effectively.  On our Meteor system we have worked with Epson S800, Xaar XJ1002, Seiko RC and previously mentioned Dimatix Starfire heads which between their different model options offer drop sizes from 5-200pL.  Even with the right choice made, the customisation of head & waveform settings for optimal results is still needed.

Over the last 3 years DoDxAct has expanded its coverage of prints head that allow us to serve these burgeoning number of uses and demonstrate specific project needs, like printing at distance, or depositing specific biological formulations at < 5cP. In our upcoming FuturePrint video as part of the TechFest event we will be going into a bit more depth about some the print head testing that we have done to demonstrate requirements for different applications and sharing some recorded lab demos.

Register for Mark Bale’s Tech Fest presentation, ‘Testing and Selecting Print Heads’, here.

Register for the panel discussion chaired by Mark Bale, ‘Technology Selection and Integration’, here.