The airflow between the fast-moving substrate and stationary print heads in a web print press may cause print quality issues in high-speed, roll-to-roll printing applications. We have studied the interactions between ink drops and the airflow in the gap between the printhead and substrate, by using an experimental flow channel and high-speed imaging. The results show: 1) the gap airflow is well approximated by a standard Couette flow profile; 2) the effect of gap airflow on the flight paths of main drops and satellites is negligible; and 3) the interaction between the gap airflow and the wakes from the printed ink drops should be investigated as the primary source of aerodynamically-related print quality issues.
Wen-Kai Hsiao, Stephen D Hoath, Graham D Martin, Ian M Hutchings, "Aerodynamic Effects in Ink-Jet Printing on a Moving Web" in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies and Digital Fabrication (NIP28), 2012, pp 412 - 415, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2012.28.1.art00037_2