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Volume: 30 | Article ID: art00005_1
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High Quality, High Speed, Next-Generation Inkjet Technology with Scalability from Serial Printheads to Lineheads
Shunsuke Watanabe
Satoshi Oguchi
Shunya Fukuda
Yuma Fukuzawa
Satoru Hosono
  DOI :  10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2014.30.1.art00005_1  Published Online :  January 2014
Abstract

Digital printing technologies are demonstrating strong growth due to their on-demand capability, which enables short run, varied-lot printing with rapid turnaround. Key growth segments in which piezo inkjet technology is recently increasing its presence are commercial, industrial and business printing, which demand professional quality and high productivity. Piezo inkjet technology uses mechanical energy rather than heat for ejection, enabling various types of ink to be used – from non-aqueous UV inks to water-based pigment inks.Thus far, we have developed MACH printheads with 120-180 npi/row nozzle resolution by enhancing the process of precision machining bulk piezo and ink channel components [1-5]. Using a different approach, we dramatically raised the nozzle resolution with TFP (Thin Film Piezo) technology in 2007 [6]. TFP's high displacement piezo, with a thickness of around 1 μm, made it possible to increase the nozzle resolution up to 360 npi/row. We have since utilized TFP as our flagship technology in large format printers.Now, with a next-generation actuator chip, we have succeeded in broadening the application of TFP technology into a wider range of printing segments, from desktop serial printers to industrial linehead presses. In this paper, we explain this nextgeneration inkjet technology, which achieves high output quality, high speed printing and improved scalability through the miniaturization of the core chip.

Journal Title : NIP & Digital Fabrication Conference
Publisher Name : Society for Imaging Science and Technology
Publisher Location : 7003 Kilworth Lane, Springfield, VA 22151, USA
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 DOI 10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2014.30.1.art00005_1
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Shunsuke Watanabe, Satoshi Oguchi, Shunya Fukuda, Yuma Fukuzawa, Satoru Hosono, "High Quality, High Speed, Next-Generation Inkjet Technology with Scalability from Serial Printheads to Lineheads"  in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies and Digital Fabrication (NIP30),  2014,  pp 5 - 10,  https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2014.30.1.art00005_1

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Copyright © Society for Imaging Science and Technology 2014
72010410
NIP & Digital Fabrication Conference
nip digi fabric conf
2169-4451
Society for Imaging Science and Technology
7003 Kilworth Lane, Springfield, VA 22151, USA
2169-4451(20140101)2014:1L.5;1-
nip_v2014n1/splitsection5.xml
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Articles
High Quality, High Speed, Next-Generation Inkjet Technology with Scalability from Serial Printheads to Lineheads
WatanabeShunsuke
OguchiSatoshi
FukudaShunya
FukuzawaYuma
HosonoSatoru
01012014
2014
1
5
10
2014
Digital printing technologies are demonstrating strong growth due to their on-demand capability, which enables short run, varied-lot printing with rapid turnaround. Key growth segments in which piezo inkjet technology is recently increasing its presence are commercial, industrial and business printing, which demand professional quality and high productivity. Piezo inkjet technology uses mechanical energy rather than heat for ejection, enabling various types of ink to be used – from non-aqueous UV inks to water-based pigment inks.Thus far, we have developed MACH printheads with 120-180 npi/row nozzle resolution by enhancing the process of precision machining bulk piezo and ink channel components [1-5]. Using a different approach, we dramatically raised the nozzle resolution with TFP (Thin Film Piezo) technology in 2007 [6]. TFP's high displacement piezo, with a thickness of around 1 μm, made it possible to increase the nozzle resolution up to 360 npi/row. We have since utilized TFP as our flagship technology in large format printers.Now, with a next-generation actuator chip, we have succeeded in broadening the application of TFP technology into a wider range of printing segments, from desktop serial printers to industrial linehead presses. In this paper, we explain this nextgeneration inkjet technology, which achieves high output quality, high speed printing and improved scalability through the miniaturization of the core chip.