HP has announced a new bulk solvent ink delivery system that provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) “superior print quality, low cost per copy and minimal user intervention in high-volume production environments.” Leveraging HP Thermal Inkjet 2.5 Printhead Technology, the new system is ideal for high-volume industrial coding and marking applications, providing clear and legible small-character printing. The HP Bulk Solvent Ink System features a new print cartridge and a 400-ml ink cartridge for “a maintenance-free, high-uptime production environment.” With the modular system, proven components, reference documentation and engineering support, HP OEM customers are able to develop printers for the coding and marking sector with increased design flexibility, shorter time-to-market and a lower investment. The new system builds on HP’s portfolio of end-to-end packaging solutions that support a wide range of packaging applications – from coding and marking, to corrugated pre-print and post-print with direct-to-board printing.
“Product coding and marking is critical to nearly every component of the packaging supply chain. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and brands need to ensure that text, logos and barcodes will remain intact after printing,” said Annette Friskopp, Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Printing Systems at HP. “OEMs continually turn to HP for reliable, high-quality coding and marking solutions to meet strict CPG and brand standards. With the HP Bulk Solvent Ink System, the advantages of HP’s solutions are even more compelling.”
HP is currently working with several industry leaders to refine the system, including HSA Systems and inc.jet. These customers are leveraging the HP Bulk Solvent Ink System to develop innovative HP-based print technologies and enter new markets. “For many years, our customers have asked us for a solution that provides a stable, low-maintenance and economic ink supply for non-porous substrates,” said Jesper Hyldager, Partner and Manager at HSA Systems. “With the new HP Bulk Solvent Ink System, we can compete against continuous inkjet printers and are confident that this solution will help us gain new markets.”
The new system will use HP 2580 black solvent ink, which delivers high-quality alphanumeric-readable and barcode-readable output. The ink offers long decap time and fast dry times, ideal for high-productivity intermittent printing. “The new bulk ink system from HP, using the latest solvent-based inks, is an innovative step forward in our further development of HP-based print technologies,” said Martin French, Director of Marketing at inc.jet Inc. “The HP Bulk Solvent Ink System allows us to offer more reliable, efficient and cost-effective print solutions, ensuring that the ongoing uptake of Thermal Inkjet from inc.jet and HP into multiple markets continues.”
The new HP Bulk Solvent Ink System, along with additional solvent ink options, will be commercially available in late 2016.