Xaar (Cambridge, UK), a world-leading inkjet printing technology group, has launched its latest printhead – the Xaar Nitrox – that provides users with greater print speeds and uniformity to deliver “unparalleled performance across a wide variety of print applications.” The new Xaar Nitrox is the next printhead to originate from ImagineX that “sets the roadmap” for Xaar’s bulk inkjet innovations and printhead developments. Speed is integral to the Nitrox, with firing frequencies of up to 48kHz enabling printing at up to 100 meters per minute. Set-up time and installation are also fast, with drop-in printhead alignment and Xaar’s AcuChp Technology allowing for a more automated process that’s quick, easy and reliable.
With its plug-and-print capability, printer uptime is maximized, and superb print uniformity also delivered, said the compny. Xaar’s TF recirculation technology minimizes any temperature changes within the printhead, virtually eliminating print density variations and controlling viscosity “to provide consistent printing across the swathe throughout each job.” Maintaining a constant flow of fluids directly past the back of the printhead nozzles enables instant priming of the Xaar Nitrox and avoids the need for costly and wasteful purging before printing can start. The very high flow rate also prevents sedimentation and nozzle blockages, particularly with heavily pigmented inks, radically improving reliability in even the harshest of printing environments.
The Xaar Nitrox Elite supports a wide range of applications and handles a broad range of fluids. Its open printhead architecture and TF Technology facilitate printing in multiple orientations. Consequently, it prints extremely reliably, whether in vertical or horizontal mode – or even when being positioned by a robotic arm with accelerating and decelerating speeds. High Laydown Technology delivers very high volumes of ink in a single pass, and combined with Xaar’s TF Technology allows fluids with higher particle loading and sizes – even those with viscosities of up to 100 centipoise. This enables the Xaar Nitrox to print an increased colour gamut and special effects for applications in the ceramic, glass and packaging sectors, as well as jetting higher-molecular-weight materials for Advanced Manufacturing and 3D Printing.
Backwards compatible with the Xaar 1003 Printhead, the three variants of the Xaar Nitrox (Core, Pro and Elite) provide customer choice and flexibility for a broad range of printing needs. The Nitrox Core is designed for applications using oil-based inks such as in ceramic-tile decoration, while the Nitrox Pro can handle more demanding fluids, including soluble salts and frit used for printing on glass. The Nitrox Elite delivers printing at up to 48kHz and its exceptional drop placement and accuracy make it ideal for functional fluids and 3D applications, alongside more traditional display graphics and label-printing solutions.
“We are delighted to be launching the next printhead from our ImagineX platform,” said Graham Tweedale, General Manager of Xaar’s Printhead Business Unit. “Whether using the latest highly viscous fluids for 3D printing or high laydown for packaging and labels, the speed, performance and productivity of the Xaar Nitrox means you can use it to print right – the first time and every time.