Overview
Xaar is a world-leader in the development of industrial inkjet technology. This is an extremely versatile non-contact technology; it can be used to apply a wide range of fluids with precision accuracy to a range of different substrates. The Xaar 1003 printhead can consistently pump out 42 million drops of ink a second, and the 2001 can pump out considerably more.
There are two key types of inkjet printing – Continuous Inkjet (CIJ – continuous flow of ink) and Drop-on-Demand (DOD – a drop of ink is only produced when it is needed). Xaar’s works with Drop-on-Demand inkjet technology.
DOD inkjet is divided into three classes – Valvejet (which uses needle vales and solenoids to control the flow of ink); Thermal inkjet (a current is applied to a tiny heating element which heats up rapidly as a result, causing the ink to vaporise and bubble within the printhead chamber, forcing the ink out of the nozzle); and Piezoelectric inkjet, which is Xaar’s specialism.