Xaar's printheads, technologies and partnerships power the latest ceramic print innovations
- Categories:
- Ceramics ,
- High Viscosity
Xaar is continuing to drive print innovation across the global ceramics industry, particularly for today’s large-format tiles and slabs.
The company’s printheads, unique technologies and collaborative partnerships are supporting rapid adoption of water based digital glaze, which has become one of the most significant process developments in ceramics.
Building on more than 15 years of sector experience, Xaar is continuing to create growth in an essentially mature market through leveraging its innovative inkjet technology to help unlock new levels of creativity, efficiency and production performance. Water based digital glaze has moved from early laboratory trials to full industrial deployment, with the technology now being used to deliver premium decorative effects, high end customisation and the flexibility needed for advanced products such as large slabs and sintered stone. By eliminating many of the limitations associated with traditional belt and steel belt moulds, water based digital glaze is helping the sector shift from price competition to value driven differentiation.
Xaar’s inkjet printheads and technologies are ideally suited to support this transformation for manufacturers. Ultra High Viscosity Technology allows jetting of fluids with significantly higher pigment loads and larger particles, including glass frits, through a much broader viscosity window than traditional printheads can handle. This enables the digital production of deep textures, matte and gloss combinations, intricate reliefs, metallics and lustre finishes, as well as high thickness glaze layers in a single pass.
The Xaar Aquinox printhead, with true through flow architecture powered by Xaar’s TF Technology, ensures reliable jetting of challenging aqueous formulations with up to 50 percent solids and particle sizes up to D90(v) ≤ 3 microns. This extremely high laydown capability supports glaze deposition levels up to 350 g/m² from a single printhead, creating new creative and functional opportunities for tile manufacturers adopting water based digital glaze processes.
Strategic partnerships are further accelerating ceramic innovation. Esma glass Itaca, a global leader in ceramic inks and special effect materials, has collaborated closely with Xaar to develop high solid, large particle aqueous inks optimised for the Aquinox. These developments are providing superior decorative effects and more efficient, sustainable production for manufacturers.
Adoption is particularly strong in China, where equipment suppliers, materials companies and leading ceramic producers are advancing the industrialisation of water based digital glaze.
Xaar enabled digital glaze and relief solutions are already demonstrating commercial success, supporting the industry’s shift toward greater design freedom, reduced process complexity and lower material waste. Manufacturers are now achieving faster changeovers, shorter kiln cycles and improved capability to produce thinner, lighter and larger tiles without compromising quality.
Commenting on the company’s progress, Michael Walsh, Director or Technical Sales at Xaar said: “As digitalisation in ceramics accelerates, we are expanding what is possible with inkjet. Our Ultra High Viscosity and High Laydown Technologies, combined with close collaboration with partners such as Esma glass Itaca, are enabling advanced effects and finishes to be delivered with digital precision and consistency. We look forward to continuing this journey and helping customers innovate and evolve their ceramic production processes.”
