Evolution Theory of Ink Jet Technologies: Progress by Component or Architectural Knowledge

Abstract

Ink jet technology has extended its market by upgrading functions and improving performances of a few key components (printhead, ink and media) under a simple marking process for years. However, this trend has been saturated in the personal market, and the market has been stagnant. In this situation, two directions for ink jet technology progress have become obvious. One is expansion of the ink jet to various applications such as digital fabrications utilizing a simple process and the other is facing challenges (to the commercial printing market) from performance limitations derived by imaging processes that are achieved only by the interaction between ink and media. The differences of technical approaches in each direction also exist. The progress of an elemental technology region (key components) has been noticeable in the expansion of the possibility. The challenge to the limitation has been effective in the progress of system integration or peripheral technology. The former evolution (Concentrating Functions Progress) can generate “Incremental Innovation” and needs component knowledge to improve component performances. The latter (Sharing Functions Progress) demands architectural knowledge to test the optimum combination of components maximizing system performances and is one of the driving forces generating “Architectural Innovation”. Generically, venture companies or small start-ups play a role in Architectural Innovation because they are free from resource allocation mechanisms or an organizational form for Incremental Innovation. But in the current commercial printing market, many big companies have introduced ink jet printers with different component combinations (architectures) and the Dominant Design has not been fixed yet. The shift from Incremental Innovation to Architectural Innovation has also occurred in additive manufacturing.