Recent developments in moving nozzle inkjet printhead technology

Abstract

The developments seen in inkjet printing over the past two decades have resulted in the adoption of the technology in significant, previously untapped, markets. Applications such as ceramic tile decoration, printed electronics and additive manufacturing have all been transformed by the increased reliability, speed and range of materials that can be deposited, delivering huge commercial upsides to the end users. [1] Nevertheless, there is still significant room for further technical developments to drive inkjet technology into new markets. Incremental changes to the performance of established technologies could deliver this vision given sufficient time and investment, but there is plenty of opportunity for a new, disruptive approach to drive the industry forwards. The Technology Partnership plc (TTP) has been developing a portfolio of droplet generating technologies for a number of applications, one embodiment of which is an industrial inkjet printhead. The ejection mechanism is based on a 'moving nozzle' approach, which is characterized by driving a nozzle plate at ultrasonic frequencies in order to generate the fluidic pressure required to generate the droplet. This paper provides an update on the anticipated benefits of the technology, applications where we believe it could deliver significant commercial advantages and the current status of development.