Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 48

Xaar 1201 (left) and 5601 (right)

HP X2

Vince Cahill, president of VCE
Solutions (Waynesboro, PA), a firm
that consults with Fortune 500 and
other companies, is a recognized ace
on digital print systems and, like me, he
believes readers should understand
the central systems and processes
before making print machine buying
decisions. For example, Cahill separates inkjet components as ink, fluids,
delivery systems, substrates, coatings,
driver boards and software, but emphasizes that printheads are the central
component. Printhead characteristics
and capabilities determine the machine
results - resolution, dot accuracy,
speed, ink chemistry and viscosity.
Regarding MEMS printheads, Cahill
notes that interrelated MEMS manufacturing measures have enabled
manufacturers to increase resolution,
print speed and dot-placement accuracy which brings inkjet printer performance level with analog printing.
Cahill says MEMS manufacturing
processes intimately fabricate different appliances (and tiers) that are
subsequently assembled into inkjet
48

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

JANUARY 2018

printheads. The MEMS building
processes allow the production of
densely packed systems - transistors,
sensors and printheads - in submicron
sizes of less than 500 nanometers (nm).
Such packages are generally labeled
as Nano-electro-mechanical systems.
MEMS printheads, by the way, are
appraised in nozzles per inch (npi).
Cahill says MEMS processes produce
inkjet printheads with smaller features,
less weight, greater precision and
lower cost that other printhead manufacturing systems, which clearly
predicts that MEMS printheads, in
present or later amended forms,
stand in the future of every digital
imaging operation.
LARGE-FORMAT MEMS SYSTEMS
Several companies build single-pass
MEMS printheads for installation in
large-format digital print machines.
As noted above, "single-pass" suggests
that the media passes through the
print machine one time, regardless
of the number of inks applied. An
example is Fujifilm Dimatix's Samba
and StarFire silicone-based MEMS
printheads. The Samba features 2,048
individually addressable nozzles,
1,200-dpi native resolution and a
native ink drop size of 2.4 pL that,
the company said, can jet both UVcure and aqueous inks. The singlepass feature arrives via the Samba
scalability technology because its
1.7-in.-wide printheads are easily
gang-arrayed to make a wide-span
print bar. HP Scitex produces the

XL2200 X2, silicone-based MEMS
printhead designed for its HP Scitex
FB7500/FB7600 printers that use
UV-cure ink. HP said its X2 printhead
incorporates silicon-based MEMS
technology that features a combination of HP Scitex's semiconductor
manufacturing and piezoelectric
inkjet technology. These industrial
printheads operate in arrays up to
1,000 sets. HP said the FB7600, equipped with the X2 printheads, produces
images at speeds up to 5,380 sq. ft./hr.
The HP Scitex FB7500 UV-cure flatbed printer, equipped with the X2
printheads, produces high-quality
POP/POS applications, exhibition
graphics, signage, backlit displays and
posters at speeds up to 5,380 sq. ft./hr.
The Xaar 1201 thin film, piezo,
silicon MEMS printheads deliver
eight gray levels at 600 npi to give
an apparent resolution of 1,440 dpi,
and can be configured to print four
colors at 300 npi or one or two colors
at 600 dpi. The speed and color agility
depend on the price point and enduser profile that OEMs wish to target.
The Xaar 1201 can jet dye-sublimation,
eco-solvent, UV-cure or aqueous
inks. The Xaar 5601 thin film piezo
silicon MEMS technology features
5,600 nozzles and can jet up to 8L
of fluid per hour. As noted above,
modern MEMS printheads operate
at speeds of more than 5,000 sq. ft./
hr. - which, just for a comparative
assessment, equals more than 3,500
A4 sheets an hour. Impressed? Get
this; the research is ongoing.



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - January 2018

Signs of the Times - January 2018
Contents
From the Editor
St Update
At Large
Tech Review
Leds + Lighting
Vehicles + Vinyl
Shop Ops
Strike a Pose
Reflected Glory
Channel Your Energy
First Impression
Strictly Commercial: Brushing Up
New Products
Advertising Index
Last Look
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Intro
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - BB1
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - BB2
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Signs of the Times - January 2018
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - CT1
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - CT2
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Cover2
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 1
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Contents
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 3
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 4
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 5
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 6
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 7
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - From the Editor
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 9
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - St Update
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 11
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 12
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 13
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 14
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 15
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 16
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 17
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 18
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 19
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - At Large
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 21
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 22
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 23
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Tech Review
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 25
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Leds + Lighting
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 27
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Vehicles + Vinyl
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 29
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 30
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 31
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Shop Ops
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 33
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 34
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 35
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Reflected Glory
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 37
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 38
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 39
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 40
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 41
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Channel Your Energy
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 43
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 44
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 45
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - First Impression
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 47
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 48
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 49
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Strictly Commercial: Brushing Up
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 51
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 52
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 53
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 54
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 55
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - New Products
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 57
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 58
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 59
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 60
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 61
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 62
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 63
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 64
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 65
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 66
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 67
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 68
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 69
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 70
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 71
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 72
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 73
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 74
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 75
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 76
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 77
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 78
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 79
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 80
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 81
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - 82
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Advertising Index
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Last Look
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Cover3
Signs of the Times - January 2018 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_202010
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201512
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201306
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201209
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_bg2012
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