FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. the world’s leading provider of inkjet printheads for industrial applications, today announced it has launched its new Emerald series piezoelectric drop-on-demand printheads for high-performance graphics applications.
Designated the Emerald QE-256/30 AAA and QE-256/80 AAA, the new 30-picoliter and 80-picoliter printhead models combine precise, high-speed multi-pulse binary jetting and versatile grayscale operation with a durable, field-proven metal nozzle plate that supports aqueous, UV-curable and solvent ink formulations. This construction was specifically chosen to accommodate broad variations in fluid jetting characteristics to facilitate development of new printer designs ideally suited to scanning architectures.
Based on the highly versatile Dimatix Q-Class platform, the new Emerald models feature 256 individually addressable channels arranged in a single row at 100 dots-per-inch spacing. The FUJIFILM Dimatix printhead design allows every jet to operate concurrently with low crosstalk and excellent channel-to-channel uniformity. This enables the printhead to achieve a high throughput rate without trading off drop placement accuracy and deliver precision jetting at full production speed.
This high-accuracy design coupled with a thin profile allows Q-Class printheads to be stacked in close proximity to each other, a feature enhanced with precision registration points that allow developers to nest multiple printheads and achieve high printing densities, while facilitating drop-in replacement.
These shared physical features and identical interfaces as other Q-Class products allow Emerald printheads to be intermingled with the same or complementary printhead models to provide developers with a multitude of configuration possibilities with unequal flexibility and functionality. Further, it allows systems designers to easily migrate their designs across many different printer models, price points and applications.
The Emerald QE-256/30 is designed to eject adjustable 30 to 80 picoliter drops in binary mode or a 30-picoliter fundamental drop in grayscale mode. The Emerald QE-256/80 is designed to eject adjustable 80 to 200 picoliter drops in binary mode or an 80-picoliter fundamental drop in grayscale mode. Operating at a nominal 8-meter/second drop velocity when jetting fluids in the 10 to 14 centipoise range, the new Emerald QE-256/30 operates at firing frequencies to 33 kHz while the Emerald QE-256/80 has a maximum operating frequency to 20 kHz. Both deliver drops with unparalleled jetting straightness.
Grayscale operation is made possible with Dimatix’ breakthrough VersaDrop™ jetting technology that enables uniquely flexible modes of operation including adjustable binary drop size and grayscale capability without impact to productivity.
The new Emerald printheads take their place next to the previously introduced Q-Class Sapphire and Polaris models. Sapphire printheads feature Dimatix’ advanced carbon-silicon hybrid construction that produces best-in-class jetting accuracy and are ideal for the aggressive fluids typically used in materials deposition applications. Sapphire, like Emerald printheads share multi-mode binary and grayscale operation. Polaris are general purpose, easy to use printheads with binary only operation. Taken in total, this extensive range of products provides solid evidence of the power and flexibility of the Q-Class platform.
