Challenges of Large Scale Single Pass Inkjet

Systems

Debbie Thorp, Business Development Director

Global Inkjet Systems Ltd

IMI Inkjet Printing Conference

Las Vegas 2-4 February 2011

1 Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10

 Contents

Introduction to GIS
Single pass inkjet system evolution
Increasing demand on print data
Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers
Challenges for system builders
Advanced system configurations
Mixed resolution printing
Mixed printhead type printing
Production line issues
Curved surface compensation
Zero gap & overlap printing
Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Global Inkjet Systems

Founded in 2006 privately held

Based in Cambridge, UK
Leading developer of software and electronics for industrial inkjet
printheads
Wide industrial printhead capability
Dimatix, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Xaar etc.
Portfolio of products
-
-

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 GIS Product Portfolio

OEM Complete operating system

Variable data RIP
System Integrator Colour management/layout tools
Ink Developer Printhead electronics
Industrial User Driver software

More Features
Lower Cost

High Volume Wide Drive Electronics

Software Drivers
Format OEM

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Layout & Design Design File High Speed Variable Colour Separation, Binary and Grey
Data RIP Management and Level Screening
Linearization

Data Source

Stitching &
Printheads Head Personality Print Manager Board Multipass Swathe Generation
Board

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 API Print Manager Head Personality Printheads
Board Board
OEM s datapath
3rd party RIP,
content creation,
colour management,
multipass strategies
Windows
DLL

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Contents

Introduction to GIS
Single pass inkjet system evolution
Increasing demand on print data
Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers
Challenges for system builders
Advanced system configurations
Mixed resolution printing
Mixed printhead type printing
Production line issues
Curved surface compensation
Zero gap & overlap printing
Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Fujifilm Jetpress 720
28 x 20 wide
Single Pass System Evolution 180 sheets/min

Inca FastJet demo

52cm wide
200x300dpi
1.6m/sec
Nilpeter/FFEI Caslon
Ferro Kerajet 310-420mm wide
35cm wide greyscale
180dpi
Kodak Prosper
2 up wide 200m/min
175lpi

Kerajet K700/720
1m -1.26m wide
Mono
Low res
Variable data
Miyakoshi MJP600
50cm wide
120 heads

Dotrix Dot Factory

High res/greyscale
Up to 63cm wide (now) Jetrion, CSAT, Durst, Atlantic Zeiser, IIJ, PPSI, Domino......

Long established DRUPA 2000 DRUPA 2004 DRUPA 2008/Label Expo 2009/ IPEX 2010/ Tecnargilla2010
single pass systems
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 Impact of (Latest) Single Pass Systems

Combination of:-
N-colours
Pre-coat & varnish
Print speed >1m/sec
Fully variable data - every image different
Natural material simulation
Wide widths
>1m becoming well established

Increasing demands on print data

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 Increasing Demands on Print Data

Application Drivers / Quality Improvements Partially Fully

Monochrome vs. Colour: Process colour requires Variable Variable
at least 4 times the amount of data of
monochrome
Resolution and Greyscale: Increasing resolution
and moving to greyscale all require more data per
square mm
Static vs. Variable Data
Static: All print data can be downloaded to
print electronics before printing
Partially Variable: Similar to static data but a
small section is downloaded on each print
Fully Variable: New print data needs to be
downloaded every time at the speed it is
consumed by the printheads

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 Variable Data Applications
Application Example Requirements Example

Tracking Data Path Partially variable

RIP Real-time
Text/Barcode Fully variable
Images Pre-cached

Late Stage Product Data Path Partially variable

Customisation RIP Offline
Text/Barcode Static/fully variable
Images Pre-cached/fully variable

Number Plate Printing Data Path Fully variable

RIP Real-time
Text/Barcode Fully variable
Images Pre-cached

ID Card/Passport Printing Data Path Fully variable

RIP Real-time
Text/Barcode Fully variable
Images Fully variable

Natural Material Printing Data Path Fully variable

RIP Offline
Text/Barcode N/A
Images Pre-cached

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 Industrial Inkjet Printhead Data Rates
Printhead data rates have increased over 100 times over the last 15 years
Colour/Resolution/Speed/Variable Data/ # of Heads

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 Challenges for RIP and Workflow
Manufacturers

Single pass inkjet press

Graphics Designers Jobs Partially Variable Print Engine Partially Variable Output

Fully variable print applications

require vast amounts of data and
artwork

Single pass inkjet press

Graphics Designers Jobs Fully Variable Print Engine Fully Variable Output

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Challenges for System Builders
Getting data to the printhead
Speed isnt everything.....

Print Server Data Path Electronics Printheads

A B C

Speed and reliability of hardware; Speed, reliability, waveform

maximum cable lengths; cost; generation and quality, error
connectors. correction etc.

Speed and reliability of network,

RIP Servers
latency. ...reliability, cost etc are also factors

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Large Single Pass System
Single PC Architecture Example
Single PC Solution
Limited Processing Speed
Print PC
Limited Memory Bandwidth
Limited Peripheral I/O
Slow Start Up
User Interface Limited Variable Capability

Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

 Large Single Pass System
Multi-PC Architecture Example
Master
Full Variable Data Capability

TCP / IP (Network)

Slave 1 Slave 2 Slave 3

User Interface PC running GIS master

controller software PCs running GIS
software

Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

 Contents

Introduction to GIS
Single pass inkjet system evolution
Increasing demand on print data
Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers
Challenges for system builders
Advanced system configurations
Mixed resolution printing
Mixed printhead type printing
Production line issues
Curved surface compensation
Zero gap & overlap printing
Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Advanced System Configurations

Mixed printhead resolutions

Single printhead technology running bars or
colours/fluids of printheads at different resolutions
e.g. Precoat or varnish in binary mode; image in greyscale

Stagger for 720dpi K

72.192mm
Pre-Coat UV Lamp Post Coat IR Cure
360dpi CMY 720dpi K

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 Advanced System Configurations

Mixed technology printheads

One technology of printhead for precoat or post-varnish
Large drop volume
Second technology of printhead for image
Small/greyscale drops

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Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10
 Contents

Introduction to GIS
Single pass inkjet system evolution
Increasing demand on print data
Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers
Challenges for system builders
Advanced system configurations
Mixed resolution printing
Mixed printhead type printing
Production line issues
Curved surface compensation
Zero gap & overlap printing
Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Curved Surface Printing

Product decoration using inkjet is

becoming more common
Most consumer products have curved
surfaces which is difficult to print
onto using inkjet
Some of the key issues include
Throw distance
Jet straightness
Drop density
With a combination of techniques
most issues can be overcome
One of the more complex is drop
density or the inter-drop fire
separation

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 Curved Surface Printing

Controlling drop fire separation Direction of scan Printhead

Printing from 3mm - 8mm from substrate
42pl drop (binary) to achieve throw distance Ink
Substrate

Low Density Uniform Density Low Density Uniform Density

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 Curved Surface Printing
Low Density Uniform Density Low Density Uniform Density

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 Overlap Printing Demo Shape

Ideally suited for combining inkjet with traditional printing

Traditional printing techniques can have zero gap between plates
Adding inkjet requires a hardware Print/Go with zero gap or close to zero gap
Overlap printing solves this issue allowing:-
Small inter-label gaps; zero gaps; and even negative inter-label gaps or overlap

Inter-label gap

Label size Hardware Print/Go

and shape trigger point

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 Overlap Printing Example Print

Low density Wasted substrate

Global Inkjet Systems
Overlap Printing
Global Inkjet Systems
Overlap Printing
Global Inkjet Systems
Overlap Printing
Global Inkjet Systems
Overlap Printing High print quality No anti-aliasing
113 of 500 114 of 500 115 of 500 116 of 500

Print/Go gap Zero

High density Little substrate wasted

Lower print quality Low quality barcode/text
Print/Go gap Zero

Low density Lowest substrate wastage

Global Inkjet Systems Global Inkjet Systems Global Inkjet Systems
Overlap Printing
112 of 500
Overlap Printing
114 of 500
Overlap Printing
116 of 500
High Print Quality No anti-aliasing
Global Inkjet Systems Global Inkjet Systems
Overlap Printing Overlap Printing
113 of 500 115 of 500 Print Go Gap Negative/Fully overlapped

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Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume

Inkjet printing is increasingly being combined

with factory production lines
Upstream or downstream problems
unconnected with the printing station may
require the line to be stopped; backed up; and
then restarted
What happens when the line stops and you
need to dry/cure your print?
And then have to start printing again where
you left off?
If a production line is stopped, a short distance of
additional travel is beneficial to cure the ink
Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume is a method that
allows production lines to be stopped, reversed
and the print resumed precisely from the point it
was stopped

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 Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume

Print
Printheads UV Lamp

Pause & Cure

Printheads UV Lamp

Rewind

Printheads UV Lamp

Resume Print

Printheads UV Lamp
27 Global Inkjet Systems 2006/10
 Summary
Challenges of large single pass systems
System configuration innovations
Software expertise
Inkjet as part of a complex production process
Variable data management
Job change management
More complex workflow
More content designers
Must be in production 24/7
Cost model and benefits
Is the demand really there?
Customer education
Capabilities of variable data printing training etc
Consumer education
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 Thank You Any Questions?

Debbie Thorp, Business Development Director

debbie.thorp@globalinkjetsystems.com

Global Inkjet Systems Limited

St. Johns Innovation Centre
Cowley Road
Cambridge CB4 0WS
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1223 421 522
Web: www.globalinkjetsystems.com

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