FUJIFILM Dimatix Implements M-Class Printheads and VersaDrop Jetting Technolog

LAS VEGAS, Nev.—FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. announced that Raster Printers, an innovative manufacturer of mid-range display graphic printing systems, became the first company to implement FUJIFILM Dimatix’ new Silicon MEMS-based M-Class printheads and its advanced VersaDrop jetting technology. The two breakthrough FUJIFILM Dimatix developments have been integrated in Raster Printer’s Daytona T600UV flatbed printer, unveiled today at the International Sign Expo, the world’s largest sign show.

The Daytona T600UV is outfitted with the FUJIFILM Dimatix 6-module M-Class Hex Printhead based on the latest silicon-based MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) printhead technology. It is a 60 by 48 inch flatbed system, which can produce photographic-quality print at up to 1080 dpi. The Daytona T600UV easily meets the graphics and text quality requirements of the most demanding indoor and outdoor applications. The new Daytona T600UV uses UV curable inks to offer excellent fade resistance for outdoor applications. The stationary vacuum table design with a moving gantry provides highly versatile media handling, able to print on virtually any type of coated or uncoated media up to two inches thick, from small tiles and labels to large heavy boards, with precise dot registration and sharp text.

First Application of Shaped Piezo Silicon to Print
FUJIFILM Dimatix in its new Spectra-branded M-Class printheads uses Silicon MEMS technology to fabricate jetting structures on silicon wafers in much the same way that integrated circuits (ICs) are manufactured and combined this technology with its proprietary Shaped Piezo Silicon technology to attach the PZT crystal to a thin silicon membrane atop the ink channel to form the pumping chamber. Each module is fabricated as a single monolithic structure—a jetting module on a chip—featuring 304 nozzles precisely spaced in a single row of jets at 180 nozzles per inch. Each channel can operate independently to provide peak performance, jetting a nominal 10-picoliter drop size that can be custom tuned. Jetting velocity is approximately 8 meters per second with 10-centipoise inks, using a drive voltage of less than 30 volts.

The FUJIFILM Dimatix proprietary silicon MEMS manufacturing process produces drop-on-demand piezoelectric printheads with performance and versatility characteristics that challenge every printhead technology developed to date. Spectra-branded M-Class printheads are more accurate, more versatile, dramatically smaller and more durable than other commercially available printheads. Spectra M-Class printheads open up new opportunities that can be exploited by systems builders to offer end users unprecedented flexibility in printhead operation and product design.

VersaDrop jetting technology takes advantage of the inherent high frequency response and efficiency of the FUJIFILM Dimatix Shaped Piezo Silicon MEMS-based ink jet design to offer flexible and versatile printhead operation. The defining characteristic of VersaDrop jetting technology is the non-resonant excitation of the piezoelectric element with waveforms of variable amplitude. Metered amounts of ink are pumped into a single drop before the ligament detaches from the nozzle. This capability can be exploited to produce variable size drops and accommodate a broader range of jetted fluid properties with no compromise in jetting productivity.

Using the M-Class Hex Printhead with VersaDrop jetting technology enables the Daytona T600UV to produce 3 different drop sizes in binary operating mode for up to 1080 dpi resolution with provisions for grayscale support. The durable M-Class printhead on the Daytona T600UV can be configured to jet CMYK and light cyan and light magenta to provide smooth mid tone gradations, or white ink and varnish. The T600UV’s high resolution meets the photographic image quality requirements of most indoor graphics, while the UV curable inks offer excellent fade resistance for outdoor applications.

“The new FUJIFILM Dimatix VersaDrop jetting technology on the M-Class printhead produces the best shaped variable-sized drops. This is accomplished by two pulse and three pulse burst-mode firing which forms a bigger drop right at the nozzle plate, not during the drop flight, as is the case with most grayscale printheads. Our ability to vary drop sizes provides multiple resolutions and smooth tonal transitions with the same printer and without impact to productivity” said Rak Kumar, President of Raster Printers. “In addition, the Silicon nozzle plate used in these printheads is not only resistant to scratching but also provides precise directionality of ink drops resulting in sharp text and crisp edge definition. With their new M-Class Printheads and VersaDrop jetting technology, FUJIFILM Dimatix clearly offers ink jet technology that’s head and shoulders above everybody else – the leading ink jet technology on the market today and for the foreseeable future. We’re pleased to be affiliated with FUJIFILM Dimatix in the development of our new Daytona T600UV, and we look forward to continued collaboration on the M-Class and related technologies,” Kumar concluded.

John Batterton, president, FUJIFILM Dimatix commented, “We’re excited that Raster Printers is achieving a new level of performance with the Daytona T600UV using the latest FUJIFILM Dimatix technologies. We look forward to working with Raster Printers as they bring the Daytona T600UV to market, and as they investigate other ways to apply the design of our Shaped Piezo Silicon M-Class printheads and VersaDrop jetting technologies to new products.”