Xaar has announced a new series of printheads, the 1003, which builds on Xaar’s previous 1001 and 1002 printheads. The series uses the same Hybrid Side Shooter architecture combined with Xaar’s own TF technology that recirculates ink directly past the back of the nozzle during drop ejection.
As a result, ink is in constant circulation, preventing sedimentation and subsequent blocking of the nozzles when jetting. It also ensures that the printhead operates reliably even in the harshest industrial environments and also in horizontal and vertical (skyscraper) jetting modes.
These new heads come with a new nozzle plate protection feature called the XaarGuard designed to limit damage to the heads, still one of the biggest causes of head failure.
These heads have benefited from Xaar’s new X-act Micro Electric Mechanical Systems (MEMS) manufacturing process. The heads are made at Xaar’s state of the art manufacturing plant in Huntingdon, UK, which was recently awarded Manufacturing Site of the Year by the National Microelectronics Institute in recognition of the company’s dedication to Continuous Improvement.
Gillian Ewers, Xaar’s director of marketing, commented: “Alongside improved performance and the maintenance free production runs, the Xaar 1003 is easy to install and is also backwards compatible with the Xaar 1002 and Xaar 1001 printheads.”
Xaar is planning to make three variants, which will be similar to the existing 1002 variants. The first to be launched will be the GS12, which offers rich colours or higher speeds, is aimed at ceramics applications. This will be followed by the GS6, with smaller drop sizes for fine detail and later the GS40 for special effects. The other variants for UV applications will also be available later in the first half of this year.
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