Colordyne partners with Adphos

Adphos has worked with Colordyne to develop an NIR dryer specifically for Colordyne’s ChromaPlex LT inkjet print engine, which is itself based on Memjet’s DuraFlex printhead technology. This engine is used in Colordyne’s retrofittable 2800 series AP engines, as well as by a number of Colordyne’s integration partners for a variety of narrow web applications.

The NIR30-375-E dryer has been designed and manufactured by Adphos but will be sold through Colordyne and its strategic integration partners. It’s a 330mm-wide dual emitter dryer based on Adphos’ patented aNIR technology, where ‘a’ stands for Advanced. 

Frank de Jonge, sales director for the Adphos Group, explained: “Advanced does not only mean the intelligent combination of the specifics of efficient drying, it also means that Adphos analyses the applications and the requirements of the printer, the ink and the substrates.”

He adds: “In this case, Colordyne was concerned about a cost-efficient drying solution that copes perfectly with their high speed Memjet printing.  We developed a new emitter and an adapted dryer-module-concept that allows to meet all the above targets. This is the way we work with OEMs and this is what makes adphos the preferred dryer supplier of printer manufacturers, particularly when drying is a critical part of the printing solution.”

In addition, this dryer will also allow users to print on a greater variety of substrates, which currently includes a range of semi-gloss, high-gloss and matte papers as well as gloss films for label and packaging production. Marketing director Katelyn Bohr adds: “If anyone is interested in learning more about the materials we have tested with this dryer and the results of that testing, we encourage them to reach out to us.”

The DuraFlex is a thermal printhead that has four channels, allowing a cost effective way of developing a four-colour print system. It’s worth noting that Memjet insists that all of its OEM customers use whichever inkset that Memjet has developed and certified for the printhead in question, and that includes Colordyne. So the pigment ink that the Chromaplex LT uses is ultimately Memjet’s DuraFlex aqueous pigmented inkset. That implies that this Adphos dryer should also work with other Memjet DuraFlex-based solutions though Colordyne tells me that since the dryer was developed as a partnership between Colordyne and Adphos, the dryer itself can currently “only be sourced through us or one of our SIPs using a ChromaPlex LT print engine if being used for a printer running Memjet’s DuraFlex technology.”

Naturally this also means that the dryer has been developed to address the likely working conditions for the ChromaPlex LT print engine, meaning a 330mm print width, maximum speed of 45mpm and the appropriate type of production system and controls.

John Urban, director of engineering at Colordyne, commented: “We were already working with Adphos on drying technology for our ChromaPlex AP engine and knew they could meet these requirements. Adphos has been a great partner to Colordyne, and we know they will continue to support us and our SIPs as we bring the NIR30 dryer to market.”

The NIR30-375-E dryer will be commercially available from the end of September and will be shown then at the Pack Expo exhibition in Las Vegas, USA by one of Colordyne’s partners, Arrow Systems. You can find further details from colordyneinkjet.com and on the drying technology from adphos.com.