Linx Printing Technologies has launched a new model in its acclaimed Linx 6900 Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) printer range, which is capable of reducing solvent usage by up to 40%, delivering additional cost of ownership savings while still maintaining excellent reliability.

The Linx 6900 Solver is the first printer to ‘think as it inks’. Using a new ink system and specially created intelligent software, the coder adapts to specific printing conditions by reducing solvent evaporation within the system and, adjusting its operation according to the requirements of the code that is being printed.

This dynamic operation is designed to be the most reliable solvent saving technique. Of the more traditional systems currently available, the ‘condense and recycle’ method can affect the quality of the ink while the ‘pulsed suction’ process can allow ink to build up in the printhead, which could mean more regular printhead cleaning and increased downtime.

Linx says the new model will be of particular interest to large-scale users of CIJ technology, who are printing 24/7. “The standard Linx 6900 already delivers the lowest cost of ownership in the market today,” explains Rajiv Narayan, Product Manager at Linx. “Nevertheless, we have recognised that for those manufacturers who are continuously running multiple printers, solvent costs can soon add up and this is where the Linx 6900 Solver can give the greatest savings.”

In addition to its 40% solvent saving, the Linx 6900 Solver printer maintains all of the established functionality of the standard model: five line printing at speeds of up to 8.4m/s, an intuitive color user interface with WYSIWYG display and menu system, low-maintenance operation and an attractive curved appearance.

The new model also continues Linx’s reputation for pioneering new product development. The company was the first to develop full printhead autoflush at shutdown and auto power-down and the first to introduce a WYSIWYG display.

“Customer feedback consistently highlights the importance of cost of ownership,” says Rajiv Narayan.
“The Linx 6900 Solver is another example of how we are continuously focusing on ways to minimise running costs while still ensuring consistent long-term reliability from our coders.”

via www.linxglobal.com

Here is another device from the family of “The World’s Mosts and Firsts”. This is a wide-format Solara ion inkjet printer by Gerber.

The printer can print on virtually any surface that is up 64 inches wide and up to 1 inch thick! When it comes to printing speed, the device covers up to 639 square feet per hour at a resolution of up to 1440 dpi on rigid and rollable media. Gerber Solara ion printer makes printouts that can last up to 3 years outdoors without lamination.

So, what actually make this printer world’s first? Of course, it’s the technologies behind it.

Solara ion printer is the first to use GerberCAT cationic inks that dry instantly and are ready to use right after printing. Besides, these inks feature unmatched adhesion on materials problematic for other ink jet printers such as textiles or even glass.

Next is Cold Fire Cure technology that allows printing on wider range of heat sensitive media such as plastic, vinyl, fabric, and paper based materials. Needless to say, the technology produces no volatile organic compounds, no odors, and no environmental ozone.

As you can see, this is no ordinary device you would buy home. Gerber says that the device is targeted at printing applications such as billboards, fleet graphics or vehicle wraps.

Up to date, there is no any exact information on the price of this printer. Gerber, however, mentioned that the Solara ion offers better performance than any other such printer on the market today for under $150,000.

You may be pleased to know that Kyocera announced a development of the world fastest and industry widest drop-on-demand inkjet printhead.

The KJ4 Series printhead that was developed in cooperation with Brother is claimed to print at speeds of

• up to 200 m per minute at a resolution of 600×480 dpi
• up to 150 m per minute at 600×600 dpi.

They didn’t specify the width of a print produced at such speed, but it seems to be the width of the printhead ifself, that is 10 cm.

The printhead comprises a Kyocera-developed piezo actuator that accommodates 2,656 ink nozzles in a 108 mm-wide arrangement. The device dimensions are 200x25x58 mm.

The printhead is versatile and can use both water-based pigment and UV inks, delivering them in 4 to 20 picolitres droplets onto variety of media – from paper to fabric, film and plastic.

In performance test, two printheads used in Miyakoshi Printing Machinery MJP600 printers were able to achieved outputs of 1,000 A4 sheets per hour.

Commercial sales of the KJ4 Series printhead will start in April 2008, which means we’re going to see devices printing at light speed some 3-4 month later.

You may have forgotten, but in November 2007 Epson announced a new high-speed inkjet printer that was supposed to be a compelling alternative to laser printer.

I’m talking about Epson Stylus C120.

Today, this printer is launched into production, so let’s see what they say it can.

Printing speed. Based on independent testing, the Epson C120 offers the fastest black text printing compared to ink jet printers under $160 and is up to two times faster compared to ink jet printers under $100. To be exact, the printer speeds up to 37 ppm for black and 20 ppm for color. In draft mode, naturally.

Ink and Print Head Technology. Epson Stylus C120 prints using Advanced DX3 MicroPiezo printhead with smart nozzles that produce and precisely place three sizes of ink droplets. According to Epson, variable size of droplets requires fewer nozzles to print photos at fast speeds.The printer uses individual ink cartridges with DURABrite Ultra inks that increase fade resistance up to six times in indoor display condition. Two black cartridges allow about twice as much black printing, at about twice the speed, as compared to (you will be surprised here) printing with a single black cartridge!

The printer comes in bundle with Epson’s Auto Photo Correction that allows for, well, photo correction. The software is, by the way, unavailable to Mac OS X users.

With Hi-Speed USB 2.0 support, this Windows and Mac OS compatible printer is now available at a suggested retail price of $69.99.