Continuous Inkjet Printing

Continuous inkjet printing is a noncontact, versatile, and high-speed way to print lot codes and date codes on substrates along a manufacturing line. In a CIJ continuous inkjet printer, ink is propelled from a reservoir through a nozzle. As it passes through the nozzle, the ink undergoes fragmentation, breaking down into countless tiny droplets. This fragmentation process is achieved by utilizing high-frequency vibration.

As the stream of droplets flows, it encounters deflector plates that generate an electrostatic field. This is where the magic unfolds - the charged drops gracefully deflect as they pass through the plates. This meticulous process ensures a steady and accurate stream of minuscule droplets, ready to be accurately directed onto the desired product. Droplets that haven’t been electrically charged are recirculated back into the system for reuse, hence the name "continuous inkjet printing."

There are numerous benefits associated with continuous ink technology. For example, continuous inkjet printers are known for their high-speed printing capabilities without sacrificing quality, which makes them ideal for fast-moving production lines. The printhead doesn’t make contact with the substrate during printing, which is important for printing on curved or uneven surfaces. Furthermore, CIJs use quick-drying inks allowing for excellent adhesion.

Continuous inkjet printers are favored in numerous applications for their ability to print at high speeds, with great precision, and on various substrates. Though they’re mostly used to print lot codes, date codes, and bar codes across various industries, CIJ technology is extremely versatile and can be used in a wide array of applications.

A few common examples of continuous inkjet printing applications would be date/lot codes on meat and dairy products (think of the best-by on your milk), beverages/bottles/cans, cable/pipe/wire, pharmaceutical/cosmetics products/packaging, and anything that needs a quick best-by date or lot code.

CIJ printers, also known as continuous inkjet printers, differ significantly from typical desktop inkjets in several different ways. CIJ printers rely on a continuous stream of ink droplets, which are charged and then directed onto the substrate using an electric field. The droplets that aren’t used are just recirculated back through the system. They’re designed to work at very high speeds, often ranging from 200 ft to 1000 ft of print per minute, and are capable of printing on almost any surface, using specialized solvent- or water-based ink.

In contrast, desktop inkjets and laser printers used in residential and office applications typically deposit tiny ink droplets directly onto the paper or use a toner and heat. Additionally, they’re mainly designed to print documents for home and office use, so speed isn’t a primary factor, and they’re mostly limited to printing on paper and photo paper. Also, the ink is designed for paper, and it’s either dye- or pigment-based.

Yes, there are different types of CIJ printers and CIJ printing technology available on the current market, and each is designed with specific industrial printing applications in mind. The most important thing to consider is the printing surface or substrate you’re going to be printing on. While CIJ printers are, indeed, incredibly versatile when it comes to substrate selection, the truth is that different models are more optimized for particular substrates. So, it’s crucial to choose a CIJ printer that’s compatible with the substrate you’re printing on.

Discussing their similarities would make a shorter list. The actual ink expulsion works differently in both types. As discussed above, CIJ relies on the continuous ink flow, while the TIJ uses a resistor to heat the ink so it bubbles onto the target substrate.

Of course, this implies different ink types, with TIJ using water-soluble ink, which is quite limiting in terms of printing substrates, mostly paper and similar materials. However, they offer higher-resolution prints, which makes them perfect for applications that demand more detailed graphics or small and precise text.

CIJ printers, on the other hand, are more versatile in terms of substrates, and they use solvent-based ink that has better adhesion to a wider array of materials. However, the resolution is generally lower than that on TIJ printers, as CIJs are more focused on speed and versatility rather than level of detail.

As its name implies, continuous inkjet printing technology relies on the continuous flow of ink to produce images. The CIJ printer pushes the ink through a very, very small nozzle under high pressure, which creates the ink stream. As the droplets of ink form, they pass through an electrostatic field, which imparts electrical charge to the drops. Droplets are formed and then given a charge. They continue through a set of plates known as deflector plates that form an electromagnetic field. This field redirects only the charged droplets onto the substrate to form text. The uncharged drops are recirculated back through the printer, making CIJ printers very resource-efficient.