AVS 56th International Symposium & Exhibition
    Inkjet Technology: Printing, Materials Processing, and Microfluidics Fundamentals Topical Conference Wednesday Sessions
       Session IJ+MN+TF-WeA

Invited Paper IJ+MN+TF-WeA7
Recent Advancements in Continuous Inkjet Technology

Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 4:00 pm, Room B3

Session: Inkjet Printing Technology: Advances and Challenges
Presenter: J.M. Grace, Eastman Kodak Company
Authors: J. Chwalek, Eastman Kodak Company
E. Furlani, Eastman Kodak Company
J. Gao, Eastman Kodak Company
K. Vaeth, Eastman Kodak Company
G. Hawkins, Eastman Kodak Company (retired)
J.M. Grace, Eastman Kodak Company
Correspondent: Click to Email
Recent advancements at Eastman Kodak Company in the ability to precisely control the instabilities in thermally stimulated microjets, coupled with advancements in MEMS technology, computer modeling of complex microfluidic systems, nanopigment ink technology, and ink-substrate interactions, enabled the development and subsequent commercialization of a new continuous inkjet technology. This technology offers extremely high productivity with high image quality and excellent reliability on a wide variety of substrates while maintaining a low total ownership cost. This technology, referred to as KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology (or “Stream”), forms the basis of a technology platform that is highly extensible, allowing participation in markets that rely up on high-speed digital print production. The fundamental physics of droplet generation and control and nanopigment ink chemistry create inherent advantages in areas such as productivity, image quality, and ink latitude. In this presentation, we will describe the principles of operation of Stream ’s printhead. These principles include the physics of droplet formation, a discussion of fluid properties relative to jet modulation, wavelength dependencies, thermal modulation schemes, satellite drop formation, and drop control effects.