Xaar has launched its latest printhead – the Xaar Nitrox – which provides users with greater print speeds and uniformity to deliver enhanced performance across a wide variety of print applications.

The new Xaar Nitrox is the next printhead to come from ImagineX, which sets the roadmap for Xaar’s bulk inkjet innovations and printhead developments.

Speed is integral to the Xaar Nitrox, with firing frequencies of up to 48kHz enabling print at up to 100 m/m. Setup time and installation are also fast, with drop in printhead alignment and Xaar’s AcuChp Technology allowing for a more automated process that is quick, easy and reliable.

Graham Tweedale, general manager of Xaar’s printhead business unit, states, “We are delighted to be launching the next printhead from our ImagineX platform. Whether using the latest highly viscous fluids for 3D printing or High Laydown for packaging and labels, the speed, performance and productivity of the Xaar Nitrox means you can use it to print right the first time and every time.”

With its "plug and print" capability, printer uptime is maximized and print uniformity also delivered. Xaar’s TF Technology recirculation minimizes any temperature changes within the printhead, virtually eliminating print density variations and controlling viscosity to provide consistent printing across the swathe throughout each job.

Maintaining a constant flow of fluids directly past the back of the printhead nozzles enables instant priming of the Xaar Nitrox and avoids the need for costly and wasteful purging before printing can start. The high flow rate also prevents sedimentation and nozzle blockages, particularly in heavily pigmented inks, improving reliability in even the harshest printing environment.

The Xaar Nitrox supports the widest range of applications and handles the broadest range of fluids. Its open printhead architecture and TF Technology facilitate printing in multiple orientations. Consequently, the Xaar Nitrox prints reliably, whether in vertical or horizontal mode, or even when being positioned by a robotic arm with accelerating and decelerating speeds.

High Laydown Technology delivers high volumes of ink in a single pass and combined with Xaar’s TF Technology allows fluids with higher particle loading and sizes, even those with viscosities of up to 100 centipoise, to be used. This enables the Xaar Nitrox to print an increased color gamut and special effects for applications in the ceramic, glass and packaging sectors, as well as jetting higher molecular weight materials for advanced manufacturing and 3D printing.

Backwards compatible with the Xaar 1003, the three variants of the Xaar Nitrox – Core, Pro and Elite – provide customer choice and flexibility for a range of print needs.

The Nitrox Core is designed for applications using oil-based inks, such as in ceramic tile decoration, while the Nitrox Pro can handle more demanding fluids, including soluble salts and frit used for printing glass. The Nitrox Elite delivers printing at up to 48kHz and its drop placement and accuracy make it ideal for functional fluids and 3D applications, alongside more traditional display graphics and label printing solutions.