FUJIFILM Dimatix, a wholly owned subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, and a global manufacturer and supplier of piezoelectric, drop-on-demand industrial inkjet printheads, has launched the FUJIFILM Samba JPC UV inkjet modules for integrators and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) suppliers. The company made the announcement during Labelexpo Americas.

FUJIFILM Samba JPC UV inkjet modules enable system designers and integrators to minimize the product development cycle of 1200 dpi single-pass inkjet printers with ready-to-integrate modules that support system design with high image quality, reliability, and uptime. 

The broad appeal of UV inks makes FUJIFLIM Samba JPC modules candidates for integration into systems targeted at commercial printers, label and packaging converters, as well as Industrial printing producers in decorative, printed electronics and specialty printing industry segments.

“Leveraging its rich history in digital inkjet solutions, Fujifilm has invested in building modules that will enable OEM and integrators to develop digital inkjet solutions that can deliver high-quality single pass printing for a variety of UV ink print applications,” explains Martin Schoeppler, CEO, FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. 

Modules can be added separately or in combination to create a digital inkjet solution. Components include:

• UV ink printbar: This printbar is designed for UV ink single-pass printing applications which uses FUJIFILM SAMBA printheads with an optimized waveform. The printbar and its sub-systems design allows for system aided calibration and supports manual or automated calibration of replacement printhead when needed, and also offers built-in fluid management including ink recirculation, backpressure control, degassing, and temperature control for optimal print conditions. These features are all offered in a compact printbar design eliminating the need for external fluid management tools except main ink supply tanks.
• Head cleaner: The head cleaner component utilizes the “wet-web” system in which a moisturized fabric and a cleaning solution developed by Fujifilm are used to automatically wipe printheads clean.
• Anti-collision sensor: The anti-collision module detects media anomalies that can cause media to strike and damage printheads. This sensor will temporally lift the printbar to allow spliced paper, wrinkled media, or other surface anomaly to pass under the printbar to avoid damage to printheads.
• Timing control unit: The timing control unit aids in jetting accuracy between printbar and media transport. Maintaining close control with encoding resolutions (e.g. rotary or linear) from 25 to 5,080 dpi helps keep high fidelity of fine lines and text contours.
• Image optimization software: Integrated image optimization software for single pass printing corrects print artifacts such as streaks and banding for enhanced print quality.
• Inline scanner: The inline scanner component detects image patterns and print artifacts, which feeds data to the Image Optimization Software for calibration and print quality assurance.

According to Marco Boer, vice president at IT Strategies, a digital printing industry analyst and consultancy, “UV-curable inks play an important role in the graphic arts and industrial print world, as they can print directly onto a very wide range of substrates without pre-treatments. UV-curable inks are instantly dry when exposed to UV-light, allowing the fastest production/finishing possible, using much lower energy consumption than other inkjet inks. Over 10 million liters of UV inkjet ink were consumed worldwide in 2021 and is expected to grow depending on the application between 10-30% annually through 2027." 

“FUJIFILM Samba JPC modules are a critical ingredient for integrators and OEMs that develop advanced single pass printing systems,” states Takashi Fukui, manager, Inkjet Business Division, FUJIFILM Corporation. “We are pleased to expand the FUJIFILM Samba JPC line with UV ink handling alongside our existing support for aqueous inks. Adding UV ink support will allow our partners to offer print solutions that meet the needs of print service providers looking to add digital printing to a growing range of applications and further expand the possibilities of this technology.”