Analysis of Inkjet Technology Types and Ink Design Characteristics
Ink Performance Comparison Across Inkjet Technologies
| Ink Property | CIJ (Single Point) | CIJ (Multi Deflection) | DOD Piezo | Valve Jet | Desktop Piezo | Desktop Thermal Inkjet |
| Raw Material Complexity | High (up to 10) | High (up to 15) | High (up to 10) | Low (~4) | Medium (~6) | Medium (~4) |
| Functional Application | Medium | High | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Purity (filtered particles, μm) | High (<0.5) | Medium (<3.0) | Medium (<1.0) | Low (<5.0) | Medium (<1.0) | High (<0.2) |
| Reliability (jetting cycles) | High (>10¹⁰) | High (>10¹¹) | High (>10¹⁰) | Medium (>10⁸) | High (>10⁹) | High (>10⁹) |
1. Raw Material Complexity
Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) – Single Dot:
- Ink requires high electrical conductivity (primarily solvent-based)
- Contains volatile solvents (e.g., ketones)
- Raw materials must be strictly filtered to prevent nozzle clogging
Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) – Multi-Deflection:
- Ink must be compatible with electrostatic deflection (e.g., UV-curable inks)
- Requires low surface tension (32–36 mN/m) to ensure precise droplet deflection
Drop-on-Demand (DOD):
- Piezoelectric inkjet (e.g., office piezo printers):
- Requires higher viscosity ink (10–20 cP)
- Thermal inkjet (e.g., office thermal printers):
- Requires water-based ink (3–5 cP) to match bubble generation dynamics
Valve Jetting:
- Ink requires high solid content (≥95%)
- Suitable for UV or solvent-based systems
- Requires nano-level dispersion (D50 ≤ 200 nm) to improve adhesion
2. Functional Applications
CIJ Single Dot:
- Used for industrial coding and marking (e.g., inkjet coders)
- Relies on high-speed jetting (up to 80 kHz)
- Limited grayscale capability
CIJ Multi-Deflection:
- High-precision label printing
- Enables multi-line printing via electrostatic control
- Requires complex driving circuitry
DOD Piezoelectric Inkjet:
- High-resolution image printing (e.g., fine art reproduction)
- Supports multi-level grayscale (up to 8 levels)
- Higher cost
DOD Thermal Inkjet:
- Office printing applications (e.g., desktop printers)
- Uses low-cost water-based inks
- Larger droplet volume (typically ~42 pL)
Valve Jetting:
- Industrial UV printing (e.g., packaging)
- Fast curing speed (≈0.1 seconds)
- Requires corrosion-resistant printheads
3. Purity and Filtration Requirements
CIJ / Valve Jetting:
- Requires micron-level filtration (e.g., glass fiber filters)
- Removes particles to prevent nozzle clogging
DOD Thermal Inkjet:
- Water-based inks require 3–5 μm filtration
- Prevents unstable bubble formation
UV-Curable Inks:
- Requires nano-level pigment dispersion (D50 ≤ 200 nm)
- High-precision filtration is necessary to ensure uniform curing
4. Reliability (Service Life)
CIJ Single Dot:
- Long nozzle life (>1 billion jetting cycles)
- Requires regular cleaning to remove solvent residues
DOD Piezoelectric Inkjet:
- Piezo element lifespan ≈ 500 million cycles
- Strongly affected by ink viscosity
DOD Thermal Inkjet:
- Shorter lifespan (~100 million cycles)
- Due to thermal stress and bubble impact
Valve Jetting:
- Mechanical valve lifespan ≈ 200 million cycles
- Requires corrosion-resistant materials (e.g., ceramics)
5. Future Trends
UV-Curable Inks:
- Becoming mainstream due to:
- Environmental benefits (zero VOC)
- Fast curing speed (~0.1 seconds)
MEMS Printheads:
- Example: Konica Minolta 1024 nozzle design
- Enables higher printing speed and precision