Easibind - Developing a high-speed digital inkjet print bridge head for flexible and rigid substrates

我们正在开发一种新型的高速数字喷墨印刷桥头，用于在200 - 1000微米厚度的柔性和刚性基材上印刷。高速数字印刷是印刷市场中一个不断增长的部分，因为：-市场正朝着及时生产的方向发展，需要更小的印刷量和更快的周转时间，-它使产品/包装差异化和个性化，数字印刷商能够经济地生产。这种通用的印刷方法也导致了新基材的采用，特别是塑料和合成材料，通过美学质量提供进一步的差异化。然而，目前没有高速数码打印机能应付这种承印物厚度的变化。我们的方法是开发一种“浮动”打印桥头，它可以自动调整基板的厚度，并使用精密工程打印床，可以将基板移动到5微米以内的精度。这两项创新使我们能够提供每小时高达5,600张的高速大幅面印刷，同时保持良好的印刷质量。我们将使用来自世界知名oem的最先进组件来实现这一目标。该项目将生产一台委托的alpha印刷机，可以作为印刷业的示范。由此，我们期望吸引对beta模型的兴趣和早期采用者，目标是在项目结束后的5年内销售50台商用机器。Easibind拥有与原始设备制造商的最新技术合作的记录，并寻求两家英国中小企业的专业知识来实现这个项目。

We are developing a novel high speed digital inkjet print bridge head for printing ontoflexible and rigid substrates from 200 – 1000 microns in thickness. High speed digital printing is a growing segment of the print market because:- the market is moving toward just in time production requiring smaller volume printruns with fast turnaround and- it enables product/packaging differentiation and personalisation which digital printersare able to produce economicallyThis versatile approach to printing is also leading the adoption of new substrates, particularly plastics and synthetics, to provide further differentiation through aesthetic qualities. However, no high speed digital printer can cope with this variation is substrate thickness at present.Our approach is the development of a “floating” print bridge head that will automaticallyadjust to the thickness of the substrate and the use of a precision engineered print bed that can move the substrate to an accuracy within 5 microns. These two innovations enable us to provide high speed, large format printing at up to 5,600 sheets per hour whilst maintaining fine print quality. We will achieve this using state of the art components from world-renowned OEMs.The project will output a commissioned alpha press that can serve as a demonstrator to the print industry. From this we expect to attract interest and early adopters for the beta model, with a target to sell 50 commercial machines within 5 years of project end.Easibind have a track record of working with the latest technology from OEMs and havesought the expertise of two UK SMEs to bring this project to fruition.