Our inkjet test lab supports customers, OEM customers and ink manufacturers in qualifying and validating inkjet inks for use with various inkjet printheads and applications.
All tests are performed following a standardised procedure, described below. Running through the process provides insights into the following questions:
- Is the ink compatible with a particular printhead?
- Does the ink jet reliably in a lab environment?
- Is the ink jet reliable in a simulated production process?
The following descriptions give more detailed insights into the evaluation process and the individual steps involved.
1: Lab setup Depending on the required inkjet head, our test lab is set up to electronically drive the head, supply fluids and to analyse ejected drops on the dropwatcher system.
2: Compatibility testing Chemical compatibility is tested using the inkjet manufacturer's chemical compatibility test. Additionally, permissible materials are evaluated, should a machine be designed and built in the future.
3: Waveform development An initial waveform is developed to assess the ink's drop formation on the dropwatcher or drop observation system.
4: Jetting reliability In this step, jetting reliability is assessed in a real application scenario on the machine testbed in our lab at production speeds.
5: Application performance These tests give insights into the expected performance of the ink in production environments. For the ink manufacturer, the results provide valuable insights into the dynamic behaviour of the ink and the required process parameters.
6: Documentation All gained data and their interpretation is documented thoroughly. This allows us to provide the best value to the ink manufacturer or our OEM customer.