Xaar, one of the leading inkjet printing technology groups, has launched its new printhead, the Xaar Aquinox, delivering superior reliability, creativity, and sustainability for printing aqueous fluids. This product represents the latest development from Xaar’s ImagineX platform, and its aQ Power Technology provides a radically new approach to how water-based fluids are jetted reliably, delivering a truly transformational industrial printhead.
Xaar’s aQ Power is a combination of technologies designed to optimise the Aquinox’s lifespan and robustness when handling aqueous fluids. These include a redesigned internal architecture, new water-compatible materials capable of coping with an extended working range of pH levels, and a new drive system enabling optimum drop ejection. This, together with Xaar’s TF Technology ink recirculation, ensures the Aquinox delivers significantly increased nozzle open time compared to typical aqueous printheads.
Speeds of over 100m/min can be achieved, and a high native resolution of 720 dpi and firing frequency of up to 48kHz, enable high fluid laydown, with maximum productivity. And with Xaar’s High Laydown Technology the drop size capability is extended, making the Aquinox ideal for printing textiles, highly absorbent substrates, or thick film coatings.
Xaar Aquinox provides more vibrant colours with more sustainable way
The Aquinox is capable of jetting fluid viscosities of up to 100cP thanks to Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology. By enabling a wider colour gamut and fluids with larger particles and more pigment for higher opacity, colours are more vibrant and whites and blacks stronger ensuring the Aquinox can bring the latest imaginative designs and finishes to life. Xaar’s technology and its chevron architecture provide a very energy-efficient operation, reducing the power required for printheads, printers and end users alike. In addition, Aquinox’s improved nozzle open time and latency reduce maintenance and ink waste, helping to minimise the total cost of ownership for users.
Supported by the robust and proven Hydra ink supply system, with its ‘plug and print’ capability and easy to use, intuitive user interface each Xaar Aquinox printhead is easily integrated into new print machines. The Aquinox comes with a development kit that meets the needs of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for getting up and running. This includes the ink supply system and printhead drive electronics. Having collaborated with leading developers and manufacturers of aqueous inkjet inks to rigorously assess and improve performance, the Aquinox is equally capable of handling dye-based and pigmented fluids and inks, across a wide range of applications.
“The Aquinox provides a real step change in reliable aqueous inkjet printing”
CEO of Xaar John Mills said that the introduction of the Xaar Aquinox, powered by their ImagineX platform, is their most significant product launch in recent years. Saying: “The Aquinox demonstrates our commitment to driving the future of inkjet into new and ever more sustainable applications, and we are proud of this revolutionary transformation in aqueous inkjet printing,” Mills concluded his words as follows:
“The Aquinox seamlessly combines all Xaar’s proven technologies and innovations into a truly transformational and reliable aqueous printhead, providing a real step change in reliable aqueous inkjet printing. From textiles to ceramics and packaging, we see the Xaar Aquinox breaking new ground, enabling new water-based print applications, many of which were previously not possible with inkjet. The Xaar Aquinox will revolutionise aqueous printing, helping to deliver a world where you can truly print anything you imagine.”