Does Adphos solve the drying problem of water-based inkjet printing?
Adphos was the most popular name before a standard or uniform approach was reached. It was the supplier of choice for Kodak, and its technology was used in screen TruepressJet and HP's large inkjet presses (such as the HP1195S for corrugated packaging). When high-performance industrial-grade printing is required, Adphos is the first choice.
The technology pioneered by Adphos is near-infrared technology, in which the lamp unit generates a specific wavelength of energy, which can be adjusted to excite water molecules and release them from the ink, effectively evaporating them. This technique is very useful for printing on paper substrates, as the printed material is hardly heated, and is also very important for film packaging, as any additional heat will cause deformation.
In addition, near-infrared technology is more controllable and adjustable for different substrates, applications, and ink types. In terms of drying, it is a digital alternative to technologies such as shock hot air, long-hot air dryers, or heated rollers, or any other method currently used by inkjet printer suppliers.
Adphos CEO Kebar says the choices reflect the background of a printing press manufacturing company. As such, Canon and Ricoh are the companies with roots in CRD and laser printing, with a top speed of 30m/min. Even if this printing speed seems limited compared to some presses, the move to inkjet printing will still immediately improve productivity. The original goal was to replace lasers with faster, cheaper technology, but the print quality is not necessarily better.
Today, the Canon ProStream 3080 still runs at 80m/min at the highest resolution, and the ProStream 3133 at 133m/min. Companies with strong commercial printing backgrounds, such as Kodak and HP, tend to have faster printing speeds.
Screen screens have similar roots to Ricoh in press design, with a top speed of 150m/min, more in line with the tradition of commercial printing. Both HP and Kodak presses can achieve this speed at full resolution, albeit at a lower resolution. The Prosper Ultra 520 runs faster, while the Prosper 7000 Turbo still runs faster. At this speed, the water that gets out of the paper every minute becomes very important.
Choices made at the start of a new printing press project may no longer apply, especially with rising energy costs. That has also led to some adjustments by developers, Kebar said.
HP's new printing press Advantage 2200 is designed for the broadest flat-panel inkjet market. It uses HP Brilliant Ink for high-impact color. However, due to the low moisturizer content, it requires pre-coating on paper to function well.
HP explains that the drying configuration using impingement hot air and dryers of different lengths reduces the energy input required compared to previous machines. Users can choose the settings that suit their application, and if this changes, the press can also achieve high coverage on coated paper, which will be a huge challenge. Therefore, Adphos hopes to solve this problem by achieving complete drying.
Adphos has experience dealing with challenging applications, and their technology has been applied to the 2.8-metre wide T1100 series machines and T700i, as well as other corrugated paper printing and carton printing equipment. James Burbidge, head of Adphos in the UK, points out that for the printing finishing process, contact drying may not be able to dry completely, thus failing to provide the required ink durability. In this case, the drying solution needs to be dried through the ink, rather than remaining under the touch-dry surface skin to form a layer of wet ink.https://www.risedongsheng.com/
This can happen when the binder in the ink is used to create a joining lattice to capture the pigment and prevent it from being absorbed by the paper. This requires more energy to trigger the joining effect, but can be printed on the paper without a primer. While a primer is no longer required in Ricoh's Pro VC70000, it has been reapplied in the upgraded Pro VC70000e.
Burbidge also said that it is uncertain whether reducing the amount of water in the ink is effective. Some people reduce the percentage of water by increasing the percentage of ethylene glycol-based wetting agents, which have a higher evaporation point than water and therefore require more energy to remove, and also have a matting effect on the appearance of the ink.
He added that inks are limited due to the need for low viscosity inks for printing technology, especially thermal printing. However, Xaar has introduced a high viscosity nozzle that can carry more solid pigments and less water. However, whether this is useful for commercial prints that require water to help form images remains to be studied further.
In the printing process, the interaction between the ink and the substrate is also very important. "Each technique has its advantages, and we can't say which is better," says Burbidge. "It will depend on the application of the printing." Adphos' technology is relatively unknown when it comes to printing technology. It can be adjusted according to the inkjet technique, the ink and the application used, by adjusting the amount of ink and operating settings, or it can be matched according to specific conditions.https://www.risedongsheng.com/
If energy costs remain high, as most predictions suggest, then there is bound to be growing interest in what Adphos can achieve. Mr. Burbidge says this will help cut energy consumption by half, while increasing the throughput of the press. Adphos has long held an important position in areas where performance is critical, particularly in corrugated paper printing.
In a competitive commercial market, where the cost of printing can determine the choice of printers, the debate is intense. Burbidge believes that as market awareness increases, so does the knowledge of printers. He says that as an industry, we will continue to experiment to find solutions that provide the best performance. The results will be known soon.
Those who study inkjet printing need to understand the drying techniques used. Adphos' near-infrared technology is an innovative drying technique that enables rapid drying by adjusting the energy of a specific wavelength to excite water molecules, causing them to evaporate from the ink. This technique is suitable for printing paper substrates and film packaging, as it hardly heats the printed material, avoiding the problem of deformation.https://www.risedongsheng.com/
Near-infrared technology is more controllable and adjustable during the drying process, suitable for different substrates, applications, and ink types. It can replace traditional hot air or heated drum dryers as the digital alternative technology used by inkjet printer suppliers.
Adphos' technology has extensive experience in handling challenging applications and is used in a variety of fields, including corrugated printing and carton printing equipment. Burbidge points out that in the printing finishing process, contact drying may not be able to dry completely, thus failing to provide the required ink durability. In this case, the drying solution needs to be dried through the ink, rather than remaining under the touch-dry surface skin to form a layer of wet ink.
Adphos' technology can be adjusted to the inkjet technology, ink and application, by adjusting the amount of ink and operating settings, or by matching to specific conditions. Their goal is to reduce energy consumption and increase the throughput of the press. In areas where performance is critical, Adphos has always held an important position, especially in corrugated paper printing.
In a highly competitive commercial market, printing costs play a decisive role in the decision-making of printers. Therefore, it is very important for the research and development of inkjet printing technology. Adphos' near-infrared drying technology provides printers with an efficient, controlled drying scheme that helps reduce costs and improve print quality. As market demands change and technology continues to evolve, we will continue to strive to find the best printing solution.https://www.risedongsheng.com/