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Explore our wide range of industrial printing and labeling systems that help you mark, code, and label your products, packaging, and pallets. Our line of industrial inkjet printers and labeling solutions help optimize your production line. Learn more today.
Find a solution that is ideal for your manufacturing environment, packaging substrate, code durability requirements and regulatory guidelines. Ensure maximum uptime for your coding operation by using our industrial marking equipment. Diagraph has partnered with companies across many industries including food, beverage and industrial products.
Your single source provider of coding, marking and industrial labeling solutions, Diagraph is committed to providing unparalleled service and support. Diagraph is committed to providing valued business partners with a superior level of technical service and support well-beyond product implementation.
Diagraph began serving the marking and coding industry over 130 years ago and became part of the Illinois Tool Works (ITW) family of companies in 2001. Diagraph engineers build products to help keep your production line moving, so you can get products identified and out the door quickly and efficiently.
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It’s Positive!
By Chris Pangallo, Product Manager – Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) and Laser
Many companies have the need to mark discrete variable information such as lot codes and expiration dates on their products. One of the best solutions available to address this need is Continuous Ink Jet printers (CIJ). CIJ offers non-contact high speed coding with immediate dry times resulting from the solvent based inks that are used.
Back in the day, CIJ technology relied on factory supplied air to produce the pressure required to both push drops of ink out of a printhead and to suction drops through a gutter to be recycled into the ink delivery system (this recycling is the “Continuous” part of CIJ). Linx Printing Technologies was the first CIJ producer to introduce a printer that generates its own pressure by using an internal pump. This provided both operational savings and increased printer uptime. CIJ was free of factory air!
So, why would you want to add air back to a CIJ printer?
CIJ fluid is returned to the ink delivery system via a gutter in the printhead. With this cycle there is a risk for contaminants such as water vapor, dust, or other particulates to be introduced into the ink system. The addition of Positive Air minimizes the introduction of contaminants.
Positive Air is an option for Linx printers. It does not rely on factory air. It is a pump connected by tubing to a CIJ printhead. The pump provides a consistent 8 psi airflow that pressurizes the printhead cover without disturbing the ink jet stream. The airflow acts to prohibit the introduction of contaminants into the ink delivery system, resulting in longer ink life. With the reduction in contaminants, the ink has better retention of conductivity and less variance in viscosity. Overall printer performance is improved with less wear on internal filters and in some cases extends the amount of time between Preventative Maintenance.
There is a small effect of solvent loss from the jet as the air flows over it, but this is marginal. And there is no real increase in gutter flow, as the air flows down and out of the hole at the front of the printhead cover tube.
At Diagraph, we are dedicated in solving your coding and labeling challenges. Diagraph has been assisting customers for over 120 years improving production line efficiencies with simple, reliable, cost-effective coding and labeling solutions. Contact us to learn more about the Linx product line. Visit us at www.diagraph.com or contact us at 800.722.1125.