Though talks about "paperless" technologies are already enough long ago, normal work with computer so far it is difficult to present without use printing device. The Method of the jet seal already nearly one hundred years. The Appearance new printing heads becomes the premises for the further prosperity market jet printer.

With what all began

Though lord Reyli, laureate nobel prize on physicist, has done their own fundamental openings in the field of disinteration stream liquids and shaping the drop as far back as past age, d.o.b. to technologies of the jet seal possible to consider only 1948. Exactly at that time, the swedish company Siemens Elema gave the patent application for device, working as гальванометр, but equiped with not measuring arrow, but sprayer, by means of which registered the results of the measurements.

And even now, after nearly half a century, this гениально simple system of the seal is used, for instance, in medical instrument. The Truth, liquid oscilloscope capable to print only curves, rather then texts and graphs. This efficient scheme was advanced, and appeared the new jet printer, functionning on principle of the unceasing spraying the dye staff or seal under high pressure.

The Developer of the method of the jet seal lay ahead to solve two problems:

1. streem of the dye staff was to disintegrate on microscopic droplets of the certain size
2. the big part of drop in general must not get on paper. If, for instance, is unsealled text, that area covered by dye staff area forms whole 2-5 percents to general surface.

The Developers used the regularity, revealled by lord Reyli : streem to liquids tries to disintegrate on separate dripped. It is Necessary only a little to the casual process распадения stream, superimposing by means of пьезоэлектрического of the transformation on formation of the dye staff, thrown under high pressure (before 90 bars), radio-frequency fluctuations of the pressure.

Such way can be thrown before a million of drops at second. Their sizes hang from geometric form sniffled-sprayers and form whole only several microns, but velocity, with which they долетают before paper, reaches 40 m/with. The question is jet printer, working on above named principle of the unceasing spraying the dye staff or seal under high pressure.

These printers capable to mark and inflict the codes on all surfaces and subjects practically. They are able to spray the suppressing majority a type liquids: ink, varnish, butters and even gluing material and resins.
Due to high velocity of the flight of the drop is allowed use the surfaces with strong jaggy and depending on requirements to quality of the print to place them on distance 1-2 refer to from sniffled-sprayer. As a result possible inflict marking, for instance given about application time of goods, on cartons, bottles, tin banks, egg or cables. This technology of the print not difficult to hear on point, кажущимся uneven and as it were frayed.

The Designer and workman to printing houses jet printers serves for the other integer quite, as follows for the most exact preliminary reproducing the publishing, which will then be uncared-for in mass print. By means of this method possible распечатать best photo реалистические scenes in halftone and high-resolution, and even in large format.

With begin 70-h years необычайно was actuated exploratory activity, неправленая on making the systems without defect, characteristic system of the print under high pressure. The First decision found specialist, - printing heads with пьезоэлектрическими converter, emitting on request separate dripped the dye staff. So was born the idea about jet print with дозированным a spraying the dye staff.

Similarly термопечати, technology of the jet print passed the long way of the improvement moreover with more then successful result. For 15 years allowing ability jet printer, intended for mass using, выросла nearly in 10 once (before 720 points on inch). The ingenious compromise will Reached between requirements to ink not засыхать in nozzle printing heads and it is enough quickly to dry on paper, not swabbing herewith. Were they Vastly perfected working characteristic jet device, they become more unpretentious to paper.

The Mechanism of the presenting and tracktors of the paper jet, printing device close to above-mentioned group, however aplying in principal other printing head. Since jet technology uses the method "ejection" drop of the dye staff on paper, corresponding to matrix of the print presents itself set sniffled (before 256), with which united capacities for ink and controlling mechanisms (as a rule - an пьезоэлектрического of the type). The Requirements to paint (the ink) more inconsistent and high so composition their is constantly improved. The Quality of the scene powerfully depends on type of the paper (the films) so for the most responsible functioning are recommended special her(its) types, possessing characteristic of the quick absorbing the ink (extra-adsorbent paper) without their manifestations peek-a-boo.

The First ingenious monochrome jet printer Thinkjet company Hewlett-Packard преодолел main mass technological problems and has provided under high quality of the print and permit close to игольчатым printing device, velocity of the print before 150 symbols at minute. In contrast with the main rival of that years - игольчатыми printing device, sharply fell the level of the noise when printing. The Modern jet printers for mass using, as a rule, have allowing ability at a rate of 300-360 or 300х600 point on inch, can print with satisfactory quality on usual paper and with high quality (approaching to print on lazer printer) - on special paper. The Standard speed when printing text forms 50-160 signs at minute, but graphs - 0.5-4 sheets at minute.

Wide-spread jet printing device of the companies HewlettPackard, Apple, Brother, Lexmark, Texas Instruments, CalComp and others. The Specific cost of the print jet printer forms beside 5 cents on sheet of the format A4, but the price printer themselves is average between the prices on matrix and lazer printers. Practically, having price on 150-200 dollars lower, beside lazer device, and quality, approaching to him, family jet printer firm enlarges its share on the market, that promotes and their active advertisment. The Jet printers practically noiseless and more universal (particularly devices with option of the colour print), the price their constantly falls, but quality of the print improves.

Printing device with executive electric mechanism

The First applications for registration of the invention of the systems of the jet seal with executive пьезоэлектрическими mechanism were a tax in 1970 and 1971 gg. On length several years different companies and institutes conducted the fundamental studies while, finally, companies Siemens not to manage to cloth this principle in acceptable form for the market. The first jet printer was demonstrated In 1977 with дозированным a surge of the dye staff. This printer equipped twelve nozzles-sprayer and print nearly noiseless at the speed of 270 cpses, has produced the revolution in circle specialist even.

Siemens as electromechanic converter used пьезоэлектрическую трубочку, вмонтированную in channel from литьевой of the resin. All channels end the plate calibrated hole for spraying, located on front side device. The Transmission to electric powers and dye staff is produced by means of fluctuations of the pressure solely, spreading in channel in accordance with law of the acoustics. The Fluctuations, reaching end of the channel, are reflected with inversion of the phase there i.e. in this place fluctuation with lowered by pressure conversely.

Piezoplastiny

At the beginning initially 1985 company Epson has presented first from their own пьезопланарных jet printer - SQ-200$ modern SQ-870/1170, his(its) successor, works on the same principle approximately. Instead of пьезоэлектрических трубочек, as beside Siemens, on printing head Epson, executed from outline glass plate, are consolidated small пьезопластинки. If to him to enclose the electric voltage, their diameter will trace change, but also this will it is enough that they bent together with passive laminated glass substrate like bimetallic plate that will bring about origin in channel of the dye staff are popped same way, as in printing head with пьезотрубочками.

In 1987г. company Dataproducts has offered other principle of the use пьезоэлектриков for jet seal, founded on using lamellar пьезопреобразователя. At the following years this method remained relatively little-known (moreover not as much because of design on the base of the converter as because of fluid waxy ink, which were used in all jet printer with пластинчатым пьезопреобразователем production Epson) until appeared the model Stylus 800.

Thereafter method пьезопреобразователь, representing itself long flat plate (ламель), takes seats behind small reservoir with dye staff. At influence on ламель pulse of the voltage her(its) length little is changed that brings about hits of the pressure inwardly reservoir, which, in turn, pop dripped from sniffled-sprayer.

Plastinchatye пьезопреобазователи combine advantage in itself as flat, so and трубчатых systems radio frequency spraying and compact design. Today on printing heads with пьезоламелями do the rate of such company, as Dataproduts, Tektronix and Epson.

At the beginning initially 1994 Epson has demonstrated пьезотехнологию MACH (Multilayer Actuator Head - a head with layered executive mechanism) in its new jet printer of the models Stylus 800. However, and in пьезоэлектрических printing head MACH-head are used пьезоламели. The Truth, companies Epson to manage to make the пьезоламели of one row sniffled-sprayers in united block (Multilayer). Thereby turned out to be possible else to reduce the sizes printing heads, place to converters, channels and sniffled-sprayers with distance whole only in 140 km and simultaneously reduce the production expenses.

Printing device with executive термографическими mechanism

In 1985 sensation has caused Thinkjet companies Hewlett-Packard first jet-bubble thermal printer. If at the beginning initially other developer пьезомеханизмов seal and simpered, when saw the patent for bubble technology his(its) rival then since time he became not before laughter: bubble method-jet термопечати for several years has conquered the market (the amount sold jet thermal printer has formed 10 млн.)

В than революционность this technologies? As often can be in like events, achievement became the reduction of the production expenses. If пьезоэлектрические printing mechanisms happened to with big or smaller labour to collect from ensemble of the separate details, that bubble-jet printing heads, presenting itself crystals on silicon substrate (with the exclusion of substrate Thinkjet, made from flow), were made on тонкослойной of technologies hundred.

At тонкослойной of technologies are used in principle same production processes, as at fabrication of the integral schemes. The Channels of the presenting the dye staff, sniffled-sprayers, executive mechanisms and токоподводящие buses appear under alternating fixing of the layers on substrates, for instance way ion-beam evaporation, and the following структуировании these layers.

Thereby, upon completion process production, counting more hundreds step, on one substrate appears plenty of термопечатающих element. All structures must be executed accurate to the thousandth share of the millimeter. Besides, the most slightest contamination at production brings about refusal. For this reason bubble-jet printing elements are made in чистых premiseses and with using the machines peculiar to semiconductor industry.

Obviously that under simultaneous processing many tiny element on one substrate costs on fabrication sharply fall though level investment in чистые production premiseses and tool высок. The Expenseses on jet-bubble printing elements will uprate not from amount sniffled-sprayers or permits of the seal, but from type of the surfaces of the crystal only, as well as from number and nature of the processes. Consequently, printing head, calculated on permit 400 points/inch, with 64 sprayers must not cost cherish, than head with 24 sprayers and permit 180 points/inch.

Since heads jet-bubble термопечати are made on the same principle, as integral microcircuits, arises the thought about integrations last in printing crystals. And the first step in this direction has done the company Canon, встроив in printing heads their own printer BJ-10e and CLC-10 transistor matrixes. The Example Canon has followed the company Xerox, released in 1993 model bubble-jet printer with head, equiped with 128 sprayers, and completely integrated consecutively-parallel converter.

Operation bubble-jet sniffled-sprayer

First strong pulse of the voltage by duration 3-7 мкс are given on teeny heating element, which instant becomes red hot before 500 gr. Celsius. On his(its) surfaces temperature exceeds 300 gr.celisiya. The Power of the heating to surfaces so great that when increase of duration of the pulse of the voltage whole only on several microseconds heating element immediately decayed.

Immediately in fine film on heating element begin to boil the ink, and through 15 мкс is formed locked phial pair high pressure (before 10 bars). He pops the drop of the ink from sniffled-sprayer, under than velocity of the flight dripped reaches 10 m/with and more. Through 40 мкс phial, connected with atmosphere, again falls, will however pass else 200 мкс while new ink under the action of capillary power will not be засосаны from reservoir.

Bubble-jet seal with lateral and direct spraying the ink

From the very beginning bubble-jet printing heads were divided on two groups. The Company Canon, inventor of the system, has preferred the variant Edlgeshooter. Nearly simultaneously, the company Hewlett-Packard has developed the head of the type Sidechooter, which now makes and company Olivetti.

The Head Edgeshooter, what becomes clear already from name, sprinkles ink dripped "for corner" i.e. to direction of the formation пузырьков perpendicular. In head Sideshooter, where plate with nozzle-sprayer is found over heating element and channel of the presenting the ink, пузырьки and dripped move in one direction. Since edges sniffled-sprayers in head of the type Sideshooter are made from uniform, rather then from different material, as in Edgeshooter, process of the fabrication of the sprayers with hole of the certain size for Sideshooter vastly more simply, than for heads Edgeshooter. Besides, happens to to take into account different смачивание heterogeneous surface of the head Edgeshooter.

On the other hand, at прямом spraying the dye staff for sniffled is required more extensive surface that can deliver to troubles, in particular, creator of the future systems of the seal with big amount of the sprayers and raised by permit. In addition ink, with power, striking about surface of the heating element after опадания пузырька pair, will first or last cause her(its) damage in consequence of кавитации. Possible, for this reason way of the direct spraying was hitherto used only in removable printing head with limited by lifetime.

The Requirements to quality of the ink for any system jet термопечати very high, well above, than пьезосистемах. The Principle of the operation and high temperatures condition using only mixed dissolved dye staffs on water base. Dye staffs must correspond to integer a number requirements:

• be joint with material, from which is made print mechanism
• not to form postponing in channel and sprayer, as well as be not stratified
• it be kept for long time
• possess certain factor to density, viscosity and surrface pull at temperature from 10 before 40 gr. Celsius
• serve nourishing ambience for forming bacteria and algaes
• not to contain ядовитых or carcinogenic material and not to flare up
• dye staffs for jet термопечати must form пузырьки a pair without sediment of the precipitation and bear short heating before 350 gr.celisiya

Why jet seal is considered the most ecological чистым by way of the seal on paper?

• the user complained of noise, liked that jet printer works nearly noiseless. Anymore audible neither acting on nerves of the grinding of the needles about paper, nor eternal hum of the ventilator - only rustle the sheet of paper and quietly snap when switching mechanical drives moving the head and presenting the paper.
• the device with minimum highlighting of the heat, not producing noise and ozone, comsumes and energy less - here is reason that that all modern, independent printers from network of the small size are jet.
• Finally dye staff itself does not contain no ecological bad additives; at incineration unsealled document is not formed dioxide of carbon in difference, for instance, from toner lazer printer and copiers.

And even statement that printing heads bubble-jet printer necessary regularly to change new, anymore corresponds to the truth: after all print element nearly on 98% consists of silicon or glass. To become manufacturer soon to come be conceived about that, what image possible to utilize many million made printing heads or reservoir for ink.

In what direction will go the development technology jet seal in the future? Certainly, toward colour seal. The Usual device of the monochrome seal with allowing ability 300 points/inch and emulation PCL(Deskjet Hewlett-Packard) already have passed a test time. The Emulation of the language PCL became the actual standard in the field of jet printer, additionally she provides compatibility with modern and future model lazer printer.

Though permit 300 points/inch and it is enough for perfect printout of the text and graphs, it does not be fit for picture in halftone, raster scenes and photo реалистических scenes. The Corresponding to quality possible to obtain if vastly raise the permit or find the possibility of target variation amount dye staff.

Already will possible cite an instance realization both these ways in the other method of the seal. So in publishing sphere long ago work with permit 2540 points/inch and more. On the other hand, диффузионные printers - advanced variant термографических printer - capable to print on special glossy paper each point raster with desired intensity of the colour.

Author: А. V. Savin It Is Added: 03.05.2007