Employing the drop on demand principle, the F&E ink-jet printer prints defined structures such as lines, surfaces and patterns onto various materials without physical contact. Precisely position a variety of so-called ‘functional inks’ in pre-defined amounts.
Such printing features a variety of parameters, which the user can specifically control. For example, the substrate plate is removable to allow stiction control. The printer head is also removable. This has an effect on the surface tension of the ink. The stress curve of individual printer-head piezos can be individually controlled. Using suction allows the operator to vary the speed and energy of every drop. “Drop Watchers” can optimise the formation of drops “in flight,” and also recognise and eliminate directional deviations. Possible substrates include glass types, plastics, etc. Small irregularities can also be managed. Electronic circuits employing micro-scalar silver inks are an additional area of application for this technology. Still more examples include transparent electrodes, fluorescent materials, functional coatings and hybrid structures. This technology is also used in printable electronics, fibre optics, photovoltaics and organic electronics. The materials printer is a universally applicable system perfect for experimentation, prototyping and fabrication that can be used in a variety of research labs.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Dimatix Type: DMP-2831
Operating mode: Piezo-controlled drip generation with integrated reservoir and heater.
Number of nozzles: 16 nozzles at a distance of 254 µm in a single row
Printer-head temperature: Up to max. 70° C
Resolution: 100 – 5080 dpi
Repeatability: ± 25 µm
Substrates: < 0.5 mm: 210 x 315 mm
Substrate retention: Vacuum-plate heatable to max. 60° C.
Usable materials: Water-based or solvent-based acid or basic liquids such as inks (pH value 4–9)
Ink volume/cartridge: 1.5 mL
Drip volume: 1 or 10 pL
Ink requirements, viscosity: 10-12 cP at print temperature
COSTS:
€13/hour (without inks or cartridges)
Training upon request.