TF Technology
Delivering unrivalled reliability for industrial inkjet applications
TF Technology is unique to Xaar and is the best ink recirculation technology available. Other manufacturers offer ink "recirculation" but the methods they use cannot deliver the same high levels of reliability and print quality.
Benefits of TF Technology
Unrivalled reliability
- TF Technology together with the unique Hybrid Side Shooter architecture enables ink or other fluids in the printhead to flow at very high flow rates past the back of the nozzle during drop ejection, at very high flow rates
- The highest flow rate is necessary to ensure the nozzles are continuously primed, keeping the printhead operational and the nozzles firing
- The ink or fluid is in constant motion, preventing sedimentation and nozzle blocking, particularly in heavily pigmented inks
- Air bubbles and unwanted particles in the ink are carried away, radically improving reliability, even in the harshest industrial environment.
Outstanding print quality
- TF Technology is a technically superior and unique solution that minimises temperature variation across the printhead as heat is removed directly from within the actuator channels virtually eliminating print density variations
- Ink viscosity is also controlled like the temperature, delivering uniform printing across the swathe and throughout the print job.
Low cost of ownership
- Printheads with nozzles working to their full potential are essential for single-pass industrial printing
- TF Technology combined with Xaar Hybrid Side Shooter architecture delivers a significant step forward in running inkjet systems reliably for a full shift with minimal maintenance. Running costs are lower because downtime and ink wastage are reduced.
Increased production uptime
- Instant start up in the mornings and at the start of shifts due to nozzles being constantly primed
- Quick recovery of the printhead (for example following mechanical shock from media crash) means only one print would be lost and there is no need to stop the production line.
TF Technology in Pulsed mode
- In some printheads, TF Technology can also be set to operate in Pulsed mode – ink is recirculated when the printhead is not jetting
- This allows ink recirculation to be implemented with the minimum of complexity and cost but still improves reliability, enabling nozzle self-recovery, extending maintenance cycles and eliminating air bubbles.
How TF Technology works
Fluids flow directly past the back of the nozzles, creating an exchange of ink in the nozzle itself enabling the printhead to restart printing quickly after being idle for a significant amount of time.
The simple, uncomplicated ink flow unlike alternative designs where the ink path is more convoluted, taking ink through various ascenders, descenders and recirculation passages.