Current and Future Pump Solutions for Industrial Inkjet Printing

A platform for industrial inkjet printing experts

The IPI traditionally brings together manufacturers, suppliers, innovators and users from all over the world.

These two November days in Düsseldorf-Neuss constitute the annual update for experts in a wide range of industrial printing processes. From precision to high-speed printing, from high-volume production to customized solutions – the changing requirements users are facing provide the perfect breeding ground for new and advanced technical solutions.

The conference and accompanying exhibition are organized by ESMA, an association that, alongside 70 members from industry, technology partners and university partnerships, has been proactively supporting the development of screen and inkjet printing since 1990.

New KNF gas pump for industrial inkjet printing

KNF will be showcasing the latest NMP 820 micro diaphragm gas pump at the IPI, booth A1.

This KNF gas pump can be used for a variety of applications in industrial inkjet printing systems:

• Ink supply – using pressure superimposition, the KNF NMP 820 gas pump indirectly delivers the ink to the printhead.
• Negative pressure for the meniscus effect – the KNF NMP 820 gas pump generates the vacuum necessary at the print head.
• Print head cleaning/purging – the print heads are always clean, the print quality is consistently excellent. The KNF NMP 820 gas pump indirectly transfers the solvents for removing impurities and residues or uses pressure superimposition to perform purging.

Special features that make this micro diaphragm gas pump the ideal tool to mount in the head tanks of industrial inkjet printing systems include:

• Small – 40 x 48.6 x 62.5-74.8 mm (depending on version)
• High-performance – up to 3.5 l/min; operating overpressure up to 1.2 bar, ultimate vacuum max. 100 mbar absolute.
• Minimal vibration – the industrial inkjet printing system’s operation is not impaired by additional vibrations, which is of particular benefit when installed close to the print head.
• Customized versions – in addition to different versions of the pump itself, the respective eccentric can also be individually adapted to a specific application. It is also possible to use a brushless DC motor; this further increases the service life and the pump can be controlled even more precisely.

Cost reduction via low-pulsation ink supply for industrial inkjet printing systems

With a presentation entitled “Smooth flow is key: Diaphragm pumps and their journey to low pulsation”, Stephan Engel, Head of Product Management KNF Flodos, the product center for KNF liquid pumps in Switzerland, will guide the audience into the world of Smooth Flow technology in Track 2 of the conference, between 2:30 p.m. and 2:55 p.m. on November 28.

He will demonstrate how KNF has succeeded in optimizing the diaphragm pumps established in inkjet printing and overcoming the main disadvantage of the technology, i.e. pulsation, bringing it to a superior technical level for transferring inks.

By reducing pulsation and stabilizing the ink flow, the pumping process becomes more efficient and pressure peaks in the ink system, which in a worst-case scenario can impair print quality, are avoided effectively. Inkjet printing system manufacturers benefit economically, both from the reduction in costs and the lower integration effort.

KNF’s Smooth Flow technology has already been used successfully in industrial inkjet printing systems for several years and is under constant development. Stephan Engel will also give an outlook on the future, in which smart functions will allow KNF liquid pumps featuring Smooth Flow technology to communicate with industrial inkjet printing systems.