Ceramic inkjet printing has developed on the basis of paper inkjet printing. Therefore, some operating points and issues to pay attention to in the use of inkjet printers can also be referred to and applied in inkjet printing. Compared with paper inkjet printing, due to the special surface of ceramic tile bodies, the printing effect requires various color fastness, high temperature resistance, and other special properties, resulting in differences between paper inkjet and ceramic body printing, and ceramic inkjet printing will have more problems.

1.Composition of inkjet printing machine

  A. Ceramic tile conveying mechanism: It mainly consists of a motor (usually a servo motor, but also a regular motor with coding), a reducer, an active roller, a driven roller, a brick conveying belt (usually a flat belt), a brick conveying platform, etc. It should be noted that in terms of belt selection, in addition to the performance requirements such as high precision, high strength, temperature resistance, and fatigue resistance of the roller printing machine belt. Due to the ink used in inkjet printers being composed of multi-component organic solvents and inorganic pigments, it is advisable to choose belts with strong solvent resistance and a wide range (especially the surface layer) as much as possible. Otherwise, the deformation of the belt surface will affect the accuracy or reduce the service life of the belt
  B. Spray printhead system: The spray printhead is currently the most core, cost-effective, important, and technologically advanced component of ceramic inkjet printers. Due to the fact that digital inkjet technology had been applied in other industries for many years before the emergence of ceramic inkjet printers. So there are many common types of printhead internationally, including advertising posters, slogan machines, photo machines, and office inkjet machines. However, due to the particularity of ceramic ink (previously organic ink with low density and good dispersibility) and the harsh working environment of ceramic inkjet machines, not all printhead are suitable for ceramic inkjet machines. There are also two installation methods for printhead. One is to install all printhead on the same mounting plate. The other is to install each colored printhead on a separate mounting plate, which can be pulled out of the belt independently to facilitate manual cleaning of the printhead.
  C. Ink supply system: The function of the ceramic inkjet ink supply system is to provide continuous, stable and homogeneous ink to the printhead, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the printhead. It has similarities with the glaze supply system of the roller printing machine. It generally consists of storage and mixing drums, ink pumps, external circulation pumps, ink cartridges, primary and secondary filters, negative pressure systems, constant temperature systems, etc. These settings are mainly due to the small aperture of the printhead (micrometer level), and in order to achieve stable spraying, the viscosity of the ink must be constant. There is a significant difference in the specific gravity of the solvent and solute in ceramic ink, which can easily precipitate.

  D. Control system and operating system: The function of this system is to implement comprehensive control of conveyor belts, printhead, ink supply systems, etc., so that they can operate synchronously according to preset data and spray accurate patterns. In this system, the control of conveyor belts is a mature technology that has been applied in roller printing machines for many years; The control technology of a single printhead is also very mature in the digital printing industry; The ink supply system is also similar to traditional digital inkjet equipment. Therefore, the combination control of multiple printhead and synchronization with the operation of the belt is the key to the technology of this equipment.
  E. Constant temperature, humidity, and dust removal system: The purpose of this system is to provide the most suitable working environment for the machine, reduce blockage caused by the outside of the printhead, and keep the main components such as the ink printhead in the best working condition, so that the machine can operate stably for a long time without pulling wires. Given the harsh environment of the ceramic workshop (high temperature, high humidity, and high dust), almost all inkjet machine suppliers have requested users to create a separate room from the workshop. According to the author’s experience, the requirements for the room mainly include the following three points: positive pressure (which can be generated by an external fan); Constant temperature and humidity (can be achieved by installing air conditioning, generally requiring a room temperature of around 25-30 ℃); Dust prevention (sufficient blowing pipes can be installed before entering the inkjet room to “wash” and “dehumidify” the porcelain body). In order to reduce dependence on the inkjet room environment, inkjet machines are generally designed with dust covers with good sealing to prevent external dust from falling into the machine’s spraying area.
  F. Automatic cleaning system for printhead: Due to the inability to completely remove dust, some of the ink dots sprayed will “fly” and adhere to the surface of the printhead or hang on nearby components; Local deposition inside the printhead may also occur due to prolonged use, leading to clogging of the printhead hole. So regular printhead cleaning is inevitable. In order to reduce the labor intensity of manual cleaning, ceramic inkjet machines are equipped with automatic cleaning systems, which generally consist of ink trays, ink tray conveying systems, scrapers or suction printhead, vacuum pumps, and pipelines. It can automatically complete the entire cleaning process, and each cleaning takes 5-10 minutes. The cleaning interval can be set according to the actual situation, allowing the machine to automatically execute.

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