Ricoh Launches Industrial Inkjet Printhead

Ricoh Company, Ltd., has announced the launch of a new industrial inkjet printhead, the RICOH TH6310F, which uses a thin film piezo actuator and is a critical component in digital printing systems. It will be globally available from November 23, 2021.

The TH6310F is the flagship model of industrial inkjet printheads. It is the most productive inkjet printhead by Ricoh for both single or multi-pass applications, utilising its high firing frequencies. Furthermore, using MEMS technology enables high jetting accuracy, while its unique nozzle layout yields excellent print quality even at high gap printing required in textile and other applications. At the same time, the ink recirculation structure significantly reduces the risk of jetting failure, ensuring high drop ejection stability.

Ricoh will continue to expand its lineup of inkjet printheads to support customers' printer development and meet the needs of the industrial print market. In addition, Ricoh contributes to resolving social issues by providing solutions for safe and secure clothing, food, and housing environments.

There is an increasing demand to meet customer needs in the industrial print market for textiles, corrugated cardboards, labels, and other products, including smaller run sizes and shorter delivery times. In addition, these needs are being addressed by the rapid digitalisation of industrial print, contributing to overall greater flexibility, efficiency, and productivity. These shifting and expanding requirements call for increasing demand for inkjet printheads that offer higher productivity and high-resolution printing.

Main features of the newly developed inkjet printhead

• High-resolution printing and high gap printing by MEMS technology
• Ricoh's unique highly-integrated design using MEMS technology has achieved a 2.6-inch printing width with an array of 1,600 nozzles by configuring two modules of 100 × eight rows. It is also capable of using fine droplet ejection.
• The nozzle layout is designed to prevent airflow from ejected ink droplets from affecting adjacent droplets and resulting image quality, enabling high-quality printing even with a 4mm gap.
• High jetting stability due to unique ink recirculation mechanism
• The ink recirculation structure continuously circulates ink behind the nozzle. This structure significantly reduces the risk of nozzle drying, ink particle sedimentation, and other jetting failures, ensuring ejection reliability and printhead productivity, providing increased reliability for single-pass printing of 100m/min (or more).
• Highly versatile
• Compatible with Aqueous-based, UV, and Solvent inks and can be used in a wide range of industrial applications, including textiles, corrugated cardboards, labels, binder jet, and signage graphics.
• Simple design
• Ink ports offer a simple one in one out system easily integrated into printing systems.
• Excellent jetting ability
• Jetting frequency up to 80 kHz in binary mode.
• The new Dual Vcom function achieves a superior jetting frequency of up to 40 kHz in a multi-drop mode.