iTi Corporation opens Industrial Inkjet Laboratory

imaging Technology international (iTi), a global designer and manufacturer of inkjet development tools and industrial inkjet systems, has announced the opening of its Inkjet Development Laboratory (IDL) for rental to customers. The IDL enables developers to test inkjet materials and processes on iTi's complete line of development tools at a fraction of the cost of purchasing such equipment.

The IDL is a cost effective solution to the high entry costs associated with industrial inkjet development. It is ideal for companies exploring inkjet's potential for nanoparticle fluids, printable electronics, organic electronics, OLED and PLED flat panel displays, touch panels, biomedical and other applications that benefit from the digital control and precise fluid metering offered by inkjet technology. The IDL significantly reduces the time required to establish whether digital inkjet is a feasible alternative to traditional analog manufacturing processes.

The IDL contains a comprehensive set of inkjet development tools, including iTi's Drop Watcher, Inkjet Web Press and XY Materials Deposition System. It also provides access to microscopic evaluation and measurement tools for image analysis, and to a variety of devices for fluid curing. It supports a variety of printhead vendors, including Dimatix, Trident and Xaar. Other printheads can also be supported with customer supplied printhead drive electronics and ink systems.

The Drop Watcher is a visual fluid characterization tool used to analyze a fluid as it is jetted through a printhead. The Inkjet Web Press is a roll-to-roll printing system ideal for fluids development, fluid/substrate interaction analysis, image quality evaluation, printhead testing, and the evaluation of web based printing. The XY Materials Deposition System is a highly accurate, industrial pilot-line print system used to determine the optimal process for depositing materials on non-porous substrates using combinations of printheads, fluids and substrates.

‘This is a time and money saving solution for companies who need to evaluate inkjet as a digital manufacturing technology,’ said iTi CEO Bruce Morgan. ‘We are making the IDL available based on the positive response we have had from existing customers who requested the opportunity to access our lab and engineering support. Few companies are prepared to make the six figure investments in equipment required to outfit an equivalent lab prior to assuring themselves that the probability of success is good.’

Customers can rent the IDL in full day increments. They can also purchase the time of an iTi engineer to assist them with the use of the equipment and to expedite the evaluation process.

iTi will not allow testing of materials determined as unsafe for its laboratory and staff, and requires a Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on any fluids to be tested prior to making a quotation for use of the IDL.