Xaar, a leader in industrial inkjet technology, has launched Xaar 1002 GS40 for UV applications. Already proven in the ceramics tile decoration industry, the launch of this printhead into the UV market enables a range of high-build varnish and textured effects for labels, packaging, graphics and wood laminate.

This latest addition to the market-leading Xaar 1002 family of printheads jets drop volumes from 40 – 160pL and has greyscale capability (five levels). It is designed for printing UV spot varnish and for applications, requiring a high laydown at higher print speeds. Depending on the drop size, the printhead can lay down extra opaque whites with a larger drop size or a finer base of whites with a smaller drop size; this can be particularly useful in creating fine detailed effects. For those wishing to print solid white base coats underneath fine halftone images or text, such as companies printing labels or packaging, the Xaar 1002 GS40 can be used in combination with the Xaar 1002 GS6 printhead.

The large drop capability of the Xaar 1002 GS40 also means it is suitable for printing high-build spot varnish or tactile, textured effects, such as wood grain, which improve the visual appearance of edge banding or other wood laminate products manufactured by the décor industry. In addition, the throughput of this printhead surpasses that of any other on the market; this is due to greyscale capability combined with high drop size, which deliver a very high volume of ink laydown per nozzle. As with all of the Xaar 1002 family of printheads, this new variant includes TF Technology which ensures a continuous ink flow at a very high rate directly past the back of the nozzle during drop ejection; this provides unrivalled reliability, trouble-free printing and maximum printing and production uptime.

“We are delighted to be extending our UV printhead range to include the Xaar 1002 GS40, which enables our customers to create a wide range of effects that were typically the preserve of other techniques such as embossing. This capability is becoming more prevalent in labels and packaging for luxury products within the food and beverage sectors, including high-end spirits and wine labeling,” says Alan Mutch, product manager at Xaar.