Kyocera introduces inkjet printhead with over 1,500 nozzles

Kyocera Corporation has announced that it has developed an ‘industry-first’ inkjet printhead capable of handling high-viscosity materials for industrial applications. This breakthrough is enabled by Kyocera’s proprietary new piezo actuator and fluid channel technology.

The new printhead is expected to expand the use of inkjet technology in a wide range of industrial applications, including advanced manufacturing processes, painting and 3D printing, which have been difficult to address using conventional inkjet technology.

In recent years, the manufacturing industry is increasingly required to improve production efficiency in addition to reducing environmental impact and material waste to realise a sustainable society. Inkjet technology is highly regarded for its contribution to sustainability, as it enables the on-demand jetting of uniform, fine droplets, resulting in high material utilisation efficiency and reduced waste.　

Due to these characteristics, inkjet technology is attracting more attention as an innovative manufacturing process in fields such as electronic circuits, semiconductor production lines, and additive manufacturing. In addition, in automotive painting applications, efforts to develop practical inkjet processes are underway to enable more creative designs, reduce labour in masking processes and minimise paint loss.

Leveraging the strengths cultivated through years of printhead development — namely high productivity, high resolution, and high durability — Kyocera has successfully developed technology that enables the stable jetting of high-viscosity materials. As a result, manufacturing processes that use paints and materials in viscosity ranges that were previously difficult to handle with inkjet technology have now reached a practical stage.

By leveraging the conventional piezoelectric bend mode, Kyocera has developed a proprietary new piezo actuator structure that enhances jetting force. This advancement enables the stable jetting of high-viscosity materials — up to 16 times higher than Kyocera’s conventional technology — and droplets up to 20 times larger. As a result, the technology enables expansion into a wide range of industrial applications, including painting and 3D printing, which were previously difficult to address with inkjet technology.

In circulating printheads for high-viscosity materials, stable jetting has been a significant challenge. To address this, Kyocera has optimised the fluid channel design by leveraging proprietary fluid simulations. As a result, stable jetting is enabled, contributing to both improved productivity and quality.