By Cassandra Balentine
Part 2 of 2
Continued growth in the direct to glassware print space is possible to due to constant advancements in technology. Here we highlight systems capable of directly printing to glassware and highlight recent improvements.
Inkcups
The Inkcups range of Helix cylindrical drinkware printers excels when it comes to printing on glass drinkware, says Riley Mann, marketing specialist, Inkcups. Specifically, the Helix, Helix+, and Double Helix models can be equipped with an optional feature known as Transparent Pin Curing (TPC) to maximize the efficiency of printing on clear glass.
Mann explains that this feature enables digital decoration on clear vessels using UV light without the need for stuffing—an additional step involving the insertion of a foxtail inside a vessel to prevent excessive UV light curing ink onto the lamps. “This not only eliminates the need for stuffing but also significantly reduces the downtime associated with UV lamp maintenance. With TPC, the Helix line can efficiently print on pre-filled vessels as well, such as wine bottles.”
At this time, clear drinkware printed with the Helix ONE would need to be stuffed with a foxtail, shares Mann.
Innovative Digital Systems (IDS)
IDS’ entire UV rotary printer line is capable of printing glassware in full color, with proper adhesion. Combining a robust ink set with its adhesion tools allows operators to confidently print on glassware quickly and efficiently, according to Michael Perrelli, marketing and sales director, IDS.
At IDS, not only are the printers available with higher power lamps and different printhead configurations to help operators print considerably faster, but Perrelli says its team has pushed the application forward with its tooling and fixture advancements that help operators get more out of the machine.
Examples include the new hinged tooling feature that makes it faster to load/unload items from the machine, and it also offers the ability to multi-stack smaller items on a single tool.
INX Digital
INX provides digital inkjet printing hardware, software, inks, and surface preparation options to a number of companies in the industry. The company’s equipment includes hybrid screen and digital printers targeted to the glass market, cylindrical printers for drinkware applications including glass objects, and printers targeting the wine bottle industry.
It also supplies printing engines to several companies targeting aluminum can production for the beverage industry.
“The JetINX print engine can operate helically or as a single pass. Helical can provide higher quality at a lower printer price. That’s great because the most suitable use for digital inkjet technology is for shorter production runs,” says Jay Larsen, GM/director of R&D, digital inkjet systems, INX.
Koenig & Bauer Kammann
Glass printing is one of Koenig & Bauer Kammann’s strengths. Paul Bolduc, president, Koenig & Bauer Kammann (US) Inc., says it has always been known for printing on glass with its screen printers and have followed that path for digital printing systems.
The company offers two different models depending on the customers’ needs. The K20 product family is a linear machine and is more in line with smaller quantity runs and quick changeovers, shares Bolduc. It is ideal for the advertising specialty market or for customers that want a quick changeover machine.
The K1 CNC-1500 is designed on a rotary table platform and is more in line with the higher volume runs.
Each machine can be configured with an inline pretreatment system so that the article can be handled fewer times by the customer. “Our machines are more automated than most of the competitor’s equipment, which allows for fewer people in the decorating process. Our digital installed base is over 22 machines with many repeat customers,” says Bolduc.
Koenig & Bauer Kammann’s digital printing solutions cater to a range of customer needs, from quick and flexible operations to high-volume production. The emphasis on automation and efficiency aligns with the industry trend of reducing manual intervention and optimizing production.
LSINC
The LSINC PeriQ360 is developed to eliminate the need for paper labels and adhesives while creating an eco-friendly, seamless 360 degree label printed directly to a cylinder or taper. According to Lambert, the PeriQ360 is the fastest production unit in its class with the ability to print four items at a time—well suited for light to medium production runs.
PeriOne technology provides ease of entry while also providing fast, efficient, and productive performance for light production printing to cylinders and tapered media. “The PeriOne prints directly to clear glass without the use of a barrier and features automatic wiping and capping of the inkjet printheads,” shares Jim Lambert, CCO, LSINC.
The Perivallo360m is a seamless, full-color helical printer with contour printing technology. It prints high-definition graphics directly to your metal, glass, wood or plastic object—no paper or adhesive, just beautiful, full-color, high-definition images.
LSINC’s printers also offer more graphic real estate coverage, high build, and tactile printing and the ability to follow different bottle profiles.
The most notable advancement from LSINC is the speed possible by the creation of the PeriQ360. “This machine has four independent print tunnels that, in effect, allow you to print four times as many parts per hour as some of the competitors,” shares Lambert.
Another feature that allows for greater print speed is the printer’s ability to print on clear glass without a barrier. “Glassware doesn’t need anything stuffed inside to block the UV light during the curing process,” adds Lambert.
Mimaki USA, Inc.
Mimaki offers the UJF Series of bench and tabletop UV LED flatbed printers with the Kebab option, specifically for embellishing cylindrical objects.
The Mimaki UJF-7151 Plus II is a multipurpose model with a print area of 28×20 inches. It uses the Kebab MkII L device to print directly to cylindrical objects up to 4.33 inches in diameter.
The Mimaki UJF-6042 MkII e is a small format model with a print area of 24×16.5 inches. It uses the Kebab MkII L device to print directly to cylindrical objects up to 4.33 inches in diameter.
The Mimaki UJF-3042 MkII e is a desktop model with a print area of 16.5×11.8 inches. It uses the Kebab MkII device to print directly to cylindrical objects up to 4.33 inches in diameter.
All Kebab devices offer 360 degree direct printing on a wide range of material sizes. “These devices are easily mounted to the printer’s flatbed table. They function intuitively via Mimaki’s RasterLink software,” says Hugo Gonzalez, senior segment specialist, industrial printing, Mimaki.
In late 2023, Mimaki provided a technology preview of the Kebab HS device that will print directly onto cylindrical objects with a taper angle of up to 7.5 degrees on an existing UJF printer, eliminating the need for a dedicated rotary UV machine. “It is also expected to be up to 400 percent faster than previous Kebab models, increasing overall productivity,” shares Gonzalez.
Advancing Glassware
These systems represent a sampling of the capacities available in the digital direct to object printing space, specific to glassware. Read more about the technology in part one of this web series as well as our feature on the topic in the February issue.
Read part one, Target Markets
Jan2024, Industrial Print Magazine
