Xaar Technology Limited

An actuator component for a droplet ejection head. The actuator component includes an actuator assembly and a nozzle plate. The actuator assembly includes a plurality of liquid chambers arranged in a liquid chamber array and a plurality of gas channels arranged in a gas channel array. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of ejection nozzles arranged in a nozzle array and a plurality of gas orifices arranged in an orifice array wherein the gas orifices and the ejection nozzles are arranged in a repeating pattern. Each liquid chamber is fluidically connected to one or more of the ejection nozzles and is actuable for the ejection of liquid droplets from the ejection nozzles. The plurality of gas channels is fluidically connected to a respective gas orifice(s). During use, gas flowing through the gas orifices controls one or more properties of the liquid ejected from the ejection nozzles.

A method for depositing fluid droplets onto a medium. For an actuation cycle, the steps include: assigning all fluid chambers in an array as either firing or non-firing chambers to produce bands of one or more contiguous firing chambers separated by bands of one or more contiguous non-firing chambers. For each non-firing chamber adjacent to a band of firing chambers, actuating one wall in the first direction and retaining the other wall in the neutral position. For a single non-firing chamber between bands of firing chambers, actuating both walls concurrently in the first direction. For a non-firing chamber not adjacent to a band of firing chambers, retaining both walls in the neutral position or concurrently actuating both wall in either the first or second direction. And for each firing chamber, actuating the first and second walls consecutively in the first direction.

A sub-controller ( 20 ), controller ( 30 ), fluid supply system and apparatus for printing and a method for printing. Provided is a processor controlled sub-controller ( 20 ) for controlling the fluid pressure in one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ); wherein said controller ( 30 ) is configured to receive a droplet ejection head movement profile for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ), determine a respective induced fluid pressure profile at one or more predetermined locations for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ) using the respective droplet ejection head movement profile; and generate respective pressure correction data for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads based on the respective induced fluid pressure profile and a predetermined pressure window to be maintained at said one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ). Also provided is a method of printing using one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ) fluidically connected to a fluid supply system wherein said method comprises the steps of receiving droplet ejection head movement profile(s); determining a respective induced fluid pressure profile at one or more predetermined locations for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads using the respective droplet ejection head movement profile(s); generating respective pressure correction file(s) at said one or more predetermined locations based on said induced fluid pressure profile(s) and said predetermined pressure window.

An actuator component for a droplet ejection head; wherein said actuator component comprises a substrate and one or more strips of piezoelectric material fixedly attached to said substrate; wherein said one or more strips of piezoelectric material comprise one or more layers of piezoelectric material, and an array of fluid chambers defined within said one or more strips of piezoelectric material and extending in an array direction; wherein said actuator component further comprises one or more cover parts; wherein the or each cover part extends in said array direction and is fixedly attached to at least one of a side face of one of said strips of piezoelectric material and/or at least a portion of said substrate; and wherein said one or more cover parts comprise a plurality of openings so as to enable fluid to be supplied to selected ones of said fluid chambers through said openings. Associated methods of manufacturing an actuator component for a droplet ejection head are also provided.

A droplet deposition apparatus ( 1 ) comprising: a first head module ( 101 A, 101 B, 102 A) and a second head module ( 101 B, 102 A, 102 B) arranged in at least partially overlapping relationship, each head module having a plurality of nozzles in at least one nozzle array (A 1 , B 1 ); and a storage ( 200 ) configured to store a table of determined best aligned nozzle pairs in an overlap region and corresponding skew angles (Θi) of at least one of the head modules relative to a datum of the droplet deposition apparatus and/or a corresponding positional offset of the second head module relative to the first head module; wherein, in the overlap region, nozzles of the first head module are arranged at a first nozzle pitch (P 2 ) and nozzles of the second head module are arranged at a second nozzle itch (P 3 ). Associated methods in respect of determining misalignment information in respect of such a droplet deposition apparatus, and determining one or more best aligned nozzle pairs in an overlap region between at least two head modules, are also provided.

A nozzle plate for a droplet ejection head, the nozzle plate comprising a first row of nozzles arranged to deposit droplets onto a deposition media; wherein the first row of nozzles extends in a row direction and comprises two or more nozzle clusters, each nozzle cluster being arranged along the row direction for a cluster length c, and extending along a cluster depth direction perpendicular to the row direction by a cluster depth d; wherein each nozzle cluster comprises a plurality of nozzles of which one or more nozzles within each nozzle cluster define the cluster length c and two or more nozzles within each nozzle cluster define the cluster depth d; wherein each nozzle cluster is spaced apart from an adjacent nozzle cluster along the row direction by a cluster spacing a such that an air flow path is created for forced air to pass through the row of nozzles in a controlled manner; and wherein, when the first row is projected in a transverse direction onto the row direction, a transition region between adjacent nozzle clusters comprises two or more nozzles from a first cluster and two or more nozzles from a second cluster, the second cluster being adjacent to the first cluster, and the nozzles in the transition region being equidistantly spaced from one another by a projected nozzle spacing.

A droplet deposition apparatus comprising a droplet deposition head, a fluid supply and a controller, wherein: the droplet deposition head comprises one or more fluid chambers each having a nozzle, a fluid inlet path having a fluid inlet into the head, and ending in the one or more nozzles, and a fluid return path starting at the one or more nozzles and ending in a fluid return of the head; each fluid chamber comprises two opposing chamber walls comprising piezoelectric material and deformable upon application of an electric drive signal so as to eject a fluid droplet from the nozzle; the fluid supply is configured to supply a fluid to the fluid inlet at a differential pressure as measured between the fluid inlet and the fluid return; and the controller is configured to apply a drive signal to the piezoelectric chamber walls such that the nozzle or nozzles deposit droplets of a fluid having a viscosity in the range from 45 mPa·s to 130 mPa·s at a jetting temperature between 20° C. and 90° C., and wherein the differential pressure applied by the fluid supply causes a fluid return flow into the fluid return at a rate of between 50 ml/min and 200 ml/min. A method of operating the droplet deposition apparatus, and a control system for carrying out the method, are also provided.

A method for providing a drive waveform for a droplet ejection apparatus. The method includes the steps of receiving a nominal drive waveform including a droplet ejection pulse having a nominal maximum amplitude Vmax(nominal) and for achieving a nominal droplet velocity vel(nominal) and further including a nominal non-ejecting pulse, ahead of the droplet ejection pulse, wherein the nominal non-ejecting pulse is spaced apart from the droplet ejection pulse by a first delay d 1 ; receiving a target droplet velocity vel(target) and/or a target maximum amplitude of the droplet ejection pulse Vmax(target); adjusting one or more waveform parameters on the basis of the received vel(target) and/or Vmax(target) to provide an adjusted drive waveform to achieve at least one of vel(target) and Vmax(target); and outputting the adjusted drive waveform. A method is also provided for operating a droplet ejection apparatus.

A nozzle plate for a droplet ejection device: comprising a first, media facing surface and, opposing it, a second, back surface; and at least one nozzle: wherein said at least one nozzle passes through the nozzle plate from the second surface to the first surface; and wherein said at least one nozzle comprises an exit bore having an exit bore centreline and wherein the exit bore centreline is inclined at an oblique inclination angle θ to the first surface and is adapted such that, in use, one or more droplets will be ejected from the nozzle at an acute inclination angle θ to the first surface. A droplet ejection device comprising the nozzle plate. A droplet ejection apparatus comprising at least one droplet ejection device and a deposition media movement apparatus and a method of operating the droplet ejection apparatus.