In a high-viscosity inkjet collaboration, leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printheads, XAAR, and Austrian bespoke inkjet machinery manufacturer Inkatronic, have collaborated to further enhance the Xaar Aquinox printhead’s fluid development process for printing onto porous wood substrates used in decorative interior applications.
The Xaar Aquinox printhead is a high-performance aqueous inkjet printhead designed for precision and durability in various industrial applications
Mikael Boedler, Business Development Lead at Inkatronic, says: “Working with Xaar has significantly accelerated our development timeline. The Aquinox printhead’s ability to jet high viscosity fluids whilst maintaining sharp image quality at a 5mm throw distance, combined with reduced clogging and extended open time, and their pre-developed waveforms and close R&D support helped us move from testing to customer-ready samples in weeks, not months.”
“In industrial inkjet, reliability and sustainability are often at odds, but this collaboration proves they can go hand in hand and shows the reliability of inkjet on an industrial scale.”
The project showcases how high-viscosity, water-based inks can transform cost-effective wood materials into premium, high-value décor elements for furniture, wall cladding, and other architectural design elements.
Inkatronic chose to work with Nazdar’s pre-approved high-viscosity water-based inks, leveraging Xaar’s in-house print trials and waveform expertise to validate performance on wood substrates in under a month. These inks were carefully formulated to remain on the surface of the highly absorbent material, helping to minimise ink wastage while ensuring strong visual definition and consistent coverage. This fast-track approach enabled Inkatronic to deliver high-quality samples quickly and confidently, without upfront investment.
The project also has key sustainability advantages. By switching from UV to water-based inks and printing in a single pass, Inkatronic has reduced energy consumption and eliminated the need for costly UV curing equipment. With further applications in additive manufacturing on the horizon, Inkatronic continues to push boundaries in digital inkjet integration, enabled both by Xaar’s technology and collaborative approach.
Xaar and Inkatronic’s collaborative approach can be seen firsthand at the FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print Technology for Advanced Manufacturing Conference in Munich on 21st-22nd January. Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology and printheads alongside Megnajet’s fluid management systems will demonstrate how inkjet is leading innovation in print, coating and manufacturing applications.
