FAQ

Q: What is the difference between CIJ and DOD technologies?

A: The difference between CIJ (continuous ink jet) and DOD (drop on demand) is that, in CIJ, the ink is being continuously circulated throughout the printer from the fluids system through the print head, and back to the fluids system. In DOD technology, the ink is only dispersed when the printer is printing.

Q: What does CIJ stand for?

A: CIJ stands for Continuous Ink Jet. The printer creates a stream of small ink droplets and selects some of the droplets to print, becoming the characters that land on the product. The unused droplets are cycled back into the printer to eventually become part of the ink stream again.

Q: What does LPA stand for

A: Label Print & Apply

Q: What causes a “No Signal Fault”?

A: A no signal fault means that the sense signal coming from the return block is not receiving a signal from the charged drops that land inside the return block. Common causes of the no signal fault can be a misaligned ink stream, excessive buildup of ink in the bottom of the printhead, or a severed sense wire coming from the return block. For troubleshooting a specific model printer, it is always best to consult the service manual for your printer.

Q: What causes a “Phasing Fault”?

A: A phasing fault is similar to a no signal fault, only the sense signal coming from the return block is insufficient instead of completely missing. Cleaning the printhead is a common way to correct the problem. Other causes can be misaligned ink stream, printer configuration, or vibration on the printhead. For troubleshooting the Phasing Fault, please refer to the specific printer model’s service manual.

Q: What applications are recommended for CIJ?

A: CIJ printers can be used to print on Paper products, plastics, metal, glass, and others. Typical applications include Milk containers, Soda cans, pharmaceuticals, small cardboard boxes, cabling, and small component marking.

Q: What is the working principle of CIJ?

A: The CIJ printers charge the individual ink drops that make-up a message. Each drop, with its specific charge, flies through a magnetic field generated inside the printhead. The amount of charge placed on the drop determines the amount of deflection it has in this field. The drops that get deflected most make up the top line of code, or the top drops of a single line code. The drops that get deflected a little make up the lower lines of code or the lower drops of a single line character. The drops that do not get any charge do not get deflected and land inside the printhead and go back into the ink system.