Fujifilm Dimatix launched the Samba G5L, the latest generation in the Samba printhead family, virtually at the Printing United digital experience in the last week of October 2020. The newest generation in the Samba printhead line leverages state-of-art silicon micro-electro-mechanical systems manufacturing (SI-MEMS). The Samba G5L has a parallelogram design on the nozzle plate to offer simplified printhead stitching – making for a compact print bar and enabling easy integration in production environments.
The G5L also offers a 30% to 45% larger droplet size (3.5 – 13 picolitres) than the Samba G3L printhead. The idea is to provide higher ink coverage at production speeds for large surface applications such as corrugated or direct to textile printing. The 1,200 x 1,200 or 1,200 x 600 dpi print resolutions similar to the G3L can produce high saturation colour printing. The slightly larger drop sizes of the G5L mean that higher viscosity inks can be pumped through it compared to the Samba 3GL.
The overall architecture of the new G5L is similar to the G3L – it is merely designed for a different set of applications. Both the heads have 2,048 nozzles, with a print width of 43mm, with similar resolutions of 1,200 dpi and a firing frequency of 100kHz.
A single printhead width of 43 millimeter (1.7 inches) can be configured to make a compact print bar of any width to scale to various print applications. Its extensive fluid compatibility and broad ink latitude (from a robust non-wetting coating on the nozzle plate) offer robust functionality for inkjet printing and materials deposition. Optimized for single-pass printing, the Samba G5L offers a fast priming, higher standoff capability (up to 4 millimeter, without air-assist and up to 5 mm with air-assist), and reduced maintenance cycles from multi-level ink re-circulation – all to reduce downtime. While air-assist helps ink droplets reach the substrate faster, experts warn that it can cause a woodgrain-like pattern to become apparent in the output.
“With features enabling faster printing speeds, more versatility and better uptime, the Dimatix Samba G5L was engineered to meet the evolving needs of the corrugated packaging and textile industry,” said Bailey Smith, senior vice president of Sales, Marketing and Business Development at Fujifilm Dimatix. “The Dimatix Samba G5L will enable faster print speeds and better uptime, allowing our customers to remain competitive and deliver outstanding results.”
An early adopter of the new printhead is BHS Corrugated of Germany. BHS chose the Samba G5L for its newly developed roll to printed sheet printer for corrugated box making.
“After evaluating several printheads in the market place and in close co-operation with our technology integrator Screen, selecting the Dimatix Samba G5L turned out to be the right decision,” said Maximilian Mark, product manager digital print at BHS. “Our development program proved that the Dimatix Samba G5L printheads enable linear speeds up to 300 meters a minute while maintaining sellable print quality. Its high sustainable performance as well as its longevity when given proper care, are crucial properties for
our application in the corrugated industry.”
