Continuous Ink Jet CIJ printer

Continuous Ink Jet CIJ vs. Thermal Inkjet TIJ - which is better?

Today, inkjet solutions are mainly used for the labelling and marking of products. The proven technology can easily and economically apply details such as serial numbers, expiry dates or consumer information to the product or its packaging. The large availability of special inks (UV ink, UV-curable ink, white ink,...) makes inkjet technology very advantageous here compared to other marking methods.

A basic distinction is made between Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) and Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) solutions. CIJ works with a continuous ink jet that uses deflection electrodes to produce the desired print output on the substrate. CIJ is suitable for very large volumes and for very high processing speeds. Continuous Ink Jet CIJ printers are practically only used in industrial applications.
In TIJ systems (DoD - drop on demand), a normal print head controls when exactly how much ink is "dropped" onto the print object. This technology is widespread in the private sector, but is also frequently found in commercial use.

Advantages and disadvantages of Continuous Ink Jet CIJ

Compared to laser marking systems, both CIJ and TIJ have the advantage that no extraction devices are needed for any vapours that are produced. This makes the systems smaller, more flexible and even portable.

Consumables

CIJ is suitable for extremely high processing speeds and also has very low printing costs thanks to modern residual ink recirculation. Compared to TIJ, however, there are more consumables involved. In addition to ink, these systems also require thinners and solvents to enable the high performance. With TIJ, the cost of consumables (ink) increases in a strictly linear fashion. CIJ requires more consumables, but the need decreases rapidly and continuously as the number of prints increases. Thermal inkjet printers can reduce the cost of their consumables very flexibly by varying the font size or type size, so they can also be used to process large print volumes at low cost. However, the principle-based combination of print head and ink cartridge is reflected in somewhat higher cartridge prices.

Acquisition costs

The big disadvantage of TIJ printers is the high purchase price. Most systems start in the 5-digit EURO range. High-quality TIJ systems cost only a fraction of that and entry-level models are available from as little as 1,000 EURO.
The installation and adjustment of continuous ink jet printers is also much more complex.

Maintenance costs and error costs

TIJ systems are usually designed to be maintenance-free. CIJ systems, on the other hand, require regular maintenance and care. The costs for this are relatively high. CIJ units take quite some time to start up. Faults in the system are usually very difficult to locate, whereas with TIJ systems it is usually sufficient to change the combined print head/ink cartridge to get back to faultless operation.

We have chosen TIJ

Our NasaJet® brand is aimed at small to medium-sized companies that want to meet all legal requirements for product labelling professionally, but also economically. In our opinion, the cost advantages of CIJ for very large quantities of printed output are offset by other disadvantages. Our TIJ-based labelling systems reliably and cost-effectively mark even large quantities of products and packaging with a high degree of flexibility.

NasaJet® hand printer

The NasaJet® handheld printer is the right choice if you frequently need to print on products or packaging. In the warehouse, in production or in the shop, the mobile hand printer can quickly and economically mark anything with any data or even images and barcodes (QR codes). The principle is suitable for almost all solid materials, be it metal, wood, stone or of course just paper and cardboard. It is therefore possible to apply a wide variety of markings with a single device, where previously it may have taken several printing passes in a production line. With its low purchase price and robust technology, the NasaJet® is ideal for commercial use. The range of functions - multi-line printing, printing of images, barcodes or sequential numbers - is on a par with much more expensive competitor products. Print templates can be created quickly and conveniently directly on the device with the help of the built-in touch screen and also saved there. Your own graphics and logos can of course be transferred to the device via USB stick.

NasaJet® NJ-2000 TIJ marking system

Even for large production volumes and for integration into existing production lines, we offer the NasaJet® NJ-2000, a professional yet economical TIJ marking system. The separate control and print units of the NasaJet® NJ-2000 allow a quick and easy installation into existing productions with a maximum print speed of up to 60m per minute. The print units can be flexibly positioned to allow simultaneous printing of different pages at the same time.
The control unit allows the creation of even complex print templates directly via the built-in touch screen. The output of expiry dates, serial numbers or barcodes is thus fully automated. And the labelling costs remain economical.