Inkjet & Digital Printing
Dominos new A-Series eliminates routine servicing, sets new standards for continuous ink jet printing
Monday 22. November 2010 - New i-Tech intelligent Technology harnessed to maximise productivity
Domino, global leader in product identification and traceability solutions, has launched the next generation of its A-Series, the worlds best-selling range of continuous ink jet (CIJ) printers.
The first model in the new A-Series range – the A320i – has its global launch at
Salon de lEmballage 2010 in Paris and showcases Dominos new i-Tech
intelligent Technology concept. This encompasses an array of smart technologies to make production lines lower maintenance, lower cost and more efficient. These principles are displayed to full effect in the new A-Series: by combining a number of
i-Tech features, Domino has been able to deliver tangible productivity and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) benefits by completely eliminating preventative maintenance.
Dominos new i-Tech ink system and SureStart print head both contribute to significantly lower operating costs and greatly reduce the printers environmental impact. A further notable example of Dominos radical design engineering is the new Qube, which enables users to dispose of exhausted ink and filters without the costly wastage of electro mechanical components that are still perfectly serviceable.
The A320i continues Domino’s tradition of technological excellence, ensuring quality ink jet printing from basic coding requirements to tough industrial applications in harsh environments. The A320i prints up to four lines of code, text, automatic serial or batch numbering and real-time clocks.
“The new A-Series is a significant event, both for Domino and the industry,” says Nick Plaister, Dominos product director for CIJ. “There are over 110,000 of the current A-Series printers installed worldwide and it is the benchmark for performance, reliability and print quality in product identification. However, in keeping with our new corporate philosophy of Domino.Do more, we believe the time is right to introduce the next generation of the A-Series, packed with fresh thinking and new technologies to meet customers new demands. Were confident that the innovative engineering of this industry-leading product will raise the bar again and set new standards against which other continuous ink jet printers will be judged.”
An end to traditional preventative maintenance
The foundation of the service-free concept is the elimination of traditional preventative maintenance activities. Instead, plug and play routine consumables replenishment undertaken by production staff is all that is needed. The CleanFill consumables are colour coded for easy identification and all feature self sealing valves for a safe and clean working environment.
The new A-Series marks the debut of Dominos new i-Tech intelligent Technology concept for monitoring and managing the A320is performance to enhance reliability and improve overall efficiency. Among the most important functions of i-Tech are:
Monitoring printer configuration and usage to automatically adjust the consumables replenishment cycle. This ensures the ink is always in the optimum condition to maximise OEE.
Minimising waste by automatic depletion of the working volume of ink in the Qube. In addition, 100% depletion of the ink and make-up cartridges means that no fluid is left in exhausted cartridges.
Intelligent management of the solvent recovery system to reduce make-up usage.
New no-fuss Qube eliminates throwaway electronics
The A-Series i-Tech ink system does away with the ink reservoir in favour of a modular concept that features the revolutionary new Qube, in which the ink and filters are separated from the pump and associated electronics. This approach means that, unlike competitive CIJ printers, disposing of the ink does not involve scrapping viable, functioning mechanical and electrical components – a significant benefit given the increasing influence of environmental performance on purchasing decisions. Furthermore, the annual Qube replacement is carried out in less than ten minutes and can be easily be completed by production staff.
SureStart print head technology is always on
Dominos SureStart print head technology delivers push-button, walk-away convenience and guarantees that class-leading performance is always available – whether running continuously or shutting down daily, the A320i prints consistently and reliably with minimal operator intervention. The unique nozzle seal and true flush system provides unrivalled start/stop performance in conjunction with automatic head cleaning, and auto-modulation maintains consistent break-up of drops day after day. A heated head ensures that printing performance is unaffected by ambient temperature.
New QuickStep operator interface boosts productivity, enhances flexibility
Enhanced versatility is a key benefit of the A320i. A range of user interface (UI) options is available to suit every application, no matter how complex, and makes management of multiple printers more convenient. Options include a full-colour touchscreen or Dominos innovative SureTouch keypad, while multiple printers can also be controlled via a remote colour TouchPanel, a web browser or a PC application.
The A320i is among the first Domino printers to feature QuickStep – a new, simplified and standardised operator interface rolling out across the companys entire range. QuickStep minimises operator errors and speeds printer set-up by doing away with complex menus and parameters in favour of simplified set-up routines requiring minimal operator involvement.
The A320i is simple to integrate into complex environments thanks to a wide range of input/output (I/O) options, and Dominos patented scripting technology also offers special functionality without special code. GAMP4-compliant security management provides simple control of who accesses the printer and at what level.
Designed to reduce environmental impacts
In developing the A320i, the design team scrutinised all the sources of waste energy and resources in light of Domino customers increasing demands that products follow sound environmental practices. The service-free nature of the A320i reduces the lifetime carbon footprint of the printer, as does the use of intelligent Technology for ink and solvent management. In addition, the A320i incorporates advanced energy-saving software to shut down the printer automatically when idle and its weight has been reduced by 40% compared to its predecessor.