Improving jetting stability in a water-based pigment ink
Client Challenge
A packaging printing company experienced severe jetting instability in a newly developed water-based pigment ink.
During production runs, several printheads showed inconsistent drop formation, satellite droplets and frequent nozzle dropouts. This resulted in reduced print quality, increased maintenance cycles and lower production uptime.
WetDot Analysis
WetDot performed a systematic technical analysis of the ink and printing conditions, including:
- rheological characterization of the ink formulation
- particle size and dispersion stability analysis
- surface tension and dynamic wetting measurements
- evaluation of humectant balance and drying behaviour
The analysis revealed that the formulation showed borderline viscosity stability and insufficient dispersion robustness under elevated shear conditions.
Solution
WetDot developed an optimized formulation strategy focusing on:
- improved pigment dispersion stability
- optimized humectant system to stabilize jetting behaviour
- adjustment of viscosity and surface tension window for the specific printhead architecture
The revised formulation was tested under real printing conditions and validated through extended jetting tests.
Results
The optimized ink formulation delivered measurable improvements:
- stable drop formation at high jetting frequency
- significantly reduced satellite droplets
- improved printhead uptime
- reduced cleaning cycles and maintenance downtime
The customer was able to increase production stability while maintaining print quality and colour performance.
Key Takeaway
A systematic formulation and fluid-dynamic analysis can significantly improve jetting stability and production reliability in industrial inkjet printing systems.
