Dürr, a global mechanical and plant engineering firm, has introduced EcoNextJet, a system that prints complex graphics, patterns, and lettering directly onto surfaces, such as vehicles — in high resolution, both horizontally and vertically, and in two colours if required. Dürr’s new application system integrates custom designs directly into the painting process, replacing films and manual steps with ‘an automated sequence that frees up resources’.
Timo Beyl, manager of new technologies at Dürr, said: “The lines printed by EcoNextJet are as fine as a human hair; and regardless of the geometry or alignment of the body, detailed designs with high surface quality are possible in almost any location. Moreover, once the graphic has been clear coated, you can’t feel it anymore.
\“EcoNextJet is based on ‘drop on demand’ technology. This involves attaching a printhead with 2,000 individually controllable nozzles to a painting robot. Each nozzle dispenses paint only when needed, and up to six drops can be dispensed per pixel. Furthermore, as the drops fly through the air, they merge into one larger drop before reaching the surface of the vehicle body.
\“This technology allows size and speed to be controlled with a very high degree of precision. Pixel by pixel, a paper-thin image is produced, with paint film thickness of about 5µm and a resolution up to 720dpi — and the two-channel printhead can dispense two colours simultaneously. A Dürr developed software program controls the robot’s path and calculates the point of impact for each drop — even on convex or vertical surfaces — with the same paint used for all surfaces, simplifying the process and ensuring consistent finish quality.”
EcoNextJet was developed through close partnerships: Dürr handled process integration, robotics, and software for the painting process; paint manufacturer Axalta developed the appropriate paints; and printhead manufacturer XAAR provided the printhead. The system is available for initial testing in Dürr’s test centres in Bietigheim (Germany) and Southfield (Michigan, USA).