Hasan S. Cemkan
Corporate
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🎯 New Horizons in Industrial Inkjet Technology
Xaar is set to showcase the expanding capabilities of industrial inkjet technology at the Industrial Print Integration (IPI) conference, taking place in Neuss, Germany, on November 24-25, 2026. The company will focus on how its precision jetting expertise, custom waveforms, and strategic partnerships are transforming inkjet from a traditional printing method into a highly reliable advanced manufacturing process for functional electronics, smart surfaces, and high-viscosity applications.
🚗 Robotic 3D Painting and Cross-Sector Collaboration
A key part of Xaar's participation will be the opening keynote presentation on November 24, titled "The Future of Automotive Personalization: Digital Printing Meets Robotic Precision." Angus Condie from Xaar will present alongside Dr. Christian Engels from Axalta and Hans-Georg Fritz from Dürr Systems AG. This session will detail a groundbreaking collaborative project integrating digital printing technology, advanced automotive coatings, and robotics. The project aims to automate the application of customized paint schemes on complex, three-dimensional vehicle surfaces. The presentation will highlight the technical challenges and market requirements of bringing digital paint personalization directly into OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) automotive production environments.
🌊 Waveform Optimization for Functional Fluids
On November 25, Xaar's Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Renzo Trip, will lead a technical session exploring the critical role of waveform development in functional printing. To accelerate the market introduction of new inkjet applications, Xaar offers an extensive waveform library and fluid development services. By providing rheology measurement, material compatibility testing, and advanced jetting diagnostics, the company enables manufacturers to precisely match complex customer fluids—from standard inks to specialized functional coatings—with optimized electrical waveforms. This ensures reliable, repeatable drop formation in demanding, continuous industrial applications.
🔬 Piezoelectric Waveforms and Non-Newtonian Fluid Rheology
In piezoelectric Drop-on-Demand (DoD) inkjet technology, a "waveform" is a precisely engineered electrical voltage pulse applied to the piezoelectric actuator (typically Lead Zirconate Titanate, or PZT) that forms the walls or ceiling of the printhead's ink chamber. This voltage profile causes the PZT crystal to deform within microseconds, generating acoustic pressure waves that propagate through the fluid and eject a droplet from the nozzle. A standard waveform includes a 'fill' phase (expanding the chamber to draw ink in), a 'fire' phase (contracting to eject fluid), and a 'damping' phase (canceling residual acoustic resonance to prevent nozzle weeping or air ingestion).
When jetting functional fluids, such as the high-viscosity automotive clear coats or conductive nanoparticle suspensions discussed at IPI, engineers encounter significant rheological challenges. These fluids often exhibit non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior and have high particle loadings. To successfully jet these dense suspensions without clogging the nozzle or forming undesirable "satellite" droplets (small secondary droplets resulting from irregular fluid ligament breakup), manufacturers must develop highly complex, multi-pulse waveforms. These specialized electrical profiles manipulate the internal acoustic resonance to cleanly sever the heavy fluid ligament, ensuring precise volumetric control, optimal drop velocity, and absolute placement accuracy on 3D surfaces.
