Continuous Inkjet (CIJ)

What It Is

A non-contact printing technology where a continuous stream of ink droplets is electrically charged and deflected onto a moving product to print batch codes, dates, and variable data.

How It Works

A pump forces ink through a nozzle, forming a continuous stream that breaks into uniform droplets. Selected droplets are electrically charged and deflected by a high-voltage field to form characters on the substrate, while unused droplets are recirculated back into the ink system.

Typical Machine Appearance

A compact wall or stand-mounted cabinet (printhead + electronics module) with a thin printhead cable connected to a small nozzle assembly positioned a few millimetres from the line.

Typical Applications

• • Batch/expiry coding on bottles and cans
• • Carton and case coding
• • Cable and wire marking
• • Pipe and profile marking

Suitable Substrates

Speed & Print Quality

Speed: Very high (up to 800+ m/min depending on message length)

Quality: Good for text, dates, batch codes; moderate for small barcodes/QR at high speed

Consumables & Maintenance

Consumables: Ink, Solvent/makeup fluid, Filters

Maintenance level: Medium-high — periodic nozzle cleaning, filter changes, and ink system servicing

Best-Fit Industries

Advantages

• Very high speed
• Non-contact printing
• Works on curved and irregular surfaces
• Long field-proven reliability

Limitations

• Ongoing solvent/makeup consumption
• Print quality lower than piezo/TIJ for fine graphics
• Requires periodic preventive maintenance

Common Mistakes

• Ignoring makeup fluid top-ups leading to viscosity drift
• Running with old/contaminated ink
• Underestimating solvent cost over the machine life

Hidden Cost Factors

• Solvent/makeup consumption often exceeds ink cost over time
• Nozzle and filter replacement
• Operator skill dependency for troubleshooting