How Continuous Drop Deflection Conquers Curved Cans & High Speeds
Inside a Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) printhead, a piezoelectric crystal breaks a pressurized ink stream into 64,000–120,000 uniform droplets per second; charging electrodes selectively charge droplets for character strokes while uncharged droplets recycle cleanly down the catcher gutter. Within industrial inkjet printers, that high-velocity drop stream gives CIJ an unmatched 8–25 mm throw distance—printing crisp dates onto concave beverage can bottoms, curved glass necks, and recessed jar lids on the fly.
Explore beverage and VFFS models in small-character high-speed CIJ printers and heavy industrial extrusion models in pigmented and micro-character CIJ printers.
Published Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) Model Class Envelopes
Compare industrial CIJ configurations by speed, character matrix, and ingress protection:
| CIJ Tier | Max Single-Line Speed | Character Height & Lines | Cabinet Rating & Umbilical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Duty CIJ (1280 / Linx 10) | 162 m/min (533 ft/min) | 1–5 lines; 1.8–10 mm | IP55 stainless; 2–3 m umbilical |
| Washdown Food-Grade CIJ (1620FG) | 293 m/min (960 ft/min) | 1–5 lines + 2D DataMatrix | IP65 cabinet; 3 m or 6 m conduit |
| Dual-Head CIJ (1610DH Class) | 293 m/min per head | Up to 10 combined lines (2 locations) | IP65; codes twin lanes or front+back |
| Micro-Character UHS (1880HR/UHS) | 394–508 m/min | Down to 1.2 mm micro print | IP55/IP65; electronics, pharma, canning |
| Pigmented Contrast CIJ (1710/1580C) | 271 m/min (888 ft/min) | 1–5 lines white/yellow/blue | Cone/periodic agitation tank; IP55/IP65 |
Need 600 dpi high-resolution barcodes on flat cartons? Compare thermal and case inkjet coders.
Industrial Coding Engineering Notes
- Auto-Flush Clean Start & Shutdown: Automated solvent nozzle flushing upon power-down prevents dried ink crusting over weekend shutdowns—delivering instant Monday-morning startups.
- Dynamic Viscosity & Phase Calibration: Closed-loop viscometers dose make-up fluid automatically as shop-floor temperature swings from 10 °C morning shifts to 35 °C afternoons.
- 90° Angled Printhead Conduit Option: Specify 90° right-angle printheads when mounting inside tight VFFS film-unwind frames or low-clearance rotary labelers.
Size CIJ Speed for Multi-Line Codes
Check linear speed vs BPM math in our coding line speed and encoder calculator or start a Project Brief.
Explore related coding platforms in Industrial Inkjet Printers, Inks, Solvents & Print Specs, or send your substrate & belt m/min via Project Brief.