Technical Bulletin - 10th March 2009


Canon PGI-520\CLI-521 Cartridges (PLUGS)
Many of the printers and MFPs that use these Canon cartridges have only 1-2mm clearance above the cartridges when they are positioned inside the printer. It is therefore very important to use a seal that does not protrude above the top level of the cartridge. We recommend to use our ball plug seal which replaces the OEM seal and therefore when positioned is lower than the top of the cartridge and will not cause any problems.

New Sensient HP Pigment Black ink - Testers Required
Sensient has released a new Black Pigment ink which has higher optical density than OEMs. We have tested this ink in house and now we are now looking for a few very nice customers to test the ink in the field and provide the feedback we require. Be the first to try this new Jet black pigment ink. If you are interested in assisting us with the testing, please email techsupport@ausjetinks.com.au

Memjet Technology - Great Australian technology
The new technology 'memjet'  developed by Silverbrook Research in Balmain Sydney looks like it will make its commercial release in late 2009 in the US, with talk of a release in Australia in 2010. The silverbrook research team has been in development of the technology for more than 10 years. Silverbrook research holds over 1400 US patents on the technology with more patents pending. At the CES show in Las Vegas in January a demonstration printer model featuring memjet technology was released. Silverbrook research has licensed the technology to Memjet technology who has released this demonstration model printer. The main difference between memjet and other inkjet printers is that the memjet printhead spans the width of the page. As you can imagine this would allow a huge increase in print speed as the printer cartridge does not have to move from one side of the printer to the other. The printhead is fixed and doesn't move only the paper moves past the printhead. The A4 size memjet printhead features 70,400 nozzles with a drop size of 1.4 picolitres.

The demonstration model features an 'everday mode' of 60 pages per minute and a 'quality mode' which is designed for coated papers of 30 pages per minute. This truly is amazing speed, but don't take my word for it look at these videos at the Silverbrook Researches website http://silverbrookresearch.com/l-en/technology.html. The A4 printer uses water based dye inks and uses thermal technology to shoot the ink to the page. The street price for the demonstration model printer will be in the $300 - $500 (US Dollar price) for the small office / home office model. Memjet has plans to release more printers for different markets including a model for the inexpensive home market.

ColorLok paper standards gains more and more supporters
HPs colorlok technology which features new innovative technology to advance the development of uncoated papers (ie Plain paper) is gaining more and more support from paper and printer manufacturers.

The science behind ColorLok Technology is real. Print quality is determined by the way that ink spreads across and penetrates the paper. ColorLok papers are engineered with special additives that result in faster drying time, more vivid colors and bolder blacks. These additives chemically react with inkjet inks, causing the ink to absorb more deeply into the paper while holding the pigment/dye close to the surface, resulting in:

Vivid Colors for richer, brighter images and graphics.
Bolder Blacks for crisp, sharp text.
Faster Drying for less smear and faster handling time.

The good news is that there is no difference in price when compared to other everyday papers currently on sale.

In addition, ColorLok Technology meets a range of  specifications that apply to inkjet and laser printing, as well as standard photocopier machines. Colorlok technology paper therefore will work well in all inkjet, laser and photocopier machines.

More information on Colorlok technology can be found at  http://www.colorlok.com/.  We have been using the HP Q2400A everyday paper in our office which features Colorlok technology with good results for at least the last six months. It may be a good way to get a foot in the door with new customers by promoting good quality Sensient ink with colorlok paper.

Thoughts on Syringe Filling vs Vacuum Filling
Vacuum filling is universally recognised by our industry as a better filling method for inkjet cartridges. Until recently i was still unsure about the claims that OEM printer manufacturers used this method to fill their cartridges. But I have recently discovered information from HP that confirms this information. They claim from the very first foam based cartridge they released that filling under a deep vaccum was the best way to remove the air from the foam inside the cartridge. The reason given for filling this way was air in the foam transferred during printing to the printhead would cause reliability issues. This is from the horses mouth!

The following detailed information from Sage Recycling helps explain the differences between vacuum filling vs syringe filling
Syringe Filling
Vaccum Filling

But on the other side of the coin I am aware of many refilling stores who produce very good cartridges with very few returns without filling under vaccum. I once heard professional cartridge refilling described as an artform and maybe part of the truth lies in this description. How well a technician is trained and how well he understands the workings of an inkjet cartridge of course determines the quality produced. It is a fair comment to say that of course filling without vaccum works, but is it the best and most reliable method? what about all those cartridges over the years filled before vaccum filling was available, did they not work?

I think whatever method of filling you use it's vitally important to keep detailed information on your product. Remember to improve your product which we should all strive to do, I believe you need to use a scientific and logical approach to your cartridge filling process. Recording detailed information on cartridge filled weights, filling procedures etc will allow you to build up a knowledge base which will allow your technicians to make the right decisions (saving you money and keeping your customers happy). More can be learnt from returned cartridges with problems, you can view the history of that particular cartridge and use that information to understand why the cartridge has failed. Software for keeping a record of your cartridge information is available.

What is circuit testing(electronic testing) and how does it work?
Circuit testing is testing to see if a circuit exists between the contacts located on the cartridge and the resistors/heaters which are located inside the printhead which creates the heat(thermal) jetting process. The circuit is tested by measuring the resistance, if the values returned are not in the acceptable range the electronics are faulty. The advantage of circuit testing cartridges is that you will know if the electronics on the cartridge are in good working order or not. Without circuit testing it can be quite difficult to determine what may be causing the problem. We currently have a small quantity of circuit testers running out for about 1/3 the normal price.

Brother Refill Tools
We have received really good feedback about our brother refilling tools, but recently I encountered a problem that was created by the (non Ausjet) syringe that was been used with the tool. It seems that the tip of syringes can vary in length between different brands of syringes, if the tip is too short it will not seal in the tool and this will not allow the pressure to be created as required. So if you are encountering this problem I know our Terumo brand syringes work fine with the refill tool.

I hope this information has been helpful to you.

Shane
Ausjet Technical Support