Plasma Surface Acidification for Ink Dot Merging in High-Speed Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ink jet recording apparatuses face challenges in achieving high-speed printing due to droplet interference, which results in deteriorated image quality as adjacent ink dots merge easily, limiting the throughput and quality of printed matter.
Innovation Solution
A processing object reforming apparatus that employs plasma processing to acidify the surface of the processing object, controlling the plasma energy to enhance wettability, permeability, and aggregation of ink pigments, preventing dot merging and improving image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a one-path method with multiple heads is used for high-speed printing, then printing speed is improved, but adjacent dots merge easily causing droplet interference and image quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary plasma processing to the recording medium surface before ink jet recording. This preliminary action modifies the surface properties (increasing wettability and permeability) so that when high-speed printing is performed with multiple heads, the ink droplets are quickly absorbed and fixed into the recording medium, preventing droplet interference and dot merging even at high printing speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the recording medium surface through plasma processing. Specifically, it increases surface wettability (contact angle reduction) and permeability, which allows ink droplets to be rapidly absorbed. This parameter change enables high-speed printing without dot merging by ensuring quick ink fixation before adjacent dots can interfere with each other.
2Manufacturing precision
If plasma energy is increased to improve ink aggregation and dot circularity, then image quality is improved, but excessive energy may cause unwanted side effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback control where the plasma processing conditions are optimized based on measured surface properties. By controlling plasma power, processing time, and atmosphere, the system achieves the desired surface wettability and permeability without excessive energy input that could cause damage. The feedback mechanism ensures plasma energy is precisely tuned to improve dot circularity while avoiding harmful effects.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The plasma processing apparatus effectively improves the circularity and uniformity of ink dots, suppresses pigment movement between dots, and enhances the productivity of high-quality printed matter by optimizing the plasma energy based on the type of processing object and ink characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma processing unit that acidifies at least a surface of a processing object by processing the surface of the processing object by using plasma
Implementation Method 2
controlling the plasma energy to enhance wettability, permeability, and aggregation of ink pigments
Data Source
AI summary
A processing object reforming apparatus includes a plasma processing unit that acidifies at least a surface of a processing object by processing the surface of the processing object by using plasma; and a control unit that controls the plasma processing unit to plasma-process the processing object with a plasma energy amount based on a type of the processing object.