Austenitic Stainless Nozzle Plate for Smooth Inkjet Nozzle Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet head nozzle plates made from austenitic stainless steel suffer from deformations such as minute concave portions, stripe-shaped concavo-convex portions, and burrs in the nozzle inner wall and tip, leading to issues like trapped air bubbles, failing nozzles, and uneven ink ejection, which decrease the operation rate and drawing quality of inkjet recording devices.
Innovation Solution
The nozzle plate is formed from austenitic stainless steel with a martensite phase content ratio of 5.4% or less, a face-centered cubic lattice area ratio of 92.0% or more, and a body-centered cubic lattice area ratio of 5.4% or less, with crystal grain sizes controlled to suppress deformations, using methods like laser processing and punching followed by polishing to achieve a funnel-shaped nozzle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If austenitic stainless steel is used as a base material for nozzle plate, then chemical stability and corrosion resistance are improved, but deformations such as minute concave portions and stripe-shaped concavo-convex portions occur in the nozzle inner wall
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameters by controlling the crystal structure ratio (austenite phase ≥90% and martensite phase ≤10%) and average crystal grain size (≤3 μm) of the austenitic stainless steel base material. This parameter control prevents deformations during nozzle formation while maintaining the chemical stability and corrosion resistance inherent to austenitic stainless steel.
2Productivity
If laser processing is used to form nozzles in austenitic stainless steel, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but minute concave portions (needle holes) are likely to occur in the nozzle inner wall
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameters by controlling the crystal structure ratio (austenite phase ≥90%) and average crystal grain size (≤3 μm) of the base material. This makes the material more resistant to laser-induced deformations, allowing laser processing to be performed efficiently while producing nozzles with smooth inner walls free from minute concave portions.
3Manufacturing precision
If punching is used to form concave portions followed by polishing to remove convex portions, then nozzle shape accuracy is improved, but stripe-shaped concavo-convex portions and burrs remain at the nozzle tip
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameters by controlling the crystal structure ratio (austenite phase ≥90%) and average crystal grain size (≤3 μm) of the base material. This reduces plastic deformation during punching and minimizes burr formation, allowing the punching and polishing process to produce nozzles with high shape accuracy and clean tips without stripe-shaped concavo-convex portions.
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 solution results in a nozzle plate with reduced deformations, minimizing failing nozzles and ink ejection variations, enhancing the reliability and quality of inkjet recording devices by reducing maintenance frequency and improving drawing consistency.
Implementation Method 1
there is known a method using laser processing
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet head nozzle plate formed from stainless steel in which a deformation in a nozzle inner wall or a nozzle tip is less, a method of manufacturing the inkjet head nozzle plate, and an inkjet head and an inkjet recording device which use the inkjet head nozzle plate. The inkjet head nozzle plate may be an inkjet head nozzle plate formed from at least stainless steel. The stainless steel is austenitic stainless steel in which a content ratio of a martensite phase is 5.4% or less.