China Glaze Joins FUJIFILM Dimatix Ink Partnership Program

FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. announced that China Glaze Company has signed an agreement to participate in the FUJIFILM Dimatix Ink Partnership Program.

Taiwan-based China Glaze Company is part of the China Glaze Group, Asia’s largest manufacturing group specializing in the production of colors, glazes and frits for the ceramic industry. Founded in 1974, the company employs more than 200 people and generated 2011 turnover approaching $200 million.

The rigorous Dimatix Ink Partnership Program fosters strong relationships with developers of ink to ensure that the specific fluids capabilities and formulations recommended for use with Dimatix’ drop-on-demand printheads consistently meet the company’s high standards of performance and reliability.

The partnership is expected to extend both companies’ reach into the rapidly growing market in Asia for digital decoration and glazing of ceramic floor and wall tiles.

“FUJIFILM Dimatix is attaining a leadership position in the market for digital printing on ceramics with a comprehensive range of printhead products capable of addressing the broadest spectrum of industrial decorative and glazing applications,” saidRuss Brown, marketing manager, OEM printheads for FUJIFILM Dimatix. “Our formal Ink Partnership efforts with China Glaze Company fit perfectly within that broader context by helping us meet the demanding ink formulation requirements of ceramics industry customers throughout Asia.”

“We at China Glaze are pleased to be working with FUJIFILM Dimatix, the inkjet technology leader and a company well positioned to supply customers across our broad service area with highly coordinated and rigorously tested products for digital decoration and glazing on ceramics,” said Lee Chien-Fa, marketing manager, China Glaze.

Approved inks meet a comprehensive suite of test requirements defined by FUJIFILM Dimatix. These include material set compatibility and sustainability testing to make certain that inks do not damage printheads and perform well when used and maintained in the prescribed manner.

Ink Partners work in close collaboration with FUJIFILM Dimatix to develop solutions and provide customer-focused problem solving. Strict program criteria ensure that Ink Program Partners are not only technically competent, but also employ excellent analytical capabilities and tools, proven manufacturing capabilities and formal quality control systems. In addition, Ink Partners are subject to ongoing review and audit by FUJIFILM Dimatix.

Specific China Glaze Company formulations are being targeted initially for use with the FUJIFILM Dimatix StarFire SG-1024 – a high-performance printhead, introduced at DRUPA 2012, designed for high-throughput ceramics tile printing and product decoration.

The StarFire SG-1024 is the first FUJIFILM Dimatix printhead family to incorporate the company’s new RediJet jetting technology. RediJet encompasses several innovations, including nozzle plate design, coatings, electronics, continuous ink recirculation at the nozzle and waveforms to unlock the full productive capacity of the printhead. It is combined with Dimatix’ patented VersaDrop multipulsing technology for high-accuracy, variable-drop jetting and grayscale printing.

The first model in this new family, the StarFire SG-1024/M-C, is a compact, self-contained unit built to withstand the harsh environment of industrial ceramics production. The new printhead uses field-proven materials to deliver consistent and reliable output, over a long service life, jetting oil-based ceramic inks and associated maintenance fluids.