Alliance Aims To Take Inkjets Into Uncharted Areas

Xaar Plc, of Cambridge (UK) and Imaging Technology International Corporation (ITI) of Boulder Colorado (USA) have announced a joint initiative to integrate Xaar's inkjet printhead technology.

Xaar Plc, of Cambridge (UK) and Imaging Technology International Corporation (ITI) of Boulder Colorado (USA) have announced a joint initiative to integrate Xaar's inkjet printhead technology into ITI's range of industrial inkjet development tools.

Xaar is prominent in piezoelectric inkjet printhead development and ITI supplies tools to developers of industrial ink jet systems.

The Xaar-based range of ITI development tools will include the Web Transport, Drop Watcher and XY Materials deposition systems.

Xaar and ITI will focus on important inkjet markets of the future, including those served by newly emerging electronic fluids technology.

The companies expect interest from manufacturers developing OLED flat panel displays, organic solar cell technology, plastic electronics, smart packaging and RFID, for instance.

Nigel Berry, responsible for business development at Xaar said: "The collaboration with ITI reflects our ongoing belief that inkjet technology has a major role to play in both the traditional web-based printing markets and the new technology markets of the future.

The excellent range of systems offered by ITI will allow users to realise the benefits inkjet can offer.

We look forward to working with ITI and end-users to introduce these systems into sectors which inkjet has not yet fully addressed, such as packaging, organic semiconductors, printed electronics and biotechnology." Dr Ross Mills, the president of ITI believes that the relationship with Xaar would ensure access to time saving tools for the worldwide community of developers by integrating Xaar's printhead technology into industrial systems.

"There will be particular benefit to developers of systems targeted at newly emerging applications, such as printed electronics, biotechnology and organic materials, where fluid costs are very high and precise drop placement is of paramount importance.

This joint initiative with Xaar will help ameliorate the complex task facing developers of these applications by providing an integrated package of advanced printhead technology and sophisticated development tools," he commented.

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