Skokie, IL —Designers of ink jet printers may soon have a better
way to dispense ink, thanks to a new piezo valve that offers
higher speed and lower cost. The new valve, known as the Solid
State Solenoid Valve, reportedly achieves printing speeds at
least three times as fast as those of the conventional solenoid
valves. It's also less than half the size and cost of
conventional units, its inventor says. The design is
specifically intended for so-called "drop-on-demand" printing,
which is typically employed to place alpha-numeric characters on
cardboard cartons and other containers. The new technology
cannot be used, however, in the bubble-type printers associated
with personal computers. Applying a voltage to the piezo element
causes it to arch upward, which relieves pressure on the ball
and allows ink to flow through the nozzle. Key to the new valve
is its piezoelectric element to dispense ink. In that sense, it
contrasts sharply with conventional ink jet printing valves,
which use tiny, ultra-high-speed sol