Printing on metal

Printing metal and aluminum with TIJ printers

The Printing on metal is one of the oldest labeling applications in the industry (food cans) and yet more relevant than ever. More and more manufacturers are using metal or aluminum as a material or for packaging design for their expensive and high-quality products. While quality tends to be secondary to legibility when printing on metal cans, this is certainly not the case for these newer applications. The proven thermal inkjet technology (TIJ) is nevertheless the suitable solution here as well, as technological advances and new generations of inks combine the familiar reliability with high quality.

Thermal inkjet systems operate according to the well-known inkjet principle, in which the ink is "thrown" onto the substrate without contact. This prevents smearing of the print and also protects the surface itself from scratches or damage. Ink drying out or nozzle clogging, which are common in low-volume home use, are hardly a problem in industry and commerce, as these are used regularly. This makes the positive attributes of this technology, such as robustness and cost-effectiveness, all the more apparent.

Printing on metal In production, this usually takes place directly on the production line, rarely downstream in the warehouse or shipping department. Since printing is now frequently replacing engraving, and digitally processable elements (QR codes, Data Matrix codes) are also increasingly used, print quality and, of course, print durability are of paramount importance. Serial numbers, model names, codes, and many other legally or organizationally important data can now be reliably printed on metal using modern TIJ systems.

With its 30 years of experience, RED Jet offers a comprehensive range of TIJ marking systems for printing on metal or aluminum for a wide variety of applications.
With the RED TIJ For example, two production lines can be processed independently in parallel or combined printing tasks can be carried out on one production line, for example uninterrupted printing or simultaneous labeling of two sides.