Xaar's Ultra High Viscosity Technology expands Kamman's printing machine capabilities

Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology is enabling Koenig & Bauer Kammann (Kammann) to drive its latest innovations by enhancing quality, speed, and sustainability for customers using its K15 and K20 decorative print machine families.

Utilising the new high viscosity fluids developed by global ink manufacturer Marabu, Kammann’s machines allow both new and current customers to create personalised embossed effects on glass bottles, plastic and metal containers at a build height of up to 3mm. This latest development is entirely backwards compatible, enabling existing machines to jet at greater viscosity and carry a significantly increased pigment load, delivering more colour vibrancy and capturing fine details with up to 50 percent less ink.

Thanks to the unique architecture of Xaar’s Nitrox printheads and its Ultra High Viscosity & High Laydown Technologies, Marabu’s inks can be jetted at higher temperatures, improving the ease of application and speed of Kamman’s machines at jetting distances of up to 15mm. Colours no longer need pinning, delivering significant savings in the time required for printing, as well as reductions in energy and material use. Overall, by using these new inks from Marabu, the speed of production can be more than doubled, making inkjet print a greater reality for a wider variety of decorative applications.

Kammann’s Managing Director, Matthias Graf expressed his delight at the new developments: "This collaboration is not just about advancing technology; it's about reshaping the future of digital printing. Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology and Nitrox printheads have enabled Marabu to develop inks that provide a real leap in innovation and sustainability, opening new possibilities for our decorative printing machines.

“By combining our technical expertise with Xaar and Marabu we have together been able to deliver higher quality, speed and sustainability in decorative inkjet printing, to both new and existing Kammann customers.”

Xaar’s Group R&D Director, Karl Forbes, also celebrated the results of the cross-party collaboration: “Our partnership with Kammann and Marabu is a testament to what can be achieved when industry leaders unite. This breakthrough in Marabu’s ink technology, facilitated by Xaar’s high viscosity innovation and Kammann’s machine expertise, is set to revolutionise the market by defining new standards for decorative digital inkjet printing.”