XAAR’s Aquinox printhead and newly enhanced fluid development process has accelerated innovation in printing onto porous wood substrates used in decorative interior applications. In a project, it showcases how high-viscosity, water-based inks can transform cost-effective wood materials into premium, high-value décor elements for furniture, wall cladding, and other architectural design elements. It’s a collaboration with bespoke inkjet machinery manufacturer Inkatronic to deliver exceptional print quality and reliability for printing onto the challenging substrates. XAAR’s newly enhanced inkjet fluid development process played a pivotal role in accelerating Inkatronic’s project timeline. Designed to remove traditional barriers to inkjet adoption, the process offers three flexible pathways – ranging from ready-to-use fluids with optimised waveforms to fully bespoke development support.
Inkatronic chose to work with Nazdar’s pre-approved high-viscosity water-based inks, leveraging XAAR’s in-house print trials and waveform expertise to validate performance on wood substrates in under a month. These inks were carefully formulated to remain on the surface of the highly absorbent material, helping to minimise ink wastage while ensuring strong visual definition and consistent coverage. This fast-track approach enabled Inkatronic to deliver high-quality samples quickly and confidently, without upfront investment. Based in Austria, Inkatronic solves niche industrial challenges through in-house R&D and turnkey machine development. With a team of 20 and a strong focus on functional coatings, battery cell applications and digital printing, the company builds bespoke machines for a range of industrial applications. XAAR and Inkatronic’s collaborative approach can be seen firsthand at the FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print Technology for Advanced Manufacturing Conference in Munich on January 21 and 22. (PHOTO: LFR)
