UNDER THE HOOD / DOMINO N730I 41 www.printmonthly.co.uk July / August 2023 - Issue 343 ▲ The N730i is the next generation to Domino's Generation 6 inkjet technology Domino has had a lot of commercial success with its Generation 6 platform inkjet label printers such as the N610i with over 1,000 installations worldwide. It made complete sense when the manufacturer wished to move to the next generation, asking what made the N610i so popular. Domino had a lot of response to its questions and used this information to provide the first notes on the white sheet of paper that was the design scope for the Generation 7 platform. The responses came down to three main requests: users wanted consistent quality, ease of use, and maximum flexibility. So, what did Domino do? Firstly, the company did not turn its back on the previous model but built on this for the generation hop not only in name. A number of parts of the N610i were carried forward into the N730i such as web alignment, double-sided web cleaning, Corona web treatment, splice detection, and tension control. All these elements are needed for high-quality web printing and there is little need to redesign elements which have proven to be reliable. These elements went under the microscope to ensure they were capable of the increased demands of the new printer, but anyone who has run a Generation 6 platform printer would be pleased to see familiar functions on the N730i. Double DPI Of the biggest changes people will see is the move to Brother BITSTAR printheads which take the resolution up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi. The swap to the Brother product is a wise choice as it comes with a bundle of technology that would tick the box of ‘consistent quality’ requested in the research of Domino users. The printhead itself comes with patented triple-layer polycrystalline micro piezo technology, this minimises cross talk inside the head and this in turn delivers precise nozzle control for optimum drop placement accuracy. The droplet size is as small as 2.1pl and nominal drop sizes of 2.8pl and 3.3pl which can then deliver extremely fine print reproduction with smooth gradients and shaper edges. To ensure the printheads are kept in top condition, Domino has in the N730i what it calls inkjet intelligent technology or i-Tech. I-Tech CleanCap2 is an automated head-cleaning tool which reduces operator intervention to a minimum. I-Tech NozzleAdjust extends the in-use life expectancy by monitoring each of the 1,680 nozzles and when it detects a blocked element, it diverts the ink to another meaning the image is unaffected by this blockage. I-Tech SetAlign is a new innovative automated system that can set and control the density of the ink deployed and aligns the printheads in production. Inkjet inks can prove troublesome whilst in the printer itself, an issue Domino overcomes with the i-Tech ActiFlow2 ink circulation system. This prevents micro air bubbles and pigment sedimentation from forming, whilst also maintaining a conSTEP INTO THE NEXT GENERATION A number of parts of the N610i were carried forward into the N730i such as web alignment, double-sided web cleaning, Corona web treatment, splice detection, and tension control Domino has had a lot of success with its Generation 6 inkjet technology and has now produced the next generation, the N730i label printer. Brian Sims finds out more
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