June 20, 2007 -- Xaar has demonstrated its latest inkjet printhead “Xaar 1001” in a world first display of high-speed, high quality and reliability.  The relatively simple system comprised a four-head CMYK configuration jetting Sun Chemical UVjet inks and supported by Xaar drive electronics. In non-stop operation over 5 days, Xaar’s ‘proof of concept’ system printed outstanding quality at the rate of 24m/minute. By the end of the event the rig had produced a label strip 21.5km in length, equivalent to a half marathon!

Designed for industrial strength, high-speed, single-pass applications, the Xaar 1001 printhead is based on Xaar’s patented Hybrid Side-Shooter and TF Technology. With dynamically variable drop sizes, this new printhead architecture combines advanced piezo technology with Xaar’s patented ‘through-flow’ design. Xaar 1001 delivers state of the art inkjet technology with impressive precision; a choice of selectable or variable drop sizes; self-priming and self-cleaning; superb repeatability; productivity and a long lifetime.

The demonstration rig attracted considerable attention not only from traditional and digital print producers but also every type of manufacturer of inkjet solutions for a wide range of commercial printing and worldwide industrial market applications. One flexo print specialist commented: “I never believed inkjet could achieve the same quality as flexo but I have seen it here!”

“We showed unequivocally that the Xaar 1001 is a revolutionary piezo inkjet printhead capable of delivering the quality required for demanding label and commercial printing applications where quality, speed and reliability are paramount requirements,” says Ian Dinwoodie, CEO of Xaar. “You can expect to see Xaar 1001 leading the way for a diverse range of printing applications in the future”.

PAT Technology Systems’ innovative VarstarTM sheet-fed digital UV Coater finishing system is the first system to implement Xaar’s revolutionary 1001 printhead. The result is the world’s first true commercial digital varnishing coater producing ‘on the fly’ flood and spot coating, textures and special effects in a single pass from just a digital graphics file.

PAT Technology’s VarstarTM produces effects that were previously impossible or not cost effective using traditional processes. VarstarTM powered by Xaar 1001 HSS jetting technology achieves unsurpassed reliability and flexibility whilst delivering benchmark jetting accuracy to enable this new and exciting application.