LAS VEGAS – Building on the success of HP Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) 2.5 technology, HP today announced a range of new ink solutions and expanded partnerships that provide original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) the flexibility to design package coding printers to meet their customers’ demands.

Today’s increasing number of packaging substrates and product identification requirements demand an array of printing solutions that offer high precision coding and marking capabilities, fit a variety of production settings, and integrate reliably into design, production and use.

“The product identification market requires reliable, high-quality printing solutions on a variety of porous and non-porous substrates,” said Kathleen Tobin, vice president and general manager, Specialty Printing Systems, HP. “With increased options to deliver an expanding ink portfolio, OEMs’ end customers can now print on a broader range of substrates, allowing them to apply HP TIJ in new applications and experience the core benefits of TIJ.”

The new offerings are previewed at Pack Expo 2013; attendees can see new product highlights and print samples with HP and partners inks, in HP booth #S6225.

Delivering more inks to more substrates

The new HP 45si Print Cartridge is the first HP Thermal Inkjet print cartridge optimized for mild solvent inks, used for printing on non-porous and semi-porous substrates in the product identification market. The 45si cartridge can support extended shelf life for ethanol-based solvent inks, helping OEM partners and ink developers to improve supply chain and inventory management processes. Ink formulations may also optimize durability attributes in the new cartridge.

Additionally, the HP 45si Print Cartridge enables higher-frequency printing at a longer throw distance for higher productivity. It also supports higher viscosity inks, expanding the range of substrates it can print on.

The 45si will serve HP and its ink development partners - Collins, General, ImTech, Mylan Group and Tritron - to enable ink development for specific applications.

HP continues to expand its ink portfolio with a new solvent ink, HP 2580, to be delivered in the new HP 45si Print Cartridge. HP 2580 solvent ink is designed for printing on coated and blister foils commonly used in the pharmaceutical market. The long decap time of HP 2580 enables production flexibility - stopping and restarting production line without having to maintain the print cartridge. Additionally it offers excellent print quality for 1D/2D barcodes, neutral black color and fast dry time.

HP 2580 Solvent Ink in the HP 45si Print Cartridge is expected to be available after January 2014.

Built-in intelligence

Also in the new 45si print cartridge, HP is incorporating Smart Card Technology, a secure authentication system that ensures an improved customer experience with HP TIJ supplies, through on-board pen firing information and usage data tracking. Smart Card Technology is available for the entire HP portfolio of new ink delivery systems and is customizable to the OEMs’ printing environment.

More information about HP specialty printing supplies is available at www.hp.com/go/oeminkjet, on the HP Graphic Arts YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts, or through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter Feed, www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.