Meteor Inkjet granted patent for inkjet nozzle status detection

Nowadays conventional solutions to jetting issues are often sufficient for scanning printers in applications where multiple passes can mitigate the impact of nozzle failure. But for single-pass systems running at high speed, or in applications where nozzle failure would have catastrophic consequences, existing inline imaging solutions are often complex and typically cost more than the print system itself.

Additionally, because camera-based solutions identify printhead problems after-the-fact, they have limited use for predictive maintenance. Meteor Inkjet Ltd has been granted a US patent for ‘Inkjet nozzle status detection’ by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent covers a system and method for determining, in real-time, the operational status of a nozzle in a piezoelectric industrial inkjet printhead.