Customer: A world-leading manufacturer of high-speed inkjet printers for industrial and commercial applications.
Challenge: Achieving precise control over ink drop rate.
High-speed inkjet printing demands incredible precision, especially when printing multiple lines of tiny characters within fractions of a second. To stay ahead of the competition, this manufacturer needed accuracy and reliability from their equipment. Despite using state-of-the-art software, sophisticated electronics, and world-class engineering, one critical factor remained: ensuring that ink passed through a small sapphire orifice at exactly the right frequency .
This challenge led the manufacturer to seek help from Swiss Jewel.
The Issue:
The custom sapphire orifice or nozzle, designed to exact specifications with a drilled hole of just 60-micron, wasn’t delivering the ink consistently. Although several companies can manufacture small sapphire orifices, Swiss Jewel’s expertise in customizing micro-dimensions made us the ideal partner to address this problem.
We were able to improve the fit of the sapphire orifice jewel within the housing assembly
Our Approach:
We collaborated closely with the customer and, leveraging our Swiss expertise in precision and over a century of generational experience, identified two key issues affecting ink drop rate:
- Orifice Hole Length: While the hole diameter met specifications, the correct length of the hole was in question. Proper ink flow required finding the optimal ID length, which could only be determined through careful testing. To assist, Swiss Jewel produced three different part configurations, giving the customer the capability to do the necessary testing to identify the perfect outcome..
- Housing Misalignment: During the process, we also discovered that the sapphire orifice jewel wasn’t sitting flush within the housing assembly, which further impacted performance. Working together, we improved the setting technique and sourced a new supplier to manufacture the updated housing, resulting in an improved fit.
Challenges and Resolution:
This entire project took place during the height of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, adding significant complexity to the supply chain and logistics. Nonetheless, Swiss Jewel worked hand-in-hand with the customer to diagnose the problem, refine the specifications, find a new supplier for the housings, and deliver a properly functioning part.
Outcome:
Swiss Jewel’s dedication to precision and problem-solving resulted in the successful resolution of the ink drop rate issue. Today, we continue to supply thousands of assemblies to this very satisfied customer. Our family business, spanning four generations, combines both the know-how and the art of synthetic Sapphire Orifice Jewel machining, offering unmatched quality and precision.
If you need synthetic Sapphire machined to the highest standards, contact Swiss Jewel Company—we go the extra mile to solve your toughest challenges.