Inkjet Marking Equipment Is The "Invisible Guardian" Of Industrial Manufacturing
Publish Time: 2025-04-28
On the industrial production line, the production date of a bottle of mineral water, the traceability code of a box of medicines, and the specifications of a cable, these seemingly tiny identification information are actually the "invisible guardian" in the modern industrial manufacturing system. As the core tool in this link, inkjet marking equipment is reshaping the management model of the entire product life cycle through technological innovation and industry integration. This article will analyze how inkjet marking equipment has become a key force in promoting the process of Industry 4.0 from three dimensions: technological evolution, industry application, and market trends.
1. Technological iteration: the precise revolution from "inkjet" to "laser"
The technological evolution history of inkjet marking equipment is essentially a history of industrial revolution in pursuit of higher precision and higher efficiency. Early continuous inkjet technology (CIJ) achieved high-speed printing by deflecting ink droplets through electric fields, and it still occupies 80% of the small character inkjet market. Its jet speed of 100,000 drops per second can meet the labeling needs of 1,200 bottles per minute on beverage production lines. The rise of drop-on-demand (DOD) technology marks the arrival of the era of high-resolution inkjet printing. With 128 independently controlled piezoelectric crystals, piezoelectric printheads can print 300dpi resolution QR codes in an area of 0.3mm², which is close to the printing standard.
The breakthrough of laser inkjet technology is even more disruptive. Taking a 30-watt CO₂ laser inkjet printer as an example, it can engrave permanent marks on the surface of PET plastic bottles at a speed of 2,000 characters per second through a high-frequency galvanometer scanning system. The marks with a depth of 0.1mm are not only wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, but also can withstand extreme environments of -40℃ to 120℃. The cold processing characteristics of fiber lasers on metal surfaces make it possible to mark precision parts such as engine cylinders and medical devices, and the characteristics of no consumables make its overall cost 40% lower than that of traditional inkjet.
2. Industry penetration: "identity authentication" system for the entire industry chain
The application boundaries of inkjet marking equipment continue to expand, and an "identity authentication" network covering the entire industry chain has been formed. In the food and beverage industry, the invisible marking technology of laser inkjet printers on the bottom of glass bottles not only meets the traceability requirements of the EU TRACE regulations, but also avoids destroying the aesthetics of packaging design. A dairy company uses UV laser to print dynamic QR codes on the aluminum foil seal, so that each package of products has an independent "digital ID card", and cooperates with blockchain technology to achieve full traceability from pasture to table.
The compliance needs of the pharmaceutical industry have spawned innovations in inkjet technology. The electronic drug supervision code (EDI) requires a printing accuracy of 0.1mm and must pass ISO 15415 standard certification. The high-resolution inkjet printer introduced by a pharmaceutical company uses a three-level ink curing system to achieve 360° circular printing on the curved surface of the ampoule bottle, with a character recognition rate of 99.999%, which perfectly adapts to the "one object, one code" requirement for special drugs in the "Drug Administration Law".
In the field of automobile manufacturing, laser inkjet printers have become the core tool for quality traceability. Tesla's Shanghai factory uses picosecond laser to engrave VIN codes on the surface of battery modules. The mark with a depth of 0.05mm not only meets the EU WVTA certification, but also can achieve 100% online detection through the machine vision system. A parts supplier introduced a multi-axis linkage laser system to print a three-dimensional dynamic code on the crankshaft journal of the engine, so that the processing parameters and quality inspection data of each part can be traced.
3. Market change: dual drive of intelligence and localization
The Chinese inkjet printer market is undergoing structural changes. The market size is expected to exceed 5 billion yuan in 2025, with an annual compound growth rate of more than 10%. This growth is driven by three major forces:
Policy-driven: The new version of the Food Safety Law requires food companies to establish a traceability system, which will drive the penetration rate of inkjet printers from 65% in 2018 to 92% in 2025;
Technology integration: The application of 5G+Industrial Internet enables real-time interaction between inkjet printers and MES systems. A home appliance company shortens the order delivery cycle by 30% by linking inkjet data with production rhythm;
Domestic substitution: Local companies such as Han's Laser have reduced the cost of fiber lasers by 60% through the independence of core components, and their market share in the 3C electronics field has exceeded 35%.
The competitive landscape presents a "two-hero competition" situation. International giants such as Markem-Imaje have an advantage in the high-end market with their global technical standard-setting rights for small character inkjet printers; while local companies such as Han's Laser and HGLASER have achieved overtaking in emerging fields such as new energy batteries and semiconductors through full-chain innovation of "laser + control system + software". A power battery company uses a domestically produced ultraviolet laser inkjet printer to achieve micron-level printing with a line width of 12μm on 0.1mm thick aluminum foil, and its performance indicators have reached the international leading level.
4. Future Vision: A Leap from "Identification" to "Intelligent Interaction"
The evolution of inkjet identification equipment is pointing to a deeper industrial transformation. In the field of new energy, Tesla's 4680 battery uses laser invisible inkjet technology to write the battery management system (BMS) parameters directly into the battery shell, realizing the intelligent interaction of "identification as data". The photochromic inkjet technology developed by a photovoltaic company enables the components to display production batch information under specific lighting. This "invisible code" technology not only meets environmental protection requirements, but also improves the anti-counterfeiting level.
The wave of intelligence has spawned a change in the form of inkjet equipment. The AI visual inkjet system launched by an equipment manufacturer automatically identifies product deformation through a deep learning algorithm, dynamically adjusts the printing parameters, and increases the qualified rate of special-shaped packaging from 85% to 99.7%. In the smart manufacturing demonstration factory, the inkjet printer has formed a flexible production unit with the AGV car and the robotic arm, and the seamless switching of the printing task is achieved through the digital twin technology.
From the livelihood guarantee of food safety to the intelligent upgrade of Industry 4.0, the inkjet marking equipment is writing the micro-epic of industrial civilization with "millimeter-level precision". When the laser beam carves a nano-level QR code on the metal surface, and when the ink particles build a digital world in high-speed motion, this technological revolution that began with identification will eventually reshape the way humans interact with industrial products. For manufacturing companies, mastering the initiative of inkjet technology is to hold the golden key to future smart manufacturing.
