Inkcups Nano Pin Curing technology released to market

Direct-to-object (DTO) print manufacturer, Inkcups, has announced the commercial availability of its Nano Pin Curing technology for the Helix range of cylindrical DTO UV printers.

The patent-pending technology debuted at the PRINTING United Alliance trade show in September 2024, receiving a PRINTING United Alliance Pinnacle Award in the technology category at the event.

The technology enables printing on transparent cylindrical vessels such as glassware, clear plastic bottles, wine and spirit bottles, candle holders, and assorted drinkware without the need to first fill the vessel with a UV-blocking substance or stuffing agent.

The removal of this process aims to reduce production time and maintain a sterile environment on the inside of the bottle.

Additional enhancements include a reorganisation of the printheads within the curing system, enabling the ability to print on the sham of glassware.

Glass vessels with a sham, or the thick base portion, traditionally present challenges due to light reflection during the UV curing process. The Nano Pin Curing technology allows printing to commence from the bottom of the glass, progressing over the sham and upwards.

The solution also comes with a precision laser alignment tool, designed to ensure optimal print positioning and optimise print quality with each cycle.

Ian Bedford, senior project engineer at Inkcups, was a key developer of the technology. Bedford comments: “Stuffing transparent items with a ‘foxtail’ or pellets and cleaning them afterwards is time-consuming, but for a long time it has been a necessary step to preserve the life of printheads.

“We developed this technology to change that for Inkcups Helix customers, enabling them to save both time and their printheads.”

Nano Pin Curing is now available to the market, both as a field-upgradable retrofit for existing Inkcups Helix customers, and as an optional feature on new Inkcups Helix, Helix+, and Double Helix DTO printers.