Ink Jet Head with Multi-Layer Piezoelectric Actuator

Ink jet heads with piezoelectric actuators have been able to gain market recognition and secure a slice of the market primarily by virtue of their excellent print quality. To obtain good quality output, it is necessary to ensure the accurate ejection of precisely shaped ink droplets. By speeding up the ink ejection cycle, it is also possible to improve print speed A key factor influencing ink jet performance is the ability to control ink ejection. With piezoelectric actuators, the ejection process can be controlled with extreme precision in proportion to applied voltage. In the past it was not possible to reduce the thickness of piezoelectric layer, which meant that the technology could only be used in large, expensive printers. Epson conceived the multilayer actuator (MLA) as a means of utilizing thin piezoelectric. One type of MLA is the multilayer piezo (MLP), which consists of piezoelectric elements and electrodes arranged in alternate layers. By using MLAs containing piezoelectric elements that are 20 μm thick, we have been able to create a compact, low-price printer with superb ink jet control is year Epson released ahead in which the new MLP is used as the actuator. In this paper, I will describe the features and basic structure of this head.